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Gerri
Houlihan: Weaving a Life in Dance
By Nancy
Wozny
 A
teacher with staying power, Houlihan is a vital presence at
ADF and university dance programs
Gerri Houlihan barely
remembers a time when she wasn't teaching; her paths of
development as teacher and dancer were inexorably woven
together. In high school I got out of physical education by
teaching modern dance, says this widely respected teacher.
And it seems I was always teaching ballet at my local
studio, which was part of the Fred Astaire franchise. I
always felt extremely comfortable teaching.
Taking charge of a classroom was second
nature to Houlihan, but it didn't come from any desire to be
practical. I am a true Gemini, grounded with two feet in the
air, she jokes. I was always teaching and dancing. As a
young dancer with New York s Metropolitan Opera Ballet, she
taught the barre portion of class whenever Antony Tudor was
going to be late, and as a soloist with Lar Lubovitch s
company she frequently helped with company class.
Houlihan, now 62, will complete her first
year as an associate professor of dance at Florida State
University in May, after serving one year as a guest artist.
She teaches modern dance, including methods, composition,
introduction to the dance profession, and senior seminar. I
like that I get students in the beginning and then right
before they head out into the real world, she says. Her
teaching history includes faculty positions at New World
School for the Arts, Connecticut College, Virginia
Commonwealth University, and the University of North
Carolina Greensboro. She has taught for 22 consecutive
summers at the American Dance Festival, where in 2005 she
was honored with the Balasaraswati/Joy Ann Dewey Beinecke
Endowed Chair for Distinguished Teaching, which proved to be
a turning point in her life. The award was extremely
important in terms of feeling recognized and respected in
the field by one s colleagues and friends, says Houlihan. I
also just love the fact that the award exists.
Choreographers are often recognized, and so are prominent
dancers, but teachers are often behind the scenes.
Houlihan s other credentials are equally
impressive: In addition to her time at the Metropolitan
Opera Ballet and Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, she danced
with Paul Sanasardo Dance Company. She also tried her hand
at running her own school and company with Boston Dance
Project (1984 to 1987) and, while she was at New World
School of the Arts, Houlihan and Dancers (1991 to 1999).
Her longevity as a teacher has allowed
Houlihan to see long-term changes in the student population.
I am pondering musicality right now, she says. It was such a
big part of my own training at The Juilliard School, from
[Antony] Tudor. I m noticing that music isn't as stressed
these days, and it s such an important element for a dancer.
Tudor would have us gather around the piano and just listen.
I was able to accomplish movements in that class that I was
not able to do elsewhere because the rhythm was build into
the movement.
Working musically develops a more organic
way of moving, according to Houlihan, and she finds that the
immersion in musical styles and structures she received at
Juilliard continues to inform her teaching methods today. We
even had to study an instrument, she says. Today, many of
our students come from studios where they never experienced
[dance with] a live musician. Houlihan's accompanists play a
key role in her classes since, to develop her students
musicality, she presents rhythmically challenging material.
I like to work in sevens and fives and mixed meters, she
says. I think the reason the movement often feels enjoyable
and fulfilling is because of the musicality and rhythmic
sense that informs it. I feel strongly that the accompanist
is an equal partner in the class, and when that musical
connection really clicks it can be an almost transcendent
experience for everyone. I am always thrilled when my
students thank the musician before me.
Teaching is not all about music, though;
being able to generate juicy and intricate movement
sequences is equally important. Houlihan is convinced that
ease as a choreographer is a key attribute for any teacher.
I remember that when I first started teaching for Lar
Lubovitch, I used material from his dances as a base for
developing movement, she says. Eventually I started adding
my own beginnings or endings to phrases and manipulating the
material in various ways. I've used that method to create
movement for class ever since, gradually moving from Lar's
work to my own choreography.
The expectations that today s professional
dancers face have changed quite a bit since Houlihan s
professional years, and as a teacher she finds it
increasingly important to stay tuned in to the requirements.
Staying close to the professional community at ADF keeps her
abreast of those shifting demands. Dancers now are expected
more and more to be a part of the choreographic process.
[When I was dancing,] I would just stand in the room and
expect someone to teach me the steps, she says. Now dancers
are expected to be engaged in the creative process and to
bring to bring their personalities, backgrounds, and
knowledge to the process. They are not just bodies; they are
thinking bodies and creative bodies. Houlihan cultivates
these qualities in her everyday class, although she says
that her hour and 20 minutes feels cramped. Composition
class, which includes several improvisation techniques, is
also a time to work on these skills. The days when you can
stand there and be spoon fed are long gone, she says.
Another skill Houlihan tries to emphasize is the ability to
learn material from a DVD or video. Often, in a professional
environment, dancers first learn a part alone with a
monitor. This is a learned skill, and Houlihan feels it s
best to get a jumpstart on it before it s needed. Houlihan
stresses artistry in all her classes and expresses some
concerns about the inflated importance placed on technical
proficiency. As much as I love to see high extensions and
wonderful turns, I worry that we sacrifice quality for
quantity, she says. I stress all the time to be open minded
and to learn from every class, from flamenco to a Graham
class. She says that her Intro to the Dance Profession class
is a perfect place to lay out her values as a dancer and
find ways of supporting the students developing careers.
Another element that has shaped Houlihan
as a teacher is her international exposure. Since 1993 she
has taught in the ADF linkage programs, including teaching
posts in Brazil, Chile, China, Estonia, Korea, Mongolia,
Paraguay, the Philippines, Poland, and Russia. She has
taught beginners to professional dancers through ADF s
innovative program that allows each country to pick the kind
of dance education it wants. Just the thought that [the
cultural groups that requested the exchange] wanted modern
dance in Mongolia was mind-boggling, says Houlihan. They had
no idea what modern dance was but were game to give it a
try. She has also taught high-level professional dancers in
China, which was an entirely different experience. Working
with dancers who were so talented, so focused, and so
committed was a joy, she says. I m still in touch with one
of them, who is currently working with Shen Wei. It was
definitely one of the most memorable ADF international
residencies. After years of teaching on the international
front, Houlihan has realized how much is taken for granted
in the United States. In Estonia the dancers had to wear
layers of clothes because there was no heat. I look at the
facilities we have at Florida State these are the most
beautiful studios I have ever taught in, plus we have a
conditioning studio and a physical trainer available, she
says. I was constantly reminded how fortunate we are. It was
a completely humbling experience.
Houlihan's experiences continue to inform
how she handles the development of the next generation of
dance artists. As a student, she weathered teachers telling
her that she was never going to dance professionally. She
did, of course, but withstood a huge disappointment early in
her career when she was told that she was too tall to be in
the corps de ballet of American Ballet Theatre and not
strong enough to be a soloist. She knows heartache. She even
stopped dancing at age 22 for about 9 months while she
continued to teach. When one of my students broke her foot
while she was peaking in her dancing, she says, of course I
wanted to sob with her. But another part of me wanted to
say, I know this feels devastating, but this event will
inform the rest of your life.
I was so shy as a young dancer, and easily
intimated and willing to believe I was not good enough,
Houlihan continues. Now I am so determined to [help] my own
students have a sense of themselves. She tries to create a
very supportive and positive environment, which allows her
to encourage risk taking as well. She believes strongly that
dancers are more willing to take risks when they feel safe.
Sometimes when my dancers fall, I think that s fabulous now
[they are] learning just how much energy it takes to do
something, she says. I was so cautious when I was young. I
wasted a lot of time being good and correct. Today she tries
to cultivate an appreciation for the lessons that come with
failure. Class is the perfect place to take chances. If you
are not going to try something in the classroom, you are
surely not going to try it onstage.
Although Houlihan left Juilliard before
graduating to start her professional career dancing with the
Metropolitan Opera Ballet, she now values the college
experience. So when she was offered a three-quarter position
at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, she realized
it was time to go back to school. She completed her BFA at
Virginia Commonwealth University and, in 2007, her MFA at
the Hollins University/ADF program. I value the educational
academic experience; it s such an important piece for a
dancer in today s world, she says. I loved studying ethics
and taking dance history and anatomy. I found myself so
stimulated, and it really affected my teaching in the
classroom in a positive way.
Houlihan is a beloved teacher to her many
students, many of whom have enjoyed substantial careers. One
such former student is choreographer Robert Battle of
BattleWorks, who credits Houlihan for his own inspiration: I
feel that in her class the spirit, beauty, and power of
modern dance really took hold of me. Ms. Houlihan would
never tell you that you did badly; she would say things like
Close, or Almost, says Battle. And if you were lucky enough
to do something magical in class, she would yell out, Hot
damn! Gerri Houlihan is a teacher who is always encouraging
her students through gentle persuasion to reach their
fullest potential. Battle says he enjoyed the relaxed way
she began her classes, beginning with a cool banter and
checking in on everyone s day. She is a miracle worker with
a Zen-like wisdom in her soul. Her classes inspired me to do
better than I thought I could.
Peter DiMuro, producing artistic director
of Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, is another former student who
finds that Houlihan s teaching is a constant guide. He
studied with Houlihan at ADF in the summer of 1981 and
continued with her the following fall at Connecticut
College. Taking ballet with Gerri was transcendent a truly
musical, truly physically integrated and positive gift.
Gerri s major strength as a teacher is that she doesn't
dwell on what isn't happening she celebrates what is
happening for the student at any given moment of success at
the barre or across the floor, says DiMuro. That s not to
say that she is in denial [about] a student s capacity, but
she understands the role of the teacher to build on a
student s successes. And those successes will accumulate to
building a more self-knowing dancer. Houlihan s lessons
carried over into his work with Liz Lerman, in both his
management and teaching styles. This humane and human
approach is what I try to take with me. When I think back,
she was really a quiet renegade, a pioneer in this way.
Gerri is a sustaining force in teaching today she is not the
latest fad, or about her own ego in the classroom.
Houlihan has a few thoughts of her
own concerning her enduring popularity as a teacher. I am
still excited about pli�s
and tendus; I watch my students do a simple rond de jambe
and I think, Wow, that s really great! I see them work hard
and improve, she says. I am as in love with dancing at 62 as
I was when I was 16. I simply adore it.
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