top of page

McKayla G. Murphy

Choreographer, Teacher, Mover

mmurphy3@gustavus.edu

http://mckaylagmurphy.wixsite.com/dance

www.linkedin.com/in/mckaylagmurphy

EDUCATION

Gustavus Adolphus College

2013 – 2016 B.A. in Communication Studies summa cum laude

Minors: Management and Dance

GPA: 3.93/4.0

Studio One Dance

2004 – 2013

Studied ballet, jazz, contemporary, tap, and hip hop

 

HONORS

  • 2016 recipient of the Outstanding Scholarship in Communication Studies Award

  • Lamba Pi Eta Communication Studies Honor Fraternity Member

  • 2015 recipient of Student-Faculty Research Grant to develop a 5 section modern dance piece set to "Tapiola Visions" by Takashi Yoshimatu with Michele Rusinko and Jordan Lovestrand

  • 2015 recipient of the Residential Life Community Builder Award

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

 

RESIDENCY

Artist in Residence | Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota | January 2017 - February 2017

Through a Shorter Lens: An Interactive Exploration of How Children Move and See Movement

I am exploring the movement of children through the creation of a “movement lab,” I will then use this movement to create a mid-length piece on experienced adult dancers

 

PERFORMANCE

(Listed as piece title, date performed, choreographer)

 

Graywolves: A GerotranscenDANCE – MN Fringe | August 2016 | Michele Rusinko

Pavane for Water  | May 2016 | Michele Rusinko and McKayla Murphy

Studies on Gravity  | May 2016 | Sarah Hauss

Uprooted | May 2016 | Michele Rusinko

Celebration of Light  | May 2016 | Gustavus Dance Company Class of ’16

I Practice Not Feeling A Thing* | May 2016 | Jordan Klitzke

For Those Who Stayed |December 2015 | Kathryn Dudley

Star Street Bethlehem | December 2015 | Michele Rusinko

Maden, Maker, Maven, Muse* | | May 2015 | Cynthia Gutierrez-Garner

What’s Left | May 2015 | Michele Rusinko

Show Up  | May 2015 | Katy Becker

River Flows in You | December 2014 | Sara Bitton, Leah Pruden, Hailey Uphoff, McKayla Murphy

My Body is Home | December 2014 | Maggie Kennedy

Rebound | May 2014 | Sarah Hauss

Wish Want Hunger Ache | November 2013 | Mallory Waytashek

*Selected as rehearsal director

 

CHOREOGRAPHY

(Listed as piece title, number of dancers, date performed)

Annie Jr. | 3 casts with 24 dancers each | Northern Starz Children’s Theatre | December 2016

Braced Not Broken | 2 dancers | April 2016Finding Peace | 3 dancers | December 2015

The Normalized Fall  | 4 dancers | May 2015

Beautiful Wreckage | 1 dancer | December 2014

The Paths We Travel | 7 dancers | December 2014

I’m in Here | 2 dancers | December 2013 | co-choreographed with Annaliese Heinicke
 

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

 

2017

 

Lead Dance Instructor and Program Organizer 

City of Plymouth | Ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and modern dance | Ages 3 - 18

Private Lesson Instructor

Northern Starz Children’s Theatre | Musical theatre, jazz, ballet | Ages 7-9

2016

Professor’s Assistant for Fundamentals of Modern Dance

Under Sarah Hauss | Gustavus Adolphus College | Ages 18 - 24

 

2015

 

Professor’s Assistant for Intermediate Ballet

Under Sue Gunness | Gustavus Adolphus College | Ages 18 - 24

Professor’s Assistant for Beginning Modern Dance

Under Katy Becker | Gustavus Adolphus College | Ages 18 - 24

 

2014

 

Professor’s Assistant for Beginning Ballet I

Under Michele Rusinko | Gustavus Adolphus College | Ages 18 – 24

Professor’s Assistant for Beginning Ballet I

Under Sue Gunness | Gustavus Adolphus College | Ages 18 – 24

 

2013

 

Teacher’s Assistant for ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip hop, and tap

Under Cynthia Prinzing, Becca Stevens, and Laura Peterson |Studio One Dance | Ages 3 - 15

 

COURSES IN DANCE

Intermediate Modern Dance | 2013 | Sarah Hauss

Dance History | 2014 | Michele Rusinko

Pilates Conditioning | 2014 | Rachel More

Intermediate Ballet | 2014 | Sue Gunness

Intermediate Modern Dance | 2014 | Melissa Rolnick

Dance Composition I  | 2014 |Sarah Hauss

Advanced Modern Dance Company | 2014 | Jill Patterson

Intermediate Ballet | 2014 | Sue Gunness
Dance Composition II | 2015 | Michele Rusinko

Advanced Modern Dance | 2015 | Sarah Hauss

Social Dance | 2015 | Nate Otto

Advanced Creative Research | 2015 | Melissa Rolnick

Advanced Modern Dance Company | 2015 | Jill Patterson

La Gringa Danza Repertory | 2016 | Jordan Klitzke and Melissa Herrada

Advanced Modern Dance | 2016 | Melissa Rolnick

Intermediate Ballet | 2016 | Sue Gunness

 

 

CONFERENCES 

2016

  • Symposium on Media, Communication, and Film Studies Programs at Liberal Arts Colleges | Muhlenberg College

  • American College Dance Association North Central Regional Conference | University of Wisconsin Steven’s Point

  • Undergraduate Communication Research Conference | University of St. Thomas

  • Gustavus Women In Leadership Conference | Gustavus Adolphus College

  • UNI RA (Resident Advisor) Conference | University of Northern Iowa

2015

  • American College Dance Association North Central Regional Conference | University of Iowa

  • Undergraduate Communication Research Conference | University of St. Thomas

 

RELEVANT VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

 

Volunteer | Mankato YWCA | February 2016 – May 2016

Facilitated discussion and activities through the YWCA Girls Inc. program. Contributed several curriculum components currently being used as supplements to the program.

Mentor | Big Partner Little Partner| September 2013 – May 2016

Connected with a youth from the local community weekly to encourage growth of social skills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

bottom of page