Rate My Professor Autumn Eckman

Autumn Eckman is an Assistant Professor of Dance and Artistic Director of KSU Dance in the Department of Dance at Kennesaw State University’s Geer College of the Arts. She holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Iowa, where she specialized in choreography. An Atlanta native, Eckman received her classical ballet training from the Houston Ballet Academy on full scholarship and her modern dance training from Susan Bebee, Tom Pazik, Kathryn MacBeth, Patricia Bromley, and Gary Harrison. Certified in the Giordano Jazz Dance Technique through the Nan Giordano Certification Program and in Revolutionary Principles of Movement, she maintains a professional performance career spanning over two decades. Eckman performed internationally with companies including Giordano Dance Chicago—where she also served as Assistant Artistic Director, Resident Choreographer, and Director of Giordano II—Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Luna Negra Dance Theatre, Lucky Plush Productions, Ron De Jesus Dance, State Street Ballet, and The Cambrians. She danced works by choreographers such as Ohad Naharin, Twyla Tharp, Alejandro Cerrudo, Toro Shimuzaki, Jim Vincent, Alice Clock, Benjamin Millepied, William Soleau, Doug Varone, Martha Graham, Liz Imperio, Mia Michaels, and Randy Duncan.

Prior to KSU, Eckman served as Assistant Professor of Dance at the University of Arizona and Instructor at Northern Illinois University, and as inaugural faculty at Central Gwinnett High School’s School of the Arts. Her creative practice emphasizes collaborative choreography, performance, pedagogy, and interdisciplinary exchanges. Commissions include works for State Street Ballet, DanceWorks Chicago, Vitacca Ballet, Chattanooga Ballet, Kit Modus, Big Muddy Dance Co., Wylliams-Henry Dance Company, Missouri Contemporary Ballet, and universities such as The University at Buffalo, Washington & Lee University, Stephens College, Western Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and The University of Missouri-Kansas City. Key works feature JOLT (2012, Giordano Dance Chicago), a Dance Magazine Top Choreographic Pick by Wendy Perron; (a)shore (2024), a practice-as-research dance film on ecological narratives funded by the University of Georgia Marine Extension’s Artists, Writers, and Scholars Award; and Vessels (2023, KSU Dance Company). Eckman received KSU’s Apex Research Award, served as master faculty for the American Dance Festival, Hualien Dance Theatre, and others, and presented at festivals including Edinburgh Fringe, Bates Dance Festival, and Performática (Mexico).