Meet The Dance Faculty  

Associate Professor / Director of Dance

Email: jatkinson@alasu.edu

James R. Atkinson, Jr. is a native of New Haven, Connecticut, and currently serves as the Director of Dance, and Associate Professor of Dance at Alabama State University. He previously held the position of BFA Dance Program Director at the university and was one of the founding faculty members of the BFA Program in  the Fall of  2013. Mr. Atkinson earned his Master of Fine Arts degree from the Tisch School of Arts at New York University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Purchase College, State University of New York (SUNY), within the School of Arts' Conservatory of Dance.

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Mr. Atkinson's journey in dance began at the New England Ballet School and Education Center for the Arts. He was awarded a full scholarship to train at the Dance Theatre of Harlem for three years and also studied ballet with Madame Darvash at Carnegie Hall. Throughout his career, Mr. Atkinson received summer scholarships to attend renowned institutions such as Hartford Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Milwaukee Ballet. He had the privilege of training under the guidance of esteemed dance educators and mentors, including Kenneth Hopkins, Susan Mathekee, Willie Feuer, Joyce DiLauro, Victor Trevino, Joanne Whitehill, Karen Goodman, Arthur Mitchell, Alvetina Lisina, Jenny Chiang, Robert Garland, Tyrone Brooks, Laveen Naidu, Ronald Perry, Rachel Sekyi, and Valerie Taylor.

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During his time at Purchase College, Mr. Atkinson trained with accomplished dance professionals such as Bettijane Sills of the New York City Ballet, the late Richard Cook (former Director of the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet), Ted Kivett and Rosanna Seravalli of the American Ballet Theatre, Larry Clark, Kevin Wynn, Pascal Rioult, Joyce Herring, Stephanie Tooman, Kazuko Hirabayashi, Michael Blake, and Jill Ecko.

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As a performing artist, Mr. Atkinson has worked with notable dance companies including New England Ballet and Sonya Plum Dance Company in Connecticut. He made his debut with the Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble during his junior year of college, and as a senior, he was selected to perform with Ballet Preljocaj during their American tour at Purchase College. Throughout his career, he has been a company member of Gleich Dances Contemporary Ballet, Compania de Danza Contemporanea de Burgos, Sacramento Ballet, Ballet British Columbia, Oakland Ballet, Capacitor, and Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre. He has also appeared as a soloist with the Columbia City Ballet for two seasons.

Mr. Atkinson's performances have allowed him to showcase choreography by acclaimed choreographers such as George Balanchine, Paul Taylor, Arthur Mitchell, Louis Johnson, John Taras, Michael Smuin, Ron Cunningham, Val Caniparoli, John Alleyne, William Starrett, Jose Mateo, Brett Raphael, Ronn Guidi, and Angelin Preljocaj, among others. His artistry was recognized and featured in the June/July 2005 issue of Pointe Magazine, where he was described as a "powerful presence." Furthermore, he graced the cover of the New York Times Arts Section on February 9, 2005.

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Assistant Professor of Dance / Social Media Coordinator 

Email: mjackson@alasu.edu

Morgan A. Jackson is a dance educator, choreographer, researcher, and performing artist dedicated to creating change through dance education. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from The University of Alabama, where she was part of the university’s inaugural MFA program.

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Specializing in traditional and vernacular jazz forms, Ms. Jackson ’s research explores how Africanist aesthetics can be included in jazz dance pedagogy and challenges the Eurocentric frameworks traditionally taught in higher education. She is an Assistant Professor of Dance at Alabama State University and serves as coordinator for ASU’s MMH Stingettes.

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Ms. Jackson  is committed to working with young people and young adults in under-resourced communities, promoting strength and connection through the arts. She has been commissioned as a teaching artist and choreographer by schools and studios throughout the South, including Dance 411, The Dancing Dolls, Huffman High School, Ramsay High School, and Benjamin E. Mays High School. At Benjamin E. Mays, she served as Dance Director in 2018 and coached the viral Raiderette Dance Team.

Her work also led to a role on the faculty of the Power Up Summer Arts Initiative with Atlanta Public Schools, where she coordinated the summer dance intensive. Morgan has performed professionally as a principal artist with The Atlanta Dance Connection, appearing annually at the International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference.

Assistant Professor of Dance/ Scholarship Coordinator

Email: rodwillimas@alasu.edu

Rodni Williams, hailing from Miami, Florida, is a distinguished figure in the realm of dance. He earned his Master’s of Fine Arts degree from The University of Arizona, Tucson, in 2013 and currently holds a prominent position within the Alabama State University Department of Theater and Dance, specifically in the BFA Dance program. Rodni's journey began with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance from Adelphi University, further enriched by his studies at the renowned Dance Theater of Harlem and The Ailey School.

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His illustrious career boasts an impressive repertoire encompassing a multitude of renowned dance and theater companies. Rodni has graced stages with the likes of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Wylliams / Henry Danse Theater (from its inception), The MAFATA Dance Co in New York, Rod Rogers Dance Co., Garth Fagan Dance, The Clive Thompson Dance Company, The Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theater, Deeply Rooted Productions, and Dance Miami, among many others.

Beyond the stage, Mr. Williams has made significant contributions to theatrical productions, including memorable appearances on the Jay Leno Show, Love in Four Acts for PBS Chicago, a tour of FAME the Musical, the PBS Special Martin, Bible Stories, Mephistopheles, God’s Trombones, and Abyssinia. Collaborating with esteemed director Mike Malone and the Philadelphia Opera Company, he continues to leave an indelible mark in the theater world.

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Mr. William's passion extends to dance education, where he strives to share his expertise with communities far and wide. Serving as a guest faculty member at The University of Arizona-Tucson, he has also imparted his knowledge to institutions like the Ailey School and MOVE ON Dance Center. Mr. Williams proudly holds the title of Co-Founder and Associate Artistic Director of the Black Dance Festival in Vienna, Austria.

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Actively engaged in community activities, Mr. Williams is a member of The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity. His remarkable contributions have earned him a well-deserved nomination in the 2010 edition of Who’s Who in America.

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Mr.William's dedication to the arts extends beyond dance to theater productions, including his significant involvement in the Theater Alliance H Street Playhouse’s production of Black Nativity for two seasons.

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Recently, he embarked on a new artistic journey, relocating to the Denver, Colorado area to assume the role of Associate Artistic Director of The Davis Contemporary Dance Company. In 2013, Rodni achieved a milestone in his illustrious career by receiving his Master’s of Fine Arts degree from The University of Arizona. His creative prowess also led him to co-direct the Davis Contemporary Dance Company from 2015 to 2017, further solidifying his standing as a dynamic force in the dance world.

Throughout his remarkable journey, Mr. Williams has actively contributed to education, serving as a faculty member at Grand Canyon University from 2012 to 2013. His teaching endeavors have extended to various public schools in Kansas City, Missouri, Denver, Colorado, and charter schools in Washington, D.C. Additionally, he has made significant academic contributions through his work at Prince George County Community College as an Adjunct Professor and within the Prince George County Public School system.

Today, Mr. Williams is honored to be a part of the Alabama State University Department of Theater and Dance, where he continues to enchant and inspire with his boundless creativity in the world of dance.

Adjunct Professor of Dance 

Email:Jrivers@alasu.edu

Jamorris Rivers is an Assistant Professor of Dance and serves as Artistic Director of Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre at the University of Alabama. He teaches dance history, choreography, and movement techniques. He performed professionally with regional ballet companies and internationally with Complexions Contemporary Ballet before serving as Resident Choreographer and Artistic Director of Arova Contemporary Ballet in Birmingham, AL. Rivers performed works by Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Robert Battle, Lindsey Nelko, Roger Van Fleteren, and Dwight Rhoden. Rivers’ teaching credits include Alabama Ballet (guest instructor), American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive Tuscaloosa, Alabama School of Fine Arts, Samford University, Birmingham Southern College, The Dance Foundation, and Red Mountain Theatre Conservatory. The Alabama State Council on the Arts presented Rivers with the Alabama Artist Fellowship Award for his work, The Purple Ones, a one-act feature, commissioned by the Alabama Ballet. Rivers served as choreographer for Red Mountain Theatre productions of Fiddler on the Roof, Memphis, The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, My Fair Lady, Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, and performed in its productions of Holiday Spectacular, Once on This Island, Dreamgirls, and The Color Purple. Recently, his choreography was featured in Lurks Behind, a community-based dance project presented by Southern Danceworks in collaboration with Artistic Director Germaul Barnes. Rivers earned his MFA in Dance from Hollins University, and a BA in Dance and Spanish from the University of Alabama. Jamorris Rivers is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.

Adjunct Professor

Adjunct Professor- Dance Accompanist

Dr. Chang Miao is a collaborative pianist whose experience includes opera, vocal, instrumental, and dance settings. She earned a Master of Music degree from the Peabody Conservatory and completed a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance at the University of Alabama, where she studied with Dr. Kevin Chance and served as a graduate assistant in Voice and Opera. She currently serves as the Adjunct BFA Dance Accompanist at Alabama State University, supporting ballet and modern technique classes.

BFA 

BFA

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