Teaching Statements

I believe the body holds profound wisdom and that performance is both rigorous and joyous. I aim to cultivate learning environments where students feel empowered to explore, to take risks, and to create with authenticity and curiosity, while being supported in their growth as artists and as people.

My teaching integrates diverse methodologies: Lecoq physical theater, Laban Movement Analysis, dance-theater, mindfulness and embodied presence practices, alongside extensive training in Contemporary Dance, House, Hip-hop, Waacking, Feldenkrais, and Yoga.

My classroom functions as both playground and laboratory. Through structured ensemble play, students overcome self-consciousness to achieve bold, embodied performances. I guide them to observe their world - objects, landscapes, people - and translate these observations into compositions, connecting quality, rhythm, and space to human behavior and character. This process bridges acting practice with broader artistic forms, expanding both technical capacity and creative imagination.

I intentionally weave together movement traditions across cultures, demonstrating vital connections like those between Lecoq's core movement, Undulation, and the fundamental “jack” in House dance. This approach helps students see themselves within a global artistic lineage across disciplines. Drawing from my varied teaching experience, which spans from youth development programs to higher education, I aim to create environments where everyone feels seen, celebrated, and challenged - across varied neurological, social, and cultural identities.

In my collaborative classroom, students and teacher learn from one another, cultivating an atmosphere of mutual respect and shared discovery. Through this approach, students emerge not only as skilled performers but as thoughtful, engaged artists ready to push boundaries and innovate within constraints. They leave my classroom with a deeper understanding of themselves, their craft, and their potential to create a social impact through performance.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are at the heart of my creative and pedagogical practice. These principles guide how I approach teaching, create art, and engage with the communities I serve. I believe that fostering an environment where everyone feels seen, valued, and supported is essential to unlocking the full potential of individuals and ensembles. By embracing the diversity of lived experiences and cultural perspectives, I strive to create spaces that celebrate multiplicity and cultivate meaningful connections.

In my teaching, I prioritize creating a classroom environment that is as inclusive and equitable as it is rigorous. I begin by cultivating a sense of belonging, recognizing that students bring unique experiences and identities into the room. This includes attending to access needs, creating opportunities for students to share their stories, and challenging traditional hierarchies of knowledge. For example, I invite students to draw upon their cultural practices and personal histories as sources of artistic inspiration. This approach not only enriches the creative process but also fosters mutual respect and curiosity among peers.

I employ a range of modalities to meet diverse learning styles and access points. Techniques such as Lecoq physical theater, Laban Movement Analysis, Meisner, mindfulness, and embodied presence allow me to address the varied needs of students. For instance, integrating house dance into lessons on Lecoq’s undulation technique enabled students to explore rhythm and movement through a cultural lens that resonated with their experiences. By situating technical training within broader cultural and historical contexts, I aim to empower students to see themselves as contributors to a dynamic artistic lineage.

Play and ensemble work are central to my approach, as they invite vulnerability and collaboration. I use ensemble exercises that encourage students to celebrate failure as an integral part of learning, helping to dismantle fear and self-consciousness. For example, in a physical storytelling exercise, students exchange ideas and build narratives collectively, practicing active listening and mutual support. This emphasis on collaboration models the principles of equity and inclusion by fostering a sense of shared responsibility and interconnectedness.

My creative practice reflects my commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices and addressing systemic inequities. Much of my work engages with themes of loss, connection, and community resilience, often incorporating personal narratives and embodied storytelling. In the performance piece Being/With, for instance, I worked with participants to create intimate exchanges that highlighted the beauty and complexity of human connection across differences. The project employed both virtual and in-person modalities, expanding access and inviting a wide range of participants to engage deeply with one another.

As an educator and artist, I continually examine my own positionality and biases. This requires listening to students, colleagues, and community members with humility and a willingness to adapt. I actively seek out professional development opportunities, such as training in restorative practices and intimacy direction, to expand my understanding of equity-centered pedagogy. I also prioritize mentorship, particularly for students from historically marginalized backgrounds, to support their growth and advocate for their success in a field that has often excluded them. 

At its core, my practice is about cultivating spaces where individuals feel empowered to take creative risks, engage critically, and connect authentically with one another. By integrating equity, diversity, and inclusion into every aspect of my work, I hope to inspire students and collaborators to imagine and enact a more just and compassionate world.

LILLIAN MAE RANSIJN (she/they)

Philadelphia, PA
lillian.ransijn@gmail.com | www.lillianransijn.com

EDUCATION

M.F.A., Devised Performance Practice
University of the Arts / Pig Iron Theatre Company, Philadelphia, PA—2016
Thesis: Fourth Quarter, a 50-minute devised performance on climate change, grief, and motherhood.

B.A., Dance & Movement Studies, magna cum laude
Emory University, Atlanta, GA — 2005
Thesis: Reviving Ophelia- a dance-theater solo exploring adolescence.

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

Visiting Assistant Professor of Movement
University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT — 2023–present

• Teach Movement for the Actor I–IV and Stage Movement I–II

• Serve as Intimacy Director for Connecticut Repertory Theater

• Coach physical storytelling and character development

• Collaborate on MFA/BFA curricular re-designs audtions, recruitment, and DEI initiatives

Intimacy Director and Movement Specialist
The Hartt School, University of Hartford — 2025–present

Adjunct Associate/Senior Lecturer, Movement for the Actor
University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA 2018, 2021-2023

• Designed and taught Movement for the Actor curriculum

• Integrated Lecoq pedagogy, Laban Movement Analysis and ensemble-based practice

CERTIFICATIONS & Professional Trainings

Certified Intimacy Coordinator — IDC Professionals
(SAG-AFTRA Accredited Program; trained by Alicia Rodis, Claire Warden, Marcus Watson, Lauren Kiele DeLeon)

Advanced Yoga Teacher Certification — Magu Yoga
Restorative Arts Teaching Certification — BuildaBridge International
Special Education Certification (K–12), Middle Grades, Elementary P–4 — State of Georgia

Selected Professional Study & Intensives:
African Diaspora Dance Summit (Evidence/Ron K. Brown), Embodied Voice (Lessac), Pedagogy of Clown (Giovanni Fusetti), Lecoq 20 Movements, Performance for Camera, Mindfulness & Self-Compassion, Meisner Technique, Viewpoints, Suzuki, Roy Hart, American Dance Festival, Bates Dance Festival.

INTIMACY DIRECTION & COORDINATION (PROFESSIONAL)

The Moors — Connecticut Repertory Theatre
Young Frankenstein — Berkshire Theatre Group
4,000 Miles — Berkshire Theatre Group
War of the Worlds — Connecticut Repertory Theatre
A Doctor’s Dilemma — Connecticut Repertory Theatre
Femininity — Samantha Nye (Guggenheim Fellowship Project)
Lazy Bones — Rabbit Rabbit Film Co.
Jigsaw — Tristan Writes

INTIMACY DIRECTION & COORDINATION (EDUCATIONAL)

A True Love Story — UConn D-Series
Guitarrrón — UConn Senior Showcase
Hazel’s Hands — ROJO Fest, UConn
Taurus — MFA Capstone Project, UConn Puppetry Arts
Horsegirls — ROJO Festival, UConn
A Servant of Two Masters — UConn Sophomore Project

SELECTED DIRECTION & CHOREOGRAPHY

Make Bank — Rough & Tumble Productions / FringeArts
Magic Trash Day — Cannonball Festival
Pickled Peaches and Herring — Cannonball Festival
Umami — Urban Movement Arts
Good Grief! — Urban Movement Arts
Per(four)mance — Oxford College of Emory University
Rough & Tumble — Circadium; UC San Diego; Urban Movement Arts
Fourth Quarter — Christ Church Neighborhood House

SELECTED PERFORMANCE

Make Bank — Creator/Performer
Being/With — Nichole Canuso Dance Company
The Garden — Nichole Canuso Dance Company
A Grief Cabaret — Werks Barehouse
Fourth Quarter — First Person Arts Festival
Bolero — Urban Movement Arts
American Muscle — The Lucky Penny
Underground — David Dorfman Dance Theater

GRANTS & AWARDS

UConn Faculty DEI Project Initiative Award
UArts Faculty Academic Development Award
Cannonball Festival Production & Fringe Grants
Network of Ensemble Theaters Travel Grant
FringeArts Summer Artist-in-Residence
City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs Individual Artist Grant
Fulton County Arts Council Grant Awards

COMMUNITY & YOUTH EDUCATION (SELECTED)

Teaching Artist — Wilma Theater (Portable Studio, Wilmagination)
Teaching Artist — BuildaBridge International
Teaching Artist — Dancing Classrooms Philly
Teaching Artist — Lantern Theater
Lead Teacher, Special Education — Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School
Teaching Artist — Moving in the Spirit, Fly-By Theatre, Spectrum Arts

SERVICE & LEADERSHIP

Co-Director — Rough & Tumble Productions
Member — UConn BFA Recruitment & CRT Season Planning Committees
Founding Director — Ground Delivery Dance Theater
Board President — Emory Friends of Dance

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

IDC Professionals
Stage Directors and Choreographers Society
Network of Ensemble Theaters
American Association of University Professors
Unified Academics of Philadelphia

University of the Arts:

• THMD 165, 166 -001, 002,003 Movement for the Actor I & II

University of Connecticut:

• DRAM 1801 Stage Movement I

• DRAM 1802 Stage Movement II

• DRAM 2810 Stage Movement III

• DRAM 2812 Stage Movement IV

Graduate:

• DRAM 5192 Independent Study in Intimacy Coordination

• DRAM 5801 Movement for the Actor I

• DRAM 5802 Movement for the Actor II