Amy Lynn Schiffner is currently an Assistant Professor of Dance and Theatre at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her primary areas of teaching include pedagogy, theory and criticism, and dance technique. Amy holds a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Dance from the University of California at Irvine, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Education from California State University Long Beach and a California Single Subject Teaching Credential. Amy is a strong arts education advocate who supports local community outreach programs and serves leadership roles in many professional arts organizations. Amy’s primary research interest are in arts assessment, academic literacy and arts curriculum development. Investment in creative projects will also continue to be an important part of her work. Amy recently published her thesis work, Broadening Student Learning Experiences with Academic Literacy: An Approach to Curriculum and Instruction Design. Amy was an invited guest speaker at the Annual California High School Summit in 2005, where she presented on Standards and Assessment in Arts Education. During 2005-2007 Amy held the position of artistic assistant to world renowned choreographer Donald McKayle. She has choreographed many original works including, Traffic (05), Faith (06) and Angular Articulation (07) that have been showcased in a variety of performance venues. Amy was a 2004 Innovative Choreographer recipient from the National Dance Alliance. Her dance training includes being a scholarship student at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre School in NYC. Amy has danced with many southern California dance companies including Inland Pacific Ballet, Inland Dance Theatre, and Intersect Dance Company where she performed numerous principle roles including Sophia Carreras 2004 Join