Yvonne Jones Goodridge

"It is my desire that every dance student have the opportunity to express himself creatively. The current level of the student is not important, what is important is his or her willingness to grow and learn. I want to provide a historical and theoretical context for the studio work, thus enabling the student to absorb technique, not just as isolated steps but as movement rooted in a deeper personal experience. All students have the ability to dance and express themselves through dance and I feel it is my job to provide the tools necessary to make this form of expression purposeful."

Yvonne Jones Goodridge, an Assistant Professor of Dance at Barry University, is a scholar, educator, and performing artist who has been teaching and working in the field since for over 30 years. Mrs. Goodridge holds a BFA degree in Dance from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, and an MA in Dance Education from Columbia University, Teachers College. Mrs. Goodridge has danced with both the prestigious Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, and the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica (NDTC). She has performed for the Florida Brazil Festival the Festival de France, the Caribbean Dance Celebration and the Gullah Festival. She has directed numerous dance concerts at Barry University, since 1994, and has choreographed for musicals, including; "Fiddler on the Roof", "Once on This Island," "Hello Dolly," and "Pippin." Mrs. Goodridge’s paper, "Tracing the Dance Roots of the Sea Islands" presented and published in Ghana, initiated her interest in researching and performing the Dances of the African Diaspora. Yvonne Jones Goodridge has presented at the Congress On Research in Dance (CORD) Conference, and the National Dance Educators Organization, Conference where she has spoken on "Diaspora Dance as a Teaching Tool", The Gullah Ring Shout An Experience Between the Audience and Performer" and "Pedagogy of Caribbean Dance: An Educational Tool." SELECTED PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES: 2020 Creator/ Instructor, SocaRobix a dance exercise class with Caribbean music. Developed to decrease stress, increase energy, and is taught remotely. 2019 Planning Committee, Domestic Violence Walk (community event) performance by Barry University Dance Team "Diamonds", Miami, Florida 2019 Adjudicator, Pinecrest Dance Academy, Miami, Florida 2019 Coordinator, Flash Mob for Founders Week Community Fest, Miami, Florida 2019 –2018 Miami-Dade Grants Panel, SAS-C 2017 Coordinator of Entertainment, "Women in Athletics Conference," Miami, Florida 2016 Master Class, Modern Dance at the National Institute of the Arts, St. Martin, W.I Designer, new course at Barry University "Dances of the Black Atlantic" 2015- Current Artistic Director, "Repertory Dance Ensemble" performances for Brides Walk, Miami, Florida 2015 Dance Workshop, Jazz Dance class at the Conception Dance Theater, Grenada, W.I