Talani Torres
MFA Dance and Choreography 2006
Talani Torres says she started a little later than most dancers, but once she did, she was all in:
“I came to dance relatively late, at thirteen, after my father took me to a recital at the Dade County Auditorium by Joe Michaels Dance Studio. I was hooked and never looked back. My older sister paid for my classes and drove me to rehearsals, and that’s how it all began.”
After dancing professionally with Mia Michaels Dance Company and later co-owning The Dance Space in her hometown of Miami, Torres felt it was time to grow in a different direction:
“I had twenty years of experience teaching and choreographing young dancers. My work had been fulfilling, training students in ways that went against the traditionally harsh methods, running a non-profit, and choreographing work that aligned with postmodern traditions rather than virtuosity and tricks that were common in the competitive dance world.
“But I wanted more. I was young enough to rethink my relationship with dance. I craved new voices and fresh perspectives. I chose UNC Greensboro because it embraced the whole learning person—the mover, the thinker, the writer, the choreographer, the teacher.”
Torres applied for the MFA program and received a Teaching Assistantship. When she arrived on campus, she dove into the UNCG Dance experience:
“It was total immersion in learning. Every day was a physical, intellectual, and creative adventure. The classrooms and studios felt like magical spaces. The dance faculty were renowned scholars, practitioners, and educators, yet they worked with me as if we were equals. There was no hierarchy—just mutual respect and the belief that I was capable of anything. They saw no limits in me, and I believed them.
“I feel like each of my professors is with me still and will stay with me forever. I have the deepest gratitude for Ann Dils, John Gamble, Robin Gee, Jill Green, Gerri Houlihan, B.J. Sullivan, Susan Stinson, and Jan Van Dyke.”
Torres credits those professors with preparing her for a career that has taken her from professor to administrator:
“The dance faculty were incredibly diverse, each bringing their own unique artistry, expertise, and teaching methods. I learned that these different perspectives weren’t mutually exclusive—one approach didn’t cancel out another. They were all deeply passionate and effective educators, and it’s hard to put into words how much I gained from each of them. I can’t put a value on that. It sharpened my critical thinking, allowing me to hold seemingly conflicting ideas in my mind, process, assimilate, and synthesize them into my own approaches.
“This has made me better at listening, navigating various stakeholder interests, and finding ways to move forward while building relationships. When working with highly intelligent and talented people, it’s inevitable that we’ll clash at times. But in the end, we often share the same goal: helping students. That’s our north star.”
Torres says the most important lesson she learned is to stay curious and never stop learning:
“My path has been unconventional and totally organic. If I stay open to new ideas, remain flexible and nimble, and see the potential in others, my work will have purpose and impact.
“There is no one path or right path; there’s the path I create and embrace, no matter how unconventional. Being an artist, educator, administrator, and leader are not mutually exclusive roles. By remaining open to what’s in front of me, I’ve found that my strengths develop and new pathways open.”
Torres discovered something else new while in Greensboro—a walk through the snow:
“Being from Miami, I had never experienced seasons or snow. I remember my father telling me about winters growing up in New York City after emigrating from Puerto Rico and how he loved playing in the snow. My first snowy evening in Greensboro was magical. After a snowfall blanketed everything, I walked outside and was struck by the silence and whiteness. It felt like I was the only person in the world. I could hear my boots crunch in the fresh snow as I left Old Towne where I savored Bavarian pretzels. I thought of my dad as I made my way to the beautiful Studio 322. Chasse, twirl, a little step-ball-change—dancing with the ghosts of my past in the bliss of the present. I’ll never forget that.”
Story by Terri W Relos
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Talani Torres is Dean of Humanities at Florida State College at Jacksonville. A Miami native, she began her dance training at the age of thirteen. Talani’s passion for dance flourished at Joe Michaels Dance Studio, where she formed a connection with renowned choreographer Mia Michaels. Talani went on to dance professionally with Mia Michaels’s Miami Movement Dance Company and several notable South Florida choreographers.
Driven by a desire to create a nurturing space for dancers beyond the competitive scene, Talani founded The Dance Space, a studio offering contemporary dance training with a focus on postmodern traditions. During this time, she also served as Artistic Director of the Miami Children’s Dance Ensemble.
Talani pursued her MFA in Dance and Choreography at UNCG. There, her mentors—Ann Dils, John Gamble, Robin Gee, Larry Lavender, BJ Sullivan, Sue Stinson, and Jan Van Dyke—challenged her to integrate somatics, composition, and academic inquiry into her artistry and physical practice. Her time at UNCG marked a period of exponential growth, and she was honored with the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award.
In 2011 Talani joined the faculty of Florida State College at Jacksonville as Professor and Director of Dance, where she spent eight years teaching full-time and expanding the dance program. In 2018 she accepted the role of Dean of Humanities where she oversees English for Academic Purposes, Choral/Vocal Studies, Dance, Humanities, Music, Theatre, Visual Arts, and World Languages. Talani leads thirty-seven full-time faculty members across these disciplines, providing leadership in curriculum development, faculty supervision, budgeting, and student success.
With over two decades of experience in arts leadership, Talani recently completed the Ritz Carlton Leadership Center training, focusing on the Art of Experience, which informs her approach to dimensional leadership. A certified yoga teacher and K-12 dance educator, Talani integrates wellness and creativity into all aspects of her work.
Talani’s career reflects a lifelong commitment to ensuring that the arts remain a vital and respected part of the educational experience, while she continues to evolve and expand her leadership in higher education. UNCG will forever be her dance “home.”
Bio provided by Talani Torres
