Amanda Pintore (she/her) is an assistant professor in the School of Music, Dance and Theatre. Her research and creative practice focus on directing, choreographing, and devising; creating research-based Theatre and Dance for the Very Young performances for 0-6 year olds and their caregivers; arts integration, creative facilitation strategies, and teaching artistry; and movement and dance education for young people. She is the author of Theatre and Dance with Children as Artistic Partners: Devising Performance for the Very Young (Palgrave Macmillan).
Amanda works extensively in developing creative research and artistic practices with very young children and, as a result, builds collaborative partnerships with a variety of institutions such as early childhood centers, universities, community spaces, and non-profit arts organizations. She founded the Theatre and Dance for the Very Young program at the Lawrence Arts Center in Lawrence, KS in 2018 and serves as the founder and chair of the Theatre and Dance for the Very Young Conference (2022). In fall of 2023 she served as a Fulbright Specialist in partnership with the Atlantic Technological University (ATU) in Ireland. This collaboration with ATU's four campus sites focused on her Theatre and Dance for the Very Young creative research methodologies.
She has presented professional development sessions in both theatre and dance education for numerous conferences and non-profit organizations. She teaches courses in theatre for youth, movement, and acting in both the undergraduate and graduate theatre programs.
The foundation of Amanda's practice is built on flexibility, curiosity, and play.
Education
M.F.A. Theatre for Youth, Arizona State University
B.A. Theatre (emphasis in directing), Chadron State College