Robert Kaplan

Robert Kaplan is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, teacher, and musician in dance. His work, Living Musically™, uses improvisation as a model or metaphor to understand the world and live well in it, providing tools and strategies to improve mind-body focus as a foundation for team skills (communication, conflict, enabling others). His work within healthcare and the arts offers tools to support the notion that being “present,” self-aware, and team-aware are critical in all endeavors. He has worked as a composer, teacher and musician in dance since 1976 having taught and performed at major national and international dance festivals since 1980 including National Craft of Choreography Conferences (NARB/RDA), the International Ballet Teacher’s Conference in Vail, CO, the American Dance Festival and Bates Dance Festival. His book, Rhythmic Training for Dancers, CD-ROM, An Interactive Guide to Music for Dancers, and Instructor’s Guide, were published internationally by Human Kinetics, Inc. Over seventy of his scores for choreography have been performed throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Mexico by such artists as Mel Wong (30 for Mel), Ze’eva Cohen, Sarah Stackhouse, Senta Driver, Ann Ludwig, Elina Mooney, Dairakudakan, Susan Marshall and Douglas Nielsen. Trained as a classical pianist, Kaplan always improvised, including work with Kirk Nurock’s Natural Sound Ensemble and stints in musical groups with guitarist, composer/producer, David Torn, multi-percussionist/composer Geoffrey Gordon and composer and saxophonist Thomas Chapin. He is a founding member and former President of the International Guild of Musicians in Dance and has been the recipient of numerous Meet-the-Composer grants as well as University grants, from 1984-2024 was a Full Professor, and music director for dance in the School of Music, Dance and Theatre at Arizona State University, a dance musician at Ballet Arizona since 1986, as well as a Clinical Professor (CS) in the Department of Medical Humanities in the Creighton University School of Medicine. 

His recent work has been a Feasibility Study of an Improvisation/Alexander Technique Intervention for Caregivers of Individuals with Dementia and Chronic Illness through the Center for Innovation in Healthy and Resilient Aging at ASU. The study is "Finding Ease in Caregiving."

Recent sketches and works in progress can be heard on https://soundcloud.com/robkaplan.

Rob Kaplan 40 Years at ASU Legacy Videos 🎥