Tiffanie Carson (she/her) is an educator, mentor and performance artist. Currently, she serves as an auxiliary adjunct assistant professor at Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University (SU), where she has been teaching for the past twelve years. Her classes primarily focus on contemporary and commercial dance techniques for entertainment industry styles, catering to both dance and musical theatre majors. Carson is also instrumental in guiding senior Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Arts capstone performance projects, as well as choreographing annually for the faculty concerts. She has choreographed over 30 premieres for the Shenandoah Conservatory Dance Ensemble. In recognition of her teaching excellence, Carson was awarded the Transformative Teaching Award in May 2020 and the James R. and Mary B. Wilkins Appreciation Award in May 2024. In addition to teaching at SU, Carson is also part of the adjunct faculty at Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University teaching contemporary and commercial styles.
Carson has presented works at the 2016, 2018 and 2024 New York Jazz Choreography Dance Project at the KnJ Theater in New York, the 2016 VelocityDC Dance Festival at Sidney Harman Hall in Washington, D.C., the 2017 34th and 2020 37th Annual Choreographers’ Showcase at the Dance Theatre in the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in College Park, Maryland, the 2017 Pushing Progress Series at the Salvatore Capezio Theater in New York as well as the 2020 American College Dance Association Gala Concert at the Kay Theatre Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in College Park, Maryland.
In addition to her work in academia Carson is in her 13th season as company dancer and assistant director for Christopher K. Morgan & Artists (CKM&A) directed by Christopher K. Morgan, and is a longtime company member of 17 years for BARE Dance Company directed by Mike Esperanza in New York City.
With CKM&A, Carson has performed at the Millennium Stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Sidney Harman Hall, as well as On the Boards in Seattle, Washington. She has also traveled across the United States on a nine-city tour as rehearsal director and member of the creative team for Pōhaku from 2016 to 2017. Currently, CKM&A is in the midst of touring Native Intelligence / Innate Intelligence, where the next stops will be in Hawaii and Maine in 2025.
From her performance of Christopher Morgan’s solo work Selling Out, Carson has been described as a “very talented dancer” by IsItModern? and Carmel Morgan of CriticalDance wrote, “[she was] absolutely ripping the solo to shreds.” Carson's choreography has also garnered praise from Ms. Carmel Morgan, who described Carson as having achieved “a choreographic home run” for her 2014 work, Deprivation. Ms. Morgan also stated of Carson's 2018 work, B.U.G. [Backlight. Uplight. Glare.] is another certified hit for Carson, and it would be a smart move for companies to commission her choreography.” Carson has conducted CKM&A's annual winter and summer intensives as well as numerous residencies at universities and colleges, with Mr. Morgan.
Continuously on the move, Carson considers it a privilege to be invited as a guest artist at various educational institutions and private studios across the United States, sharing her knowledge and experiences hoping to inspire the next generation of artists.