Biography

Nava Behnam recently earned her Masters in Dance Education from Rutgers University and is certified in the states of New Jersey and New York to teach dance K-12. She has taught students of all ages from preschoolers to high school students in a variety of styles, focusing primarily on classical ballet, modern and contemporary fusion. Through teaching these styles she regularly incorporates instruction in improvisation, choreography, experiential anatomy and embodied dance history. A recipient of the Rose and Nicholas DeMarzo Endowed Scholarship for her achievements within Rutgers' graduate school of education, she enjoys empowering students through culturally relevant pedagogy. Being a multidisciplinary artist who performs, choreographs, paints and composes music further enriches her teaching practice through an interactive and multi-sensory approach that optimize students’ engagement and learning of dance. 

Nava discovered her passion for teaching dance upon graduating from the University of Maryland with a B.A. in Dance, designing her first creative movement class to an eager group of preschoolers in an after-school program in Washington, DC. Originally from Iran, Nava migrated to North America when she was five years old. She first learned about dance through her Persian culture. Some of her first memories of dancing were to Persian music at family gatherings and parties.