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. Nava first learned about dance through her Persian culture. Some of her first memories of dancing were to Persian music at family gatherings and parties.