Grace Han, Special to The Denisonian—
Joshua Manculich, a visiting assistant professor in the dance department, first moved to Ohio to be closer to family and earn his Master of Education degree in clinical mental health counseling at The Ohio State University.
While settling into a new home and preparing to be a student again, Manculich received a call from Dr. Ojeya Cruz Banks, co-chair of the Denison dance department. Banks asked him to be a guest artist for the contemporary dance and performance course in the fall of 2022.
One semester in, Manculich choreographed two pieces for the fall dance concert and was offered a full-time position to teach classes the following spring.
In addition to teaching at Denison and attending OSU, Manculich also is a therapist at a private practice and the founder and artistic director of WhirlWind Dance Company.
On any given day, he travels all over Columbus; from teaching to learning to running a company.
“My life is an intersection of body, mind and dance,” he said. “Facilitating movement and healing.”
In 2021, he founded WhirlWind to design a space for his students who had nowhere to dance during the initial COVID-19 summer. The following year, his company became a nonprofit organization that now employs over 30 early-career dance artists. The WhirlWind company artists perform dances that Manculich has choreographed throughout his career. One of the pieces in his repertoire, “The Rate in Which I Am,” was performed in this year’s fall dance concert, “Renaissance.”
With so much on his plate, Manculich has developed a creative approach to making it all work.
“The balance is in the here and now,” he said. “Trying to make opportunities out of the intersections.”
Manculich finds that his experience working as a therapist and the clinical techniques he has learned at OSU have seeped into the language he uses when teaching Denison students. Parallel to his therapy techniques, in class he acknowledges how humans give and receive information in various ways. That’s why he finds it helpful to present students with work in visual, auditory and kinesthetic spaces––rather than choosing for them. He describes his teaching approach as “meaningful play.”
His knowledge and insights as a therapist manifest in his choreography. Manculich plans to unravel intricate psychology concepts, such as paradoxical intent and Freudian slips, in his future choreographic works. Choreographers draw inspiration from millions of things, and Manculich is excited to tap into the psychology-dance median.
Thanks to Manculich, contemporary ballet class is now offered at Denison for the first time in over 20 years.
His class offers students a non-judgemental environment where they can enter as complete beginners and learn everything from fundamental pliés to advanced gargouillades. He believes that it is important for teachers to be curious with their students and he encourages students to “love your mess!”
“When you love a mess and accept it for what it is, you can find so many meaningful moments,” Manculich said.
Editor’s Note: The professor spotlight is a recurring feature. Email [email protected] if you would like to suggest a professor to be featured.