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Nichole Ortega

Faculty Member

Nichole Ortega

Biography

Nichole Ortega began her classical ballet training in 1975 with Sandra Allen. From 1984 to 1990, she continued her training with Jacqueline P. Colledge, as a member and soloist with the Utah Regional Ballet Company. Nichole completed her undergraduate degree in Health Education and Dance Education at Brigham Young University, and earned a Master of Arts in Dance, from California State University, Long Beach. For ten years, Nichole acted as a secondary dance educator, developing the dance program and Dance Company at Payson High School in Payson, Utah. Currently, Nichole is in her 20th year at Utah Valley University where she is an Associate Professor and served for six years as Chair of the Department of Dance. She is currently the Ballet Program Coordinator and teaches Ballet and other core courses. Nichole has served as President of the Utah Dance Education Organization and President of the Utah Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters. She served two years as the Secondary Endorsement Dance Representative for the Utah State Office of Education and has choreographed for Synergy Dance Company, Contemporary Dance Ensemble, Utah Regional Ballet, Utah Regional Ballet II, Boise State College, Body Logic, and Scera Shell Outdoor Theater. Nichole has been published twice in The Academy Journal and once in The Journal of the International Arts in Society and has shared her research at several national and international conferences. She was awarded the UVU Presidential Fellowship for her research, "Dance Loops" along with UVU Behavioral Science Associate Professor, Barton Poulson. Nichole served two years as the Director of Undergraduate Research and Creative Works in the UVU Office of Engage Learning and is a member of the UVU Center for the Study of Ethics Advisory Board. She has been awarded a UDEO Distinguished Service Award, a UDEO Presidential Citation, the UVU Foundations of Inclusion Award and named the UASAL 2021 Academy Fellow.

Education

MA, California State University, Long Beach, 2004

Major: Dance

BS, Brigham Young University, 1993

Major: Heath Education/Dance Education

Teaching

DANC 227R

Ballet Technique and Theory II, Spring 2025

DANC 2110

Orientation to Dance, Spring 2025

DANC 221R

Pointe II, Spring 2025

Presentations

Ortega, Nichole (Presenter Only), Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters Conference, "Creating a Successful Secondary Dance Program in Any Community", UASAL, Virtual. ()
Ortega, Nichole (Presenter Only), 7th Annual Somatic Dance Conference and Performance Festival, "Exploring Social Justice Through Movement", Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY. ()
Ortega, Nichole (Presenter Only), Concurrent Enrollment Professional Development Conference, "Careers in Dance_ Some Common... Some Not So Common", Utah Valley University Concurrent Enrollment, Orem, UT. ()
Ortega, Nichole (Co-Presenter), National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships 2019 National Conference, "Break Out of the Box_ Impactful Professional Development", National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships, Salt Lake City, UT. ()
Ortega, Nichole (Presenter Only), 6th Annual Somatic Dance Conference and Performance Festival, "Creating a Successful Secondary Dance Program in Any Community", Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY. ()
Ortega, Nichole (Panelist), Careers in Dance, "Careers in Dance", Utah Valley University Department of Dance, Orem, UT. ()

Scholarly/Creative Works

Banchero-Kelleher, Angela , Poulson, Barton , Ortega, Nichole , (2010) "Dancing to Democracy_ An Empirical Analysis of Helen Tamiris' 'Dance for Walt Whitman' as a Motivator for Social and Political Involvement" (Issue: 6, vol. 4). Common Ground Research Networks: International Arts in Society.
Ortega, Nichole , Poulson, Barton , (2008) "Dance Made Me a Genius_ Reflections on participating in High Schoo Dance" (vol. 85). Utah: Journal of the Academy.
Ortega, Nichole , (2005) "Locomotive Motions_ Building Knowledge and Appreciation for the Railroad by Using Family History as a Source of Choreography" (vol. 82). Utah: Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.

Awards

Foundation of Inclusion Award

Utah Valley University

Attended Foundations of Inclusion Workshops offered by the university.

Academy Fellow

Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters - November 5, 2021

An academy fellow is selected for their significant contributions to Utah academia and the UASAL and voted on by the Utah Academy Board. This award is given every fall and the recipient receives a lifetime membership in the Academy and a UASAL medal.

Sabbatical Leave

Utah Valley University

​Awarded ​for Spring 2017 at full pay to work on Dance Education research in the state of Utah and surrounding states.

GEL Grant

Utah Valley University

Awarded a GEL grant along with colleagues, Doris Trujillo and Monica Campbell for the project, Celebrated Voices_ A Festival of Latino and Hispanic Traditional and Contemporary Dance.

Presidential Fellowship for Faculty Scholarship

Utah Valley University

Dance Loops, Open Beta_ Lecture/Demonstration with Live, Interactive Video Looping presented with UVU Associate Professor, Bart Poulson.

National Endowment of the Arts Grant Challenge America Grant

National Endowment of the Arts

Granted for the project, Celebrated Voices. I was an Associate Director of the project along with Director, Doris Trujillo and Associate Director, Monica Campbell.