Profile

Shayla Bott is a professor of dance in the College of Fine Arts and Communications, specializing in dance kinesiology, ballet pedagogy, and performance. She has taught, choreographed, and mentored students at all levels, preparing them for professional careers in professional dance and arts education.

Her scholarship explores the intersections of classical ballet with contemporary approaches to performance, injury prevention, wellness, and interdisciplinary collaboration. She has presented at national and international conferences on dance pedagogy, performance practice, and dance medicine and science.

Professor Bott has choreographed award-winning original commissioned works for professional and university productions and collaborated with faculty and guest artists across music, visual arts, engineering, and exercise science.She teaches Ballet Technique, Pointe, Ballet Choreography, Dance Kinesiology, Music for Dancers, and Ballet Pedagogy. She holds STOTT Pilates certifications with a specialization in fascial training and injury rehabilitation, including support for pre- and post-partum women.

She is passionate about mentoring emerging artists, creating inclusive spaces in ballet, assisting injured dancers in returning to the stage, adjusting ballet pedagogy to train injury-resistant dancers, and advancing the role of the arts in civic and community life.

Education

MFA in Ballet: Teaching, Performing, and Music from the University of Utah

BFA in Ballet Performance from the University of Utah

AS: Associates of Science from Utah Valley University