Marianne Adams’ office hums with movement. A walking pad whirs beneath her desk, a yoga ball chair sits nearby and books on dance, anatomy and somatic practice line the shelves. Warm light catches on trinkets, handwritten notes and pictures holding stories from students and colleagues over the years, each a quiet testament to her impact.
For more than two decades, Adams has shaped App State’s dance studies and somatic sustainability programs, creating a space for creativity, exploration and mindful practice. She has developed more than 30 courses and served as chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance from 2007-15 and is the co-founder of App State’s Classical Pilates Teacher Training Program.
Her path to this influential role wasn’t a conventional one. Adams said her dance journey was anything but traditional.
She didn’t start dancing until her senior year of high school. Before fully committing to movement studies, she explored other career paths — pre-med and botany — before ultimately earning her undergraduate degree at App State in psychology and dance.
Drawn to the therapeutic aspects of movement, Adams pursued further training in New York City, where she became certified by Romana Kryzanowska as a second-generation Classical Pilates instructor. In 2005, she co-founded App State’s Classical Pilates Teacher Training Program alongside Rebecca Quin to help integrate Pilates into the school curriculum.
“She essentially built a full Pilates equipment apparatus studio over time, which is an incredible resource at our university that not many schools have,” said Laurie Atkins, associate professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance.
In 2019, Atkins and Adams co-created the somatic sustainability minor, which provides students with a contextualized understanding of the body-mind connection and sustainability in daily life, according to App State’s website.
“Working in the arts is character building,” Adams said. “When you move, you put your blood, sweat and tears in it and learn how to show up for yourself and for others.”
Adams’ classes are more than just lessons in movement — they are transformative experiences that reshape how students understand their bodies.
“It’s about spirit in the heart and what matters to your soul,” Adams said.
Through her teaching, Adams encourages students to approach dance not just as a performance skill but as a practice of awareness, exploration and self-care. For Adams, self-discovery doesn’t have to follow a prescribed path.
“The department is a safe place to experiment. Who knows what opportunities it may lead to? Trust your own passion and don’t let somebody say, ‘What are you going to do with that?’” Adams said. “Trust that you’ll figure it out.”
Lydia Jacobson, a senior public relations major and dance minor, said Adams’ approach shifted her perspective.
“She changed my perspective on what dance is and I have a much more artistic view and appreciation of dance now,” Jacobson said. “When I first came here I wanted to be the best technical dancer. She helped me realize that there is so much more to explore and enjoy in the process.”
Adams said when she was a student, she was hooked to the mirror and wanted to be a “perfect” technical dancer. She said her teacher Betty Jones critiqued her one day while doing an exercise and taught her a formative lesson.
“She said, ‘Oh Marianne, why do you always have to be so perfect?’ and it startled me. It hurt my feelings and made me cry,” Adams said. “I thought I was doing what she wanted. It was a great lesson. I realized perfect is a lie, I wasn’t being authentic and real.”
Adams said this attitude and modality of thinking is something she prioritizes in her students.
“No matter what area of life I go towards, I think that type of thinking is applicable in every way,” Jacobson said.
A prominent opportunity for students is the Appalachian Dance Ensembles. This year, the program will celebrate its 50th Anniversary during the Spring Appalachian Dance Ensemble March 26-30.
Adams is coordinating the event alongside other dance faculty members and is incorporating selected students and guest alumni choreographers. The concert on March 29 will include a tribute and postconcert celebration and reception to the late professor Susan Lutz, who died in 2024.
“Marianne Adams and Susan Lutz really spearheaded the program for a long time, so I see the celebration as kind of a recognition of their contributions over the years,” Atkins said. “I think the dance program is what it is today because of Marianne and her vision, and the co-leading of the program between Marianne and Susan, it is a beautiful legacy between the two of them.”