Teaching

Penny's teaching approach combines her diverse movement background, including formal contemporary dance technique, ballet, somatic work, contact improvisation, instant composition, yoga and capoeira. Through this holistic approach, Penny’s teaching work asks: how we can move our bodies to find more joy and playfulness in our lives? 

Penny has taught internationally for organisations including: EPIICO (Mexico City), Anniesland College (Glasgow), Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Junior and University courses, Paragon Music Ensemble (London), Dance House (Glasgow), Citymoves (Aberdeen), Invisible Centre for Contemporary Dance (Iran), Beijing Contact Improvisation and Woodlands Community Gardens (Glasgow).

Penny’s teaching highlights from the last year include: running ‘Finding Nourishment in Change’ workshops with musician Nicolette Macleod at Dance Base (Edinburgh) and Woodlands Community (Glasgow); teaching for Waterbaby Arts (Paisley); working with EveryBody inclusive dance company (Nuremberg); guest teaching for the Pre-Professional Year at Sydney Dance Company, at Riveria, Finland and Austi Dance and Physical Theatre (Illawarra); collaborating with Danskompanietspinn - Sweden’s inclusive dance company; guest teaching at Performing Arts Studio Scotland; teaching Professional Class for Barrowland Ballet/The Work Room (Glasgow) and Dance Base; teaching company class for the ‘What Moves You?’ project by My Friend Selkie; and guest teaching on the BSL performance course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Penny holds Master of Education (Learning and Teaching in the Performing Arts) from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (2022). Penny’s teaching practice draws on a wide range of training, including: a 40 hour anatomy course with Alice Grey yoga (2023); a 50 hour Yin Yoga teacher training with Dawn Wright (2017); a 70 hour Embodied Dancer Yoga Teacher Training with Abby Hoffman (2015); and training and studying on multiple occasions with artists such as Nancy Stark Smith, Julyen Hamilton, Maya Carroll, Marc Brew and Caroline Bowditch. Penny is a member of Equity, The Touring Network, and The Work Room.

As an extension of Penny’s low-carbon practice, she is cutting down the amount of flights she takes and uses train to travel to the majority of her teaching engagements.

Listen to Penny on Voices of Yoga

Listen to Penny on Arts Educator Interviews at the RCS