I am a dancer, an educator, a very curious human, and a bit of an overthinker. All of these made me the scholar I am today, and guide me in becoming the scholar, and the professor, I want to be. I have very strong values and I am often not willing to negotiate on those, which I think has helped me in surviving academia. When I am not working, you can find me hiking with my husband and dog.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO COME TO SFU?

I grew up in Italy, and during my Master’s in Philosophy, I came across some research that was done at SFU. I applied for a Master in Comparative Media Arts. After that, I was ready to leave, but at a conference in Ottawa I met Celeste Snowber and Stephen Smith, who are now my supervisor and committee member. So, I stayed to do my doctoral research under their guidance.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RESEARCH AND/OR PROGRAM.

I am studying the ways the body moves, learns, connects, and creates. Particularly, I focus on how to transfer the knowledge of my body to other bodies that do not look like mine. I am interested in developing a pedagogical approach that is rooted in what I know about the body, but which is transferable to any discipline.

WHAT ARE YOU PARTICULARLY ENJOYING ABOUT YOUR STUDIES/RESEARCH AT SFU?

The support I have received from faculty and stuff has been great!

HAVE YOU BEEN THE RECIPIENT OF ANY MAJOR OR DONOR FUNDED AWARDS?

I hold a Graduated Dean Entrance Scholarship, a SSHRC award, and I was also honored to receive a graduate fellowship. The awards help me focus on my studies, without having to worry too much about jobs; they also help me feel validated and part of a community of scholars.

DESCRIBE YOUR PROGRAM FOR THOSE SEARCHING.

The Arts Education program is a great place for anyone who is willing to rethink the labels of “academic work”, take risks, and fight quite a bit with the boundaries of institutions and findings. In the end, they will not be disappointed with the outcome.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?

I work as a dancer, choreographer, educator, and sometimes art administrator for a dance company called All Bodies Dance Project. Our mandate is to make dance accessible to all bodies, showcasing and mentoring bodies that most people wouldn’t perceive as “dancing bodies”. You can find out more about our programming, performances, and work on allbodiedance.ca.

Contact Carolina: cbergonz@sfu.ca