Ligia Ravenna Pinheiro holds a PhD in dance history, a MFA in Labanotation, and a MA in dance history from The Ohio State University. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Summa Cum Laude, with a BFA in ballet. Dr. Pinheiro was faculty at Wittenberg University where she taught dance history, dance kinesiology, Labanotation, and ballet technique. Ligia danced with BalletMet, Columbus, OH, and Evansville Dance Theater, Evansville, IN as a principal, performing leading roles in repertoire ballets such as "The Sleeping Beauty," "Swan Lake," "Coppelia," and in several contemporary works. Ligia has studied baroque dancing and notation with world-renowned choreographer Catherine Turocy, and has performed in several baroque ballet reconstructions. She is the recipient of the 2014 Harvard University Houghton Library Visiting Fellowship Research Award. In 1987 Dr. Pinheiro was awarded first place at the Joinville International Dance Competition for her performance of The Nutcracker pas de deux. In 2009 she was awarded a Research Fellowship Grant from the Luso-American Foundation for Development for a three-month residency at the National Library of Portugal. Dr. Pinheiro has presented her research in lectures, demonstrations, and performances in the United States, France, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Italy, and Germany.
Publications
"The Person Behind the Symbol: What a Labanotation Score Can Reveal." Proceedings of “Dance in the City: The Urban and Urbane,” Society of Dance History Scholars conference, Philadelphia, June 20-23, 2002.
"Portuguese Court Celebrations in the New World: Considerations on the Origins of Brazilian Carnival (A Preliminary Study)." Proceedings of “Continents in Movement, The Meeting of Cultures in Dance History,” Oct. 1998, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana. Oeiras, Portugal: FMH Edições, 1999.
"The Rape of the Lock, A Ballet in 18th Century Style." With Karen Woods and Nena Couch. Proceedings of the Society of Dance History Scholars Twentieth Conference, June 1997, Barnard College. New York: Society of Dance History Scholars, 1997.
Conferences
"Dancing Words – Speaking Dance; looking at the narrative of early nineteenth century ballet libretti as a form of notation." Presented at the Society of Dance History Scholars Conference (Dance Studies Association), The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, October 19-22, 2017.
"Dancing Words – Moving Text: The Mimed Action in the Ballet D’action." Presented at the Symposium “Making the Invisible Visible: Mime’s Contemporary Legacy,” The Ohio State University. April 11, 2014.
"The Libretti in the National Library of Portugal." Presented at the American Society for Eighteenth Century Studies Conference, Clevenland, OH, April 04, 2013.
"Portuguese Court Festivities in Early Nineteenth Century Brazil," presented at The American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies 41st Meeting, Albuquerque, NM, March 17-21, 2010.
Awards and honors
Matthies Award, Wittenberg University, spring 2002.
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, The Ohio State University Chapter, May 2000.
Graduate Student Alumni Research Award, The Ohio State University, autumn 1997.
All-American Scholar, United States Achievement Academy, University of Cincinnati, 1993, 1994.
Golden Key National Honors Society, University of Cincinnati, 1994, 1995.
Joinville National Dance Competition, First Place, Classical Ballet Repertory, Brazil, July 1987.
Performances and exhibitions
CHOREOGRAPHY:
"Dido and Aeneas," Oswego Opera Theatre, April 22 and 23, 2017, Oswego NY.
"Vivaldi Oboe Concerto and Bach Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins," for SUNY students and dancers from the Oswego Community, performed with live orchestra at SUNY Oswego Sheldon Hall, April 27, 2018.
"The Sleeping Beauty Waltz", for joint performance of SUNY students and dancers from the Oswego Community, performed with live orchestra at SUNY Oswego Waterman Theatre, December 3, 2017.
"For R.E.E.A.L.," Faculty and Senior Dance Concert, Chakeres Memorial Theatre, April 26-28, 2012.
"Thresh/Hold," Faculty and Senior Dance Concert, Chakeres Memorial Theatre, April 28-30, 2011.
"Motifation," Laban Motif-based choreography, Chakeres Memorial Theatre, April 24-26, 2009.
"Straight Up," (with movement contributions from dancers), New Student Days’ Show, Chakeres
Memorial Theatre, August 18, 2007.
Education
Ph.D., Dance History, The Ohio State University, 2015, MFA, Directing from a Labanotation Score, The Ohio State University, 2001, MA, Dance History, The Ohio State University, 1998, BFA Ballet, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, 1995
Classes taught
Dance History, Anatomy for Dancers, Beginning Ballet Technique, Intermediate Ballet Technique, Advanced Ballet Technique, Dance Around the World