Students at the University of Nevada, Reno are spending Halloween week mastering the art of monstrous movement.
During a special lecture in the Dance Appreciation course, held in the Joe Crowley Student Union Theatre, students are learning how to embody horror’s most iconic creatures through dance.
The session is led by Nate Hodges, Associate Teaching Professor of Dance in the College of Liberal Arts, whose expertise lies in the movement of cinematic monstrosity, how monsters are choreographed to terrify audiences.
Students will explore how horror is expressed through stillness, rhythm, and distortion, then test their skills in a lively “scare-off.”
Hodges’ course, Horror, Dance, Monstrosity, and The Body, examines different horror movement styles, including the synchronized motion of hive mind creatures, the unsettling brokenness seen in Japanese horror, and the deliberate pacing of slasher villains.
His research has also focused on the evolution of zombie movement and depictions of demonic possession. Outside the classroom, Hodges has shared his expertise as a horror-movement consultant for local theater companies.
