TEACHER. Maker. mover.
Heather warfel
photo by Robert Cadena
BEING
Heather Warfel Sandler is the recipient of the 2023 New Jersey Governor’s Award for Leadership & Excellence in Dance Education. A dancer, educator, artist, and arts advocate in Jersey City, NJ, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Modern Dance from Point Park University. She is a certified Functional Awareness Movement Educator, and is also certified in Yoga and PBT. Heather is the founder, director, and instructor of the award-winning Dance & Choreography program at Hudson County Schools of Technology, where she built a specialized curriculum focused on creative process with attention to cultural and social responsibility. She has served on the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Workgroup for the National Dance Education Organization, and as liaison to the Hudson County Alliance of Teen Artists. She and her students have been recognized locally and nationally by the HCATA, VSA NJ, the NJ Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and the National Honors Society for Dance Arts. She has presented professional development, movement workshops, and lectures for NDEO, Dance New Jersey, Jersey City Public Schools, Montclair State University, and the Brooklyn Arts Exchange. Ms.Warfel was an Adjunct Professor of Dance at New Jersey City University for over 10 years, and has produced and hosted tours and performance events for Jersey City’s Office of Cultural Affairs. She has performed in a wide range of performance genres (modern dance, West African dance, tap dance, music, theater), in venues throughout the east coast, including the NJ State Theater, Mass MoCA, Ars Nova, White Eagle Hall, Chashama, and the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center. Heather was the founding Vice Chair of the Jersey City Arts Council, where she served the Board of Directors for 7 years, and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Dance New Jersey.
Thinking
Bodies breathing, earth rotating… everything in and around us is movement. When we fully open ourselves to collaborate with this endless and all-encompassing motion, we establish the most nurturing and productive environments, making space for understanding, connection and inclusion. All of this is so perfectly manifested in dance. I choose to move through life, teaching, and art-making with the same values: to access the potential in all beings/things, and to look for the possibilities of the present moment.
Through the arts we can learn to find creative possibility in all aspects of life. Artistic work, whether playful or serious, is a profound and inspired patchwork that integrates both reflection and progression of the human condition. Employing a creative process in everything we do has infinite benefits for both do-ers and viewers. I am dedicated to building a shared philosophy of creativity and collaboration with my students, my colleagues, my loved ones, and the community at large.
DOING
founder & director, HCST dance/Choreography program, hudson county, nj
1999 - Present
In my first years at County Prep High School, I created the curriculum for the Dance Program, including a unique approach to integrating improvisation and rigorous investigation of the creative process. I continue to teach daily classes and oversee the program. At County Prep I have also written curriculum to integrate Yoga into Physical Education, served as Performing Arts Liaison and Liaison to the Hudson County Teen Arts Alliance, choreographed school musicals, annually Direct the school-wide Talent Show, founded the County Prep H.S. Chapter of the National Honors Society for Dance Arts, and moderate the County Prep Artist Collective, which is a club that explores the importance of creative play in learning and personal development. I designed County Prep’s 140 seat black box theater, and pioneered the Choreographers in Residence Program (CHIRP), which gives students the opportunity to work closely with professional choreographers and dancers. I am eternally grateful for the openness and creative partnership of my students, who have won recognition from the HCATA, NJ State Teen Arts Festival, VSA NJ, NHSDA, the NJ Governor’s Award for Performing Arts, the Geraldine Dodge Foundation, as well as acclaim among the NJ professional dance community. For more information visit countyprepdance.org
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jersey city arts council, Board of directors
2016 - Present
In 2016 I was invited by several of Jersey City’s major arts organizations to join 3 other arts leaders in forming the Jersey City Arts Council, a non-profit arts advocacy organization. I served 2 years as the founding Vice Chair, and was elected Chair of the Board of Directors in 2019. As Chair I lead 8 board members, as well as advisors and committee members, working to ensure that the creative community remains relevant, diverse, influential, and a valued asset within Jersey City. The Council works closely with city, county, and state government in initiating legislation that supports the arts, and is committed to giving voice to all members of the arts community. For more information visit jerseycityartscouncil.org/
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Certified yoga instructor, sivananda
2006 - Present
My first introduction to yoga was more than 25 years ago in college. The practice felt natural to me. Some years later I made my first visit to the Sivananda Yoga Ashram in the Bahamas, and became aware of the profound history and philosophy behind the practice of Yoga. In 2006 I spent a month and a half living in a tent at the Sivananda Ashram in Val Morin, Canada, while obtaining my 200 hour Teaching Certificate (Yoga Alliance recognized RYS). This was a life-changing experience, where I was given the spiritual name Ekabhakti (which roughly translates to ‘one devotion’), and the values of yoga have since informed and influenced every aspect of my life and work.
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New jersey city university, adjunct professor of dance
2000 - 2011
Prior to becoming a mother, I had the pleasure of teaching dance at NJCU for over 10 years. My classes included Modern Dance I & II, Jazz Dance I & II, Ballet, and Dance Improvisation. Additionally I prepared choreographic work, with my mostly adult non-dance majors, for dance concerts and university performances.
exploring
Education
Dance
Improvisation
Arts
Yoga
learning
NJ State teaching certification
Teacher of Vocational Arts, Dance,2000
point park university, pittsburgh, pa
B.A. Modern Dance, 1994
virginia commonwealth university, richmond, va
Continuing Education, Dance Performance
1990-1995
sivananda yoga camp, val morin, canada
Yoga Certification & Continuing Studies
2006-present
American Dance festival
1994, 2004
FUNCTIONAL AWARENESS MOVEMENT EDUCATOR, CERTIFICATION
Towson University, 2022
communicating
Please contact me here about speaking engagements, teaching workshops, creative collaborations, dramaturgy for dance, or any ideas you may have…