Rhythm McCarthy: Professional career includes work with North Carolina Dance Theatre, the California Ballet Company, Agnes DeMille, Valerie Bettis, Pauline Koner, Duncan Noble, Alwin Nikolais, Donlin Foreman, Anthony Morgan, and Ernestine Stodelle. Teaching and choreographic credits include residencies and guest artist positions with Florida State University, Jacksonville University, Missouri State University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, University of Illinois, Austin Peay State University, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, University of South Carolina, Coker College, and Imperial College in London, England.
Ms. McCarthy has directed/ choreographed over fifty shows for the musical stage including Once Upon a Mattress for the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance at UA LIttle Rock. While at Missouri State University she received College and University Outstanding Teaching Awards and in 2008 was selected as a finalist for the national student nominated Inspire Integrity Award. She has taught ballet, tap, jazz and modern dance, and developed a premier touring program utilizing dance performance and movement studies to enhance literacy in public schools. Ms. McCarthy’s paper on The Dance Educator’s Role in Preserving Diversity: Two University Programs was chosen for presentation at the 18th World Congress on Dance Research in Argos, Greece. The same organization invited her to present her choreographic work, Ozarks Folk Suite, for the 19th World Congress in Larnaca, Cyprus. She returned to the 20th World Congress in Athens, Greece to present a co-authored paper, From Tap to Toe, From Jig to Clog, From Salome to the Chocolate Nijinsky: How Vaudeville Taught America to Dance.
Ms. McCarthy has given the opening keynote address at the International Dance in Education Congress in Bogota, Columbia, published articles in Pointe Magazine, and been awarded National Endowment of the Arts Initiative Grants. Ms. McCarthy began her professional studies at North Carolina School of the Arts and holds degrees from Jacksonville University (BFA) and Florida State University (MFA). She is Professor Emeritus at Missouri State University.