Merry Lynn Morris, MFA, PhD

Merry Lynn Morris, PhD, MFA, LMT, RSDE, is a dance educator, choreographer, and researcher whose work bridges movement, design, and human experience. With more than twenty-five years in the field of dance education, she brings a deep commitment to innovation, inclusion, and embodied learning. She holds terminal degrees in Dance Performance and Choreography (MFA) and in Dance Studies (PhD).

Since joining the University of South Florida’s Dance Program in 1998, Dr. Morris has served in multiple leadership roles, including Assistant Director and Interim Chair. She currently directs the Dance Medicine and Science (DM&S) Certificate Program, advancing interdisciplinary study in human movement, dancer health, and dance-based wellness interventions that support physical and psychological wellbeing across populations. Her teaching spans Dance Improvisation, Dance Kinesiology, Research in Dance, Laban Movement Analysis, Foundations in Dance Medicine and Science, and Ballet Technique.

Her artistic foundation in classical ballet is complemented by training in contemporary, improvisational, and somatic forms Early in her career, she performed with the Tampa Ballet and Dance Theatre of Florida. She is also a licensed sports massage therapist (LMT) with fifteen years of experience in the alternative medicine sector. This combined expertise in performance and bodywork deeply informs her approach to teaching and choreography, emphasizing somatic awareness and holistic health. Alongside her teaching and choreography, she is an active conference presenter, journal reviewer, and published scholar exploring the intersections of movement, technology, and health.

Dr. Morris’s research brings together dance, disability studies, engineering, and health sciences. Her inclusive vision has been shaped by two decades of creating with dancers with disabilities and by her long-term experience as a caregiver for her disabled father. She collaborates closely with Arts4All Florida, advocating for accessibility, creativity, and wellbeing through movement.

Her innovative work has been featured by MSNBC, PBS, CNN, NPR’s Science Friday, Reader’s Digest, Dance Teacher Magazine, and Inventor’s Digest (cover story). She holds five U.S. patents, and her invention was showcased at the Smithsonian Institution, where she was also an invited speaker.

Her writing appears in Journal of Technology and Innovation, Research in Dance Education, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), amongst others. Book contributions include Perspectives in Performing Arts Medicine Practice, Research in the Dance Sciences, Dance Injuries, and Dance Research Methodologies.

Primary Appointment: Dance Program, School of Theatre and Dance, College of Design, Art and Performance
PhD – Dance Studies; MFA – Dance Performance/Choreography; RSDE – Registered Somatic Dance Educator; LMT – Licensed Massage Therapist specializing in sports massage and neuromuscular therapy
Directs the Dance Medicine and Science (DM&S) Certificate Program at USF, guiding students in the study of human movement, dancer health, injury prevention and performance optimization, and dance-based practices to support physical and psychological well-being.
Research areas/interests: Dance Science, Assistive Technology Design, Disability Studies, Somatic Studies. Explores the intersections of movement, technology, and health.
Teaching: Dance Improvisation, Dance Kinesiology, Research in Dance I and II, Laban Movement Analysis, Foundations in Dance Medicine and Science
Mentors undergraduate students in dance science and interdisciplinary dance research

More: mlmorris5.wixsite.com/mlmorris | usf.academia.edu/MerryMorris