Special Lecturer in Dance
Director, Oakland Dance Theatre
Contact: [email protected]
Christina Tasco is a special lecturer at Oakland University where she has been on faculty since 2002. Tasco teaches several technique courses as well as Kinesiology and Dance History in addition to directing Oakland Dance Theatre.
Christina received her Bachelor of Health Science as well as her Master of Exercise Science degree from Oakland University. Her master’s research project, The Effects of Quadriceps and Hamstring Strength and Flexibility on Anterior Pelvic Tilt in Dancers, was accepted for presentation at the annual American College of Sports Medicine conference where it then won the “Most Outstanding Student Master’s Thesis Presentation” award.
Christina danced professionally with Eisenhower Dance Detroit (EDD) from 1997-2004. During her time with EDD, Christina also accepted the position of Director of Education and Outreach for the organization, where she managed the company’s Rochester based studio and helped to open and direct two additional locations in Birmingham and West Bloomfield. Today, Christina continues to work for EDD both administratively and as a teacher.
Throughout her career, Christina has taught numerous master classes and creative movement residencies across the state and country. She has choreographed for a variety of studios, high schools, Universities and special events including Eisenhower Dance Detroit’s yearly fundraiser, Walled Lake Central's production of Finnian’s Rainbow and The Hartland Player’s production of West Side Story.
Alongside her career working with dancers, Christina had a notable career working with senior and elite level figure skaters at the Detroit Skating Club from 2009-2014. She worked both on and off-ice with skaters from around the world representing countries including The United States of America, Canada, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Australia, France, Romania, China, and Mexico. Several of the skaters that Tasco worked with, including Adam Rippon, are national and world medalists as well as Olympic competitors.
At the University, Christina received the Most Inspiration Professor award in both 2014 and 2015 and was nominated for a Teaching Excellence Award in 2016. In 2018, Christina received the Order of the Plume for igniting “inspiration within the students.”