Dr Gemma Harman
Senior Lecturer in Dance and Dance Science, MA Programme Coordinator
About
Gemma originally trained as a dancer before specialising in areas of dance, music and dance science. Gemma has extensive lecturing experience as a teacher, lecturer and researcher, delivering a range of specialisms, where she continues to work across vocational and higher education settings as a researcher and lecturer.
She has a BA (Hons) in Performing Arts (majoring in Dance) from Middlesex University and an MSc Dance Science and PhD Dance and Music Science, both from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.
Gemma received funding from the Emerton Christie Charity for her PhD research, where she investigated the phenomenon of dance and music performance through the experience of the performer. She continues to work within vocational and professional settings as an Academic Tutor at Bird College of Performing Arts and Dissertation Supervisor at Trinity Laban, Rambert and London Studio Centre.
At the University of Chichester, Gemma teaches a range of theoretical modules on the Dance and Dance Science Programmes at Undergraduate and Postgraduate level. These include: Dance Landscapes, Research Methodologies, Understanding Science and Dance Practice, Researching Dance Science, Research Project and MA Dissertation. Alongside this, Gemma provides BA, MA and PhD supervision.
ResDance Podcast
Gemma is the creator of ResDance, a podcast dedicated to research methodologies and methods in dance practice, intended for educators, students, practitioners and performers and interdisciplinary researchers curious to learn more about dance research in action.
Since being created (and to-date) 7 series and 75 episodes of ResDance™ have been launched and it has a global reach and is listened to in 62 countries. In Feedspot’s November 2023 list of the best UK dance podcasts, and based on traffic, social media followers and freshness, ResDance was placed at number two (losing out to the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing). Routledge Performance Archive (RPA) have licenced some episodes for inclusion in their archive: https://www.routledgeperformancearchive.com/
Qualifications
- PhD Dance & Music Science – Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (2018)
- MSc Dance Science – Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (2010)
- BA (Hons) Performing Arts (Dance) University of Middlesex (2003)
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) (2015)
- External Examiner -MSc Dance Science (University of Bedfordshire – until 2023
- Member of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS), where she has previously served on the Education and Promotion Committees.
- Nominated for a One Dance UK ‘Dance Research and Science award’ (November 2023)
Book Chapters
- Harman, G. (2025). (in press) Practitioner Perspectives on Dance Research. London, Routledge.
- Harman, G. (2024) (in press). Centring the ‘subjective’ when examining performance in the field of Dance Medicine and Science, in Routledge Companion to Performance and Science. London, Routledge.
- Harman, G. McKee, J. (2024). Foregrounding (the self) in dance practice. In Farmer. C and Kindred, H. The ‘Female Dancer’: A Soma-Scientific Approach. London, Routledge.
Conference Presentations
- Needham-Beck, S., McKee, J. and Harman, G. (2018) Training load and injury occurrence in undergraduate dance students. In: International Association of Dance Medicine and Science 28th Annual Conference, October 25-28, 2018, Helsinki, Finland. (Unpublished).
- Harman, G., Redding, E. and Holmes, P. (2018) Performance enhancement: a performer’s perspective. In: International Association of Dance Medicine and Science 28th Annual Conference, October 25-28, 2018, Helsinki, Finland. (Unpublished).
- Harman, G., Redding, E. and Holmes, P. (2018) Investigating the phenomenon of performance through the experience of the performer. In: International Association of Dance Medicine and Science 28th Annual Conference, October 25-28, 2018, Helsinki, Finland. (Unpublished).
Research Output
Other department members
