Barbara Snook

Dr Barbara Snook is a Professional Teaching and Research Fellow at the University of Auckland in the Dance Studies program. She taught dance in Brisbane High Schools for 20 years and was the Caroline Plummer Fellow in Community Dance at the University of Otago during 2008. Barbara received an Osmotherley Award in 2007 for her services toward the development of dance in Queensland and she was nominated for an Australian Dance Award for services to dance education in 2006. Her textbooks, Dance… Count Me In and Dance for Senior Students are used throughout schools in Australia and New Zealand. She has also written Dance Room Book One and Dance Room Book Two for children in the first years of school. Barbara writes academic articles for publication in international academic journals and is currently working on a research project that involves arts integration in primary schools.

During Barbara’s tenure as the Caroline Plummer Fellow in Community Dance, she facilitated a dance programme for people living with cancer. The dance motivated the participants to continue despite hardship and they developed a sense of pride in being part of something that was larger than themselves. They embodied a sense of courage and finally in performing they moved their audience to tears. During the Fellowship, Barbara wrote a children’s book titled, Come Dance With Me about death and the healing power of dance. Barbara’s teaching allows her to work with students with special needs, the elderly and many other community groups. She is particularly interested in fostering creativity through the arts and in doing so, help participants to realise their potential. Her work in this area extends into China and India.

Barbara enjoys participating in Authentic Movement sessions and dancing/acting in television commercials. Her great loves are her grandchildren who live in Perth, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. She is constantly planning holiday time with them.

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