Merry Lynn Morris holds a Masters of Fine Arts degree in dance performance and choreography from Florida State University. She has been an instructor in the dance program since 1998 at the University of South Florida, in Tampa, FL. Ms. Morris seeks out interdisciplinary opportunities in which her movement background and expertise can be utilized and expanded. She began exploring the venue of mixed ability dance in 2002, and as caregiver to a disabled father over a 21 year period, her interest and awareness in disability needs has been ever-present. Her dance/mobility chair project involves approaching wheelchair design from a dance performance perspective to increase options for differently-abled individuals and expand perceptions regarding human mobility. The project has received national and international recognition and Ms. Morris is the recipient of three patents for her work on the rolling dance chair. Ms. Morris is dedicated and invested in contributing to the full scope of dance practice, including dance pedagogy, movement expression/choreography, and the health and wellness of dancers. Her work is unique in simultaneously responding to significant issues both in and outside of the dance field and in bridging gaps and broadening the discourse between dance/arts and other fields. Ms. Morris is a member of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO), and the Florida Dance Education Organization (FDEO). Ms. Morris continues to pursue research and study in the area of dance medicine/kinesiology and she is also a member and regular presenter at the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS). Ms. Morris is currently working on a doctoral degree in Dance at Texas Woman’s University.
Merry Lynn Morris, MFA provides an inspiring example of this restorative role of humanities in the performing arts as she describes her journey in the development of the innovative Rolling Dance/Mobility Chair project.