A lifelong love of learning, science, and dance coalesced when Laurel Shastri (MS in Geology) became a teaching artist twenty-five years ago. Her creative mission to integrate dance authentically yielded a number of unique residencies, including ‘The Scientific Dancer,’ ‘Meaningful Movement,’ and ‘DANCE as ACTIVism.’  Her work is featured in Claudia Cornett’s college text 'Creating Meaning Through Literature & the Arts.’ Her body of work includes over two dozen unique units and numerous professional development workshops, many presented through Arts Council Santa Cruz County, Montalvo Arts Center, Tennessee Art Commission, & ArtsBuild. She served 25 years at Ballet Tennessee as Associate Director, dancer, grant writer, & faculty and was honored to receive Ballet Tennessee’s Dance Alive Legacy Award.