Gabby Bass is a certified K–12 dance educator, choreographer, and teaching artist who believes in the transformative power of dance to build confidence, creativity, and joy in all. Her goal as a dance educator is to create meaningful learning experiences that expand creativity and bring joy while learning. She holds a BFA in Dance Education with K–12 Licensure from The University of Southern Mississippi, is certified in Gifted Education, and is a graduate of the MS School of the Arts. Gabby brings a diverse movement background, including ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, modern, and ballroom dance, as well as a strong foundation in arts integration.
Gabby is currently developing and teaching dance in MS public schools. She has served students in kindergarten through high school during her teaching. She has created a standards-based curriculum that emphasizes student voice, technical growth, and interdisciplinary learning at the elementary and middle school level. Through performances, creative projects, and dance history connections, Gabby helps students understand the significance of dance both as an art form and as a reflection of culture, such as teaching jazz through the lens of U.S. history and using movement to explore academic concepts.
Her teaching experience spans public schools, community centers, dance studios, and museums. She has choreographed many children’s musicals, led integrated dance classes at the MS Children’s Museum–Meridian, and built a sustainable creative movement program for the Boys and Girls Club of Hattiesburg through her grant-funded research project “Learn to Move.” In 2023, she was awarded an Emerging Artist Award from USM Partners for the Arts. She presented her choreographic work and research, “The Shadow Falls Behind,” at the National Dance Education Organization Conference.
Gabby has worked with pre-professional dancers at the American Dance Festival, where she supported student artists while learning from internationally recognized faculty. She also teaches classes at Laurel Ballet Academy and has guest taught for regional studios and summer intensives.
As a dance educator, Gabby offers a dynamic classroom where students are challenged to think critically, collaborate, and take creative risks. She incorporates SEL and art-integration into every lesson and specifically designs them to support cross-curricular learning. Her students not only gain physical skills but also confidence in performance, understanding of cultural context, and a lifelong appreciation for creative exploration. Gabby provides choreography residencies, arts-integrated classes, lesson design, and consultations for schools/organizations to expand the arts to include dance. Whether teaching in a studio, classroom, or community space, Gabby Bass is committed to helping students and educators alike find connection, self-expression, and joy through dance and movement.