Marcus Hayes is Associate Professor of Dance at Austin Peay State University (APSU) in Clarksville, TN, where he focuses on dance techniques, dance history and choreography. He received a dual Bachelor of Arts in History and Theatre Arts: Dance from Beloit College in Wisconsin and a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from Mills College in California.

Marcus joined the faculty of APSU in fall 2006. He is a past president of the Tennessee Association of Dance Board of Directors and serves a regional director for the American College Dance Association (ACDA) National Board of Directors. He performed and choreographed professionally with the Without Shoes Modern Dance Company and has taught dance for the Chicago Park District, the University of Wisconsin-Extension, Rockford College, and the School for the Rockford Dance Company.

Marcus’ research interests include identity politics in performance, formal issues in choreography, site-specific choreography and most recently the West African influences on the folk dances of Latin America. He is the author of a textbook, Introduction to Dance: A Guide for Understanding Dance as an Art Form, available through Great River Learning.