Albirda Rose Eberhardt,Ph.D.
Master Teacher
Founder, Former Director and Co-Director of the
Institute for Dunham Technique Certification
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Known as Dr. Rose on the campus of San Francisco State University for 36 years, upon recommendation of Miss Ruth Beckford she began teaching Dunham Technique as an undergraduate student in 1970 at Hayward State University. Dr. Albirda Rose received her Doctorate in Education in 1982 from the University of San Francisco; her MA from Mills College in Dance in 1973, where she also received a full fellowship to teach Haitian Dance/Dunham Technique; and her BS in Physical education (Dance Emphasis) and Minor Drama from Hayward State University (East Bay). Dr. Rose also graduated in the spring of 1999 from the Graduate Theological Union at Berkeley as a part of the American Baptist Seminar with a Masters in Divinity, ordained May 2001.
After receiving her doctorate, she traveled to East St. Louis where her personal relationship began with Miss Katherine Dunham. In 1986, she travel with Miss Dunham as a demonstrator and assistant to Brazil visiting six cities, and as a result became the coordinator for the Annual Dunham Technique Seminar for several years. In 1990 she published Dunham Technique a Way of Life. In 1993 the first group of teachers were certified under her direction. In 2000 Miss Dunham granted Dr. Rose the title of Master Teacher and Director of Dunham Technique Certification.
A native of Oakland, California she began her dance instruction and training with Ms. Ruth Beckford, a former member of the Katherine Dunham Dance Company, and with Ms. Louise Jorgenson, whose expertise was ballet. As a performing artist, she trained and performed professionally as a dramatic artist, vocal artist, as well as a dancer and choreographer. One of her first professional performances was as a lead vocalist and dancer with the “Young Americans,” a production that toured the United States and Canada.
As a choreographer, dancer, and performer, Dr. Rose’s work is known throughout the Bay Area. She was one of the featured choreographers for the 1995 Black Choreographers Moving Toward the 21st Century project, and at the American College Dance Festival in Tucson Arizona Spring of 1997, where her work received honorable mention. In spring 2000, She presented a full-length work, “For Phil,” a gospel suite in five sections: The Beginning; The Goal; The Process; The Prayer; The Praise. In 2002 her work “Primordial” was selected for the Gala concert of the American College Dance Festival and an article on the work was featured in Dance Teacher Magazine. “The Goal”, the second section of the work of “For Phil “was performed as a part of the “Root of the Source” performance at the Alice Arts Theater of Oakland, February 2001 with a full gospel choir. In the winter of 2004, Dr. Rose wrote and directed a play entitled “Generation,” which was produced by Dance With Reason and performed to packed audiences.
Dr. Rose has written papers on: "Dance as Theology", “Knowing God Through The Body”, and "Dance as Liberation Theology. She has developed criteria and objectives and conducted workshops for Praise Dance Ministry throughout the country. Her recent work and philosophy on Praise Dance is published as an interview in the Journal of Dance Education titled “Praise Dance: A Journey toward Transformation.”
After retirement from SFSU, Dr. Rose continues to work as the Director of the “Village Dancers” a children’s and teen dance company. The company is based on the Dunham Philosophy of “Socialization through the Arts and inter cultural communication”. Giving her the opportunity to pass on the legacy. Dr. Rose feels her greatest accomplishment is seeing the development of the institute, fulfilling her promise to Miss. Dunham.