Molly W. Schenck

Molly W. Schenck is fascinated with human movement and what interrupts its full expression. This has guided the evolution of her studies and career. She specializes in the intersection of creativity and trauma. She is the creator of Trauma-Informed Creative Practices and author of Trauma-Informed Teaching Practices for Dance Educators. She has presented workshops and trainings for individuals, organizations, and arts leaders on the intersection of trauma and creativity locally, nationally, and internationally. Her work has been supported by the the Kindle Project, Arizona Commission on the Arts, City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, and other local arts granting organizations. Most recently, her solo work as a performing and visual artist has been featured locally at the Art D’Core Gala, FOUND:RE Hotel, Gammage Auditorium, and Phoenix Center for the Arts. Her dance film "This isn't what we planned..." premiered at the Trans(m)it : Lost Dances film festival and University of Auckland's Choreographic Research Aotearoa series in New Zealand. Her photography was featured in 4bid Gallery in Amsterdam, NL. She was a recipient of the Arizona Commissions’ Research and Development Grant where she focused on blending dance and painting practices on canvas. Her dynamic career has been influence by trainings with Susan Marshall & Company on Systems for Understanding Movement and Choreography, Beth Morrison Project's Creative Producers Academy funded by the Mellon Foundation, The Kennedy Center's Teaching ArtistProgram, Creativity and Leadership Training with Mesa Arts Center, and community participation with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zanes Company.  In 2016, she founded Grey Box Collective - an arts organization that makes weird art about tough stuff. Schenck and her company are twice nominated for the City of Phoenix Mayor's Arts Awards. In 2022, Grey Box became a hybridized (LLC & 501c3) organization. Prior to running Grey Box, she worked in higher education as a professor and administrator in the arts while simultaneously teaching in the fitness industry for over a decade. She has earned a BA in Theater, an M. Ed. In Educational Psychology, and an MFA in Dance. She is also a Certified Trauma Support Specialist and a Registered Somatic Movement Educator/Therapist.