For Terry Walden, “Dancing is breathing!  No matter where I go in this world, I’m looking for that dance class, and that dance teacher that’s going to make me better.” Terry started taking dance classes when she was 18 years old, with a dance teacher in college. “Betty Schaadt was an incredible woman, who had danced in Doris Humphrey’s dance company.”  When Terry expressed a deep desire to become a better dancer, Betty collaborated with Danny Sloan, an artistic director of a dance company in Cambridge, to develop a weekend program for Terry to learn modern, ballet, and jazz dance.  Because of Betty and Danny, Terry has never gone more than 2-3 months without taking at least taking a dance class.  

Terry lives in Greenwich, Connecticut and diligently makes her way to dance classes, rehearsals, and performances, primarily in New York City.  She became a member of MoJazz Dance in 2018 because she wanted to dance with Audrey Madison. They had been in dance classes together over the years, specifically modern jazz with Fred Benjamin at Clark Center for the Performing Arts, and later in ballet classes with Sheila Rohan, a founding dancer with Dance Theatre of Harlem.  Terry was drawn to the idea of performing with someone she knew and being part of a community of Black women committed to making the world a better place through dance. She is excited about the concept of dancing for social justice and positive social change. Terry’s first performance was JoyFULL, and that piece expresses how she feels to be part of a sisterhood who believes in the same things that she believes in, from an artistic and a world point of view. 

Professionally, Terry is most proud of being an attorney and an educator and is fulfilled by the achievements of her students. Terry is honored to research teaching and learning internationally as a recipient of a Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching Research (Scotland), a Fulbright-Hays Program Award (Hungary), and a Fulbright-Hays Seminar Abroad Award (Thailand).