Each year Luna hosts 2-3 innovative & inspiring guest teachers to lead workshops addressing relevant topics in our field. This year, we are honored to welcome Dr. Mary Claire Heffron, who will lead a  March 9 workshop on Perspectives on Trauma: Opening Space to Explore & Grow, and Dr. Tina Curran, who will bring a Language of Dance in Action Intensive June 24-28. Join us in learning from these experts!

Dr. Mary Claire Heffron is the former Clinical Director of the Early Childhood Mental Health Training Program at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital-Oakland. In that position she  directed  the Irving B. Harris Early Childhood Mental Health Training Program and other consultation, training programs, and internships in the Early Intervention Service Program. Author of numerous articles and chapters on aspects of early mental health services and program development, Dr. Heffron is the co-author of a widely used  book on reflective supervision and leadership for infant and early childhood programs. Currently Dr. Heffron provides consultation and training to a variety of programs and provides psychotherapy in a small private practice where she works with divorcing parents and others who have experienced trauma or loss. Dr. Heffron is a founding member of the California Association for Infant Mental Health and is also involved in other program and policy development efforts. She presents  frequently on the importance of multidisciplinary systems of care for infants, young children and families. Additional interests include the impact of culture on development and intervention,building resilience after traumatic events,  relationship-based intervention approaches, and the support and development of clinicians and providers from many systems working with infants, young children, and their families to promote healthy relationships and healing after adversity.

Tina Curran, MFA, Ph.D is the Director of the BFA Dance: Dance Studies program at the University of Texas at Austin in the College of Fine Arts, Department of Theater and Dance. She oversees the preparation and professional mentorship of students pursuing their Texas dance teacher certification, acts as a liaison with the College of Education, and oversees educational initiatives within the program and in the dance education community. Her areas of research explore dance literacy, living dance legacy, and teacher preparation and professional development. Dr. Curran is a cofounder, with Ann Hutchinson Guest, of the Language of Dance Center (USA). She conducts LOD certification courses and workshops nationally and internationally. She is a faculty member of the Dance Education Laboratory at the Harkness Dance Center in New York City where she offered courses in the Language of Dance, Dancing History/Living Legacy, topics in dance pedagogy, and transformational teaching.