2026 Outstanding Faculty Teaching
California State University Channel Islands
Assistant Professor of Dance Studies and Chair of the Department of Dance, Music and Theatre
Teaching at Channel Islands has helped me confirm what my heart always knew: Dance is for every body and essential to being human. It is an honor to be part of students’ journeys as they discover confidence, identity and creativity through their embodied voices."
Heather Castillo wears many hats—performer, choreographer, producer, scholar and associate professor of dance studies. The true center of her work, however, is in the dance studio at California State University Channel Islands, where she fosters a space for students to experiment and take creative risks.
Castillo has taught at CSU Channel Islands since 2010, when the former program operated as a performing arts degree with a dance emphasis. Since then, she has played a key role in elevating the program to the Department of Dance, Music and Theatre through her sustained leadership, hard work and collaboration with colleagues.
As the department’s inaugural chair, Castillo has advocated for the growth of performing arts on campus, leading to three new Bachelor of Arts degree programs, which include the dance studies program that she and colleague MiRi Park developed in 2022, centering accessibility, critical inquiry and embodied knowledge.
In 2020, Castillo and Park received the CSU Faculty Innovation and Leadership Award for their creative solutions in transitioning dance classes to online instruction. Their dedication to delivering a humanized online learning experience without sacrificing connection, rigor or embodiment influenced the way the field of dance is taught virtually.
At a time of profound isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, Castillo sustained and grew community, founding the CSU Dance Collective and producing seven systemwide virtual dance concerts benefiting students across the CSU.
Castillo maintains her professional dance and award-winning choreography career as an extension of her creative and research activities. She performed at the American Music Awards with Selena Gomez and received Best Choreography (Resident Equity) in the Southern California region for “Seussical” from BroadwayWorld.com. Castillo regularly integrates students into this professional work by inviting them to participate as part of the skeleton crew and to serve as assistants when choreographing regional theater productions like the West Coast Regional Premiere of “Matilda.”
Reflecting her commitment to connecting theory and practice through experiential learning and mentorship, Castillo created and curated on-campus programming like the “Living Room Sessions” and the “Experience Dance Series.” These initiatives are designed to bring leading choreographers, scholars and industry professionals into sustained dialogue with students.
Castillo holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in choreography and a Master of Fine Arts degree in dance from the University of California, Irvine.