Kate teaches creative movement to children, teachers, college students and families.
During her career as a professional choreographer in Chicago (1981–86), Kuper received recognition from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Illinois Arts Council.
She has performed for and taught preschool through middle school students since 1982, inspiring thousand of children ages 4–14 to move and learn.
Kate also trains others to teach. The author of three instructional audio compact discs, AlphaBeat (2001), Step On The Beat (1998) and Songs for Dancing (1994), Kuper promotes accessible movement activities for use in classrooms, dance studios, day care, and at home.
She is a Visiting Lecturer in the Dance Department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a professional development presenter for the Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C.) a consultant to school districts and educational organizations, and a Teaching Artist who conducts arts residencies in Illinois.
Kuper teaches a concept-based approach to dance focusing on preschool through eighth grade children.
She has been on the roster of the Illinois Arts Council’s Arts-in-Education program since 1982, and conducts two to six Illinois residencies annually. In 2000, Kuper received acknowledgment for her outstanding contribution to the field through a Service Recognition Award from the Illinois Alliance for Arts Education.
Kate also teaches integrated curriculum: language arts, science, math and social studies learned through movement, rhythm, rhyme and music. An article describing her work in curriculum integration through dance, visual arts and social studies appeared in the March, 2000 issue of “Art Education” magazine.
In 2002, Kuper traveled to Taipei, Taiwan to conduct an intensive workshop for 100 teachers on movement and its integration into core learning areas.
In 2005/6, Kuper piloted an original curriculum based on the study of simple machines called "Simple Machines and M.E. (Movement Exploration)." Using movement and music, Kuper worked with all 3rd grade students and teachers in the Champaign Unit #4 schools. This innovative curriculum is now part of their unit of study.
Kuper collaborates with her husband, percussionist Rocky Maffit, on recording projects and in schools where Rocky provides live, original music for student choreography and performance.
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