Thayer Jonutz is an assistant professor of dance technique, choreography and theory. Jonutz’s career has taken him to  Tonga, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, South Korea and India. He is the director of OU’s Repertory Dance Company.  His administrative office, located in Varner Hall, showcases his dedication to dance and family.

“Since I’m in the dance department, you’ll notice I don’t just have books or filing cabinets, I have props,” Jonutz said.

1. Jonutz displays a family calendar his wife of 12 years made.

2. Leaning in the corner of his office are excess pieces of marley, a vinyl flooring material, that were cut off when the new floors were set. “I do performances in really weird places, so it helps to have some extra marley around just in case,” he said.

3. His office contains an excessive amount of CDs and DVDs. “In a dance office we have a stockpile of DVDs and CDs,” Jonutz said. The DVDs are used to send dance festival submissions, or copies are given to dancers in rehearsals to help them practice. The CDs come in handy around performance time because for every show, they need a master copy of their music and a backup copy. “We go through CDs really fast here,” he said.

4.  Jonutz keeps papier-mache water containers on the floor beside his desk. “These were used in a piece I choreographed and performed in. They’re supposed to be an abstract representation of people in Third World countries carrying water,” he said.

5. He keeps artwork made by his 7-year-old daughter, Alana, in the office.

6. Jonutz has an extension cord in his office but will not be using it for electrical purposes. The extension cord will be used as a prop in a brand-new piece he is choreographing for the Repertory Dance Company.