One TEDxOU speaker plans to leave a lasting impression on his audience with not only his words but his movements.

Modern dance professor Austin Hartel plans to share a philosophy he teaches to his dance students that applies both to their studies and their lives, he said.

This philosophy includes lessons of camaraderie, as well as the will and discipline it takes to be a dancer, he said. He sees his students and dancers as the “scientists of human movement.”

As an avid fan of TED — a national organization that stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design — Hartel said he approached the coordinators to become a speaker at TEDxOU.

His presentation today will feature a performance with his students intended to illustrate his philosophies on dance and life, he said.

Today’s event features 13 live presentations about applying innovative ideas in the local community, according to its website. The event takes place all day in Oklahoma Memorial Union’s Meacham Auditorium.

TEDxOU coordinator Adam Croom talked to Hartel about his background as a dancer while planning the event and felt he’d make a great speaker, Croom said.

“Austin Hartel is more than just a dancer — he is a philosopher on how to read your life, teaching you to explore your body and relationships,” modern dance performance student Taloa Hixson said.

Hartel’s journey as a teacher, choreographer, dancer, philosopher and parent started at age 8 with a not-so-graceful beginning, he said.

“My mom said I was very uncoordinated,” Hartel said. “So, when I was 8 years old, she started me in dance classes, and sometime between 14 and 15, I got an opportunity to see (Russian ballet dancer) Rudolf Nureyev dance, and it blew me away. I decided I was going to be a professional dancer.”

Hartel served as a cultural ambassador in 1990, traveling all over the world to teach and perform, he said. In a small town near Ambato, Ecuador, he experienced community in the world of dance when the whole town pitched in to clean the local theater that hadn’t been used in years.

“Our coming there was an impetus for the whole town to get involved and clean this theater for performances,” Hartel said. “It gave us this great sense of camaraderie.”