Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
Merritt Moore's unconventional dual career path as both a quantum physicist and a professional ballet dancer has led her to the halls of New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), where she now teaches "Creative Robotics and Tech".
In her classroom, students are encouraged to explore the intersection of technology and creativity - a nexus that Moore has spent her life straddling.
The 36-year-old was born in Los Angeles to a Korean mother and American father.
Growing up, Moore found words uncomfortable and struggled with a speech delay. It wasn't until she discovered dance at age 12 that she truly found her "voice".
Movement, rhythm and expression through the body became her language.
"It was like a breath of fresh air, so you can imagine how devastating it really felt when I was told that I wasn't even allowed to dream of pursuing dance because, one, I started late. Two, I wasn't flexible," Moore recalls.
After studying physics at Harvard University and earning a PhD in quantum optics at Oxford University, Moore found herself in a quandary. Could she continue dancing while pursuing physics?
"What if? Why not?" These questions followed her throughout her life, pursuing ballet while rigorously studying the laws of the universe.
"I would stretch and study the splits while listening to my thermodynamics lectures, squeezing in training whenever I could and auditioning 25 times in one year," she said in an interview with Aletihad.
Her approach to dance training was deliberate. The centre of mass, torque and angular momentum all informed this physicist's pirouettes.
After 24 rejections, Moore was accepted into Zurich Ballet in her sophomore year and took time off from her studies to pursue that opportunity, returning to Harvard later on to continue her academic journey in physics.
"I thought to myself, 'Okay, now I'm going to focus and be a good physicist.' But then Boston Ballet invited me to dance, and I couldn't resist. I had to see where this could go. So, I went back to Harvard, thinking I could finally settle into being a physicist. But then the José Mateo Ballet Company offered me a position, and I knew I had to take that chance too. It was always this push and pull between two worlds," she said.
Dancing with a Robot: The Pandemic Pivot
Moore's background in quantum physics and her passion for dance took her on an unexpected journey during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The lockdowns meant she couldn't dance with other humans, but there was one partner that wasn't affected by the virus: robots.
"I thought, why not dance with a robot? So I did," she said with a laugh. "It started with a six-jointed robotic arm - no legs, no hands - just a simple experiment to see if I could do some basic moves."
What began as lighthearted play - trying out Michael Jackson moves with a robot - soon turned into an artistic pursuit.
"I'd lock myself in the warehouse from 7am till midnight, no pay; I was just having fun, entertaining myself with my robot," she said.
Moore later went on to perform with her robot at major events, including the World Economic Forum, the National Theatre of Belgrade, and America's Got Talent.
For Moore, dancing with a robot isn't just a technical challenge; it's deeply personal.
"It's actually the most emotional dancing I've ever done," she shared. "Don't get me wrong, I love dancing with humans - I see them, I feel them, and that connection is wonderful.
"But dancing with a robot allows me to express things I haven't been able to articulate. It becomes a mirror - something that reflects what I am in ways a human partner can't."
NYU Abu Dhabi: Where Play Meets Innovation
Moore's journey in dance included stints with the Zurich Ballet, Boston Ballet, English National Ballet, and the Norwegian National Ballet, before returning to academia. Yet, as she explains, "the 'what ifs' and 'why nots' kept coming back."
It was at NYUAD that Moore felt she could truly explore these questions and blend the two seemingly opposing worlds of ballet and physics.
"NYU Abu Dhabi is a place where engineering, the arts, humanities, and technology can all come together. It was a space where collaboration between these fields was not only possible but encouraged," she said.
As a professor at NYUAD, Moore teaches a course called Creative Robotics and Tech. Here, she encourages students to push boundaries, combine disciplines, and pursue their creative impulses without fear of judgment.
"I want my students to feel confident in their ability to master technology," Moore said. "Technology is always changing, but the most important thing is believing that you can adapt and tackle new challenges. I throw them into the deep end - robotics, programming, AI - and they come out on the other side with a new skill set and new-found confidence."
In her classroom, Moore fosters a playful, experimental atmosphere where students are encouraged to engage with technology in ways that feel natural to them.
"Einstein said, 'play is the highest form of research'," she noted. "If you're passionate and curious, you'll ask questions that no one else is asking. That's where new ideas come from."
