About Me

Teaching and sharing the joy of dance is my passion! I have a Masters Degree in Dance Education from the University of Northern Colorado where I studied under Dr. Sandra Minton and Dr. Rima Faber, and have been choreographing and teaching in private dance studios for over 22 years. I am originally from Rochester, New York where I trained at the Draper Center for Dance Education (the school for Rochester City Ballet), was a Principal dancer with Western New York Ballet, and later served as their Assistant Artistic Director. I was a founding instructor at Odasz Dance Theatre in Rochester, NY where I taught until my husband and I moved to Charlotte. 

As the Artistic Director of Queen City Youth Ballet, I worked with dancers in surrounding communities to mount full-length productions and perform at outreach events as a non-profit youth company. In 2014, my husband and I moved back to NY where I taught at Syracuse School of Dance and choreographed for Syracuse Contemporary Dance Company, the oldest professional dance company in Syracuse. After having our son, we moved back down south in 2017 and I served as ballet mistress for Dance Expressions, and the ballet company chair for Beyond Dance Project before taking my position at Hough. I continue to teach outside of Hough at summer ballet intensives, master classes, and also provide private coaching in both NY and NC. I am certified in Progressing Ballet Technique, a member of the National Dance Education Organization and NCNDEO, and the advisor for Hough's chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts. I founded the Hough Dance Company in 2019 to provide dancers with a pre-professional stepping stone toward post-secondary dance, and to provide additional performance opportunities for our dancers. I am proud to be the Artistic Director of the Hough Dance Company, as well as the Head Coach for our Varsity Dance Team.

The accomplishments of my students are my real resumé. They have been awarded substantial scholarships to college dance programs including University of Hartford, NYU, Marymount Manhattan, Point Park University, SUNY Purchase & Brockport, University of Buffalo, the conservatory program at Shenandoah, AMDA, La Roche, Mercyhurst, UNCSA and several others. My students have been accepted into professional dance programs and companies, awarded top placements at many national and international competitions including Youth America Grand Prix, and received scholarships for elite summer intensives. 

Choreography credits include:

• original full length ballets Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, the Four Seasons, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Peter and the Wolf, and the Sorcerer’s Apprentice

• restaging of classical repertoire including Coppelia, Don Quixote, the Nutcracker, Flames of Paris, La Bayadere, Le Corsaire, Les Sylphides, The Little Humpbacked Horse, and Paquita

• musical theater productions including West Side Story, Snoopy, and Schoolhouse Rock Live!

• Company-set original contemporary works: And With Her They Were, Antithesis, Jesus Walks, Mini Skirt, Rhythm of the Saints, She’s Still Prismatic on the Other Side of Time, and What the Shadows Do.

• Numerous solos, duo/trios, ensembles in jazz, tap, musical theatre, contemporary, ballet, pointe

It is my hope that we can create a supportive, diverse community of youth dancers and artists here at Hough!