My name is Sydney Ludlum and I am the Middle School Dance director here at East Wake Academy. I graduated form Meredith College in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Studies with a K-12 Teaching Licensure, and I graduated with honors from Meredith's Dance Association. 

At Meredith College, I was a full company member in Meredith Dance Theatre (MDT), Meredith's modern dance company, where I choreographed and performed within the company (2018-2020) for student and faculty works. I also participated in Meredith's annual campus wide dance production, Dance Works, where I choreographed and performed in student and faculty works in 2018 and 2019. While at Meredith, I volunteered for Meredith College's high school day of dance (2017, 2018, and 2019) Arts4Life (Dance Professional Development Conference through NCPDI) in 2017, and the North Carolina Dance Education Organization (NCDEO) Conference (2019). I danced at and participated in classes at the American College Dance Association (ACDA) in 2018, and was a volunteer in 2019 when Meredith College hosted the annual conference. When I was not dancing at Meredith College, I was a volunteer co-choreographer for Rocky Mount's Distinguished Young Woman Scholarship Program where I choreographed fitness routines and helped mentor young high school woman in 2017 and 2018. 

In high school, I attended East Carolina University's high school day of dance, Dance Revolution Conference, and danced in various community events. I was a teacher's assistant for 5 years at Dance Arts of Rocky Mount where I started dancing at the age of three and continued there for fifteen years. There I was trained in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, hip-hip, clogging, and pointe. When pursuing dance in college, I found a new love for modern dance, but my favorite styles of dance are jazz, tap, contemporary, and modern. During college, I taught summer dance intensives/classes, and I was a substitute dance teacher. 

At a young age I knew that I wanted to be a dance teacher. My former dance teacher and mentor Courtney Manning was a huge influence and supporter in my passion for becoming a dance teacher, but it was not until high school that I decided that I wanted to be a public school dance educator after dancing under one, my former dance teacher at the studio, Kelly Scott. 

When I am not dancing and teaching, I love to be outdoors and spend time with my family and friends. I have a shetland sheepdog (sheltie) named Bodie who loves the outdoors as much as I do. I am so blessed that I am able to make my life's passion of dancing into a career, and to share my love for dance through teaching others. I hope that all of my students can find a joy for dance with me at EWA.