Mrs. Crystal
Mrs. Crystal has a Bachelors degree in Dance Education from Meredith.
She danced at Enloe High School before attending College at Meredith, where she joined the Meredith Dance Theater and toured along the east coast performing in adjudicated concerts. She has worked with and studied under Michelle Pearson, Kathryn Auman, Chuck Davis, LD Burris, Carol Finley, Doug Varone, David Dorfman, Alison Colwell-Waber, Sherri Shapiro, and many other teachers in her college career as a dancer. She then taught in Raleigh at Carnage Middle School for several years and created two concerts each year as well as attended Middle School Day of Dance with them each year. She moved to West Johnston High School in 2003. She also traveled with her high school students to High School Day of Dance and summers in NYC. She also created the West Johnston Dance Team, based on students high interest and ability, in which dancers performed at various sports events.
While attending High School, College, and during her years teaching in the public schools, she has always held down a job at night, teaching in various private studios in the area, specializing in ballet, jazz, and lyrical classes. She has traveled to New York City many years during the summers to take classes at Broadway Dance Center and S.T.E.P.S on Broadway and has taken class with Frank Hatchett as well as many other amazing teachers at these studios. She has also attended private workshops with the David Dorfman Dance Co. She is an avid fan of Broadway shows and attends them regularly, as well as various Modern Dance Companies. She served on several professional boards throughout her career. She served on the board of NCAAHPERD (a professional association for dance teachers) for many years and served as a board member and president of the Arts Council for NC. She also led a master class at NCAAHPERD on black history and dance. She attended ACDFA (Atlantic College Dance Festival Association) all four years of college as well as the NCAAHPERD conference. She thoroughly enjoyed the continued professional development and distinctly remembers classes taught on Isadora Duncan technique (the “mother” of modern dance) and a saucy jazz number by Freddie Lee Heath, fellow public school dance teacher.
She currently works as a Preschool Director in downtown Raleigh, where she has implemented a creative movement program into the curriculum, and she enjoys teaching for Amber at Dance Art. Her passion has been dance since she was old enough to walk, and she has been in dance classes since she was three. She sees dance as universal form of expression and communication, and feels you have not lived until you have danced!
Her passion has been dance since she was old enough to walk, and she has been in dance classes since she was three. She sees dance as universal form of expression and communication, and feels you have not lived until you have danced!