FACULTY
CHERYL CUTLIP
CHERYL CUTLIP is the founding director of THE PROJECT DANCE FOUNDATION, formed in 2002 as a mission to bring hope and healing to the world through the universal language of dance. Cheryl currently directs The Space @ Project Dance, home of the precision dance company, The Carolina Snowbelles (www.thecarolinasnowbelles.com). Her desire is to pass along the knowledge gained throughout her 22 year professional dance career to the next generation.
​
A native of North Carolina, Cheryl’s dance career began in Nashville, TN at OPRYLAND USA. After working on a cruise ship, living in Japan while dancing at TOKYO’S DISNEYLAND, and performing in the European tour of 42ND STREET, Cheryl moved to New York where she became a RADIO CITY ROCKETTE.Cheryl enjoyed performing with the ROCKETTES for 15 years where her duties included dance captain; assistant choreographer and spokesperson for nationally televised appearances including one-on-one interviews with Katie Couric, Diane Sawyer, and Larry King. She was the co-choreographer for KICK INTO FITNESS; and choreographer for CHRISTMAS ACROSS AMERICA promotional tours, THE YANKEE PENANT PARADE and NBC’s ROCKEFELLER CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING special.
​
Other career credits include the Broadway National Tour of CRAZY FOR YOU and the Broadway benefit to the stars production of MACK AND MABLE starring Jerry Herman and Donna McKechnie. Cheryl also danced in the jazz company, WALKERDANCE under the direction of Tony Award recipient, Chet Walker where she performed in a benefit concert for lyricist and composer, Stephen Schwartz.
She is celebrating her 26th year of marriage and has two children ages 17 and 14.
BROOKE CHURCH HANDY
BROOKE CHURCH was born and raised in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. While in high school she was invited to attend the University of North Carolina School of the Arts under the direction of Susan Jaffe. After completing high school, Brooke continued at UNCSA and graduated with a BFA in Modern Dance. While completing her dance education, Brooke had the opportunity to perform works by Merce Cunningham, Doug Varone, Helen Simoneau, Shen Wei, Ming Lung Yang, Lee Sher and Saar Harari. Brooke participated in many continuing education opportunities through programs such as Paul Taylor Summer Intensive and the American Dance Festival. After completing her education, Brooke began to work for the Bill T. Jones/ Arnie Zane Company in New York City as apprentice and later a company dancer in their work Deep Blue Sea. While in New York, Brooke also worked with choreographer Grady Bowman to Assist teaching the finale for Cher on Broadway.
ANNE JORDAN
ANNE JORDAN loves teaching, dancing, good coffee, and world travel. Earning a B.A. in Dance Education and Spanish from Hope College, she moved to Mexico where she fell in love with Graham technique, Latin living, and tacos de pastor. Returning to the States, she taught dance and choreography in public school near her hometown in Indiana where her expertise included writing dance curriculum for students K-12 as well as directing and staging productions. A teacher at heart, to Anne there is nothing more exciting than seeing a student “get it” for the first time.​
BRAD PARQUETTE
BRAD PARQUETTE received his early training at the Toledo Ballet School (OH) with Marie Bollinger Vogt and Velta Cernonok, and continued his studies as a scholarship student at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. He performed as a member of the Colorado Ballet, Tampa Ballet, Ballet Mississippi, Maryland Ballet, Ballet El Paso and the West Virginia Dance Company and has performed the work of George Balanchine, John Clifford, Lew Christensen and Frederic Franklin. Brad is a former faculty member of the West Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts and The School of the Maryland Ballet, and has been a frequent guest teacher for the Professional Dance Teacher’s Association. He directed the dance department of the Performing Arts School of Worcester (MA), taught in the dance department at The University Of North Carolina at Greensboro, and served as the Ballet Master of the Greensboro Ballet (NC). Brad’s choreographic work has been shown on the gala program at Regional Dance America (formerly the National Association of Regional Ballet), as well as at the North Carolina Dance Festival, National High School Dance Festival, West Virginia Dance Festival, and American College Dance Association. ​
When AMANDA CHANDLERstarted dancing in early elementary school at the Kennesaw School of Dance, it was a dream come true, as she quickly told her first ballet teacher. At the age of 9, she started training at Conyers School of Ballet under Karen Fitzgerald and Hallie Cullen. Her training went on to include tap, pointe, jazz and modern. She had the privilege of dancing in the company with Griffin Ballet Theatre for one season at age 15. At 16, she danced of her favorite roles, the Snow Queen with Covington Regional Ballet.
​
She received her Bachelor's of Science in Musical Theater at Bryan College and returned to her alma mater as an adjunct faculty member to teach ballet, tap, jazz and ballroom. She also taught ballet and tap for two years at Dayton Christian Ballet while teaching at Bryan.
​
Most recently, she has enjoyed dancing with SG Dance Theater for a season in 2015/2016, teaching and dancing as a part of Verge Dance Collective here in the high country, and being a Carolina Snowbelle!
Amanda loves continually learning in all styles and expressing herself through dance! She is honored to be a faculty member at The Space at Project Dance this fall and desires for her classes to be a place where each dancer is able to push themselves to be their own personal best, without comparing themselves to others. Each person is made uniquely and with different gifts and she wants each dancer to improve their skills and be able to grow in their love for the art!
AMANDA CHANDLER
.jpg)
CLAUDIA PALTA has developed her whole career as a dancer, teacher, and choreographer in Buenos Aires, Argentina where she was part of the vast artistic community. She has worked in the leading dance schools for over 20 years teaching jazz, ballet, theater dance, tap, Broadway & Fosse style, and musical theater. As a choreographer, she worked for musical plays, workshops, TV shows, national tours, and artistic roller skating competitions. In 2012 she moved to the U.S. where she found another level of experience to keep growing in her career. Claudia is always willing to share her passion for dance and artistic expression.
CLAUDIA PALTA
EMMA PINNIX
Emma is a native of Boone and has been dancing since the age of three. Her training in ballet, jazz, tap, modern, musical theatre and contemporary led to become a company member of The Carolina Snowbelles where she performed in the annual Christmas show as well as the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Millennium Stage in Washington DC. Emma’s training continued at Ad Deum Dance Company’s summer intensive in Houston, TX and The Rockette Summer Intensive in NYC. After working in the professional dance company Arrows International in Oklahoma for two years where she toured to Costa Rica, Peru, and Southeast Asia she has returned to Boone to invest her love and passion for dance into the lives of area youth in the high country. She is thrilled to continue performing with The Carolina Snowbelles, teaching classes, and serving as the Director of Studio Life at The Space @ Project Dance where her role will include organizing social events, creating a monthly newsletter and running our social media platforms.