Kate Cummings, President

Kate Cummings is the Director of the Dance Program at Oberlin Magnet Middle School in Raleigh. Previously she served as the Fine Arts Department Chair and founded the dance program at Millbrook Magnet High School. She is one of the founding members of the North Carolina Dance Education Organization and currently serves as President. Cummings received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Education from East Carolina University. She has taught younger students at several Raleigh studios, served on the education curriculum committee for Carolina Ballet as a curriculum writer, Teaching Artist for Carolina Ballet and participated in the organization of danceSPARK in downtown Raleigh as part of SPARKcon.

Laura Stauderman, President Elect

Laura graduated from the University of the Arts, (BFA/Dance Ed) and Teachers College, Columbia University (MA/Dance Ed). She served as Dance Director at HWB Magnet School for the Arts, FL. and East Millbrook Magnet Middle School, NC. Additional teaching credits include North Carolina Dance Institute, Infinity Ballet, the former Virginia School of the Arts and the regional and national high school dance festivals in Norfolk, Miami, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Her choreography was commissioned by St. Petersburg College and The Tampa Visitor’s Bureau and was awarded to be performed at DPAC to open for the Radio City Rockette’s Christmas Spectacular. Ms. Stauderman is a National Board Certified Teacher and was one of the first educators to implement the National Honor Society for Dance Arts at both the middle and high school levels in North Carolina. She is presently in her 15th year as the Dance Director at Holly Springs High School. Laura served on the board for the past two years as the Vice-President for Professional Development and prior to that as Member At Large – Conference Support.

Jen Guy Metcalf, VP of Professional Development

Jen Guy Metcalf is an Associate Professor of Dance in the Department of Performing Arts. She earned an MFA in Dance Choreography from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a BFA in Dance with a concentration in Ballet from Point Park University. As a dancer, Metcalf performed many original works with Bodiography Contemporary Ballet, Playhouse Dance Company, Jacksonville Ballet Theatre, The Kearns Dance Project, Greensboro Ballet, and for many independent choreographers. She performed leading roles in ballets such as, “Swan Lake,” “Les Sylphides,” “Paquita,” “The Nutcracker,” “Giselle,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Serenade,” “Coppélia” and “Con Amour,” in addition to performing work originally choreographed for the New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet, and Limón Dance Company. Metcalf is an award winning choreographer and filmmaker who has presented her work in the United States, Ireland, Sweden, Amsterdam, Turkey, Scotland, Brazil and Bosnia & Herzegovina. She is the founder and director of TERRANOVA Dance Theatre based in Greensboro, North. Jen has previously served on the board as Member At Large – Conference Support.

Ashley Cartledge, VP of Communications

Ashley Cartledge is a public school dance educator at North Pitt High School in Bethel, NC (since January 2011) & certified teacher of BodyMind DancingTM (since October 2017). Ashley received her BFA in Dance Education from East Carolina University (2010) and MA in Dance Education from the University of North Carolina Greensboro where she founded the student chapter of NDEO. From October 2010 – December 2011, Ashley served as the resident choreographer & dancer for The Distillery, a former arts collective based in Raleigh, NC. In 2012, and 2013, Ashley served on the committee to write the Pitt County dance curriculum and pacing guides. Ashley’s curriculum focuses on critical thinking, cultural/self-appreciation, and the development of kinesthetic intelligence using culturally responsive pedagogy & somatic approaches. From 2016-2019, Ashley collaborated with the dance educator coordinator at ECU in a yearly service learning project which exposed her students to lessons incorporating literacy and social issues. In 2017, Ashley began a community dance workshop entitled “empowHERment”, an inter-generational workshop for female students and their female role models which incorporated somatics and modern based movement practices to foster mutual trust, respect, and understanding. Ashley has previously served on the board as Vice President of Communications.

Marissa Nesbit, Treasurer

Dr. Marissa Nesbit is deeply committed to the idea that all children should have the opportunity to attain an excellent dance education centered in the arts. As Assistant Professor and Dance Education Coordinator at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Dr. Nesbit supports aspiring dance educators to craft rigorous and engaging learning experiences that immerse their students in the creative process. Currently she teaches dance education methods and creative practice courses, supervises student teachers, and engages in qualitative research projects that investigate aspects of dance curriculum and pedagogy in K12 contexts.

Dr. Nesbit is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences including the National Dance Education Organization and dance and the Child, international, and has recently contributed to Ethical Dilemmas in Dance Education (Risner & Schupp) and Performing Arts as High-Impact Practice (Hayford & Kattwinkel). She has presented numerous professional development workshops for educators and has further supported the field through her service to the North Carolina Dance Education Organization.

Dr. Nesbit is influenced by a widely varied academic and artistic background that contributes to her understanding of dance as deeply intertwined with other academic, artistic, and life pursuits, which she applies across her teaching, research, and service.

Kerrie-Jean King, Secretary

Kerrie-Jean King was born and raised in Massachusetts. She began dancing at the age of six and quickly fell in love with the art form. She holds a BFA in dance from Florida State University where she had the opportunity to work with many world-renowned choreographers and was a member of the Dance Repertory Theatre. After performing professionally with Fusionworks Dance Company in Rhode Island and freelance with Boston choreographers she moved to Greensboro, NC to pursue an MFA in choreography from University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Mrs. King has worked adjunct at both UNCG and Elon University. She holds a K-12 teaching license and has been the dance educator at Northern Guilford High School for the past 11 years where she developed the program. At Northern, she is the Fine Arts Department chair, advisor of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, a member of the Instructional Leadership team and played a major role in the development of the Fine Arts Booster Club. King was K-12 Dance Teacher of the Year for NCAAHPERD-SM in 2018. She is currently serving as secretary for NCDEO board of directors. Mrs. King is a passionate teacher and advocate for dance education.

Kimberly Quick-Blount, At-Large, Membership

Kimberly Quick-Blount was born and raised in North Carolina. She has been teaching as a public school dance educator for 7 years. She began dancing at a young age and developed a lifelong passion for the artform. Kimberly holds a BA in Dance from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she had the opportunity to work with many world-renowned educators and choreographers. After graduation, Kimberly pursued an Arts Administration career, working at The American Dance Festival for several years, before relocating to Maryland and working at The Liz Lerman Dance Exchange. Kimberly is pursuing her master’s degree in dance education from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, which is affording her the opportunity to further advance her career as a dance educator. Kimberly is a passionate teacher and advocate for dance education.

Chandra McCloud-Glover, At-Large, NHSDA

Chandra McCloud-Glover teaches Ballet and Modern at Northwest School of the Arts. In 2012, she received the Cato Excellence in Teaching Award for integrating academics into the arts, leading her to become a member of the Education & Outreach Committee at Charlotte Ballet, on which she currently serves. In 2015, she became a National Artist Teaching Fellow, allowing her to study at ADF and at Ailey. McCloud-Glover then began a Repertory Scholarship Concert, which has given over $200,000 in scholarships, including her “Walk In Your Excellence Scholarship” that allows students to continue their dance training and purchase dancewear. McCloud-Glover currently serves as a Board Member of NCDEO and a Jr. Chapter Advisor for her district’s only National Honor Society of Dance Arts. She most recently was named Charlotte Ballet’s 2018 Dance Educator of the Year. Chandra has previously served on the board as Member At Large – NHSDA.

Sonya Monts, At-Large, Conference Support

Sonya Monts has over 20 years experience in the private studio setting. She previously owned and directed her own private studio, The Dancer’s Extension, and was the dance teaching artist for Polk County (NC) Schools. She currently teaches for Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre/New Studio of Dance in Asheville, NC. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Columbia College (SC), and in 2015 earned her Certificate in Dance Education from the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO). For the NDEO, Sonya is a chapter sponsor for the National Honor Society of Dance Arts; adjudicated the Artistic Merit, Leadership and Academic Achievement Award; served on the strategic planning committee; contributes to to online member forums; contributes and serves on the editorial board for the Dance Education in Practice journal; and has presented her work at the state and national levels. After thorough review of her teaching portfolio, Sonya became a Registered Dance Educator in 2014.

Amelia Renee Byrd, At-Large, Advocacy

Amelia Renee Byrd (Memphis, TN) holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Theatre and Dance and a Bachelor of Professional Studies along with a teaching licensure in K-12 Dance Education from the University of Memphis (2005 and 2007). Amelia was the Dance Instructor at Colonial Middle School for the Creative and Performing Arts and a member of Project: Motion Dance Collective in Memphis, TN (2008-2011). Amelia has presented work with Project: Motion, the University of Memphis Theatre and Dance Department, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro School of Dance, Playhouse on the Square, and the Greensboro Fringe Festival. Amelia is a 2014 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, receiving a Masters of Fine Arts Degree in Dance/Choreography and is now currently working as the Dance Instructor at Penn-Griffin School for the Arts in High Point, NC where she serves as performing arts department lead as well as a member of the school’s leadership team. Amelia is also the instructor/choreographer for the Junior Performance Company at the Dance Project: The School at City Arts in Greensboro, NC. Amelia is formerly a member of JOYEMOVEMENT, a dance company in Greensboro, NC (2014-2018).

Mila Parrish, Past President

Dr. Mila Parrish, Associate Professor, is the Director of Dance Education at the University of  North Carolina Greensboro. She is internationally recognized for her work in dance pedagogy and educational technology. Mila has led over 100 professional development courses, seminars and workshops throughout the US and in Canada, China, Finland, Brazil, Greece, Denmark, Portugal and the Netherlands. She has established numerous long standing service and community engagement initiatives including Dancers Connect, a free community dance program and dance pedagogy laboratory. In addition to serving as NCDEO’s founding President, she currently serves on the dance and the Child international (DaCi) board as Newsletter Editor. Dr. Parrish is the 2011 recipient of the SCDA Dance Advocacy Award, the 2012 Faculty Advisor Award from USC and the 2015 Leadership Award from NDEO for her community initiatives and scholarly work that has had a significant impact on the field of dance education.