Cheryl Copeland brings with her 20+ years of teaching experience since earning her BFA in dance from UArts. Having studied and performed extensively across the US, her training and technical expertise are reflected in her classes and choreography. She has worked under such notable choreographers as Mia Michaels, Milton Myers, Lisa Hopkins, and Kim Bears-Bailey. Finding her true passion behind the scenes, Cheryl gave up a career in performing for a much more fulfilling career in choreography and education. She has served as a resident choreographer and artistic director for several pre-professional dance companies and her own professional company BHumn Dance Company. After creating BHumn DanceSpace, the leading training facility for modern dance in Austin, TX, she headed to NYC to serve as the Director of Education at Peridance Capezio Center, where she taught, established programming, ran audition tours, and managed faculty for three years.
As an educator, Cheryl’s students have received countless awards and scholarships, and gone on to dance with artists such as Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and can be seen in numerous national commercials. Other students can be seen in the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, on stage with Twyla Tharp, and in Ballet BC. Many of her students find themselves pursuing dance degrees at various colleges all over the United States as Cheryl also works as a college of the arts counselor, helping students navigate the wild world of admissions. Cheryl has choreographed full length works for the Fordham Ailey BFA program and Peridance Certificate Program. Previously, Cheryl has been an instructor at Peridance Capezio Center, Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio, Edge PAC, Ballet Austin, Millennium Dance Complex, and Broadway Dance Center. Cheryl is looking forward to all of the new opportunities and adventures coming her way and trusts that because of her diverse background, hands on approach, and her ever changing creative mind, she will continue creating innovative work and cultivating beautiful talent for years to come!