Katherine Mark
FOUNDER | CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Katherine is a N.C. native and began her training under the direction of Melanie Paschal Wiles. In 2006 she attended high school at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, NC, where she graduated with a concentration in Contemporary dance. In 2008, she was awarded a creative talent scholarship to attend the Hollins University/American Dance Festival undergraduate program under the direction of Donna Faye Burchfield and Jeffery Bullock. During this time, she was an active member of the Hollins Repertory Dance Company and had the opportunity to work with dance artists from all over the world. She has performed works by Laura Dean, Rodger Belman, Monica Bill Barnes, Helen Simoneau, Dawn Springer, Jen Rosenblit and Ashley Anderson, among others. Her choreographic work has been featured at the American College Dance Festival, NYC’s CPR – Center for Performance Research, and Hollins University. In 2014/2015, she collaborated with Gaspard Louis to create DanceX18, which opened for Pilobolus Dance Theater at the Durham Performing Arts Center. From 2012-2015 Katherine was on faculty at the Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival studios in Durham, NC, where she taught creative movement, modern, and jazz. In 2015, she moved to Pittsburgh, PA, where she joined the Millennium Dance Complex faculty. In addition to her experience above, Katherine is also the founder and creative director of the NC Dance Ambassadors program.
2022 Highlights
The Dancer's Edge
with Rachael Markarian
Rachael is the Founder of The Dancer’s Edge, a private dance intensive, that is designed exclusively for our ambassadors.
As a Pro Dancer, Actress & Master Teacher in LA since 2003, Rachael has worked in all areas of the Entertainment Industry.
She has toured/danced for RIHANNA, KATY PERRY, BEYONCE, PINK, KANYE WEST, KELLY CLARKSON, PANIC AT THE DISCO, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, CHER and more. She’s done over 30 Films & TV shows including TOP GUN 2, ALL AMERICAN, DOLLFACE, THE MORNING SHOW, LEGION, GLEE, TRUE BLOOD, VEGAS, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, PARKS & RECREATION, CSI, NIP/TUCK, CRIMINAL MINDS, BONES, RUSH HOUR 3, NO STRINGS ATTACHED, LUCKY STIFF, BEHIND THE CANDELABRA, SOUTHLAND TALES, THE HAUNTED MANSION, MASCOTS and GILMORE GIRLS as well as countless Movie & Music Award Shows. She's also been a Guest Performer on DWTS, AMERICAN IDOL, AMERICA'S GOT TALENT and THE X-FACTOR. Rachael is also fortunate to have performed in two SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOWS with Beyonce & Katy Perry. Her Commercial & Print Campaigns include MICROSOFT, TARGET, H&M, SYTYCD, BLACKBERRY, CHEVY, GUITAR HERO, FARMER'S INSURANCE, FANTA, HONDA, ATLANTIS RESORT, MAC COSMETICS, NIKE, REEBOK, ASICS, and BIG & SEXY HAIR. Rachael has also choreographed for companies such as TARGET, WELLA HAIR, TACO BELL and CABI CLOTHING.
She's on faculty at NRG DANCE PROJECT and CLI STUDIOS and is one of the most sought after Judges on the Competition circuit. Her goal is to motivate and inspire young dancers to reach their fullest potential as artists and humans.
Commercial Dance Intensive
with Casey Noblett
Explore professional industry experiences such as auditions, educational seminars, dance on camera, and technique classes. Our CDI On Location event includes class awards, an apparel shop and a parent showcase! #readytowork
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Technique Classes
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Mock Auditions
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Industry Seminar
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Dance on Camera
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Parent Showcase
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And more!
CASEY NOBLETT
Founder/Executive Director, CDI
Casey began her commercial dance career at age 10 under Jacques d’Amboise, going on to perform at the White House, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, The Smithsonian, Madison Square Garden, and in Japan, Taiwan, and Venezuela. Her credits include work with Gloria Estefan, Will Smith, Chayanne, MTV, ABC, CBS, Univision, Telemundo, Disney, and the NBA Atlanta Hawks Dance Team as Captain. She has produced music videos for Carmit, Telisu, and Nick Hagelin, to name a few, and conducted dance auditions for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. Founding N-House Productions in 2001 and CDI in 2014, Casey has been instrumental in the development of countless professional dancers through her innovative vision for education.
Dance Device Labs
with Allison Schuster
Allison Schuster is originally from Huntington Beach, CA, and received her BFA from The Juilliard School.
Stage: Cirque Du Soliel’s VIVA Elvis (Dance Captain and aerialist) New York Spectacular starring the Radio City Rockettes (Dance Captain), The Metropolitan Opera, KEIGWIN + COMPANY, Mark Stuart Dance Theater.
TV/FIlm: Dancing With the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, Strictly Come Dancing, The Daytime Emmy Awards, IBM and VH1.
She has assisted choreographers Sonya Tayeh, Cherice Barton, Lindsey Nelko, Andy Blankenbuehler, and Mia Michaels and is represented by MSA Agency in NYC and LA. Currently, Allison is a principle dancer, Rehearsal Director and aerialist for Company XIV.
Allison’s signature fluid and technical style has made her a sought-after guest teacher and choreographer for studios nationwide. She is proud to have been part of the DDL’s Faculty since the beginning.
CLI Studios
Through our partnership with CLI STUDIOS, our ambassadors get to take classes from So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars, and World of Dance choreographers with the CLI digital video platform, which allows dancers to stream, pre-recorded, and interactive online master classes at anytime.
