Krista Bower, a founding member of Front Porch Dance, is an adjunct dance faculty member at Belhaven University and is also the owner and director of the Yazoo City School of Dance . In 2010, Krista served as the dance school administrator for the USA International Ballet Competition . Krista received a BFA in Dance from Belhaven University, where she graduated summa cum laude . She is currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in Choreography in a low-residency program at Jacksonville University/White Oak and is a recipient of the Dean’s Award for excellence in dance. In 2011, Krista was honored with a Performing Arts Fellowship from the Mississippi Arts Commission .
Erin, a professor of dance at Belhaven University, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in dance from St. Olaf College and a Master of Fine Arts from California State University, Long Beach . She is also certified in Pilates with Body Arts and Science International and teaches at Pilates Place of Mississippi. Her choreography has been presented in her home state of Colorado as well as in Los Angeles and New York City. During the four years Erin lived in New York, she choreographed and performed for Notes in Motion in addition to working with independent choreographers. In recent projects, she has enjoyed utilizing technology to incorporate dance and film.
Leah is a native of Laurel Mississippi, where she received her early dance training at Laurel Ballet Academy and the Pine Belt Youth Ballet . Leah continued her dance training at Belhaven University, where she received her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography. In addition to training under the university faculty, she also had the opportunity to study under guest teachers such as Randal Flinn of Ad Deum Dance, Bill Wade of Inlet Dance and Gary Galbraith, formerly with the Martha Graham Company. In the summer of 2009, Leah participated in Youth With A Mission 's Arts and Missions program were she was able to teach and perform throughout Germany. Leah is currently living and teaching dance in the Jackson area.
Valerie is a co-founder of Front Porch Dance and is returning as a performer for the 2011-2012 season. Originally from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, she received her early dance education from Sylvia Henington. In high school she joined Ballet Magnificat's junior company to train under Rick and Rose Faucher. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Christian Ministry with a minor in dance from Belhaven College in 2003, and has since performed with Tulsa Contemporary Dance Theatre in Tulsa, OK, and as a guest artist with Living Water Dance Company and the Repertory Dance Company at the University of Southern Mississippi . Valerie is on staff with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Mississippi College.
Emily is a specialty instructor for dance at Belhaven University, where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance in 2002. She also holds a Master of Fine Arts in Dance, with an emphasis on performance and choreography, from Arizona State University . Her research on contemporary American Protestant dance has been presented at numerous international conferences and has been published in Fields in Motion: Ethnography in the Worlds of Dance.
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