Mimi Worrell- Artistic Director, Center for Dance Education and Ann Brodie's Carolina Ballet-Artistic Director, began her dance training in Columbia, South Carolina, under dance legend Ann Brodie. She has studied under the tutelage of such dance luminaries as Leon Daniellian, Valentina Peryaslavic and Patricia Wilde and at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet. She was a principal and soloist with the Columbia City Ballet and the University of South Carolina Dance Company. She began her professional dance career with South Carolina Ballet Theatre/Ballet Michigan, and has toured extensively throughout the United States. She has served as consultant and adjudicator for the dance program for Artistic, Gifted and Talented in Richland County School District One. She was selected for the Approved Artist and Teacher roster for the South Carolina Arts Commission and has taught and consulted throughout the state under this program. Her original collaboration of children’s ballets with the Columbia Community Concert Band established a definitive direction for the youth division ofCAROLINA BALLET, focusing heavily on a total education program for youth ballet. Dancers trained under her direction are performing in companies throughout the world. She was an adjunct dance professor at Columbia College and was Ballet Mistress for Columbia City Ballet. She is the choreographer and movement coach for Opera at USC for the last 12 years and is the curriculum coordinator and Director of faculty at Ann Brodie’s Carolina Ballet Center for Dance Education. She is taking the CAROLINA BALLET Center for Dance Education toward a new level of recognition with certification for teacher training through the American Ballet Theatre’s Internationally recognized and acclaimed curriculum program.
