Christiana Wheeler is an interdisciplinary artist specializing in dance. She began her training at 1 and ½ years of age at a small studio in Bonney Lake, WA, and later moved to a more serious studio at 13 years old to pursue her passion of performing through dance competitions. Christiana continued her dance education at Cornish college of the arts in Seattle, WA fall of 2018 and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts degree in Dance, Spring of 2021. She has been teaching various styles of dance since 2017 and finds passion in spreading her love of dance to all ages. She teaches a variety of dance techniques at Colorado Conservatory of Dance, Broomfield, CO, and Dance Dimensions, Longmont, CO, and is Dawson School’s middle school musical theater production choreographer, Lafeyette, CO. She has worked with artists and choreographers such as Wade Madson, Kate Wallick, Laura Smith, and performed with The Guild Dance Company from 2019-2021. Christiana currently dances with Wild Heart Dance, Animus Movement, and is director/choreographer of her own dance ensemble, CarnivalGlass Dance Theater. Christiana connects with dance as her primary source of self expression as she learned to dance before she could read, speak, and practically walk.
Created in collaboration with photographer and videographer, Jun Weaver.
As a teacher…
I began my teaching experience at Auburn Dance Academy, Auburn WA, in 2018 where I taught Ballet levels pre, 1, and 2, intermediate contemporary/improvisation, and Jazz levels 1 and 2. In 2019 I started teaching at Evergreen City Ballet in Renton WA, where I taught creative movement, Ballet levels pre and 1, mommy and me, Jazz levels 1 and 2, Hip hop levels 1 and two, as well as advanced improvisation and conditioning.
I have been a substitute teacher for some local studios, one of which being Children’s Dance Theater, Auburn WA, where I subbed for advanced Contemporary/Jazz, intermediate Ballet, tricks and Acro, and a Ballet Tap combo class.
Throughout my teaching experience, I have enjoyed teaching varying levels of the styles listed above and have found great inspiration in teaching improvisation techniques.
My style of teaching is routed in the skills I acquired at Cornish College of the Arts, where I recently earned a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts, using Somatics and meditation (in more advanced classes mainly) as a tool for movement inspiration as well as poetic imagery to get students to expand out of their creative box.
Along with these tools I love to incorporate different styles of musically to also expand creativity and curiosity.