Cherice Barton Master Dance Educator

As an educator, Cherice is currently supplemental faculty at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance and adjunct faculty in Pace University’s Commercial Dance BFA program. She has been invited to teach ballet and contemporary dance, conduct masterclasses and creative process workshops, give lectures and career talks, and create work at institutions including the University of Michigan, The Juilliard School, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, NYU Tisch, SUNY Purchase, Loyola Marymount University, Marymount Manhattan College, UC Santa Barbara, Santa Monica College, OCSA, and others. Following her work as a guest choreographer at Boston Conservatory, she was offered a full-time Associate Professor position. She has also served on faculty at Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway.

Cherice’s commitment to education is also reflected in AXIS Connect, the nonprofit, bicoastal educational platform she co-founded with her sister, Charissa. Created to bridge the gap between aspiring dancers and the professional industry, AXIS Connect gave young artists access to leading choreographers, artistic directors, educators, and agents while encouraging them to explore the many ways a life in dance can evolve.

“The Barton sisters have a wonderful grasp on how to train and inspire artists of the 21st century, connecting rigorous practice with exploration and innovation.”

—Alicia Graf Mack, Director, The Juilliard School Dance Division

Cherice’s students have gone on to perform on Broadway, with international ballet and contemporary dance companies, in Cirque productions, theater, television and film, and on concert tours around the world. Many have also become trusted assistants to leading choreographers and are now developing creative careers of their own.

Alongside her work in education, Cherice continues to choreograph professionally, with recent and upcoming work for The National Ballet of Canada, Ballet Idaho, Vitacca Ballet, and more. Her ongoing connection to the professional industry allows her to bring a current, honest, and expansive perspective into the classroom.

Whether teaching ballet or contemporary dance, creating choreography, or leading students through the creative process, Cherice’s approach is rooted in collaboration, curiosity, and discovery. Her classes are physically challenging but extend far beyond learning steps. Drawing from her experience across concert dance, Broadway, television, film, and live entertainment, she encourages dancers to explore multiple artistic possibilities within the same movement while discovering and trusting their individual strengths. Above all, Cherice is interested in the human behind every dancer and the deeper question at the center of their work: What moves you?