| Mrs. Ebonie Avant Wife, Mother, Mentor, Teacher, Choreographer and Artistic Director of both The Dance Diamond and The Dance Star are among the long list of hats she wears. She is a certified Pilates instructor and holds a degree in Dance. She has over 20 years of teaching experience with both children and adults who lovingly recognize her as “Miss Ebonie”. Miss Ebonie began her dancing career with Mrs. Wendy A. Cutting a graduate of the renowned prestigious High School of the Performing Arts in New York City and Hunter College the City University of New York. Mrs. Cutting is a retired dance professor of the State University of New York at New Paltz. After realizing that she enjoyed the art of teaching more than performing Miss Ebonie went on to study under Dr. Nancy Kane known by Dance Teacher Magazine as a “ leader and trendsetter’ in dance education. Dr. Kane holds degrees in Dance and Dance Education from New York University, the Laban Center for Movement & Dance in London and the University of Colorado at Boulder. She was added to the faculty at SUNY Rockland to teach and choreograph. During her SUNY Rockland experience she was recognized multiple times for making a difference with the students. Miss Ebonie has a long list of civic specialties. She has continued to serve as a National Dance Week Delegate. The Newburgh Performing Arts Academy, Sullivan ARC, and the Advantage Program have appreciated her various dance services from teaching dance to life mentoring. She has created dance programs for several daycares, after school programs, area girl scouts, and local cheerleading teams. She also extended her expertise to an area dance studio “Main Street Dance” as a business consultant and advisor. Miss Ebonie continues to enhance her dance education through workshops seminars, and master classes. She has taken classes with such dance icons as Mia Michaels, Darrin Henson, Brenda Buffalino, and Savion Glover. In 2003 she had the honor of meeting Ms. Debbie Allen, dance world icon. The lasting impression of that introduction renewed and strengthened her genuine love for dance and the importance of sharing dance with the world. She is the visionary behind the established Annual Breast Cancer Show “Dancin to Win” which is hosted by The Dance Diamond each October in honor of her aunt who was a 15 year Breast Cancer Survivor. It is also a tribute to the many warriors still in the fight. Miss Ebonie believes in exposing her students to as many performing arts venues as possible. It is her belief that continued exposure through dance and all performing arts venues is preparation for dealing with life in the real world. At The Dance Diamond & The Dance Star where only students are showcased she encourages them to come together as a team, attitudes are checked at the door and you enter the judgment free zone where “I can’t” does not apply. In the words of Miss Ebonie “practice doesn’t always make perfect but it makes a great dancer” |
| Artistic Director |
The Dance Diamond
| 130 Dolson Ave. Middletown, NY 10940 845-342-6686 |
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