DENISE REEVES, BALLET, DANCE DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR
- MEd, Dance Education, Frostburg State University
- BS, Dance Education, University of North Carolina – Greensboro
Denise Reeves, Dance Coordinator and Ballet Instructor, began teaching at the Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts in 1994. She was instrumental in facilitating the Dance Department’s expansion to full-time status in 2002. Ms. Reeves holds a master’s degree in education specializing in dance from Frostburg State University, with additional studies at Stanford University and San Jose State University. Her bachelor’s degree in dance education is from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Ms. Reeves holds certification by the Royal Academy of Dance and the American Ballet Theatre National Curriculum. In addition, her intense training in the Vaganova method, the Russian style of ballet, allows her to help each student achieve his/her ultimate potential.
Ms. Reeves is zealous about staying current in the world of dance education, and she has a passion for sharing her continued training with her students. She has studied with Ekaterina Shchelkanova at Open World Dance Foundation, providing orphans the opportunity to dance. Additionally, her training has included studies at Harkness Center for Dance Injuries (New York University), The Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet Society (with John White and Rose Flachs), The University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Vail International Dance Competition Teacher’s Course, the Jackson International Ballet Competition Teacher’s Courses, and training with Lisa Howell from Perfect Form Dance Physiotherapy (Australia). Ms. Reeves is certified in the original method of Pilates by the master teacher, Romana Kryzanowska, of The Pilates Studio in New York City. She holds professional affiliations with the National Dance Education and The Corps de Ballet. While dancing with the Georgia Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Santa Clara Ballet, and San Jose Dance Theatre, Reeves performed in Canada, Poland, Soviet Union, and all the Western and South Western United States.
Locally, Ms. Reeves has served as Cobb County Teacher Leader in Dance and served on the dance board of Kennesaw State University. She has directed the School of the Georgia Ballet and the dance division of the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program. With more than 35 years of experience in dance education, she has taught ages 3 through adult at multiple area dance studios, including the Atlanta Ballet. She derives great satisfaction from helping students to discover and to fulfill their dreams.
EVELYN WHITE, COLLABORATIVE PIANIST & PIANO LABORATORY COORDINATOR
- MEd, Lesley University
- BM, Piano Performance, Austin Peay State University
Evelyn White, collaborative pianist and Piano Lab Coordinator, has been a member of the CCCEPA faculty since 2004. She holds a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Austin Peay State University and a M.Ed from Lesley University. She began playing piano at the age of three and soon began accompanying her parents and playing at Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Ms. White has worked professionally as a performer and educator in jazz, gospel, musical theater, and country music. She performed exclusively as a pianist in Atlanta until she met jazz legend, Tony Bennett, who asked her if she ever considered singing. He introduced her to the piano trio style of Nat “King” Cole and helped her develop vocal repertoire. During that time, Ms. White was also under the tutelage of another legendary vocalist, Nancy Wilson. After these two experiences, she was invited to the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, where she was a guest artist and clinician for many years. She performed with jazz greats, including: Lionel Hampton, Russell Malone, Lewis Nash, Christian McBride, Ray Brown, Mulgrew Miller, Benny Green, Hank Jones, John Clayton, Roy Hargrove and more. As a result of the festival, Ms. White was a guest of the Russian Ministry of Cultural Affairs and toured with international jazz artists, such as Leonid Vinstskevich, Lembit Saarsalu, and Igor Butman.
She’s been the recipient of APSU’s Outstanding Young Alumna Award, Pebblebrook’s Teacher of the Year and The High 5 for Teachers Award, sponsored by Atlanta’s Fox 5 TV. After traveling and performing for fifteen years, Ms. White returned to Austin Peay as a guest artist and was made an honorary citizen of Montgomery County, Tennessee. Ms. White is dedicated to sharing her musical experiences with young artists and is honored to be a performing artist among them.
