About the Director/Choreographer 

Cathy Quigley began her dance training at the age of 4. At age 14 she accepted the invitation to join Ballet des Jeunes, with whom she would have the privilege of touring Sweden, Finland, and Denmark.  She has trained with members of many professional companies including Pennsylvania Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, NYC Ballet, Group Motion, Erick Hawkins, Hanya Holm, and Koresh.  Ms. Quigley received her B.A. in Theatre Arts from Montclair State University.  While at MSU, Ms. Quigley wrote/directed an original performance art piece entitled Female Trouble, which gained departmental attention and led to a scholar award for academic excellence and service to the theatre department.  Over the past year, Cathy has been writing and expanding Female Trouble, which was just featured at The Painted Bride Art Center in Philadelphia as part of the Philly Fringe Festival 2011.  A theater critic from the Broad Street Review said of Cathy’s work, “I have never been so personally affected by a performance. Let us now praise Cathy Quigley, who brought this painful condition to the stage with a combination of courage, aplomb and ingenuity.”  Since the performance closed, Cathy has received inquiries from Milwaukee, Atlanta, and Northern California regarding a future cross-country tour of the production and is working toward that goal.  Cathy’s passion is passing along her knowledge and love of the arts to others, and most especially to children.  Over the last 10 years she has taught dance and musical theatre in private studios, preschools, schools, gyms, libraries, camps, and outreach programs to students age 18 months to 85 years old.  She has served as the director of Carousel Performing Arts Center for the past 7 years. Over the past five years Cathy has produced 10 full-length musicals for children. After working with so many talented students through Carousel's Children Theatre, Cathy saw the need for a musical theatre training program for the serious student. To this end, Ms. Quigley created a curriculum for the Triple Threat Academy now being offered at Carousel Performing Arts Center. Cathy is currently serving as choreographer for Lincoln University's production of Kismet,  which will also feature some of our Triple Threat students.  Some of Ms. Quigley’s past students have continued in the arts---one performed in the International Touring Company of Cinderella and regional touring company for Billy Elliot, another was featured in the Philly Fringe Festival 2008, and Cathy was gratified to be able to give 8 former students (6 dancers and 2 actors) their professional starts in Female Trouble.  But whether or not they go on to choose the arts as a career, Cathy truly believes that all children can benefit from dance, music, and theatre training stating, “I teach self confidence, which will take them far in life, whatever their path may be.”  A firm believer that you should never stop learning, Cathy continues to train at Koresh in Philadelphia and Broadway Dance Center in NYC.  She has performed for Sanbrooka Productions Imprint Dance Company, a hip hop company under the direction of Samuel Antonio Reyes in Philadelphia.  Cathy is very excited to begin working on Sleeping Beauty!