Cleo Sykes (Guest Instructor)

Cleo began dancing at age 6 at Suncoast Academy of Dance in Palm Harbor, Florida.

She was a member of their performing company, Art In Motion, for 10 years, and joined

the faculty at Suncoast in high school. She is a graduate of Pace University, summa

cum laude, and holds a B.F.A. in Commercial Dance with concentrations in

choreography and pedagogy. Pace Commercial Dance brought Cleo the opportunity to

train with - and perform original works by - renowned teachers and choreographers

such as Mandy Moore, Jessica Hendricks, Lauren Gaul, Rhonda Miller, and Jason

Samuels Smith, as well as the chance to perform excerpts from Agnes de

Mille's Rodeo, staged by Paul Sutherland, and José Limón's Psalm, staged by

Jonathan Riedel. As a participant in the inaugural Pace Performing Arts Los Angeles

Intensive, she studied dance and choreography for the camera, working closely with

Emmy-nominated choreographer Mandy Moore and renowned choreographer &

videographer Jerry Evans. She recently completed a virtual teacher training course in Sugarfoot Therapy, a cross-

training program for dancers created by Katie Schaar in collaboration with Dr. Traci

Ferguson, PT, DPT, and Dr. Nick Cutri, PT, DPT, FAFS. She is currently working as a

freelance dancer, teacher and choreographer in