Christina Noel Oral History, 2024

Christina Noel has been teaching ballet 52 years, apprenticing first under the tutelage of her grandmother, a former soloist with the Brussels Opera. Noel received both her ballet training and her teacher training from Finis Jhung, principal dancer with the Harkness Ballet; Richard Ellis & Christine DuBoulay, soloists with the Royal Ballet; Patricia Stander from the London Festival Ballet and ballet mistress for Stars of American Ballet Theater; Patrick Franz from the Paris Opera; and Hilda Morales, soloist with American Ballet Theater. In 14 years as a professional dancer, Noel performed with Chicago Ballet, Tucson Ballet, San Diego Ballet, Nevada Dance Theater, and Colorado Ballet, and taught for the companies’ affiliate schools as well as guest teaching in Vermont, California, New Mexico, and Colorado. Since 1987 Noel has taught at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, developing their program and directing and choreographing for their youth company, Arvada Center Dance Theater. She has been the Dance Coordinator since 2004. Noel has taught company class for Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble since 2009. Most recently, Noel presented at the International Association of Dance Medicine and Sciences international conferences about proper teaching techniques for ballet. Most recently Noel was recognized by the Colorado Dance Educators Organization as the 2024 Teacher of the Year.