Assistant Director

Ashley Thorndike, a native of Tacoma, Washington began her dance training at age 15 with the Tacoma Performing Dance Company and instructor Lynn Carpenter. She completed a BFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah in 2000. In college she received honors from the Orchesis Society for her choreography, performed in work by Molissa Fenley and many emerging choreographers, and taught in an elementary and a high school. After college she moved to New York where she studied at DanceSpace. Since moving to Charlottesville she has completed a master’s degree in counseling and has continued to develop artistically. In September 2002, she presented the evening length work shape[no]context in a concert presented by the UVa Women’s Center’s Young Feminist Artists series. She has worked with local choreographer Sage Blaska in addition to her work with Prospect Dance Group. Her local teaching experience includes the PVCC modern guest artist series, mini-workshops with a youth program, and guest instructing the UVa course Dance/Movement Composition as Art. She currently works for Community Attention, a social service agency, the Young Women Leaders Program, a mentoring program for adolescent girls, and teaches adult and teen dance classes.