Resume

Erica Schroder is a dance instructor/choreographer with 25 years of experience. From 2012-2022, she worked at J&D Dance Academy of Reading and served as the Competition Team Director for the last five years. During this time her students received numerous high score, special judges awards, as well as concept, entertainment and choreography awards from regional competitions. Erica has performed in the Boston Contemporary Dance Festival and all over New England with various companies including Urbanity Underground, Forty Steps and Company Four. Erica was a founding member of Company Four, and choreographed and performed works in the Shared Choreographers Concert, Third Life Series, Parallel Lines and more. Erica has a BFA in Dance with Teaching Certification from the University of Michigan and a Master of Arts Management degree from Carnegie Mellon University. Erica is proud to be a member of Dance Masters of New England Chapter 5, and Dance Masters of America. She currently serves as a Board Member for Dancers at Heart. Outside of dance Erica is the Senior Manager of Web Marketing at ServiceTitan, a software company for the trades, and lives in North Reading with her husband and two dogs.

J & D Dance Academy of Reading, Reading, MA

Competition Team Director/Resident Choreography/Instructor – September 2017 – April 2022

Resident Choreographer/Instructor - September 2012 - September 2017

Summary: I served as a key member of the staff assisting the studio owner with everything from parent communications, scheduling, event planning, technical support and website management. I managed the competitive teams, created and built elaborate props, fixed many costumes, constructed headpieces, rhinestoned costumes and much more.

Classes taught: primarily grades 4-12 recreational to competitive, with a few lower elementary classes in the earlier years; contemporary (int/adv), ballet (beg/int/adv), pointe (beg/int), leaps and turns/technique (int/adv), musical theater (beg/int), tap (beg/int); all competition group/production routines, plus many competitive solos, duets and trios in a variety of styles

Award Highlights: EPC Elite Concept Award - 4 times; EPC Elite Entertainment Award - 3 times; EPC Elite Choreography; EPC Elite Partnering; Spirit of Dance Judge’s Choice - 2 times; Groove Perfection; Dance to Inspire Top Score of entire competition

Revive Dance Exchange, Beverly, MA - Instructor - Sept 2009 to June 2011

Stardancer Studios, Newport, NH - Studio Owner/Instructor - Sept 2006-June 2009

Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH - Adjunct Professor of Dance - Sept 2008 – May 2009

Jenkins School of Dance, Claremont, NH - Instructor - September 2003 - June 2006

Van Buren Parks & Rec, Belleville, MI – Instructor - June 1998 – June 2000

P & P Dance Centre, Belleville, MI – Instructor - July 1996 – July 1999

Urbanity Dance, Boston, MA - Urbanity Underground Member - August 2011 to November 2015

• Neruda’s Book of Questions - Boston, MA - Nov, 2015

• The Sun Queen - Boston, MA - Oct 2014

• Love > Hate - Cambridge, MA - May 2014

• Urbanity Next - Cambridge, MA - March 2014

• The Sun Queen - Boston, MA - October 2013

• YOU ARE ____ - Boston, MA - May 2013

• NEXT – Cambridge, MA – April 2013

• Within the Lines - Boston, MA - November 2012

• Boston Contemporary Dance Festival – Boston, MA – August 2012

• I AM ______ - Boston, MA - May 2012

• Big Red Door & Other Stories - Feb 2012

• Between the Lines - Boston, MA - November 2011

Company Four, Reading, MA – Founding Member – August 2012 to April 2016

• Dancing the Distance - Cambridge, MA - April 2016

• Boston Contemporary Dance Festival - Boston, MA - October 2014

• Parallel Lines (show co-produced with 617 Dance Collective) - Cambridge MA - April 2014

• Third Life Choreographer Series – Somerville, MA – June 2013

• Shared Choreographers Concert – Cambridge, MA – January 2013

Forty Steps Dance, Nahant, MA – Company Member - June 2010 – August 2011

• Windhover- Rockport, MA – August 2011

• Choreographer’s Showcase – Newburyport, MA – May 2011

• Vault – Cambridge, MA – April 2011

• Windhover - Rockport, MA – August 2010

• Healthy Changes Pilates - July 2017 - Present

• Boston Ballet Adult Community Classes - July 2017 - Present

• Urbanity Dance - 2011-2015

• Point Park University - Community Classes - 2000-2003

• Various conventions 2003-2022 including Nuvo, Pulse, Dance Teacher Web, Dance Teacher Summit, Rhee Gold Dance Life Retreat

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management/College of Fine Arts Master of Arts Management with High Honors, May 2002; W.W. Cooper Merit Scholarship recipient

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance with Honors, April 2000; Teaching Certificates in Dance K-12, History 9-12

Cecchetti Ballet Training – Passed exams in Grades I-V, 1992 – 2000; trained with Michelle Sypula, P & P Dance Centre, Mary Helen Stewart, Masters of Dance Arts and Jean Gloria Newell, Livonia Civic Ballet Company.