Sarita Smith-Childs Connelly

A classically trained dancer, choreographer and fitness educator with twenty plus years of teaching experience, Sarita has taught company classes for Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Thodos Dance Chicago, Joel Hall Dancers, and the Momenta Performing Arts Company. She was on the faculty of the Dance Conservatory of Barat College of DePaul University,the Lou Conte Dance Studio (home of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago), Gus Giordano Dance Center, the Academy of Movement and Music, the East Bank Club of Chicago and directed the dance department of Whitney Young Magnet High School in Chicago. She currently teaches at the Norfolk Yacht & Country Club in Norfolk,VA and Inlet Fitness South in Virginia Beach, VA. Sarita's choreography can be seen on the fashion, commercial and concert dance stages. TV, theatre and film credits include being a featured choreographer and performer in the 2006 Emmy Award Winning PBS Special "The Chicago Dance Project"; choreography for The Congo Square Theatre Company's, "King of Coons",directed by Harry Lennix (Matrix Reloaded, Matrix Revolution, Barber Shop 2) and as a Principal Ballet Dancer for Paramount Pictures, "Save the Last Dance" , in which she was cast as one the six principal ballet dancers / stunt artists alongside Joffrey Ballet Principal Dancers. Sarita is a winner of the Ruth Page Award for Dance Achievement (Chicago's highest dance honor) and a six time nominee and the 2001 winner of the Black Theatre Alliance Award for Best Performance in a Music/Dance Program for Randy Duncan's "Shanequa's World". For more information and class formats, go to www.childsdance.com