Artistic  Director

For our 2019 production of The Nutcracker, we are happy to welcome back Christina Wilder.

Christina Wilder was born in Portland, raised in the local Vancouver area where she got her start in ballet from the Academy of Ballet Arts under the direction of Noreen Kendall. From age nine to 14, she studied Tap, Ballet, Jazz and Character. During her middle school years, Christina participated in the Vancouver Dance Theater's Nutcracker and spring shows. She attended dance camp in Walla Walla and in New York. Because of her desire to advance in the Royal Academy of Dancing syllabus, Christina joined June Taylor's School of Dance in Tigard, Oregon where she completed her Intermediate Royal Academy of Dancing examination under Tami Walker. As she was preparing for her Advanced examination, Christina was in a car accident, ending any future training. Having years of teaching assisting under her belt, an opportunity to teach ballet was presented. Enjoying working with dancers, Christina entered into the three-year Royal Academy of Dancing teachers training program at age 18. She traveled the US, Canada and England training with examiners from all over the world. At age 19 Christina took over Academy of Ballet Arts from her former teacher and has been running classes ever since. Christina has also trained and/ or taken classes in: Pilates, child development, anatomy, early childhood dance, dance history, injury prevention classes, Vaganova syllabus, Cecchetti syllabus and dance as worship. Over the course of 24 years of teaching, students under Christina's training have gone on to have full scholarships to dance camps, colleges, professional careers and have become teachers. Christina currently lives in her home town with her husband, Aaron and three children, Emmaline, Eli and Olivia. 

Joining Christina this year is Stacy Staples.

Stacy Staples started ballet at the age of eight at the Joy of Dance under Carrie Martin.  She loved ballet so much that she decided she wanted to share that love with others and started assistant teaching at the Joy of Dance at the age of 14 and teaching at 15. She taught for three years at the Joy of dance, during which time she was also the assistant director of the Ministry Troupe touring group for two years. In 2004 at the age of 18 Stacy went to Reno and received her Cecchetti teaching certificate. The next year she started teaching for Christina Wilder at the Academy of Ballet Arts and has been teaching for her for 14 years. Stacy also teaches at Dance Works Performing Arts and has been a teacher there for the last seven years.  Stacy performed in Vancouver Dance Theatre's Nutcracker when she was 12 as a Mint Julep and then again at the age of 15 as Sugar Plum.  She is very excited to be a part of the 2019 Nutcracker.  Stacy lives in her home town of Vancouver with her husband Todd and their three children, Addison, Charlie, and Huck.