ABOUT US
Nicole Oxendine
Founder & Director
Nicole Oxendine has been a proven and acknowledged dance professional, instructor, choreographer, curriculum specialist, movement theorist, and entrepreneur. Nicole pursued a career in dance at Hollins University in Roanoke, VA, studying psychology and dance. For Nicole, it was more than just getting the physical training and understanding of dance, it was understanding how the mind and the body are connected. Under the tutelage of Donna Faye Burchefield, Nicole studied movement recall for dancers for her major thesis work, and the Black female relationship between hair and self. She trained under, Mark Haim, Andrea Woods-Valdes, Donald McKayle, Jenefer Davies, and Marlies Yearby. Nicole has also performed with David Dorfman and worked with Mark Morris Repertory. She received her ballet training with Teresa Ruth Howard, modern and hip-hop under Nicholas Leichter, and African dance with Baba Chuck Davis.
Kyra Alston
Studio Manager
Kyra has danced throughout her life and education. A Durham, NC native, Alston trained intensively through her high school career, studying and performing with the esteemed Durham School of the Arts Dance Company. Her studies continued at North Carolina Central University, where she focused on dance education. Alston has worked for over 6 years in Durham Public Schools. The same system that provided her quality foundational training is honing her skills as a dance educator through working with students of all backgrounds and abilities. Recognizing the positive guiding influence that dance has provided in her own life, Alston’s great joy is to nurture, instruct, and support students in their own dance studies. Finding a kindred home for her teaching in Empower Dance Studio’s mission of making dance accessible for all students, Alston brings her teaching expertise and experience to children’s classes. In her classes she focuses on meeting each student where they are, with the hope of sparking a love of dance that will stay with them throughout their lives.
