Megan Norris
Megan Lynn Norris graduated with a BA in Dance Choreography and Science (magna cum laude) from Goucher College. At Goucher, she had the privilege of working with Christopher Fleming, Heidi Henderson, Zippora Karz, Larry Keigwin, among others and was a member of the Moving Classroom Project, an outreach program integrating arts and academics for Baltimore City schools. Megan also studied at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, the Deborah Colker School in Brazil, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Richmond Ballet, and Point Park University. Professionally, she performed in NYC with Isabel Lewis and the Matthew Westerby Company.
In 2012, Megan founded her own professional contemporary company – Asterial Dance. She directed and produced over 40 different performances, including: full-length seasons of her original choreography in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and NYC, the Biomorphic Dance Festival for emerging choreographers, and the Upsurge Choreography Platform for emerging dance companies. Megan collaborated with her dancers to create works that mix elements of improvisation and athletic, technical movement that physicalized different human experiences. She also pushed the boundaries of established technique by experimenting with non-traditional props, scenic elements, lighting, and stage spaces. Megan’s choreography has been featured at the Performance Garage, Ailey Citigroup Theater, White Wave John Ryan Theater, Dixon Place, Hudson Guild Theatre, West End Theater, and Secret Theatre. Through her company, she also taught many forms of dance at the Salvation Army Times Square to underprivileged youth in NYC.
Megan is an ABT Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT National Training Curriculum. She has been teaching dance for 20 years throughout New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and North Carolina; serving on the faculty at Artistry in Motion, Ballet Academy East, Dancewave, Mid-Maryland Performing Arts Center, Ridgewood Performing Arts Center, and Steffi Nossen School of Dance, among others. Megan served as the Ballet Program Director at District Dance, where she pioneered District Dance Theatre (a semi-professional ballet company), Budding Ballerinas outreach program, Pop In & Plays, and produced Adventures in Oz. She is also Progressing Ballet Technique certified and her knowledge of the human body, from both studying Biology and working as a personal trainer, gives her students an opportunity to understand movement from an anatomically correct perspective. Megan is a busy adoptive mom of three and is excited to share her passion of dance with the next generation at Cary Ballet!