Moving Light School of Dance, founded in September of 2001 by Christine Harris, is a a collaboration between local artists and students of the school. In 2003 their premier performance Falomi and Malula consisted of original music, choreography, costumes and set design. Other performances include The Fiddler and the Pookah (original), The Court Jester (original), Peter and the Wolf, Les Sylphides, Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Green Mountain Nutcracker.
Our Faculty
Christine Harris, Founder and Artistic Director
Christine Harris has studied dance since the age of 4. She grew up dancing in New York City at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance and the Staten Island Ballet. Christine earned a BFA in dance from SUNY Purchase. She performed with Sidelong Dance Co. and taught dance in North Carolina.
Since moving to Vermont, Christine has choreographed and/or performed for many local community events such as All Species Day, Celebrate the Winooski, Enchanted Forest, Ice on Fire, First Night, Bread and Puppet and the Celebration of the Earth Charter at Shelburne Farms. Her choreography also appeared in Echo Valley Opera’s production of Hansel and Grettel and Lost Nation Theater’s production of The Selfish Giant.
Willow Wonder, Instructor and Choreographer
Willow Wonder grew up dancing and gymnasticing up and down the California Coast. She graduated from the High School of The Arts in San Francisco in 1994, and went on to receive a BFA in Modern Dance Performance from SUNY Purchase. Before she graduated, she spent a semester at The London Contemporary School of Dance, where she had intensive training in Cunningham and Limon techniques, ballet, tai chi, choreography, and Alexander Technique. Her experience of bellydance also began in London where she became a founding member of the Planet Caravan Bellydance Ensemble, directed by Jessica Swanson, performing on the streets of Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus. The ensemble went on to perform in NYC and San Francisco.
She has also had the honor of performing works by many other choreographers such as, Jose Limon, Doug Varone, David Dorfman, and Tere O’Connor.
After moving to Vermont in 2000, Willow spent a year teaching dance at The King George School, a private, arts based, emotional growth high school in the Northeast Kingdom, and in 2001 received her Ashtanga Yoga teacher certification. In 2002 she gave birth to her daughter Shyloh, continued to teach yoga, and in 2004 began teaching at Moving Light.
She has also continued to perform and choreograph locally at All Species Day, The Northeast Kingdom Music Festival, and Night Fires. Most recently she choreographed for the Barre Players’ production of The Full Monty.
Her movement approach comes from a diverse background of Cunningham and Limon techniques combined with her own style nurtured through her extensive practice of improvisation. She loves teaching, and her dedication to the art of movement allows her to bring a joyful, clear and thorough experience of dance to her students.
Ellen Cooke, Instructor
Ellen Cooke’s dance background includes ballet, tap, modern with an occasional African classes peppered throughout the years. She discovered percussive dance years ago by accident. Since then Ellen has studied percussive dance with Sandy Silva: Sharon Leahy of Rhythm and Shoes; and Eileen Carson of the former Fiddle Puppets. She has been clogging for the last 15 years and was a member of the Kitchen Sync Cloggers.