Cheryl Cusick
Cheryl Cusick is the owner and Artistic Director of the Narragansett Performing Arts Dance Centre and is the Director of the Terpsichore Dance Company, a multi-award winning competitive dance company comprised of dancers ranging in age from 7-18yrs. Her dancing career began with training at age four, and has since included performances throughout New England, California, Boston and New York in Television and theater circuits. Her dancing credits include studying with such dance greats as Gus Giordano, Luigi, Daryl Retter, Alwin Nikolais and George Balanchine to name a few. Cheryl studied privately with the late Mr. Barry Weiss of The Juilliard School at his request. He was the famed choreographer of the I Love New York commercial presentation staring Mikhail Baryshnikov. Mr. Weiss also assisted Cheryl with her studies at The Juilliard School in New York City.
In addition to her dancing career, Cheryl is a former Miss Teen Ocean State, Miss Providence and Miss Providence County. She captured the coveted title of Miss Rhode Island in 1987, and represented Rhode Island at The Miss America Pageant in 1988 in Atlantic City New Jersey, winning the Talent Award through the program. Viewing the organization as a worthwhile scholarship program that afforded her great educational opportunities, she has since served as the scholarship and awards chairperson on the Board of Directors for the Miss Rhode Island Scholarship Program, and has served as an emcee for the pageant. Cheryl is currently the Executive Director of the MISS RHODE ISLAND OUTSTANDING TEEN PAGEANT, a scholarship based program organized to encourage positive achievement by helping to nurture and build the scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living and community involvement of our nation’s youth.
Her educational background includes Rhode Island College Physical Education Major and Dance Minor, The Harvard University Summer Dance Center, Rhode Island Ballet Arts Academy, The Boston Conservatory, The Boston Ballet, Broadway Dance Center NYC, Rhode Island's Ballet Theatre, STEPS on Broadway, PeriDance NYC and The Juilliard School. She has been an active member of the Professional Dance Teacher's Association and Dance Educator's of America since the age of eighteen. Since that time Cheryl has also:
In addition to her dancing career, Cheryl is a former Miss Teen Ocean State, Miss Providence and Miss Providence County. She captured the coveted title of Miss Rhode Island in 1987, and represented Rhode Island at The Miss America Pageant in 1988 in Atlantic City New Jersey, winning the Talent Award through the program. Viewing the organization as a worthwhile scholarship program that afforded her great educational opportunities, she has since served as the scholarship and awards chairperson on the Board of Directors for the Miss Rhode Island Scholarship Program, and has served as an emcee for the pageant. Cheryl is currently the Executive Director of the MISS RHODE ISLAND OUTSTANDING TEEN PAGEANT, a scholarship based program organized to encourage positive achievement by helping to nurture and build the scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living and community involvement of our nation’s youth.
Her educational background includes Rhode Island College Physical Education Major and Dance Minor, The Harvard University Summer Dance Center, Rhode Island Ballet Arts Academy, The Boston Conservatory, The Boston Ballet, Broadway Dance Center NYC, Rhode Island's Ballet Theatre, STEPS on Broadway, PeriDance NYC and The Juilliard School. She has been an active member of the Professional Dance Teacher's Association and Dance Educator's of America since the age of eighteen. Since that time Cheryl has also:
- Danced the lead roles in productions of Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, La Boutique Fantasque, West Side Story and Cats. Cheryl has judged many auditions for prominent Ballet Companies, such as The Boston Ballet School and Rhode Island's Ballet Theatre. Cheryl judged the Ocean State Talent Competitions, as well as many other well established Dance/Talent Competitions and pageants throughout New England and in New York.
- Directed and instructed after school dance programs for the Cranston, Narragansett and Providence Elementary School systems, as well as directed the Dance Rhode Island Jazz Company: choreographed various musical productions for the Saint Patrick High School Drama Club for four years, as well as yearly recital productions for Dance Rhode Island even after opening her own school in 1991.
- Produced and directed the Miss South County Regional Scholarship Pageant 1991-1994 as well as co-producing the Miss Western Rhode Island Scholarship Pageant. Both are local preliminaries to the Miss America Scholarship Program.
- Placed first in Hoctor's National Dance Competition in NYC where at the age of 14, she competed against dancers from all over the United States and Canada. She was also the Grand Regional Champion in 1992 at the Professional Dance Teacher's Regional Competition.
- Performed, modeled in and co-directed numerous fashion shows including the New England Bridal Extravaganza, working with such stars as Robin Leach from the popular 1980's TV show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Corbin Bernson and Kristian Alfonso from Days of our Lives.
- Managed and Directed Dance Rhode Island (Scituate), Dance Rhode Island (Providence) from 1991-1996, and then her own Narragansett Performing Arts Dance Centre beginning in 1991.
- Directed the Dance program for the Rhode Island Scholar Athlete Games in July 2001.