Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Beth Stinson.
Hi Mary Beth , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started dancing when I was six and knew that I had a passion for dance. When I graduated high school I realized that I wanted to make a living as a dancer but I wasn’t sure what that would look like. I realized that I would start by going to school for dance so I attended the University of Georgia earning a BFA in Dance with a K-12 teaching license for dance in GA. Through this process of earning my degree I started to develop a passion for teaching dance as well as choreography. Shortly after graduating I became the dance director at Archer High School in Lawrenceville, GA. Teaching dance in a public school is not something that I ever saw myself doing but I quickly fell in love with the challenge of it. I am about to complete my 7th year as a dance teacher in a public school and it has created quite an interesting and wonderful life for me. While I also teach at private dance studios and also am the Artistic Director of two dance companies in Atlanta, I have found that the public school setting is such a unique place to extend the arts into. I recently graduated with my Masters in Dance Education and have truly found a love of arts education in public schools.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Teaching in a public school has many challenges. In school, students are not always interested in dance. They take the class and know nothing about dance and it is your job to not only teach them how to dance but convince them to buy into your program. There were many challenges to get the kids to respect me. Through this process I learned to embrace a lot of the difficult parts of public school as well including low funding and resources and typical behavior issues that come from teaching in a school.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a dance teacher, educator, director, and choreographer. I am known for my contributions to dance in public school and also the wide variety of settings in which I am lucky enough to work in. I travel judging dance competitions, I am the Artistic Director of 2 dance companies, I also work at dance studios in the local area as well as my main job of dance director at Archer High School. I am very passionate about dance but am unique through my specialty in tap and my unique choreography in all genres.
What makes you happy?
I am happy when I am serving my dance community. I am so proud to work with dance in so many roles and capacities and I have a huge sense of contentment when I work with dancers who are so passionate about what they do. I am happy when I get to collaborate with many of the other talented dance teachers and choreographers in the Atlanta area. I am also happy when my students grow, achieve, and surpass my expectations.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marybethstinson_
Image Credits
Christina Massad
