About the Director

Cathleen Cronin-Dunlap – Director/Teacher
B.S. in Education, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA;
Dance Major, Virginia Intermont College, Bristol, VA.

Cathleen has been a dance educator since 1981.  She is a native of Georgia and began her dance training at the Decatur School of Ballet under the direction of Marie Ellen Roberts.  She later trained at The Atlanta Ballet under Merilee Smith and Robert Barnett.  She continued her studies training with David Howard, Robert Joffery, Ruth Mitchell, Stanley Zompokas, Terrell Paulk, Melissa Hayden, just to name a few.
She received her jazz training at Dan & Company studios under the direction of Dan and Rhonda Youmans. 

Her teaching experience:  Decatur School of Ballet, The Atlanta Ballet, Tri-Cities area of Virginia/Tennessee, New York’s American Academy of Ballet, and Gwinnett School of Ballet. 
Throughout the years she has set many productions for the Academy of Ballet: Cinderella, Coppelia, Swan Lake, and Wizard of Oz, Beauty meets Beast, Sleeping Beauty, and The Children’s Nutcracker.

Cathleen’s great love for dance and interest in passing her knowledge onto students prompted her to open the Academy of Ballet in 1994 and became known as “Miss Cathy” by her students. In 1997, Miss Cathy developed the Academy Performing Ensemble, offering advanced students an even higher level of training.

As Director/Owner of Academy of Ballet, Miss Cathy has successfully organized an excellent staff, loving learning environment, with exception dance training for all levels.