Passing it on to the next generation of performers!
Childhood in the Performing Arts...
Born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, Chryssie grew up dancing with the Columbia City Ballet and Southern Strutt dance studio competing nationally. Her love for musical theatre began at the age of 10 years old when she got cast as an orphan in ANNIE. (*Rehearsal picture of Chryssie in black leggings, 1990). Her training would continue in the summers' in Los Angeles and in New York at the Edge dance studio and Broadway Dance Center. During adolescence she also performed in A Chorus Line at Workshop Theatre. She pursued more theatre in her high school drama program at Richland Northeast, as well as modeled with Millie Lewis Modeling & Talent agency.
CAREER
Her career of 20 years started as a Rockette and got her first start in film as a dance double in Save the Last Dance with Julia Stiles. Chryssie then went on to schooling in New York at The American Musical Dramatic Academy (AMDA) where she majored in musical theatre. After school, Chryssie went on to work in Los Angeles in theatre, television, film and in New York on Broadway as an actress, dancer and singer sharing the stage with stars such as Neal Patrick Harris, Patti Lupone, Stephen Colbert and Mel B. Teaching masterclasses in performing arts is her biggest passion. She also enjoys directing and choreographing.
BROADWAY/LINCOLN CENTER
Chryssie can be seen in the hit documentary, Every Little Step, where she was featured landing her Broadway Debut in the 2006 revival of A Chorus Line as Kristine, heard also on the cast album in "Sing" with Tony nominated actor, Tony Yazbeck (On the Town). Her last role on Broadway was Kitty in CHICAGO where she went on to perform the lead role of Velma as an understudy. One of her favorite New York theatre role's included Kathy in Company opposite Neal Patrick Harris, as Bobby, at Lincoln Center with the NY Philharmonic Orchestra (Now on DVD in PBS's Great Performances).
HOLLYWOOD
Television includes: Greys Anatomy, Switched at Birth, Revenge of the Bridesmaids (ABC Family TV Movie with Raven Simone), Private Practice, and more. Film: The Producers, Save the Last Dance, Lucky Stiff and more. Commercials: Subway, Kraft, Schweppe's.. Other stage roles include: Bombalurina in CATS, Lola in Damn Yankees, Liane in Gigi and Z's Favorite in The Will Rogers Follies.
TEACHING ARTIST
She has worked as a proud faculty member and adjudicator for AMDA College and Conservatory for the Performing Arts since 2005, where she is also a graduate from. She crossed over divisions teaching in musical theatre performance, acting on camera, audition technique and all styles of dance, including directing/choreographing for final showcases and dance workshops. She is a former adjunct lecturer at UCLA teaching theatre dance for two years, as well as a faculty member at the California Dance Institute and National Dance Institute teaching in public elementary schools. Chryssie also taught a movement for actor and musical theatre dance class at the acclaimed Edge Dance Studio in Los Angeles for many years. She travels all over the globe teaching masterclasses in acting, dancing and musical theatre. These workshops are named DASI - Dance, Act, Sing Intensives.
Director/Choreographer
GREASE - 5th Avenue Theatre
JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS - ACT Theatre
CAMELOT - Biola University
SHREK, The Musical - Cherokee Performing Arts (HS)
*Coming up...
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST w/ Terrance Mann at WCU
INTO THE WOODS - Cherokee Performing Arts (HS)
ALLADIN, Jr. - Cherokee Performing Arts (MS)
Currently
MARRIED LIFE
Chryssie married her best friend and favorite person to laugh and hang out with, Mr. Craig Disbrow. They recently moved from the New York City to live in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains where they first met in North Carolina. They joined their admiration for visual arts and started a new business together, C&C ARTHOUSE, as the sole art dealer for the master artist, Sven at http://www.artbysven.com and other talented artists. You can experience their fun company and collection of original art in their home by appointment only. Check for showings, silent auction wine dinners and more below at our site.
BROADWAY ARTS CAMP
She loves being Co-Founder/Director of Broadway Arts Camp with long time best friend after meeting on the national tour of FOSSE, Alexis Carra, http://www.triplethreatteacher.com. This training based intensive occurs for 10 days in Los Angeles every summer, as well as now venturing out to more cities in 2018 -2019 for weekend intensives. BAC TAMPA will be held in Alexis's home town and dance studio, December 14 - 16th, 2018. Space is limited. Register on our site below.
TEACHER & MANAGER
"Mrs. D" is what she currently goes by to her new students, as she embarks on a new life as a full time teacher in the public school system teaching grades 6th - 12th in Cherokee, NC. She is proud to be apart of the Cherokee Braves family, working in her true passion of teaching, building the performing arts program along side "The Music Man", himself, Mr. Michael Yannette. www.ccs-nc.org
This school year she will be directing and choreographing ALADDIN, JR. for the Middle school and INTO THE WOODS for the highschool. She is also excited to announce she will be choreographing BEAUTY & THE BEAST alongside Tony winner, Stage and Television Actor - Terrance Mann spring, 2019 at Western Carolina University.
Lastly, she has begun managing her Cherokee Native American students in television and stage. Their talents are huge and have voices that need to be heard. Her first client booked his first professional job acting on the British television series, "JAMESTOWN" where he shot for two weeks in Budapest. Chryssie adored her late manager of eleven years, also known as her golden ticket to her acting career, Joan Sittenfield, and thinks she would be tickled and proud of this new chapter, supporting the next generation of artists on their journey.