Masterclasses - 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 below, 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)