ACCSD has gathered the best & brightest teachers in the mechanicsville area!

Our teachers are qualified professionals with a wealth of experience in dance and beyond.  Each teacher brings their own unique vision and artistry to every class.  Many of our teachers grew up as students at ACCSD, and have passed on our traditions and family vibe.  We love what we do!

ANN CATHERINE CROSS

Founder, Artistic Director

Ann Catherine Cross has been a fixture of the Richmond dance community for 4 decades, and has produced, the best dancers, choreographers, and arts scholars in the area. She started ACCSD in 1981, and has tirelessly sought higher education for both herself, her children, and her dancers. She believes in providing quality dance education with a strong foundation in technique, performance quality, and versatility. She has brought teachers and guest artists from New York to Tel Aviv (Israel) to work with the kids and impart knowledge and experiences that they would never receive at any other dance school in this area. She is a vital force in this community, and a seasoned veteran in the business. She welcomes you and your family to check out what we have to offer, as we guarantee a high quality education that promotes excellence both in the dance studio and beyond.

Autumn Waddell

Artistic Director

Autumn Proctor Waddell was born and raised in Virginia, where she started her early years of training with her mother through the Ann Catherine Cross School of Dance, where she is currently the Associate Artistic Director. She had additional training at the Washington Ballet, Richmond Ballet, and the Virginia School of the Arts. She also had many opportunities to study closely under the direction of Luigi in NYC. As a young teen, Autumn was selected as one of the first National touring company members of the Hoctor’s Dance Caravan Jr. Caravan Kid program, where she studied intensely under the direction of Kit Andre, Mallory Graham, Jerry Rose, and Tommy Tune to name a few, while traveling Nationwide. She later continued her dance training into college. During this time Autumn was fortunate to have the experience of working closely with Milton Myers, studying and demonstrating the Horton technique at Steps on Broadway and at the Alvin Ailey School. She was also a scholarship student for two summers at Jacob’s Pillow in the contemporary program under the direction of Milton Myers. In the summer of 2005, Autumn traveled abroad to study at Danceworks Berlin in Germany, where she had the opportunity to study Gaga technique, which was founded and developed by Ohad Naharin, Director of Batsheva Dance Company in Israel. During this same summer she also attended Impulstanz in Vienna, Austria as Milton Myer’s class assistant/demonstrator. In the fall to follow, Autumn presented work in the Collaborative, Here Now Three at the Cunningham Studios, NYC, with Kyle Abraham, and Bridget L. Moore.

Autumn received her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Dance with a concentration in Modern from Marymount Manhattan College, NYC. She holds a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) in dance performance and choreography from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts. Upon completing graduate school, Autumn served as adjunct faculty at East Carolina University and the University of Virginia. She also co-founded and directs a summer dance program, We Are Artists, in the Richmond area which works to serve young aspiring artists in their continued creative process, technical training, and exposure endeavors. In the summer of 2009 she spent a month in Canada performing in the Montreal Fringe Festival and working intensely at Springboard Danse Montreal with BJM Danse Montreal. Autumn has worked extensively with various artists including: Kyle Abraham, Bill Young, Cheryl Therion, Rodger Belman, Bridget L. Moore, Milton Myers and VCU’s own Christian von Howard. She has also performed works by: Angelin Preljocaj, Pina Bausch, Merce Cunningham, Jose Limón, Jiří Kylián, Maguy Marin, Azure Barton and others. Autumn is currently a member of the Von Howard Project, directed by Christian von Howard, based in Richmond, VA and NYC. Most recently, she was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit and teach as a guest artist in Arezzo, Italy at the Accademia dell’ Arte.