Christi Varvel began her Ballet training at Le Studio Dance in Los Angeles, CA under the instruction of Philip and Charles Fuller of Ballet West, and Julia Ortega, and Roberto Almaguer of Ballet Nacional de Cuba. During her time at Le Studio she performed in the Nutcracker, dancing the roles of Chinese, Spanish, Mirliton, and Waltz of the Flowers. Continuing her education, she danced under the direction of Cynthia Lawrence of Ballet West and Lawrence Blake of The Joffrey Ballet at Pasadena Dance Theater as a member of Pasadena Dance Theater’s Company. She performed in a Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Nutcracker, and original works by Lawrence Blake. With an eye towards teaching, Christi received her Bachelors degree in Dance, from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a focus in pedagogy, Ballet, Jazz, and Modern dance. During these years, Christi taught Ballet at a Boulder area studio and creative movement at a Montessori school. Through her work at the Montessori school she taught creative movement and dance as a form of therapy for students with ADHD. After moving to College Station, TX, in 2014, Christi began teaching at Suzanne’s School of Dance and has served as the Director of Apprentice AbunDance, Mini Company, and The Ballet Academy. In 2017, she redeveloped the Ballet curriculum to focus on rigor, art, and individual motivation. In past years, she has enjoyed serving as a rehearsal director and choreographer for Ballet Brazos’ annual production of The Nutcracker and spring production. When she is not teaching dance, she enjoys performing with Talitha Dance Company. It is her hope through teaching, performance, and passion, that her students will be inspired by the discipline and art of ballet.
