Mary Beth Henderson has been teaching for nearly 25 years, owning her own dance school for over 10 years. She earned her BFA in Dance and Drama from East Carolina University with a concentration in Teaching. She is a former Miss Dance of North and South Carolina and a former Miss Dance USA. She was honored, by the YWCA Woman of Achievement Award for excellence in “THE ARTS” for the Cape Fear Area. Mary Beth is also certified to teach by test through Dance Masters of America and served on the NC board for over 8 years. Mary Beth has won over 40 awards for her choreography in the competition arena and her students have garnered top awards competitively at regional and national levels as well as been contracted on the professional level on and off Broadway, by Disney, Alabama theatre, and numerous other popular entertainment venues. Students have also gone on to perform professionally through, video, commercial work, television and film. Academically, her students, received dance scholarships to NYU, Mary Mount, NC School of the Arts, and Point Park. In the competition circuit scholarships have been received to attend Broadway Dance Center, Steps of NY, Dance Alliance, Pulse, Adrenaline, NYDA, Access Broadway etc. the list is extensive.
On the international scene, Mary Beth was a principal dancer with Disney, Kings Productions , Royal Cruise Lines and with “Off Broadway “ touring companies. She has been featured in over 20 commercials, Television and Film. Her favorite place to be is on the stage with theater family in Wilmington. Her most recent performances have been in “Cats “, “A Chorus Line”, “Chicago”, “Follies”, “Swing” and “Guys and Doll”
Mary Beth loves to choreograph and assist with theater arts, whenever, possible, her last shows as head choreographer were “Ain’t Misbehaving”, and “Annie”. She was blessed earlier this season to work with Ray Kennedy and the cast of ”5 Guys named Moe and with Ron Chisholm on “Anything Goes”“and most recently directed the Grand Re-opening of Thalian Hall’s Youth Gala, “There’s No Business like Show Business.
Mary Beth’s greatest pride and joy is her husband of 20 years, Steve and their 4 children, Hunter, Alexandra, Walker and Stevie. She thanks God for the gift of family, good friends and the chance to do what she loves.