Debra Perry

Debra Perry is an Adjunct Instructor of Dance at Cumberland University, affiliated with the Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education, and the Arts. She teaches ballet and pointe at Boombox Dance and serves as a part-time dance professor, contributing to higher education in the performing arts.

Her educational background includes a BFA in Dance and an MSED in Elementary Education from the University of Miami. She began dancing at age four and trained under renowned instructors such as Joe Michaels, Martha Mahr, and Finis Jhung. She was an inaugural student at PAVAC, the predecessor to New World School of the Arts.

Debra Perry's research and teaching interests center on dance technique, pedagogy, and somatic alignment. Key areas include Ballet (Vaganova method), Tap, Modern, Jazz, Progressing Ballet Technique, and Elemental Body Alignment. Her work emphasizes safe, effective, and progressive training methods for dancers of all ages and skill levels.

While no formal publications are listed, her influence is deeply embedded in curriculum development, teacher training, and student mentorship across K–12 and higher education institutions.

• Performed with Miami Ballet Company
• Performed with Taylor Clifton
• Member, National Dance Education Organization
• Member, Tennessee Association of Dance
• Member, DKG
• Executive Reviewer, Tennessee Department of Education GLADIS
• Curriculum Developer, Tennessee and Florida

Debra Perry chaired the Dance Department at Nashville School of the Arts from 1995 to 2024, where she mentored numerous students who went on to prestigious dance programs and professional careers. She has served on state-level textbook adoption committees and continues to advance dance education through practice, certification, and curriculum design. She currently teaches at both Boombox Dance and Cumberland University.

She is actively involved in professional development, holding certifications in Vaganova Ballet Syllabus (Years 1–5), Progressing Ballet Technique, Elemental Body Alignment System, and Level 2 I-Tap Teacher Certificate Program. Her ongoing work supports the integration of technical rigor and bodily awareness in dance training.