Meet Christina Noel, a passionate third-generation ballet dancer and teacher with a family legacy that dates back to the early 20th century. Her grandmother was a celebrated soloist with the Brussels Opera before World War I, and her aunt graced the stage with the Polish Ballet before World War II. Carrying on the tradition, her parents were professional ballet dancers who toured the United States and Europe during the 1950s and 60s.
Christina herself danced professionally for fourteen years with Chicago Ballet, Tucson Ballet, San Diego Ballet, Nevada Dance Theater, and ultimately as a soloist dancer with the Colorado Ballet. Her repertoire included roles in timeless classics like The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Giselle, and Sleeping Beauty. She also had the honor of working with renowned choreographers John Butler, and Ron Cunningham and with repetiteurs from the Balanchine Trust.
Under the loving guidance of her grandmother, Christina began teaching and has since shared her expertise with the affiliate schools of the Tucson, San Diego, and Colorado Ballets. After retiring from the stage, she dedicated herself to teaching full-time. Christina has guest taught across the Southwest and regularly brings her wealth of knowledge to dance studios in the Denver metro area, including her role as ballet mistress for the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble.
For the past 30 years, Christina has been the Dance Coordinator and lead ballet teacher at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities. A pioneer of safe dance techniques, she developed a cutting-edge curriculum that blends dance medicine and psychology for all dance disciplines. She’s also written, directed, produced, and choreographed over 27 story ballets during her tenure.
Christina’s commitment to dance education has led her to present at the International Association of Dance Medicine and Sciences (IADMS) and the Colorado Dance Educators Organization (CoDEO). She collaborates closely with dance clinical specialists to keep her teaching methods current and innovative.
In 2024, Christina’s outstanding contributions were recognized when she was awarded Teacher of the Year by CoDEO and named one of the Living Legends of Dance by the University of Denver’s Dance Archives. Her legacy is preserved in their archives, ensuring her impact on the dance community endures. Recently, Christina retired from the Arvada Center to embrace new teaching and coaching opportunities.
Ms. Noël has the experience of 14 years performing with companies such as the Colorado Ballet, San Diego Ballet, Tucson Ballet, The Nevada Dance Theatre, and The Chicago Ballet.
The past 40 years have been devoted to teaching Ballet, especially Pointe work. She has expanded her skills by studying anatomy, physiology, and the body’s energies.