CJDT was founded by Cecil Dancenter owner, Tina Travers, in an effort to provide dedicated youth dancers with increased performing experiences. Under the leadership of choreographer, Sarah Roney, CJDT members are challenged, motivated, and encouraged to work in rehearsal and performances with professionalism and dedication. As good working skills are developing, they are educated on both the artistic and technical aspects of a dance production. Dancers are able to gain the stage experience needed for a smooth transition to become future members of Cecil Dancenter’s senior company, Cecil Dance Theatre (CDT).

LAUREN THOMAS has been a Cecil Dancenter instructor since 2003 and has enjoyed sharing her passion and knowledge of dance with her students.  In addition to teaching at Cecil Dancenter, she has been a dance instructor for Cecil College’s Kids in Kollege program and the director of Cecil Dancenter’s summer ‘Dancing Throughthe Decades’ presentation.  Ms. Thomas has trained and performed extensively in Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Tap. She has trained at the Upper Chesapeake Summer Center for the Arts and Goucher College.  She received intensiveclasses and workshops in hip-hop from master teachers at Illadelphia Legends of Hip Hop and at Koresh in Philadelphia.  She has studied with Don Campbell, Boogaloo Sam, Crazy Legs, Spex, King Uprock, Kwik Step, Sammy Reves and Rodney Hill.  While studying at the University of the Arts in Pennsylvania, she worked with master artists in the styles of hip-hop, locking, B-boying, rocking, popping and copoiera.  For the last several years, she has worked with some of the most sought after hip-hop choreographers in the world with ‘Monsters of Hip-Hop’ in New Jersey.  Ms. Thomas has many performance credits including on-field entertainment at the Cal Ripken stadium in Aberdeen and title roles in The Nutcracker, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid.  Her past CJDT productions include The Lion King, Peter Pan, and The Chocolate Factory.