she co-owned a long time family business, Carpelz Center for the Arts, LLC, where she taught and mentored young dancers alongside her mother. Heather teaches master classes all over the country. Notable past credits include Dance Masters of America, Dance Educators of America, American Dance Awards, StarQuest International, North American Dance Championships, Point Park International Summer Dance, and assistant to Andy Blankenbuehler at Broadway Dance Center. Heather was also among the first to teach The Rockette Experience at Radio City Music Hall and on tour with The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. She is certified to to teach ballet, tap, jazz, and acrobatics by Dance Masters of America and Dance Educators of America. Heather served on the board of directors for Dance Masters of PA, chapter 10. Heather will be serving on the faculty of the National High School Dance Festival hosted by Point Park University next March.
Heather is active on the dance competition and convention circuit and is qualified to adjudicate through the United States Sports Federation. She adjudicates for Dance Masters of America, Dance Educators of America, American Dance Awards (USA and Canada), and North American Dance Championships. Heather also served as tap and jazz adjudicator for International Dance Organization, USA qualifying rounds.
Heather attended a seminar for the International Dance Organization (IDO). There successfully tested in ballet, tap, jazz, and modern to be licensed to adjudicate internationally for IDO.
Heather choreographs all over the tri-state area. She continues to create new works on her youth performance company “Visionz in Motion”, where they performed at Art All Night and Beauty & Bravery a charity fashion show event. Past credits include Coleman/Fleetwood Dealer conference, Fiddlesticks with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Celebrate the Seasons parade in Pittsburgh, Kennywood’s Holiday Lights Event, and assistant to Andy Blankenbuehler Bells Are Ringing at Civic Light Opera. Heather received many awards from major dance organizations including “The Diamond Award” for outstanding choreography for her jazz work Black Coffee. Her tap work, “Sing & Swing” was featured in Point Park University’s Pittsburgh Connections show.
Most recently, Heather was on faculty for both Dance Educators of America & American Dance Awards national summer events where she taught classes & judged. She also taught tap at Carnegie Mellon University for their Pre-College Summer Program.