Our Faculty

Artistic Director, Felicia Carter

Felicia Carter is the owner and artistic director of Modern Dance Arts. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Modern Dance. Felicia has been teaching dance professionally in the Norman community for 20 years. She enjoys watching her students develop self awareness, spatial awareness, musicality, and self confidence through the expression of dance. Felicia is proud to continue the Modern Dance Arts tradition and philosophy founded by Maggie Mitchell in 1984, who felt strongly that students should have the opportunity to seriously study all forms of dance in one place. Felicia aims to push the boundaries of progressive movement styles while holding onto the discipline and tradition of classical training.

Miss Felicia teaches:

2-3 Year Old Creative Movement

3-4-5 Year Old Combination Dance Saturday

3-4-5 Year Old Combination Dance January

4-5 Year Old Combination Dance

Fundamentals I

Modern I

Modern II

Modern III

Modern Company

Senior Ballet Company III

Senior Ballet Company IV

Pointe

Felicia has had many students graduate with degrees in dance related fields and several that have gone on to dance professionally. Felicia is proud of all of her students, as she knows that their dance education has been rooted in discipline, etiquette, tradition rehearsal, and production. All of these skills are elements of understanding and appreciating humanity.

Felicia grew up in Norman, OK. Under the direction of Maggie Mitchell, Danni Kelly, Ko Yukihiro, Denise Vale, and Derrick Minter, Felicia was able to pursue her passion for dance as an art form. Felicia's drive to continue her dance studies into higher education was fueled by validating successes. She auditioned and was selected to attend the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain from the ages 15-18; and was asked to take advantage of the early entry program to dance with the University of Oklahoma’s Modern Repertory Dance Theater at the age of 16. Felicia enrolled with scholarships to pursue her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Modern Dance Performance at the University of Oklahoma. During her undergraduate work, Felicia was fortunate to have had the opportunity to study under many well known choreographers from around the world. She also had the humbling opportunity to learn and perform several Martha Graham original works under the direction of Denise Vale. Vale, a former Principal Dancer with the Martha Graham Company and a master teacher of the Graham Technique, now sits in the position of Senior Artistic Associate Director for The Martha Graham Dance Company.

After graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 2001 with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Modern Dance Performance, Felicia went on to share her passion for teaching movement and began working in the Norman Public High Schools. She worked with Margarita Banos Milton and became the Norman North and Norman High Schools’ Modern Dance instructor. She also took a position at Modern Dance Arts, under Maggie Mitchell, teaching modern dance classes as well as ballet technique classes. Over the years, Felicia has had many teaching joys. Not only did she share her passion with her students at Modern Dance Arts, but she also has taught for the University of Oklahoma’s Summer Wind youth program, facilitated the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute auditions for over 10 years and watched countless dancers discover the love of dance.

Felicia resides in Norman, Oklahoma with her husband of over 15 years, Jack Carter, and their two daughters. The support that Felicia gets from her family and the Norman community at large make her career as an artist overwhelmingly rewarding. In addition to her current role as Artistic Director, Felicia will continue to educate young dancers. She is grateful for the opportunity to share the joy of dance with her students and their families and welcomes you to Modern Dance Arts.