Program Director

April Y. Coghill, LMSW

 

The Cypress Dance Project is the brainchild of our inaugural Program Director, APRIL COGHILL, LMSW.   As our fearless leader, April wears many hats including (but not limited to) dance instructor, mentor, support counselor, dance mom, publicist and friend.  Her smile and passion are contagious as she seeks to unite and partner with  Houston's growing dance and creative movement community.  April's collaborative approach and ability to positively motivate young dancers to perform with passion and purpose without fostering competition is certainly unique.  She embodies our CDP spirit and has made her mark in the Cypress Dance Community in a completely NEW and REVOLUTIONARY way!   Originally from the Los Angeles area, April began her dance training at the age of 5 in ballet, jazz-contemporary, tap and clogging.  She trained and performed on stages throughout California and earned scholarships with Joe Tremaine and Danny Hoctor.  Her choreography has won top honors at national dance competitions such as Showstoppers, KAR, MOVE, StarBound and many more.  Being a trained dancer, as well as an active dance mom, is not rare.  What sets April apart is her career as a professional social work counselor.  She earned her master’s degree in social work from the University of Houston and has proudly served area children and families for over 15 years in schools, hospitals, the city of Houston and local community centers. In direct contrast to the dance teachers and moms featured on popular cable tv shows, April's decision-making and leadership approach ALWAYS navigates from the best interest of the child and she looks forward to partnering with you to facilitate the growth of your child as a dancer and a person.  Above all, April cherishes her role as wife and mommy to dance diva Lola and lively Lennox.  April practices yoga daily and works as a contract behavioral support counselor.  She is a founding member, teacher, dancer and choreographer at CDP.