Master Classes with Terri Best

Terri Best’s career as a dancer, teacher and choreographer spans over forty years. As a principal dancer with the American Dance and Los Angeles Jazz Dance companies during the 1980’s, Terri has had the honor of performing on stages throughout the USA and in Tokyo, Japan. Recent and past credits include Dear White People, (Netflix), Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (Showtime), Haim’s ‘Little of Your Love’ and St. Vincent’s ‘Daddy’s Home’ music videos, The Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers Christmas Special (NBC) and McDonald’s Handwarmin’ (commercial).
Terri is the honored recipient of the 2008 Stanley Holden Award for Distinguished Teaching, presented to her by esteemed ballet dancer Edward Villella. As a faculty member at EDGE Performing Arts Center for 28 years, she was an integral part of the renowned EDGE scholarship program, training and preparing literally hundreds of dancers for professional careers. Her students can be seen dancing on film, TV, music videos, commercials, tours, Broadway and in dance companies around the world. Terri has been a guest teacher at Broadway Dance Center and Peridance in NYC, and regularly teaches master classes throughout the U.S. and abroad, including workshops in Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil and Mexico.
In 2008 Terri established her own company, Terri Best Dance, which received the coveted Lester Horton Award for Outstanding Achievement in Performance that year. The company has performed to critical acclaim and enthusiastic audiences throughout Southern California. Described by the L.A. Times as “Thrilling, in your face…with a soaring sense of promise”, Terri’s choreography has also been commissioned by L.A. Contemporary Dance Company, and she has been honored with a finalist award four times at the prestigious Dance Under the Stars Choreography Festival in Palm Desert, California.