Amy Marie McCleary began choreographing at the age of six when she won “Best Original Choreography” at her local dance studio.  Since then she has been creating dances for schools, theatres and dance companies across the country.

Trained in the Royal Academy of Dance ballet technique, Amy spent most of her school years in pink tights and pointe shoes. At the same time Amy studied singing and acting, as well as performing in numerous community theatre productions. What little free time she had was spent dancing around her parent’s living room to whatever records she could get her hands on. Favorites included West Side Story, A Chorus Line and Cats – three shows she would later perform in as a young adult.

 
In high school Amy worked with Ballet California, starring in the modern ballet Flight and playing “The Vamp”, a role created for her by Keith Martin, in his world premeire of “Ballet Big Band”.  Favorite school productions included Guys and Dolls (Sarah Brown), The Skin of Our Teeth (Gladys) and The Wiz (Evilene), which she also choreographed. Amy won a National Caring Counts Award for her original ballet which she created for her high school’s production of Quilt, a musical about the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Her senior year, Amy wrote, directed and choreographed the original music review Rhapsody in Blue which raised money for the drama department and received accolades from the community at large.


After graduation Amy attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts where she studied at CAP21, the premiere training ground for musical theatre performers. She received her BFA in three years and began her professional career at Flat Rock Playhouse - the state theatre of North Carolina. At the Playhouse she wore many hats, including dance instructor, intern advisor, performer, choreographer and acting teacher.  Amy has toured the nation in productions of Cinderella and A Christmas Carol, as well as working at theatres across the country as both a performer and choreographer including Allenberry Playhouse (Godspell, Jesus Christ Superstar) Cortland Reperatory (Honky Tonk Angels, The Nerd, All Night Strut) Florida Reperatory (Forum, Schoolhouse Rock LIVE, Boeing Boeing), The Big Bang) The Herb Strauss Schoolhouse Theatre (Something's Afoot)  and The Little Theatre on the Square (Cabaret, The Wedding Singer).