Terri Best

Terri Best’s career as a dancer, choreographer and teacher spans nearly forty years, and she’s still going strong. As a principal dancer with the Los Angeles Jazz Dance Companyduring the 1980’s, she performed on stages throughout the U.S. and on tour in Japan. Some of her favorite credits include work on Dear White People (Netflix), PennyDreadful: City of Angels (Showtime), Haim’s ‘Little of Your Love’ and St. Vincent’s ‘Daddy’s Home’ music videos, McDonald’s: ‘Handwarmin’ (assistant choreographer)and The Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers Christmas Special (NBC).

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 dancers for professional careers. Her students can be seen dancing in all areas of the industry: on film, TV, videos, commercials, tours, Broadway and in dance companies around the world. Terri has taught at Broadway Dance Center and Peridance in NYC, and conducts master classes and workshops at studios throughout the U.S. and abroad, including Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil and Mexico.

In 2008, Terri established her own company, Terri Best Dance, which received the Lester Horton Award for Outstanding Achievement in Performance by a Small Ensemble thatyear. The company has performed to critical acclaim and enthusiastic audiences at theaters and festivals 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 honoredwith a finalist award four times at the prestigious Dance Under the Stars Choreography Festival in Palm Desert, California.