Meet Ms. Katherine!

Katherine Horrigan is a former professional dancer turned entrepreneur who founded the Dance Academy of Virginia during COVID, expanding it in 4 years from 2 studio rooms to two facilities with seven studios. As a leader in dance education, Katherine has dedicated over 20 years to the dance field as a professional dancer, teacher, and choreographer, touring the world, performing on international stages, and teaching for universities. 

Katherine's performing career included New York City-based companies Ailey II, Elisa Monte Dance, Jessica Lang Dance, Francesca Harper Project, and Mexico City's Tania Perez-Salas Compania de Danza, as well as guest seasons with Le Grand Ballet du Montreal, among others.

After retiring from the stage, Katherine co-founded a non-profit dance company, and her choreography was featured in prominent festivals such as Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, The Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, and the Dance Gallery Festival.

Katherine graduated from the Ailey/Fordham BFA program and received her Master's in Arts Management from George Mason University. She directed GMU's summer dance intensive and led and scaled a dance school, preparing her for her entrepreneurial journey. 

Katherine continues to lead DAV's team and programming by developing a values-driven culture and community that supports its dancers' growth and future successes. While her most crucial role is raising her daughter, Katherine continues to expand her impact by helping women and business owners and empowering girls to achieve their dreams through her non-profit scholarship program.

Katherine has been featured in Forbes, Yahoo News, and an NYC Times Square Billboard, among other publications. She contributes her leadership experience as a guest on podcasts and business panels and is a member of the Entrepreneurs Organization and Elite Entrepreneur Mastermind.

Katherine recently returned to the stage to perform at the Kennedy Center's world premiere of Opera Turandot.