Young completed graduate study in dance at the University of Michigan and the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. She has taught all levels of ballet and modern dance. She also teaches martial arts and yoga.
In fall 1987, she developed a successful community dance program through the Winthrop Academy of the Arts. Since 1989, Young has coordinated and taught dance in the ST-ARTS program for gifted and talented students within five South Carolina school districts.
In recent years, Young has had pieces performed at the International Dance and Technology Conference and the South Carolina Dance Association’s Kaleidoscope Performance Series. In 2003, one of her pieces was adjudicated at the Southeastern American College Dance Festival in Miami, Fla. She also has performed and choreographed at the Afro-American Cultural Center in Charlotte, N.C., and more recently served as a visiting dance artist in residence at the Cuyahoga National Park Environmental Arts Summer Program.
Young also has worked with Merry Pranksters, a theatre troupe primarily for actors with disabilities. She has choreographed for two of their musicals, The Sound of Laughter and A Pocket Full of Miracles. In fall 2003, a national television documentary was televised highlighting the process and performance of this unique ensemble. This documentary won several national awards, including an Emmy. In spring 2008, Young choreographed Carteblanca for the Merry Pranksters using Winthrop dance majors. Her newest aerial piece was performed for the 2008 Medal of Honor in the Arts Ceremony and Winthrop Dance Theatre, a collaborative piece with Technical Director Biff Edge.
Recently, Young has been choreographing and training dancers for one of the newest venues in dance performance: aerial dance. Her most recent aerial piece was performed in 2006 for Winthrop’s Medal of Honor performance.
Young has made two extensive trips to eastern Europe, where she taught and performed for various orphanages. She also was able to conduct research at the Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland, which was used for a multimedia dance piece that she choreographed in memory of the Auschwitz victims. This piece was performed at the regional ACDFA Festival in 2005. In 2006, Young served as festival coordinator for the South Carolina Dancing Festival, hosted at Winthrop. This festival was a highlight for the Department of Theatre and Dance, as dancers, teachers, and choreographers came together for an exciting weekend of classes, presentations, performances, and concerts. It also was the largest festival to date with over 800 participants. In fall 2006, Young received the 2006 South Carolina Dance Association Presidential Award for her work in organizing and running the dance festival.
In addition to her work as a faculty member of dance at Winthrop, Young also serves as artistic director of the Winthrop Dance Theatre. This performing ensemble performs year-round in a variety of venues, including the faculty concert in the fall semester. In 2006 Young choreographed a collaborative dance piece with composer Ron Parks, and in 2007 she choreographed another collaborative piece with visual artist Mark Hamilton. Both pieces were performed for the Medal of Honor in the Arts Ceremony and Winthrop Dance Theatre performances.
Also in 2006, Young organized the Winthrop RockHettes. This group of dancers has become a holiday favorite for the City of Rock Hill’s annual festival of ChristmasVille. In 2008, Young had the opportunity to coordinate dance for Winthrop’s College of Visual and Performing Arts Create Carolina Festival. Dancers, actors, guests artists, writers, and students converged on the Winthrop campus for a three-week intensive period of creativity. She choreographed for the premiere performance Victoria and Frederick, a play written about presidential candidates in the 1800s. Later in summer 2008 she choreographed for the student play Cirque Depravité, which was very favorably adjudicated by KC/ACTF.