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Iris Cloud, a native of Cleveland, Ohio began her dance

training at eight years old at the Karamu House Theatre. She was awarded a Ford Foundation scholarship to study at the Ballet Guild of Cleveland from age ten to seventeen with Alex Martin. At the age of seventeen Ms. Cloud studied dance in London, England for a summer with John O' Brien at The

Dance Center, which was frequented by members of The

Royal Ballet. She was invited to stay, but decided to return to the states and attend Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, studying with Edward Caton, Leonide Massine, Michel Fokine, Jayne Hillyer, Judith Leiffer and Kenneth Johnson; graduating with a B.A. in Dance and English.

Iris Cloud has been teaching dance for over forty years

and is a master teacher of classical ballet, a gifted

performer and choreographer. Her acclaimed work has been seen on PBS's Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, and she has been associated with Young Audiences in New York City,

New York City Board of Education, Harlem School of The

Arts, Inner City Dance of Oklahoma, and The Alvin Ailey

American Dance Center.

Ms. Cloud danced professionally with Dance Theatre of Harlem from 1978-1981, and then began

teaching children and young adults under the guidance

of Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook for twelve years

before founding Dance for Joy in 1995.