Claire Horrocks was announced as competitive dance coach for the Spartans in June 2019.
Horrocks brings with her over a decade of experience as a professional dancer and eight years as a dance instructor. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Calif., Horrocks trained and competed nationally in ballet, jazz, tap and musical theatre for Carousel Dance Company. Upon graduating high school, she toured nationally as an ensemble dancer with the Radio City Rockettes in the 2008 Christmas Spectacular Arena Tour. Claire then pursued her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from the renowned Dance program at the University of Oklahoma while also dancing with the resident ballet company, Oklahoma Festival Ballet. She has continued her professional performing career with the Louisville Ballet, Missouri Ballet Theatre and Common Thread Contemporary Ballet Company.
"MBU students are unique from any other students I've coached. Beyond the expectation of receiving an excellent education, they hunger for the opportunity to utilize their talents in a way that serves their university, community, and faith,” Horrocks noted. “As a former competitive dancer, I know there is great value in performing and competing - but my goal in this position goes beyond those objectives. I will guide the athletes in exploring their capabilities as individuals and as a team, urging them to take risks, teaching them to embrace their failures and triumphs, and instilling values of courage, humility, and faith behind their work. I am honored to work beside Andrea Robb, whose vision for MBU Spirit will allow these young men and women to experience the potentials of their God-given talents as athletes, performers, and students of MBU."
The LA native will inherit a competitive dance program that is a two-time NAIA Regional runner-up and 2017 NAIA Competitive Dance National Championship qualifier. In the first year as an NAIA Championship sport (2016-17), the Spartans received an at-large bid and cracked the Top-10 with a ninth-place finish in Oklahoma City.
As an adjunct faculty member at MBU, Horrocks teaches each of the courses required within the Dance minor including Jazz, Tap, Musical Theatre Dance, Ballet and Dance Composition. During her time teaching at Missouri Baptist, Horrocks has choreographed MBU Theatre’s productions of Little Shop of Horrors, Anything Goes, and Through the Looking Glass.
Horrocks also serves as a dance instructor and marketing/community outreach coordinator at DaySpring Arts & Education, a non-profit organization located in Maryland Heights. In addition to pursuing her M.S. in Fitness Management from MBU, Horrocks is a certified Yoga and Pilates instructor and incorporates those certifications into her coaching.
