City Youth Ballet - Johnson City, TN

Susan Pace

CYB Artistic Director

Susan Pace began her training at the Holloway Dancing School of Johnson City, Tennessee. At the age of 8, she was invited to study with Thalia Mara and Arthur Mahoney in New York City. At age 16, she was offered a scholarship to the School of American Ballet. At age 19, she was dancing professionally with the Miami Junior Civic Ballet. Ms. Pace studied with Rudolph Nureyev at the National Ballet of Canada, Leon Danielian of American Ballet Theatre, Melissa Hayden of Skidmore College in New York, Edward Caton and Mary Day of Washington School of Ballet, and others.

Ms. Pace has taught classical ballet for 40 years and has been the Director of the Johnson City Ballet since 1990. She has a broad view of classical ballet and, as a result, seeks out other professionals to help her train her students.

Many of her students have gone on to dance in college or with major ballet companies, including the Atlanta Ballet, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Washington Ballet, the San Diego Ballet, Kentucky Ballet Theatre, Tulsa Ballet, and the San Antonio Ballet.

She has conducted outreach workshops in city recreation programs and public schools throughout Northease Tennessee. Ms. Pace received the Tennessee Governor’s School Outstanding Teacher of the Year award for 2003 and was recently named as a Tri-Cities Local Hero.

Traci Honeycutt

CYB Assistant Artistic Director

Traci Honeycutt began her dance studies with Wilma Pace, Reese Toohey, and Susan Pace of the Holloway Dancing School of Johnson City, Tennessee. Her teachers have included such ballet notables as Robert Barnett of the Atlanta Ballet, George Latimer of Memphis Tennessee’s Ballet South, Pittman Corry and Karen Conrad of Southern Ballet in Atlanta, Gelsey Kirkland of American Ballet Theatre, and Lowell Smith and Yvonne Hall of Dance Theare of Harlem.

She was chosen to dance the lead in a ballet choreographed by Peter Paulus of the Atlanta Ballet. She has studied extensively in the areas of tap and jazz with Ron Daniels, Gus Giordano, and “MR. TAPP.”

Ms. Honeycutt has taught ballet and jazz and choregraphed throughout the region for over 22 years.

Ms. Honeycutt has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from ETSU and a Master of Arts in Counseling. She has been a juvenile probation officer, truant officer, program director for various non-profit organizations, and is currently a high school guidance counselor for the Sullivan Co. School System. She is married and the mother boy/girl twins Keaton and Kaden.