Faculty • Leadership • Legacy Artists
At Celestial Stars, we believe that great dancers are shaped by great mentors. Our team is made up of dedicated educators, visionary artists, and inspiring leaders—each one a guiding light in the lives of our students. From current faculty to our cherished legacy artists and administrative team, these are the people who bring our mission to life every day with excellence, grace, and heart.
At Celestial Stars, we believe that great dancers are shaped by great mentors. Our team is made up of dedicated educators, visionary artists, and inspiring leaders—each one a guiding light in the lives of our students. From current faculty to our cherished legacy artists and administrative team, these are the people who bring our mission to life every day with excellence, grace, and heart.
Owner & Founder
Gabrielle Celeste
Ballet, Contemporary, Creator of The Christmas Angel Ballet and Artistic Director of Nova Ballet Theatre
Mrs. Gabrielle, a Columbia native, has an extensive local and international training background. From a very young age, she discovered her calling in choreography, and at fifteen she established her studio and company, Celestial Stars. Her innovative ballets are both moving and powerful—most notably her original full-length work, The Christmas Angel©, which premiered in 2001 and now celebrates its 25th anniversary. Guided by her Catholic faith, Gabrielle has always been committed to creating an environment that blends professionalism with strong ethical values, reverence, and a genuine love of beauty. She believes deeply in treating all students with equal dignity and strives to help each dancer grow not only in technique, but also in virtue and character.
At age four, Gabrielle performed for Rasia Struckova, Principal Ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet, who remarked, “I have only seen one other child more talented than her, and that was me.”
Gabrielle began her training with Wrenn Cook of Wrenn Cook & Friends at age three. That same year she began ballet classes with William Starrett and Marie-Claire Miranda of Columbia City Ballet. At age six, she continued her studies intensively under Ann Brodie, remaining with her for seven years until Ms. Brodie’s passing. During her time at Calvert-Brodie, she also trained under Debbie Spivey (Ballet), Maura Gable Moore (Tap), and Linda Busby (Jazz). Her advanced training includes work with Donna Lewis of Eboni Dance Theatre and later with Stanislav Issaev and Kris Cangelosi (Contemporary) at USC. Gabrielle has performed in countless productions while dancing with Columbia City Ballet, The Carolina Ballet, Footnotes, Eboni Dance Theatre, and the USC Dance Company. Shehas also trained at numerous prestigious summer programs, including the Queensland Ballet Company (Australia), Jazz Dance World Congress (Chicago), The Princeton Ballet (NJ), and multiple summers at the USC Summer Intensive.
Gabrielle met her dance partner and now husband, Gene Reed, in 2006 while studying Argentine Tango. Together they are blessed with four children: Genevieve Starr, Seraphina Lang-tai, Gabriel Justus, and Noble Blaise.
Artistic Staff
Sarah Arrington
Tap
Sarah began dancing at the age of five at Miss Mona's School of Dance and Performing Arts in her hometown of Salem, VA. She trained in various styles including ballet, tap, jazz, clogging, lyrical, musical theatre, hip hop, and contemporary, but tap quickly became her favorite style. She spent more than ten years as a member of the award winning competitive team, The Rhythmettes. Her training focused on classical Broadway style tap, with a heavy emphasis on proper technique, a value that continues to shape her approach to teaching today.Outside of dance, Sarah earned a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Radford University and a Master's degree in Athletic Training from The University of Lynchburg. In 2023, she and her husband, Ty, relocated to Columbia, SC, where she completed specialized training in her field. She currently works full-time alongside a hip surgeon, combining her expertise in movement and anatomy with her passion for helping others.
After returning to regular tap classes as an adult, Sarah deepened her appreciation for the art form and is excited to share that passion with her students. She is dedicated to helping young dancers build confidence, musicality, strong technical foundations, and a lifelong love of tap dance
Tap
Sarah began dancing at the age of five at Miss Mona's School of Dance and Performing Arts in her hometown of Salem, VA. She trained in various styles including ballet, tap, jazz, clogging, lyrical, musical theatre, hip hop, and contemporary, but tap quickly became her favorite style. She spent more than ten years as a member of the award winning competitive team, The Rhythmettes. Her training focused on classical Broadway style tap, with a heavy emphasis on proper technique, a value that continues to shape her approach to teaching today.Outside of dance, Sarah earned a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Radford University and a Master's degree in Athletic Training from The University of Lynchburg. In 2023, she and her husband, Ty, relocated to Columbia, SC, where she completed specialized training in her field. She currently works full-time alongside a hip surgeon, combining her expertise in movement and anatomy with her passion for helping others.
After returning to regular tap classes as an adult, Sarah deepened her appreciation for the art form and is excited to share that passion with her students. She is dedicated to helping young dancers build confidence, musicality, strong technical foundations, and a lifelong love of tap dance
Avery Craddock
Creative Movement
Creative Movement
Nora Mader
Ballet
Nora is in her 23rd year of dance with Celestial Stars. Over the years, Nora has had the opportunity to dance under the instruction of Ms. Gabrielle Celeste, Ms. Debbie Spivey, Mr. William Moore Jr, and many others. She has been a teacher at Celestial Stars for the past 10 years, teaching both ballet and contemporary for a variety of ages and levels. Currently, she is working towards her Master's degree in the University of South Carolina's Master's Entry to Practice Nursing program and is excited to graduate next summer. Nora is driven by her Catholic faith and seeks to glorify God in all that she does and is eager to do so as a future nurse. She would like to thank Ms. Gabrielle for her love and dedication to the Celestial Stars family and for her unwavering friendship throughout the years.
Ballet
Nora is in her 23rd year of dance with Celestial Stars. Over the years, Nora has had the opportunity to dance under the instruction of Ms. Gabrielle Celeste, Ms. Debbie Spivey, Mr. William Moore Jr, and many others. She has been a teacher at Celestial Stars for the past 10 years, teaching both ballet and contemporary for a variety of ages and levels. Currently, she is working towards her Master's degree in the University of South Carolina's Master's Entry to Practice Nursing program and is excited to graduate next summer. Nora is driven by her Catholic faith and seeks to glorify God in all that she does and is eager to do so as a future nurse. She would like to thank Ms. Gabrielle for her love and dedication to the Celestial Stars family and for her unwavering friendship throughout the years.
Genevieve Starr
Conditioning
Genevieve loves to dance and trains with great focus and determination. She is studying Ballet, Pointe, and Contemporary with Mrs. Gabrielle; Ballet with Miss Katelyn; and Tap and Jazz with Mrs. Jessica. Genevieve also teaches Stretch, Conditioning and Beginner Ballet. She has attended summer programs with Carolina Ballet, South Carolina Christian Dance Theatre, and the USC Summer Ballet Intensive. A dedicated homeschool student, Genevieve is an avid reader with a creative passion for drawing and journaling. She works at Well-Heeled in Lexington and hopes to become a pointe-shoe fitter. Genevieve sings in the St. Cecilia Choir for the Traditional Latin Mass at Our Lady of the Lake and is grateful to be part of a strong faith community, as her Catholic faith is the most important part of her life.
Conditioning
Genevieve loves to dance and trains with great focus and determination. She is studying Ballet, Pointe, and Contemporary with Mrs. Gabrielle; Ballet with Miss Katelyn; and Tap and Jazz with Mrs. Jessica. Genevieve also teaches Stretch, Conditioning and Beginner Ballet. She has attended summer programs with Carolina Ballet, South Carolina Christian Dance Theatre, and the USC Summer Ballet Intensive. A dedicated homeschool student, Genevieve is an avid reader with a creative passion for drawing and journaling. She works at Well-Heeled in Lexington and hopes to become a pointe-shoe fitter. Genevieve sings in the St. Cecilia Choir for the Traditional Latin Mass at Our Lady of the Lake and is grateful to be part of a strong faith community, as her Catholic faith is the most important part of her life.
|
Rebecca Warthen
Ballet Rebecca Faith Warthen is a native of Columbia, SC and former student of both Gabrielle and the USC Dance Conservatory. Dancing has taken Rebecca on an interesting life path from her elite training at the SC Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities and the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, to dancing as an apprentice with the North Carolina Dance Theatre, teaching with DanceMoves of Charleston while earning her Bachelor's degree at the College of Charleston, serving as the Creative Director of the Thai Youth Theatre festival during her Peace Corps service in Thailand and the Children’s Rehearsal Director of the Brooklyn Ballet for their 2016 "Brooklyn Nutcracker" production, then leading the ballet program for the Dominica Institute for the Arts in the Eastern Caribbean from 2017-2023 (for which she was honored by the American Ballet Theatre's National Training Curriculum as an "Affiliate Teacher" due to her students' superior performance in examinations). Recently, Rebecca has been exploring the world through non-concert dance styles by performing with the Cola Samba Explosion (even traveling to Rio de Janeiro to dance in Carnaval parades!), studying belly dance at Alegria Dance Studio, and continuing to enjoy latin social dancing. Rebecca now works as the Development Manager of the South Carolina Philharmonic. Rebecca makes an effort to serve her local arts community by volunteering. For example, she was a founding member and Secretary of the Dominica Breaking (Breakdance) Association, a member of the 25/26 Columbia Classical Ballet board of directors, and serves as the Treasurer of the First Thursday on Main non-profit. Rebecca is so excited to return to teach with Celestial Stars! |
|
Legacy Artists
Blade Boulware
Guest Artist
Blade is a pianist, organist, violinist, and collaborative musician from Columbia, South Carolina. He currently serves as the Music Director and Organist at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Chapin and maintains an active career as a freelance and collaborative pianist throughout the Midlands. Blade is a 2018 graduate of Coker College, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Music with an emphasis in piano performance. He has studied piano with Dr. Ryan F. Smith, voice with Dr. Christi McLain and Dr. Lee Ousley, and organ with Mark Husey and Dr. Don Grice. He is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Choral Conducting at the University of South Carolina. His musical experience spans choral accompaniment for Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, the Dutch Fork Choral Society, Coker College’s Coker Singers, First Baptist Church of Hartsville, and St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church. He has also collaborated widely with individual vocalists, instrumentalists, and ensembles of varying sizes.Blade has a long and meaningful history with The Christmas Angel, appearing in 24 productions to date. He reprises his roles this year as Father Christmas and the Faerie King. Blade has also collaborated with his sister, Gabrielle Celeste, in creating original music for several of her original ballets, including The Christmas Angel, Light and Darkness, The Jewel Heart, and more. While training under Gabrielle at Celestial Stars, Blade was accepted into the Bolshoi Ballet Summer Intensive in New York City—though ultimately, he chose to attend the Brevard Music Center, a defining summer that placed him firmly on his musical path. Deeply committed to cultivating his gifts and growing as an artist and individual, Blade approaches his work with openness, creativity, and a keen sense of wonder. He lets the wind shape his journey; wherever it blows, you will find him there--where the birches settle.
Guest Artist
Blade is a pianist, organist, violinist, and collaborative musician from Columbia, South Carolina. He currently serves as the Music Director and Organist at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Chapin and maintains an active career as a freelance and collaborative pianist throughout the Midlands. Blade is a 2018 graduate of Coker College, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Music with an emphasis in piano performance. He has studied piano with Dr. Ryan F. Smith, voice with Dr. Christi McLain and Dr. Lee Ousley, and organ with Mark Husey and Dr. Don Grice. He is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Choral Conducting at the University of South Carolina. His musical experience spans choral accompaniment for Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, the Dutch Fork Choral Society, Coker College’s Coker Singers, First Baptist Church of Hartsville, and St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church. He has also collaborated widely with individual vocalists, instrumentalists, and ensembles of varying sizes.Blade has a long and meaningful history with The Christmas Angel, appearing in 24 productions to date. He reprises his roles this year as Father Christmas and the Faerie King. Blade has also collaborated with his sister, Gabrielle Celeste, in creating original music for several of her original ballets, including The Christmas Angel, Light and Darkness, The Jewel Heart, and more. While training under Gabrielle at Celestial Stars, Blade was accepted into the Bolshoi Ballet Summer Intensive in New York City—though ultimately, he chose to attend the Brevard Music Center, a defining summer that placed him firmly on his musical path. Deeply committed to cultivating his gifts and growing as an artist and individual, Blade approaches his work with openness, creativity, and a keen sense of wonder. He lets the wind shape his journey; wherever it blows, you will find him there--where the birches settle.
Headshots by Shutterbug Photography
Nicole Hamm
Choreographer/Coach
started dancing at the age of 3. She danced for 11 years at Miss Amy's Competitive Edge Company in Dickson, Tennessee and recently was invited back home to choreograph a contemporary piece for their competitive team. During college, Nicole took improv, Ballet, jazz, and contemporary at the University of South Carolina Department of Theatre and Dance. She graduated from U of SC in 2020 with an Education Specialist Degree in Counselor Education. Nicole is a mental health therapist and currently in private practice. She has a passion for creating choreography centered on mental health awareness. Nicole is in her 9th year teaching at Celestial Stars and shares her passion for creating choreography centered on mental health awareness to the studio and company performances each year. This is Nicole’s 8th year dancing in The Christmas Angel. During 2020, she expanded her creative horizons creating a made for film short dance titled “Awake” which inspired and encouraged Nicole and Gabrielle to make the 20th anniversary edition of “The Christmas Angel” a film—an incredible experience that Nicole will always treasure.
Choreographer/Coach
started dancing at the age of 3. She danced for 11 years at Miss Amy's Competitive Edge Company in Dickson, Tennessee and recently was invited back home to choreograph a contemporary piece for their competitive team. During college, Nicole took improv, Ballet, jazz, and contemporary at the University of South Carolina Department of Theatre and Dance. She graduated from U of SC in 2020 with an Education Specialist Degree in Counselor Education. Nicole is a mental health therapist and currently in private practice. She has a passion for creating choreography centered on mental health awareness. Nicole is in her 9th year teaching at Celestial Stars and shares her passion for creating choreography centered on mental health awareness to the studio and company performances each year. This is Nicole’s 8th year dancing in The Christmas Angel. During 2020, she expanded her creative horizons creating a made for film short dance titled “Awake” which inspired and encouraged Nicole and Gabrielle to make the 20th anniversary edition of “The Christmas Angel” a film—an incredible experience that Nicole will always treasure.