Senior Instructor of Dance.   BA, University of South Carolina.  MFA in Dance, University of California, Irvine. 

 Olivia began her training at the Colton Ballet School (formerly the Augusta Ballet School) under the direction of Ron and Zanne Colton in Augusta, GA. At 17, she joined the Houston Ballet II, a trainee program for Houston Ballet, where she danced for two years under the direction of Stanton Welch and Claudio Munoz. In 2007, she began her studies at the University of South Carolina, where she danced notable roles in works by choreographers such as George Balanchine (Raymonda Variations, Stars and Stripes, Serenade and Rubies), Lila York (Celts) and Twyla Tharp (Deuce Coupe). She graduated magna cum laude with a BA in Journalism in 2012.

After graduation, she pursued her Masters in Fine Arts degree in Dance at the University of California, Irvine, where she researched the integration of video projection into live dance performance. In addition, she taught ballet courses and workshops with an emphasis on dancer health and wellness, musicality, and artistry.

Olivia joined the University of South Carolina dance faculty in 2017 where she teaches ballet, choreographs, and mentors student choreographers. During this time, she has expanded her creative practice to include screendance and film and, in 2024, received her 200-hour certification in Vinyasa Yoga.

Olivia has been honored for her dedication and passion in the field of dance by the Houston Ballet Academy, USC, and UCI, and she has been awarded the Michael Wasmund Award, USC Board of Dance Artistic Achievement Award, and Dean’s Fellowship in Expanded Media Performance.