Christopher Payen is an award winning dance instructor/teacher and choreographer with BA degree in Theatre and Dance minor from the University of Central Florida. Before moving to Orlando to pursue his career in the arts and further his education, he lived in Broward where he got his AA degree in theatre and dance at Broward College. In South Florida, he directed and choreographed Arts “R” Us Performance Showcase (Muse Center for the Arts) and was a featured choreographer for Mic Check: Vocal Performance Artist Showcase (Sunrise Civic Center). Chris was also a guest dance instructor/teacher for Performance Edge Dance Studio and Kirova Ballet Academy.

As a full time local choreographer, Chris has worked with many theatre's/schools/entertainment companies etc. with choreography credits including True North! (Orlando Family Stage), Annie and Ride the Cyclone (Theatre South Playhouse), Something Rotten and The Secret Garden (Montverde Academy Theatre Conservatory), The Rocky Horror Show and Carrie the Musical (Theater West End), West Side Story (Celebration Theatre Company), Freedom (Florida Theatrical Association), Baseball: A Musical Love Letter (Opera Orlando) and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Park Maitland School). As a local performer, Chris has performed at Disney, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa, Legoland Florida, Orlando Shakes and Orlando Family Stage.

Currently, Chris is a Co-Founder and Co-Creative for MAC Boys Entertianment, a non - profit performing arts troupe/entertainment company with a residency at Orlando Family Stage. Chris is also a teaching artist for the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and a dance teacher/instructor at Theatre South Playhouse. You can find his most recent choreography work in Jesus Christ Superstar running at Theater West End until June 15th and in Spring Awakening running until June 22nd at Theatre South Playhouse.