Testimonials

AND REVIEWS

"I had the pleasure to work with and observe Ms. Oliver in her capacity as Dance Captain of our 2010 national tour of the Color Purple. I was most impressed with her leadership and overall disposition. In her tenure of over a year in the role, she worked with two different casts – comprised of dancers and non-dancers in the Company. Her responsibilities included breaking down all of the steps and teaching the choreography to new cast members, ensuring they were fully prepared to go into the show. The continuity of performance quality is essential to the success of a long-running Broadway musical and Christa’s work contributed to our production delivering a consistent high-bar for our audiences."

— Scott Sanders, Lead Producer of The Color Purple musical on Broadway

“Christa’s artistry manages to gracefully toe the thin line between the visceral and the technical. With its unique swagger and pointed power, her choreography effortlessly weaves its way through your heart and into your cerebellum, wherein it takes residence for the rest of your life. It has been my great privilege to lend my instrument to her art many times over the years and allow it to stretch and grow my spirit, body, and overall artistry well beyond what I may have previously thought possible.”

— Vincent J. Hooper, Simba, The Lion King on Broadway, Hamilton National Broadway Tour

“I stood in awe, watching Christa interpret and teach choreography for The Gospel at Colonus at Zach Theatre. Her gentle encouragement for even the less experienced expressed her character nicely. I watched her make choices that resonated with poise, honesty, and grace. I've come to know that Christa's knowledge of dance is limitless, and her choreographic choices encourage performers and viewers to see nuances anew and ultimately leave the show stronger than when they came in.”

— Eugene Lee, Actor, American Son, Netflix/Broadway

“I have had the great pleasure of working with Christa professionally as a choreographer and performer on multiple ZACH Theatre productions. Christa has created exceptional, memorable, original choreography for The Gospel At Colonus, A Christmas Carol and The Ballad of Klook and Vinette at ZACH that has been met with critical and audience acclaim. Our guest choreographers from NYC and LA always feature Christa prominently in the work they create because she is the best in our region. Christa is quick, precise, and dynamic and she instills the same first-rate professional work ethic and discipline in her students. She is a treasured collaborator, and a valued member of our ZACH Theatre artistic family.”

— Dave Steakley, Producing Artistic Director, ZACH Theatre

“Throughout the production, I sat in awe at the talented performers/ singers: Tim Curry who sang the role of Oedipus as well as Eugene Lee who portrayed Preacher Oedipus, Janis Stinson, Judy Arnold, Michelle Alexander, and Jacqui Cross whose voices were just spectacular and Christa Oliver, whose dance number seemed to encapsulate the very essence of wind gracefully fluttering across the stage.”

— Austin Entertainment Weekly

"I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for an incredible time earlier this summer! I learned so much over that week, and I had A TON of fun! In your classes, you taught me so much about the history of hip hop, finding both the release and the structure in ballet, and generally how to feel more comfortable in my body. You are so awesome! I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from you, and I hope to work with you again at some point in the future. Thank you so much for everything!"

— Student

"I have learned so much from you throughout my years. It makes me emotional just typing it out, but you really provide a safe place for your students to grow and be pushed with love. You are the perfect example of a warm demander and you have genuinely encouraged me to grow and be pushed to a greater potential. One of my biggest pet peeves is being treated like I'm going to break at any given movement, and you do not treat us this way; you encourage us to reach further and dance bigger!"

— Student

"I think that Christa's ability to push students to their maximum potential really is so amazing. I found her eagerness and joy was so palpable and really created a space I felt I could grow and thrive in."

— Student

"Christa has such a fun energy, but also knows how to push her dancers to reach their fullest potential."

— Student

“The ensemble is outstanding in every way, playing multiple roles throughout with top-notch singing and beautifully executing dazzling choreography by Christa Oliver.”

— Broadway World

“Oliver may have had a challenge of her own in finding inspiration, but she came out on the other end with solid results, giving The Ballad of Klook and Vinette a visual appeal reminiscent to the love found in 90s R&B.”

— Black Texas Magazine

“I had the opportunity to watch Christa’s piece on the experience of family separation at the US-Mexico border during the Mellon School for Theatre and Performance at Harvard University this past July. I found it to be a powerful and heart-gripping piece, capturing the agony of separation in the most honest and visceral way. It is an aesthetically fully accomplished piece with a stunning musical score but most of all I was impressed by the talent and personal investment of Christa’s dancers - Christa seems to have masterfully led her team to believe in the importance of her subject matter.”

— Aktina Stathaki, Artistic and Producing Director of Between the Seas: Mediterranean Performing Arts

“Christa has challenged me as a dancer and as a choreographer while guiding me in perfecting my technique. During my time at Texas State University, I found a mentor and an inspirer in her.”

— Student