Cindy Trueblood began ballet classes at the age of six with Robert Bell in Oklahoma City. When she was 16, she received a scholarship to study dance at the University of Kansas School of Fine Arts. Her training continued in Oxnard, CA with Mara Lysova. When she moved to Bakersfield with her parents, Lane and Jody Howell, she studied ballet at the Bakersfield Ballet Theatre under the direction of Martha Knight. In 1968, she began teaching and established what is now Civic Dance Center. In 1978, Civic Dance Center accepted the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra’s invitation to be part of The Nutcracker Ballet which began an annual Bakersfield Christmas tradition that continues to this day. In 2017, Civic Dance Center celebrated their 40th year of a Christmas party that ends in a dreamy adventure to the land of sweets with Clara, a magical Nutcracker, and the Sugar Plum Fairy. In 1998, the Arts Council of Kern awarded her the Bakersfield Centennial Dance Award for outstanding contributions to the cultural heritage of Bakersfield. In November 2002, the arts Council of Kern honored Civic Dance Center for 25 years of commitment to the enhancement of the arts. Cindy is married to Kevin Trueblood and they are the proud parents of two sons, Tyler and Mason.