Carol Abohatab brings more than forty years of experience as a performer, teacher, choreographer and designer to the pageantry arts community. She began working with the Vanguard A Corps in 1996 and remained involved through 2018, contributing in a wide range of roles including writer, technician, caption head, choreographer, movement technician, and designer. She also worked extensively with the Santa Clara Vanguard Winter Guard during its eleven-year run from 2006 to 2016, and as an office assistant and project coordinator in the
VMAPA office.

Carol’s drum corps journey began early. At age nine, she marched with the Centurions in her hometown in Connecticut, and by fourteen she had joined the 27th Lancers, rooked out with Star, and supplemented winters with Quasar, Erté and State Street Review. After aging out, she continued teaching with organizations including Spirit of Atlanta, Glassmen, State Street Review, Emerald Marquis, San Jose Raiders, and Bluecoats Indoor. She has been on staff with the Bluecoats since 2013 and has worked with Fantasia since 2017. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Master of Fine Arts from Mills College in Oakland, both in Dance Performance and Choreography. After moving to California’s South Bay in 1998, Carol founded the Vanguard Dance Company under VMAPA. The company was created to bring together aspiring dancers from the color guard community and professional dancers from the broader arts community, providing mentorship and opportunities for young artists interested in pursuing dance as a career. Many participants have gone on to do just that. She also created and directed Children’s Adventures in Movement, a creative dance outreach program through VMAPA, and served as the organization’s Special Projects Coordinator in the early 2000’s.

Carol served on the WGI Steering Committee from 2009 to 2022 and is a member of both the WGI and World Drum Corps Halls of Fame. She also holds a RYT200 yoga certification. In 2024, she co-founded RISE (Resources for Instruction, Safety, and Education), an organization supporting education and safety within the marching arts. RISE partnered with UDB to host its first summit in February 2025.

In addition to her work in pageantry, Carol has created site-specific solo work in Tuscany and serves on the faculty at San José City College, where she teaches dance and yoga. She is also a board member and grievance officer for the AFT Union.