Ashleigh Blevins began her singing career at the age of three, performing for packed stadiums with her father's country western band, and she has rarely been seen away from the stage ever since. She earned a BA in Vocal Performance from Eastern University in Philadelphia, PA, before marrying her pen pal and best friend of ten years and moving to St. Louis. The “Blevinites” have since added two beautiful children and countless canines to their ranks. After a number of years in Salt Lake City, UT, Ashleigh is thrilled to be back “home” in STL and back in the GCPA studios.

Ashleigh has taught voice and theatre for over fifteen years. She has experience and expertise through all ages, levels and abilities, teaching music, language, and theatre at many St. Louis institutions, including South City Community School, Miriam School and Learning Center, and STAGES St. Louis. She has coached private and group voice, held music and theatre residencies in numerous schools in the St. Louis area, and directed/music directed many musical productions. She is a published composer, a recording artist, a proven educator, and a fierce advocate for her students to be transformed and to transform others through the power of music and the performing arts.

Mary is thrilled to teach at GCPA, doing full summers of camps and production camps as well as full years in both Musical Theater Dance and Tap classes. She has been actively involved in dance and musical theater for over thirty years both onstage as a performer as well a choreographer for numerous youth theater productions as well as community theater musicals. She continues to perform herself with both the St. Louis Strutters and the St. Louis Showstoppers and has appeared multiple times on the Muny stage. She has also served as past director of the Missouri River Cloggers for many years. In addition to teaching for GCPA, she has been a teaching artist for Stages St. Louis for the past seven years and has served as choreographer and board member of Over Due Theater for over ten years. She is a past recipient of an AFL award for choreography, as well as other choreography and actress nominations. It is truly her passion to be able create musical theater experiences whether it be working with youth performers all the way through adults. She is so very excited for the opportunity to expand and share her teaching skills at GCPA with such a diverse offering of classes.

Larry D. Pry has been teaching voice, piano and musical theater for over 30 years. He is a former member of the faculty for Webster University’s Conservatory of Theatre Arts. He is also a nationally recognized vocal coach, clinician, orchestrator and accompanist. He was honored to be the associate music director for the world premiere of Stephen Schwart’z CHILDREN OF EDEN. He studied piano and voice at Webster University and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Larry worked as the Audition Pianist and Publicity Manager for The Muny theatre in Forest Park for 18 years. Internationally, Larry has performed with the Beach Boys and Charo, as well as served as a musical director for the Papal visit of John Paul II, in Denver, Colorado. Favorite performance locations include London, Puerto Rico, The Muny and Mile High Stadium. Honored to be with GCPA! 

Paola Rodríguez Torregrosa is a second year Musical Theatre Major at Sargent Conservatory at Webster, moving here from Frisco, TX! Born in San Juan, PR, she’s trained in theatre and dance, performing and assistant choreographing shows throughout her years. She can’t wait to join the GCPA family!

Sarah K. Wirthlin is a professional singer, vocal coach, piano instructor, choreographer, Music Director, audition coach, and mother of 4 fabulous children. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, UT, Sarah has been singing and performing in venues around the world from a very young age. She studied at the American and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in NYC where she went on to be cast in the first National Tour of Oklahoma. Some of her favorite theater credits include: Beauty and the Beast (Belle), Into the Woods (Cinderella), Oklahoma (Laurie), as well as several projects with the Walt Disney Company. Her love of theater has extended beyond her personal career to her work as a choreographer and Music Director for several youth theater productions including: Singing in the Rain, Oliver, Brigadoon, and Bye Bye Birdie. For the last 20 years she has owned and operated her own vocal studio in several locations around the country, and is currently teaching in St. Louis, MO.

Laura Roth, a native of Jacksonville, IL, is a freelance dancer, teacher, and choreographer based in St. Louis, MO. Laura has performed with companies and collectives including Leverage Dance Theatre, Smashworks Dance, Common Thread Contemporary Ballet, and pH eXchange Dance Theatre, and she has had the pleasure of collaborating with Masterworks Chorale on multiple projects. She has performed in Dance St. Louis’ Spring to Dance, Kansas City Fringe Festival, City in Motion’s A Modern Night at the Folly, Dine on Dance, 60x60 St. Louis, Dancing in the Street and National Dance Week.  In addition to teaching at GCPA, she has taught dance and musical theatre at STAGES, DaySpring School for the Arts, COCA, Vitality Ballet, and more. A graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a minor in Religious Studies. She is also a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant.

Hannah originally hails from Northeast Ohio where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Concentrating in Dance from Lake Erie College. She has performed professionally with the Lake Erie College and Cleveland State University dance companies. Hannah is passionate about dance education and has enjoyed teaching creative movement, modern, ballet, tap, jazz, musical theatre, and dance composition to all ages for over a decade. She had the rewarding opportunity to develop the dance curriculum for ArtsCarts mobile art program and to implement the program in a variety of classroom settings, integrating both academic and arts education. She has also enjoyed choreographing many shows for high school and community theaters, including Once on this Island (Geauga Lyric Theater), The Wind in the Willows, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Light in the Piazza, and Oliver! (Rabbit Run Theater), Annie (Chagrin Valley Little Theater), The Music Man (The Fine Arts Association), All Shook Up (Madison High School), and Crazy for You, Mary Poppins, and A Chorus Line (Mentor High School). Hannah is honored and so excited to join the GCPA community. Outside the dance studio, you can find her sewing vintage dresses, gardening, cooking, reading, and going out swing dancing… and enjoying lots and lots of coffee!

A Kansas City native, Christy moved to St. Louis to study biology at Saint Louis University. After accidentally landing an after-school job as a youth theatre coordinator, she discovered a passion for teaching performing arts.  She finished her degree at SLU and went right back to school to earn a degree in Music Education at Webster University. While at Webster, she worked as a youth music and costume director, first at Stray Pups Youth Theatre, and then Ignite Theatre two years later.  She also co-directed The Lion King Jr. as a five week intensive the summer before her final year at Webster.  After graduation, Christy tried her hand at classroom teaching, first elementary music and then early childhood a year later.  She is so honored and excited to be rejoining the St. Louis performing arts community as a member of the GCPA team.

In her spare time, Christy moonlights as a character look-alike (mostly Princess Tiana from Princess and the Frog), sews fairy costumes, and enjoys having tea parties with her cat, Clawdia.

 

Jennifer Egley is a St. Louis native and recent graduate of the University of Kansas where she earned a BFA in Dance and a Minor in Education. At school she had the pleasure of studying with artists such as Christine Colby Jacques, Michelle Heffner Hayes, Tristian Griffin, Ashley Brittingham, Andie Stitt, Jerel Hilding and Patrick Suzeau. She is currently a Trainee and the Special Events Intern for The Big Muddy Dance Company. She is excited to be back in St. Louis and to start working with the amazing students and staff at GCPA!

Tayler Kinner (she/her) grew up in the cornfields of Springfield, IL. She holds a BFA in Dance and a minor in Advertising & Marketing Communications from Webster University, graduating with departmental honors. Tayler moved back to the St. Louis area in Fall 2020 after spending four years in San Francisco working as a teacher, performer, and choreographer. While in San Francisco, she was fortunate enough to work with contemporary and dance theater based companies including RAWdance, Alyssandra Katherine Dance, Tim Rubel Human Shakes, KWENTO, and several independent artists. She has performed in New York, Berlin, St. Louis, and throughout the Bay Area. Tayler is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Big Plate Dance, using improvisation to bring spontaneous and joyful works to audiences. Big Plate Dance was privileged to receive a residency at SAFEhouse Arts and honored to be one of five artists chosen to take part in ODC's Pilot 72 program. Since returning to St. Louis, she has rejoined Karlovsky & Company Dance and looks forward to their upcoming season. Tayler has been teaching dance for over a decade and finds great joy in sharing her love of movement with others.

Libby took her first dance class at age 11 and never looked backed. At 19, she became a proud member of Actors’ Equity at The Muny and moved back to her native city of Chicago to study extensively with the dance masters of Joel Hall, Gus Giordano, River North and Hubbard Street, which led to soloist positions in multiple dance companies; Touch, Serendipity Dance Project, Kari James Dance Network and an unexpected gig as a back-up dancer for Weird Al Yankovic. (Yes, it’s true!)

Professional musical theater credits include: The Wizard of Oz, Anything Goes, South Pacific, Guys & Dolls, Jesus Christ Superstar, Sweet Charity, Evita, Cabaret, Hello Dolly, La Cage aux Folles and the stage premiere of White Christmas, among others.

As a lead teaching artist, audition coach and choreographer on faculty at COCA and Stages St. Louis, she has co-created countless arts education, outreach and pre-professional programs over the past 18 years, including introducing the first Musical Theater Dance Curriculum for Grand Center Performing Arts Academy. Her students have performed on Broadway, with the Radio City Rockettes, in television, film and music video. When Libby’s not performing, choreographing or teaching, she is busy traveling the country as a regional adjudicator for International Dance Challenge and Cathy Roe Dance.

Hannah originally hails from Northeast Ohio where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Concentrating in Dance from Lake Erie College. She has performed professionally with the Lake Erie College and Cleveland State University dance companies. Hannah is passionate about dance education and has enjoyed teaching creative movement, modern, ballet, tap, jazz, musical theatre, and dance composition to all ages for over a decade. She had the rewarding opportunity to develop the dance curriculum for ArtsCarts mobile art program and to implement the program in a variety of classroom settings, integrating both academic and arts education. She has also enjoyed choreographing many shows for high school and community theaters, including Once on this Island (Geauga Lyric Theater), The Wind in the Willows, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Light in the Piazza, and Oliver! (Rabbit Run Theater), Annie (Chagrin Valley Little Theater), The Music Man (The Fine Arts Association), All Shook Up (Madison High School), and Crazy for You, Mary Poppins, and A Chorus Line (Mentor High School). Hannah is honored and so excited to join the GCPA community. Outside the dance studio, you can find her sewing vintage dresses, gardening, cooking, reading, and going out swing dancing… and enjoying lots and lots of coffee!

Mary is thrilled to teach at GCPA, doing full summers of camps and production camps as well as full years in both Musical Theater Dance and Tap classes. She has been actively involved in dance and musical theater for over thirty years both onstage as a performer as well a choreographer for numerous youth theater productions as well as community theater musicals. She continues to perform herself with both the St. Louis Strutters and the St. Louis Showstoppers and has appeared multiple times on the Muny stage. She has also served as past director of the Missouri River Cloggers for many years. In addition to teaching for GCPA, she has been a teaching artist for Stages St. Louis for the past seven years and has served as choreographer and board member of Over Due Theater for over ten years. She is a past recipient of an AFL award for choreography, as well as other choreography and actress nominations. It is truly her passion to be able create musical theater experiences whether it be working with youth performers all the way through adults. She is so very excited for the opportunity to expand and share her teaching skills at GCPA with such a diverse offering of classes.

Paola Rodríguez Torregrosa is a second year Musical Theatre Major at Sargent Conservatory at Webster, moving here from Frisco, TX! Born in San Juan, PR, she’s trained in theatre and dance, performing and assistant choreographing shows throughout her years. She can’t wait to join the GCPA family!

Lara Teeter has performed, directed and choreographed for major regional theatre and opera houses nation-wide. He is currently a Professor of Theatre, Head of the Musical Theatre Program at the Webster Conservatory for Theatre Arts here in St. Louis. Previously, he taught for Shenandoah University, Northwestern University and California State University at Fullerton. Lara has performed in three national tours and six Broadway shows, including the revival of the Rodgers and Hart classic, On Your Toes, for which he received a Tony nomination and Outer Critics Circle Award. From 1999-2004, Lara served as Artistic Director of Light Opera Works in the Chicago area, and in 2000 made his Carnegie Hall debut followed by his Lyric Opera of Chicago debut in 2001. Since 1990, Lara has performed on the MUNY stage in shows such as Singin’ In the Rain, The Wizard of Oz, Little Shop of Horrors, White Christmas, Hairspray, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Bye, Bye Birdie and most recently AIDA. Recordings include On Your Toes, Lady Be Good and the Grammy nominated Wizard of Oz. He is also active as a private coach for musical theatre dance, song study, and tap. For the Variety Children’s Theatre, he has directed The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Oliver!, The Wizard of Oz, ANNIE, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, and Beauty and the Beast which earned him a St. Louis critics nomination for best choreography. He and his wife, Kristen, are the proud parents of Charlie, Elizabeth, Katherine and Maggie.

Kelly Ging is a teacher, arts administrator and performer in St. Louis. She began her dance training as a young student in rural Missouri studying tap, jazz, ballet, and pointe. To further develop her tap training, she attended many summer festivals such as the St. Louis Tap Festival, LA Tap Festival, and Tradition in Tap (NY). Kelly holds a BA in both Arts Management and Dance from Lindenwood University where she received the Lindy Award from the Department of Dance and graduated magna cum laude.

Over the last 15 years, she has developed a strong passion for teaching. Kelly strives to challenge each student right where they are at and finds the best classes are ones filled with lots of laughter and sweat. She continues to develop her own training and skills as a founding member and performer with St. Louis Rhythm Collaborative. As an arts administrator, she served as the Pre-Professional Division and Dance Program Manager at COCA for 12 years. You'll now find her at Washington University in the Performing Arts Department.

Kelly is excited to teach at GCPA and share her love for tap dancing!

Laura Roth, a native of Jacksonville, IL, is a freelance dancer, teacher, and choreographer based in St. Louis, MO. Laura has performed with companies and collectives including Leverage Dance Theatre, Smashworks Dance, Common Thread Contemporary Ballet, and pH eXchange Dance Theatre, and she has had the pleasure of collaborating with Masterworks Chorale on multiple projects. She has performed in Dance St. Louis’ Spring to Dance, Kansas City Fringe Festival, City in Motion’s A Modern Night at the Folly, Dine on Dance, 60x60 St. Louis, Dancing in the Street and National Dance Week.  In addition to teaching at GCPA, she has taught dance and musical theatre at STAGES, DaySpring School for the Arts, COCA, Vitality Ballet, and more. A graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a minor in Religious Studies. She is also a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant.

Bio and Headshot coming soon!

 

Bekah Harbison (she/her) (she/her) is a St. Louis–based director and teaching artist who is thrilled to be returning to GCPA for the third school year! In addition to directing throughout the St. Louis community Bekah is the Managing Artistic Director of Over Due Theatre Company. Some of her favorite directorial credits include The Drowsy Chaperone (AFL Outstanding Director Winner), The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 (TMA Direction Nomination), Children of Eden, The Food Monologues, and a virtual production of A Christmas Carol performed simultaneously in English & American Sign Language. She has significant experience working with performers with disabilities and is an advocate & consultant for inclusion and accessibility in the arts. 

Bekah takes a person-centered approach in her teaching and believes that acting is for anyone who wants to perform. She enjoys meeting students where they're at, whether that's tweaking well-honed skills or starting from square one. Above all, she enjoys sharing her love of theatre with students of all ages, experience levels, and skill sets!

Drew Mizell (he/him) is a actor, singer and musician and is overjoyed to be joining as a GCPA Teaching Artist! A Saint Louis native, Drew was highly involved in the arts from a young age and took part in local productions in school and the community including Muny Kids, State Thespian Festival, All State Choir, and was the recipient of the Arts-For-Life Scholarship from Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. After receiving a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles in 2016, he began to work professionally in regional productions, theme parks, and improv troupes in the LA area. Some favorite credits would be Mary Poppins, Evita, West Side Story, The Drowsy Chaperone and Swan Lake: A New Musical with Broadway’s Andrew Lippa. In 2018, Drew transitioned to a life-at-sea and began performing internationally with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings as a Featured Vocalist until earlier this year. Now back in Saint Louis, Drew teaches at Ladue Middle School and provides individual voice lessons from his home in the Central West End. 

Paul Pagano, a native of St. Louis, received his BA in Drama from Washington University and Masters in Theatre Education from Fontbonne University.  As an actor, Paul has had the opportunity to work with the Guthrie Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Children’s Theatre Company, Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, Hey City Theatre, Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre, the MUNY, STAGES St. Louis, HotCity Theatre, and many others.  He has worked with Hunter Foster, Kathy Fitzgerald, Peter Michael Goetz, Anne Bogart, and Dan Goggin.  Proud member of Actors’ Equity Association since 2001.

As an instructor, Paul has taught at COCA, the Utah Shakespeare Festival Teen Acting Intensive, St. Louis University High School, and STAGES Performing Arts Academy.

When not on stage or in the classroom, Paul’s favorite roles are being a husband to wife, Lori, and father to budding stars, Xavier & Kalia.  

 

Ashleigh Blevins began her singing career at the age of three, performing for packed stadiums with her father's country western band, and she has rarely been seen away from the stage ever since. She earned a BA in Vocal Performance from Eastern University in Philadelphia, PA, before marrying her pen pal and best friend of ten years and moving to St. Louis. The “Blevinites” have since added two beautiful children and countless canines to their ranks. After a number of years in Salt Lake City, UT, Ashleigh is thrilled to be back “home” in STL and back in the GCPA studios.

Ashleigh has taught voice and theatre for over fifteen years. She has experience and expertise through all ages, levels and abilities, teaching music, language, and theatre at many St. Louis institutions, including South City Community School, Miriam School and Learning Center, and STAGES St. Louis. She has coached private and group voice, held music and theatre residencies in numerous schools in the St. Louis area, and directed/music directed many musical productions. She is a published composer, a recording artist, a proven educator, and a fierce advocate for her students to be transformed and to transform others through the power of music and the performing arts.

Lori Barrett-Pagano earned her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Washington University in St. Louis.  She has been teaching voice for over 25 years – currently as an adjunct voice faculty at St. Louis University, privately out of her home, as well as voice and musical theatre classes at GCPA.  

Lori enjoys singing numerous styles of music and has performed with musical theatre, operetta, and opera companies.  Locally, she has performed with The MUNY, STAGES St. Louis, Union Avenue Opera, Echo Theatre, Spotlight Theatre, MainStage Musicals and SIUE Summer Showbiz.  Regional credits include The Minnesota Opera, North Star Opera, Minneapolis Musical Theatre, Theatre in the Round, and The Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company.

Her most enjoyable performing is to sing and dance around the house with her actor/singer husband, Paul, and her most precious stars, son, Xavier, and daughter, Kalia.

Drew Mizell (he/him) is a actor, singer and musician and is overjoyed to be joining as a GCPA Teaching Artist! A Saint Louis native, Drew was highly involved in the arts from a young age and took part in local productions in school and the community including Muny Kids, State Thespian Festival, All State Choir, and was the recipient of the Arts-For-Life Scholarship from Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. After receiving a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles in 2016, he began to work professionally in regional productions, theme parks, and improv troupes in the LA area. Some favorite credits would be Mary Poppins, Evita, West Side Story, The Drowsy Chaperone and Swan Lake: A New Musical with Broadway’s Andrew Lippa. In 2018, Drew transitioned to a life-at-sea and began performing internationally with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings as a Featured Vocalist until earlier this year. Now back in Saint Louis, Drew teaches at Ladue Middle School and provides individual voice lessons from his home in the Central West End. 

 
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Erin Crouch Smith (Musical Theatre Dance, Tap, Character Heels)

As an Actor’s Equity Association member since 2000, Erin has performed on Broadway in the revival of 42nd Street, and in the first national Broadway touring company of The Producers. She has played leading roles in regional theatres across the country, favorites of which include Lola in Damn Yankees (Ogunquit Playhouse), Velma in Chicago (Pioneer Theatre), Cassie in A Chorus Line (Geva Theatre), Dorothy in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Gateway Theatre), Nancy in Oliver! (Moonlight Amphitheatre), Ziegfeld’s Favorite in The Will Rogers Follies (Sacramento Music Circus), and Marty in Grease (Stages St. Louis). In addition to performing, she spent several years as an associate casting director with Laura Stanczyk Casting and Wojcik/Seay Casting, for Broadway workshops, national tours and regional theatres. Her choreography credits include the long-running NYC concert series Broadway by the Year and Broadway’s Rising Stars, Little Shop of Horrors (Infinity Theatre Company), A Funny Things Happened… (Musical Theatre West), Ruthless! The Musical (University of California, Irvine), and Mamma Mia! (Nerinx Hall). She is also a founding member of The Honey Taps, a national dance company specializing in Prohibition Era song and dance styles. Erin holds a BA in Drama and a BA in Music from the University of California, Irvine. Her teaching credits include musical theatre dance at Broadway Dance Center (NYC), all levels of theatre tap at Columbia College Chicago, theatre jazz and ballet for actors at Roosevelt University (Chicago), and acting at Nerinx Hall High School (St. Louis).

 

Mike DePope (Summer)

Mike is thrilled to return to teaching and join the staff at GCPA! Originally from the east coast, Mike is happy to now call St. Louis home. He has appeared in numerous commercials and industrials for Budweiser, Edward Jones, Buffalo Wild Wings, Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr, Dobb’s Tire & Auto and Jim Butler Chevrolet among others. He can also be seen in the films “Chasing Amy”, “The Layover” and “The Empty Man”. As a voice-over artist, Mike’s credits include Sea World San Diego, the Saint Louis Zoo, and a children’s podcast serial. Recent St. Louis theatre credits include The Gingerbread Lady and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. This summer Mike can be seen in the world premiere of the new play Bandera, Texas, and later this fall as Ed Boone in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time with Hawthorne Players.

 
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Kristianna Dilworth (Musical Theatre, Acting, Voice)

Kristianna holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Missouri Baptist University and a Master's in Contemporary Commercial Voice Pedagogy from Shenandoah Conservatory. She has been a performer for 20 years, beginning primarily with dramatic and comedic acting. She has performed in St. Louis, Chicago, New York City, Palm Beach, Des Moines, Sioux Falls, Nashville, Lorton, and even Palembang, Indonesia. Kristianna also greatly enjoys music directing and choreographing for GCPA over the summer. During the year, she maintains a thriving private voice studio, specializing in Contemporary Commercial Music. Among other awards, Kristianna was blessed to receive acceptance to the OpenJar Institute in New York City and an Irene Ryan Nomination (KCACTF Region V). She has performed at multiple conferences for the Kennedy Center for the Arts College Theatre Festival, the National Association of Teachers of Singing, and the Southwest Choral Directors Association. An investigator at heart, Kristianna has recently begun participating in research in the field of Voice Pedagogy. Specifically, she has just completed a pilot study "CHERISH THE ROOTS: A Case Study Investigating the Pedagogy of Black Music Styles" and plans to begin the full scale study in Fall of 2023. She will also be presenting research at the The Voice Foundation's 52nd Annual Voice Symposium in collaboration with DMA candidate Marita Stryker on "The Effect of Humming Tasks on Psychophysiological Markers of Anxiety Within the Applied Voice Lesson". She also plans to continue publishing academic writing for the Journal of Voice and Speech. In her spare time, Kristianna enjoys studying modern and musical theatre dance and flow pilates. She is blessed to be a part of the GCPA team and excited to give back to the arts community of St. Louis by working with young performers of the future!

 
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Lois Enders (Ballet, Precision Dance)

Lois Enders received her B.A. in Dance from Webster University.  After graduating, she danced aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines and toured 5 seasons as a Radio City Rockette in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.  Lois appeared in the 1st National Tour of Irving Berlin's White Christmas (Assistant Dance Captain/ Swing), and has performed in numerous productions at The Muny, STAGES St. Louis, and Riverside Theatre.  She is a member of Actors' Equity and the American Guild of Variety Artists.  Lois teaches ballet, pointe, jazz, tap and musical theatre at various dance studios and performing arts academies in the St. Louis area.

 

Stephanie Fox (Musical Theatre, Audition Prep, Musical Theatre Dance, Musical Theatre History, Tap)

Originally from Oklahoma, Stephanie graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Music: Music Theatre.  After moving to New York, she continued her education privately at studios including Jen Waldman Studio, Kimberly Vaughn: Kimberly Vaughn Performance Studio, Broadway Dance Center, and Steps on Broadway. 

Stephanie has choreographed many shows across the country and, as an educator, she has taught dance, musical theatre, song interpretation and audition technique in St. Louis, Oklahoma, and Indiana at studios including COCA, STAGES Performing Arts Academy, ArtWorks Academy, Range of Motion Dance Studio, Round Barn Theatre, On Broadway Productions, Poteet Little Theatre and Oklahoma Children's Theatre.  Currently, she is the choreographer for Chaminade College Preparatory School.

A proud member of Actors' Equity (Stephanie Long), Stephanie has performed across the country at theatres including: Insight Theatre Company, The Round Barn Theatre, Mt. Washington Valley Theatre, Shawnee Playhouse, KJK Productions, Cortland Repertory, College Light Opera and Group Theatre Too.  Some favorite credits include: National Tour: Junie B. Jones (May); Regional: Company (Amy), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Millie), A Chorus Line (Diana and Maggie), Nunsense (Sr. Robert Anne), Godspell (Robin), Grease (Jan), Titanic (Alice Beane), Pump Boys and Dinettes (Rhetta), and White Christmas (Judy).

 
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Avery Lux (Modern, Ballet, Jazz, Stretch & Strengthen)

Born and raised in South Dakota, Avery Lux began her dance training at the age of four under the direction of Julie McFarland. She continued her training at the University of Wyoming where she graduated with a B.F.A in Theatre and Dance in 2017. During her time in school, she worked with Limon Dance Company member, Pablo Fracisco Rubalcaba in a reconstruction of The Winged. This piece was selected to perform at the Kennedy Center in the National College Dance Festival. While in college, she attended the Open Jar Summer Institute and had the opportunity to train with Thayne Jasperson, from the cast of Hamilton, Jeff Whiting, James Gray, and many more. Regional credits include: Company (April), 9 to 5 (Judy), Grease (Frenchy) The Music Man (Zaneeta Shinn), Shrek: The Musical (Gingy), Footloose (Dance Captain), and Heathers: The Musical. Among performing, Avery is also a choreographer. Choreography credits include: Fascism: The Musical (University of Wyoming), Invisible Barriers (selected for American College Dance Association adjudication), Annie: Kids, Lion King Jr., and Frozen Jr. (Theatre West- Theatre Opportunity for Youth production), Rogues, Rebels, and Rock: A Musical Review (Principia College), and Annie (Principia Upper School). Avery is currently the dance teacher/coach at Principia School and is looking forward to joining the team at GCPA this fall.

 

Trinity Madison (Summer)

Trinity Madison, a St. Louis native, joined the world of theatre when she was in elementary school. A strong believer in children’s theatre, Trinity is overjoyed to be joining GCPA’s summer camp staff again! She has been immersed in theater both onstage as a performer as well as a director or dramaturg for several collegiate and community theatre productions. Trinity is pursuing a Bachelors of Fine Arts at Abilene Christian University in Theatre Education. In her 3 years in Abilene, Trinity has been able to hone her skills by student directing numerous projects including: VERSE poetry slam, Love, Loss, and What I Wore, TIED, Anastasia, Six, Hadestown, and In The Heights. Before her collegiate work, Trinity was a proud Missouri State Thespian Officer and Troupe 191 Thespian Officer at Webster Groves High school, graduating class of 2019. Trinity is also a member of the Association for Texas Professional Educators. Trinity is a big advocate for mental health and believes in utilizing the arts as a method for healing. Outside of her theatrical pursuits, she enjoys creative outlets such as woodworking and jewelry making. Trinity is a big book nerd, and fan of the Marvel universe. She is super excited to grow with talented young folk this summer at GCPA!

 

Carole Ann Miller (Musical Theatre Performance, Acting)

Carole Ann Miller is excited to to be joining the Gateway Center for Performing Arts Teaching Artists! She is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State's Conservatory of Theatre and Dance, with an emphasis in Acting, though her training includes dance, stage combat, stage makeup, and vocal technique. Carole Ann has been working in the St. Louis area as an actor, director, and teacher for the past few years, and she is looking forward to this next step in her career.

 

Kerryaunna Ross (Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, MT Dance)

Kerryaunna is from Kansas City, MO. Growing up the oldest and only girl of 4 children, she aspired to dream big and different. At the age of 3 she began her dancing journey. She also did track, theater, band, cheer, and basketball throughout her younger years. Dancing with studios such as Alvin Ailey, Kansas City Ballet, and Forever Dancing, she then realized dance is her passion. She began teaching when she was 14 at her hometown studio, then progressively expanded into others over the years. She recently graduated with a BA in Dance with a minor in Business from Lindenwood University. She has had the pleasure of working with many leading arts organizations in the KC metropolitan area and beyond. Kerryaunna’s philosophy is that dance should be accessible to everyone, and she has spent the last few summers doing just that. Giving back to her community is something she values. She also had the pleasure of meeting and performing for important influencers such as Debbie Allen and Misty Copeland . Kerryaunna’s main motto is “There is no progress without struggle,” (Frederick Douglas).

 
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Jeana Smith (Dance, Musical Theatre)

Jeana began dancing and singing at four years old. At the age of nine, she became a member of the Actor's Equity Association and moved to New York City to perform the role of the Balloon Girl and the Understudy to Baby June and Baby Louise in the Broadway revival of GYPSY starring Tyne Daly. In 2001, Jeana received her BFA in Musical Theatre and a Minor in Dance from Millikin University. Jeana then moved back to NYC to dance on scholarship at Broadway Dance Center. During that time, she had the incredible opportunity to tour the country assisting jazz dance legend, Frank Hatchett. She also performed in the Equity Ensemble at the Muny Opera from 1996-2004. Some of her favorite shows include: 42ND STREET, FUNNY GIRL, HELLO, DOLLY!, DAMN YANKEES, and PETER PAN.

Jeana has been teaching dance and musical theatre to children ages 3-18 for over fifteen years. She is currently on staff as an instructor of Musical Theatre, Tap, Theatre Dance, Jazz, and Early Childhood classes at the Gerri Stretz Professional Dance Center in St. Louis, MO. Jeana has spent the past 8 summers teaching musical theatre camps and choreographing youth musicals at STAGES Performing Arts Academy in Chesterfield, MO. She has been honored with numerous awards for her choreography at dance competitions both regionally and nationally. She has choreographed STAGES Performing Arts Academy’s Broadway Performance Workshops of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT (2008), THE ARISTOCATS (2010), 101 DALMATIANS (2011), THE JUNGLE BOOK (2012), CINDERELLA (2013), and SLEEPING BEAUTY (2014) . Jeana also choreographed the St. Louis Chapter of the American Parkinson Association’s annual fashion show from 2003-2007, and has assistant-choreographed the Tellerettes for the St. Louis Teen Talent Show in 2013 and 2014. Jeana is thrilled and overjoyed to share her love and passion for performing with all of her students, as well as her own two young children.

 
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Nicolas Valdez (Voice)

Originally born and raised in Northern California, Nicolas Valdez is now a St. Louis based singer, pianist, and music director who works primarily in the musical theatre world but gigs around in many other styles.

As a music director, he has worked for multiple professional theater companies in St. Louis, including Max and Louie Productions, New Line Theatre, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Metro Theater Company, and Webster Conservatory. Additionally, he has worked at The Clinton Showboat in Clinton, Iowa, and Falcon’s Eye Theatre at Folsom Lake College in Folsom, California.

As an accompanist, he has accompanied masterclasses for Broadway’s Adam Pascal, Grammy Award-winning Soprano Christine Brewer, and nationally- acclaimed voice pedagogue, Dr. Matt Edwards. Some of his national credits include accompanying choirs at The Festival of Gold in Nashville, Tennessee, and The National School Board Association in San Antonio, Texas.

As a singer, his favorite credits include singing behind Barry Manilow in his 2015 Farewell Tour Choir in Sacramento, California, Schubert’s Mass No. 5 in A-flat Major with Webster University’s Choirs at Carnegie Hall, and The Carmina Burana with California State University, Sacramento’s choirs.

He currently serves on the Adjunct Faculty at Webster University as a Collaborative Pianist/Coach and Director of Music at Samuel United Church of Christ. He proudly holds a Bachelor’s of Music in Music Direction for Musical Theatre from Webster University and will be pursuing a Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology at Fontbonne University in the fall of 2021. Visit nicolasmariovaldez.com for more info!

 

Sarah Vlodek (Musical Theatre, Voice)

Sarah has had a passion for performing from a very young age, beginning dance lessons at the age of 2, and being in her first musical at the age of 7.  Sarah recently graduated from Waldorf University where she earned both a B.A in Musical Theatre and a B.A in Vocal Performance.  Sarah discovered her love for directing and teaching when she directed her first one act play in high school, and since then she has taught private voice lessons, worked as an ensemble assistant for the St. Louis Children’s Choirs, and co-directed the Musical Theatre Showcase at her university.  Sarah has attended several summer vocal intensives where she has performed in many scenes and full length operas including Don Giovanni, Little Women, and Susannah.  Sarah has also performed in many musicals, with a few of her favorite roles being Mother in Ragtime, Pennywise in Urinetown, and Cathy in The Last Five Years.

Annalise McCann is a current sophomore in the musical theatre program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She also works on NYU film sets and works as a director with various student-run theatre companies. This past semester, she was the assistant director of the Tisch Mainstage musical, under Ashley Tata. Annalise has previously worked as a teaching assistant at GCPA for the past two summers, and is so excited to be a teaching artist this year! She was also a student at GCPA, and her favorite shows she did were Urinetown, Titanic, and Amelie.

Alyssa Durbin (she/her) is a performing and teaching artist operating out of St. Louis, MO and Akron, OH. Trained in classical and musical theatre styles of voice, she graduated in May of 2018 with a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from Lindenwood University. Alyssa's primary passion is performing theatre for young audiences! She has toured hundreds of schools across the country over the last five years with The Windy City Players and The National Theatre for Children. Alyssa has enjoyed teaching young people about theatre for over a decade! She began teaching classes at her local studio in high school and she hasn't stopped since! Locally, she has served as the Theatre Camp Director at Chesterfield Academy For The Theatrical Arts for four years and directed several productions there including Anne of Green Gables and Seussical Jr. She is so excited to start working as a teaching artist at GCPA this summer!  

Brea Rollston (she/her) is an alumnus of the University of Kentucky where she received her degrees in dance and theatre, with a musical theatre certificate. Brea has been teaching tap, ballet, jazz, and musical theatre dance at Cunningham School of Dance in Symsonia, KY, and has previously taught acting, dance, and playwriting with TheRep St. Louis, Mo, COCA InnOvation Art's Academy in Lexington, KY, Woodford Theatre in Versailles, KY, and Purchase Players CPAC in Mayfield, KY. As a teacher, Brea is focused on creating a healthy environment for every young artist to feel secure while they explore their own creative progression while hoping to add even more emotionally intelligent, and predominately kind, artists to the next generation of performers. 

David Gregory began his journey into music with songwriting. Songwriting turned into a passion, which served as his foundation and catapult into the greater world of music. David writes anything from Worship to RnB to Musical Theatre. In addition to songwriting and composition, David enjoys singing vocal styles such as gospel, pop, opera, and musical theatre. He also loves to arrange and improv on piano. Needless to say, his creative outlets are numerous and diverse! 

A few highlights of David’s music career include: in 2018, David entered the professional world of teaching with private voice and piano lessons. In 2020, he became the official worship pastor for his home church. In 2021, he released his debut worship project titled "Jesus Is Enough". In 2022, David graduated with his Bachelor's in Music from Missouri Baptist University. As of 2023,  David has begun writing his first work of musical theatre titled "Journeys". Highlights of David's educational career include directing MBU's gospel choir with his original songs, starting a successful club for songwriters, music producers, and artists, and soloing for MBU's select choir and opera theatre. Highlights of David's professional career include his aforementioned worship project and participating in conferences such as Missouri Music Educators Association and Write About Jesus. Since graduating, David has enjoyed working with STL educational arts institutes such as DaySpring Arts and Academy and New Moon Studios. David is grateful and excited to be joining the GCPA family. He cannot wait to make an abundance of wonderful relationships and music while here.

Lilly Hetz has been dancing competitively for nine years in both regional and national competitions. Lilly is majoring in Marketing, and Minoring in both Business Administration, as well as in Dance at Missouri Baptist University. Additionally, she is the captain of MBU’s competition dance team, Spartan Line. Lilly has been hired using the stage name Lil-E-Lectric to perform aerial arts at both corporate and public events in the St. Louis area and beyond. Her favorite aspect of performing aerial arts is interacting with her audience to create magical and truly unique experiences. Lilly is also a member of Rainbow Stilt walkers, a stilt walking performance and dance group. Currently, Lilly is an aerial and dance instructor at Imagine Dance Project, as well as a dance instructor at Gateway Center for Performing Arts. She loves to watch her students improve and grow both as dancers and as individuals. She is very grateful to be able to do what she loves every day and to share her passions with those around her. Lilly knows that wherever God leads her, she will be fulfilled.