our teaching artists
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Thomas Aber, a founding member of newEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, is also the bass clarinetist with the Omaha Symphony. His studies of the bass clarinet took him to the Juilliard School and then to the Netherlands, where he studied contemporary techniques and repertoire of the bass clarinet with Harry Sparnaay. In 1979 he was a prize winner in the Gaudeamus Foundation's International Competition for Interpreters of Contemporary Music. Aber earned his D.M.A in clarinet at the Conservatory of the University of Missouri at Kansas City. His musical interests are wide-ranging, extending from many current styles to traditional music and traditional instruments from the Balkans and Turkey. Tom teaches clarinet, flute, and saxophone at the Community School of the Arts.
Programs offered at our school:
Privite clarinet and saxophone instruction
Samarpita Bajpai started training in dance at the tender age of seven. She trained in all the seven styles for three years; before she went on to specialize in two of the most popular forms: Kuchipudi and Bharatnatyam. She trained in these forms for over 25 years. She has given innumerable stage performances since 1988 both in India and the United States. Samarpita has ventured into creative choreography too, experimenting with different styles of music and Indian dance forms.
She has been a dance instructor for almost two decades now. Samarpita is also a roster artist of both the Kansas Arts Commission and the Heartland Arts Fund.
Videos of this artist online:
Programs offered at your school:
Victoria Sofia Botero, is a classically trained soprano who is equally at home singing opera, musical theatre and cabaret. Her “beautiful crystal clear soprano” delighted audiences of Kansas City’s Quality Hill Playhouse in their cabaret production of Christmas in Song. And the St. Louis Dispatch, KDHX Radio and RiverFront Times all hailed her recent performances of Adina in L’elisir d’amore with Union Avenue Opera. Other recent performances include El barberillo de Lavapiés with Light Opera Oklahoma and Messiah with the Blacksburg Master Choral. Victoria has performed with companies such as Des Moines Metro Opera, Tulsa Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Blacksburg Master Chorale and Washburn Symphony. She performs regularly with master guitarist Beau Bledsoe in programs that explore the intersection of classical and world music. Ms. Botero teaches private voice lessons at the Community School of the Arts.
Programs offered at our school:
President and Founder of BroPhillMusic has more than 25 years supervising and directing various music departments, with as many as 300 members. Phillip has led these church music departments through start-up, survival, turnaround, and growth modes.
His understanding consists of creating rotation schedules for various music rehearsals, preparing bands for rehearsal sessions and worship, event planning and promotions, such as “BIG DAYS”, the psychology of church people; as well as computerized music administration, music department recruitment, video production, church calendar coordination, and working with church personnel and administration.
Over the years, he has served as music director and administrator in a variety of capacities and church denominations – including worship leader and clinician in Baptist, Pentecostal (PAW/UPC/AOG), Methodist, and Catholic liturgical worship services. His understanding of church liturgy and the varying genres of music worship, as well as the administration of these styles, helps churches grow and function at a peaceful level.
Programs offered at our school:
Carla Buchheit earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wichita State University. She has studied weaving and fiber art in Finland and has participated in various juried art shows in Kansas, Missouri, and Colorado. Ms. Buchheit is the owner/operator of Ihana Brushing Service, the only napping service for head weavers in North America. She has written articles for Handwoven magazine and taught fiber finishing workshops in weaving conferences across the country. Since 1993, she has been a guest artist at John Diemer Elementary teaching fiber art.
“My goal when teaching is to give students the skills they need to create their own beautiful, maybe useful, items,” says Carla. “I want them to feel capable of solving their own daily problems. I also want them to enjoy using their ingenuity to see and use the things they find around them in new and imaginative ways.”
Programs offered at your school:
Jay and Leslie's Laughing Matters
Jay and Leslie Cady have been full-time performing artists since 1980. They have performed their engaging blend of juggling, mime, magic, and wacky dialogue in 32 states and seven foreign countries.
Jay and Leslie enjoy using their big bag of tricks to illustrate and reinforce curriculum concepts. Their infectious sense of fun is a hit with students, teachers, and administrators. In 1984 they studied with legendary mime Marcel Marceau. They were two of 60 students chosen to study with Marceau in the first two-week workshop he taught in the United States.
They have two daughters who join the act in the summer. When Jay and Leslie were PTA Cultural Arts Chairpersons they saw the need for school assemblies that reinforce curriculum. Jay and Leslie have twice been nominated for the “Best of Kansas City Theater Awards”. They have performed for ESPN, the National Theater of Guatemala, and the U.S. Department of Defense Overseas Tours.
Videos of these artists online:
Why 13 is a lucky number (from Sum of our Favorite Numbers)
Programs offered at your school:
Juggling the Earth's Resources
Letters, Numbers, Shapes, and Colors
Professor I Drop, the Juggling Scientist
You Don't Say: A Mime Workshop
Susan Clymer is the author of 11 books published by Scholastic Press, including Scrawny, the Classroom Duck and Nine Lives of Adventure Cat. Susan received her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of California-Berkeley.
As a teaching artist for Kansas City Young Audiences, Susan conducts creative writing workshops and professional development seminars for teachers. Over the last 15 years, she has taught more than 100 successful residencies for students in kindergarten through ninth grade.
Susan is an instructor for the University of Missouri- Kansas City Continuing Education program and a presenter for the National Science Convention on connecting science and writing in the classroom. Susan teaches A Dark and Stormy night creative writing residency in area schools and teachers a number of CSA classes and private instruction at the Community School of the Arts.
Programs offered at our school:
Cover to Cover: Writing & Illustrating a Picture Book
Private creative writing instruction
Programs offered at your school:
Honoring the Inner Self Using Creative Writing to Improve Writing Skills
Ms. Colby Jacques comes to the Midwest from New York, where she debuted on Broadway as a principal in the original cast of Bob Fosse's "DANCIN'." She continued to work with Bob Fosse in the Broadway revival and national tour of his classic hit "Sweet Charity," appearing in the role of Ursula and as one of the legendary Spender Girls.
She is a nationally recognized dancer, dance teacher and coach. Christine was featured in the November 1998 issue of Dance Magazine and numerous national and regional publications throughout the U.S.
Ms. Colby Jacques trained at the College Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati and performed with the Cincinnati Ballet beginning at age 11. She also performed with the Contemporary Dance Theatre in Cincinnati and Wolf Trap Farm Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna, Virginia before moving to New York. She has trained with such luminaries as Maggie Black, Melissa Hayden, James Truitt, Finus Jhung, Thelma Hill and Peter Generro; and taken master classes from dance greats Gerald Arpino, Suzanne Farrell, Lucas Hoving and Cora Cohan. In addition, Ms. Colby Jacques performed and taught for the Luigi Jazz Dance Center and assisted Jacques D'Amboise in his National Dance Institute. She has worked with Michael Bennett, Debbie Allen, Ann Reinking, Gwen Verdon, Juliet Prowse, Gary Chryst and Robert La Fosse, to name a few. Upon first arriving in New York, she performed for two years as a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall and on tour with singer-song writer Peter Allen.
Programs offered at our school:
Carol Comer is a composer, teacher, writer, pianist, and
jazz vocalist. She has performed for jazz festivals and
clubs throughout the area. Carol has served as music
director for a live-broadcast radio show and as a
jazz journalist.
Her contributions to jazz have been acknowledged in several books. The Kansas City Jazz Commission honored Carol with the Jazz Heritage Award, “in appreciation and admiration for contributions that have helped establish and perpetuate the style of music know as Kansas City Jazz.”
Carol especially enjoys working with young people. She has served as an Artist in Education on the state rosters of Nevada and Utah and was honored with the Lighton prize for teaching excellence in 2003 by KCYA.
Programs offered at your school:
A native Kansan, Jean Cook grew up on the family farm helping with harvests and caring for the family cows, sheep and horses. Her artwork is inspired by her real-life experiences showing horses, working cattle drives and traveling to unusual locations around the world.
Her paintings reflect an emphasis on the use of color, light and shadow to create dimension and depth, developed through her studies at Hutchinson Community College, the Kansas City Art Institute, private studios and her work as an engraving artist at Hallmark Cards.
Programs offered at your school:
Patrick Alonzo Conway is a percussionist, wind player and composer. He has studied with ethnomusicologist David Locke and such noted Master Drummers as Abubakari Lunna-Wumbie (Dagomba), Frisner Augustín (Haitian), Felipe Garcia Villamil, Alejandro Carvajal (AfroCuban) and I Ketut Gedé Asnawa (Balinese). Mr. Conway has traveled to Cuba to research Afro-Cuban Folklore through the Escuela National de Arté in Santiago de Cuba and Havana. He holds a Master of Music degree in Music Composition from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and was a founding member of the contemporary music ensemble newEar and has served as president and a member of the Board of Directors of the New Music Institute of Kansas City, Inc..
Mr. Conway has performed with the Gillham Park Orchtet, the Terrestrial Consort, Orquesta Inspiracion, Flamanté, Mambo X, ERV Andean fusion group, Grupo Aztlan, and worked as performer and composer with Gorilla Theater, City in Motion Dance Theater, 940 Dance Company and the UMKC Theater Department. He works with several ensembles under the auspices of the Traditional Music Society in Kansas City, Kansas City Young Audiences, Paul Mesner Puppets, the National Audio Theater Festivals, as conga player with the Mambo DeLeon Orchestra, multi-instrumentalist with Brad Cox Ensemble and also plays percussion and saxophone with BCR and the Peoples Liberation Big Band of Greater KC. During two summers, he led Creative AfroCuban Projects as a part of the Studio150 arts-based youth job training program administered by the Arts Council of Metropolitan KC.
He currently is the director of Gamelan Genta Kasturi, a Balinese Gamelan Semaradana ensemble functioning under the auspices of the UMKC Community Music and Dance Academy. Recent projects include work as music director/performer on the UMKC Theater Department’s MFA production of Rita Dove’s The Darker Face of the Earth directed by Ricardo Kahn, Artistic Director of the famed Crossroads Theater in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He also traveled to Bali in the summer of 2006 and had his composition Sekar Purwa Pascima read by Kaliungu Kaja Banjar Gamelan, in Denpasar.
Programs offered at our school:
Private Afro-Latin percussion instruction
Rebecca Dempsey has worked with students from preschool to high school since 1970. She writes, directs, and teaches workshops for children in kindergarten through fifth grade.
Rebecca has acted in more than 70 productions since 1993 and has directed youth in six musicals. Rebecca also worked with a group that played improv games with children for several years.
A professional actress, Rebecca performs in television and radio commercials, corporate training videos, films, and live theater. She combines her love of teaching children with her joy in acting through this KCYA workshop. Rebecca also performs Life on the Oregon Trail: A Pioneer Woman’s Story, available on the KCYA roster and appropriate for fourth and fifth grade students.
Programs offered at your school:
Life on the Oregon Trail: A Pioneer Woman's Story
Bird Fleming, Traditional Music Society
Bird Fleming developed his interest in music and drumming in his fifth grade band class. Since his parents could not afford a drum set, he played the bongos. By the age of 20, Bird was proficient in a variety of African and Afro-Cuban instruments. His career then led to him San Francisco where he performed and studied traditional hand drumming.
After moving to Kansas City in 1981, Bird began performing traditional music in schools, community centers, and universities throughout the metropolitan area. He formed The Traditional Music Society, an arts organization devoted to multi-cultural arts education. This organization, composed of musicians and dancers sharing a similar background in folk music, has developed programs that teach students about different cultures through music and dance.
Programs offered at your school:
African, Caribbean, or Brazilian Music
Reading and Rhythm: Enhancing Reading Skills Through Drumming
Since 1987, Vanessa Gibbs has taught West African dance. Working with Bird Fleming, she helped found The Traditional Music Society. In 2000, Vanessa traveled to West Africa to continue her studies in West African cultures. Vanessa, a teaching artist who has taught dance camps for Alvin Ailey, City in Motion Dance Theater, and Kansas City Young Audiences.
In 1987, Rodney Gibbs began studying West African drums with Bird Fleming. He soon joined The Traditional Music Society where he plays West African drums and other percussion instruments in local schools, churches, and theaters. Rodney has taught through KCYA since 1996.
Programs offered at your school:
Jane Gotch has been teaching movement to children since the age of 10. She has taught ballet, modern, tap, jazz, and creative movement to children of all ages locally and in Omaha, NE, Philadelphia, and the New York area.
She is also a certified trainer and pre-trainer of the GYROTONIC ® and GYROKINESIS® system, which is an exercise and body rehabilitation system developed by a dancer which combines aspects of dance, tai chi, yoga, martial arts, and swimming. She has taught this system around the world including New York, California, Israel, India, and now Kansas City.
She holds a BFA with honors in dance performance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Jane’s strength as a teacher is her ability, through
movement, to ignite in her students, young and old, a confidence in themselves and their creativity which they can carry into all aspects of their life.
Programs offered at your school:
Simple Machines: Bodies at Work
Amanda Graor began training in dance at the age of 3, starting with tap. She has continued in tap, jazz and ballet since then and has been teaching in Kansas City for two years. Originally from Detroit, she has taken master classes from several renowned choreographers and has more recently been involved with Kansas City Middle School for the Arts as a YouthFriends volunteer working with the dance classes. Ms. Graor loves teaching, both younger students as well as adults from beginner to advanced levels.
Programs offered at your school:
Actor and Storyteller Milton Gray has been sharing his talent with children through his work with Kansas City Young Audiences for many years. He is currently featured in Africa Alive and Kansas City, Our Home.
As an actor, Milton has played roles with the Jackson County Historical Society, Eagle- Reed American Theater, Paseo Baptist Church Ministry Drama, M.C. Players, and J.T. Productions. His Kwanzaa Principles program for the Kansas City Museum has been featured on television and KCUR.
Charles Etta Freeman and Almeta Williams, teachers at Milton Moore School, said, “It is always evident with our children that not only did they gain something from Mr. Gray’s presentation, they had a wonderful experience at the same time."
Programs offered at your school:
Sascha Groschang has performed numerous solo recitals and as an Artists International Special Presentation Winner, gave her solo debut recital at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall in February of 2009. She has appeared at
Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall numerous times as a chamber and orchestral musician, including as a featured soloist with country artist Clay Walker, and as associate principal of the National Youth Symphony. She has shared the stage with Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Nadia Salerno- Sonnenburg, Johnathon Biss and Robert Levin. She has also performed with Sharon Isben, Vladimir Feltsman and Pepe Ramero. She has been a soloist with the Grammy-Award-winning Kansas City Chorale and has been a featured performer for Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver (MO), Governor Bob Holden (MO) and the United States Department of Labor. Sascha has been a member of the Des Moines Symphony and held an associate position in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago for the 2006-2007 season.
Ms. Groschang enjoys teaching students of varying ages and abilities. She has over eleven years of teaching experience and has extensive experience in the private studio. Sascha has also held numerous master classes and sectionals for various schools in New York, Des Moines and Kansas City. In addition to classical music, Sascha is an avid performer of non-traditional and popular styles such as folk, jazz and contemporary, worship, rock, alternative, Broadway and film music. She has performed with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and has extensive recording experience, including sessions for NBC, Rhino Records and the recording artists Ashanti and Joanna Newsom. Sascha holds a Bachelors Degree in Music Performance from UMKC Conservatory and a graduate degree in performance from Mannes College of Music in New York City.
Programs offered at our school:
Bill Hargraves is an award-winning silversmith whose designs and jewelry can be seen throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. Bill has designed jewelry for a wide clientele, including former President and Mrs. Reagan. He digs for, cuts, polishes, and sets many of his own stones. Bill’s designs are creative and varied, each taking into account the stone or material being displayed and the function of the piece. Bill has conducted residencies and workshops for Young Audiences since 1984.
He enjoys sharing with students the joy and pride one feels when creating a beautiful piece of jewelry from only a few basic raw materials.
Programs offered at your school:
Dr. Gina Hart-Kemper has been in the Kansas City metro area for three years now and has become involved in several musical projects and opportunities. She is currently teach at Fort Scott Community College at the Miami County Campus, and maintains a studio for flute and piano students at her home. She also directs the Holy Cross Lutheran Church Adult Hand Bell Choir, and performs often with the resident organist/pianist Dr. Wayne Smith. Her degrees in Music Performance include undergraduate work at Wichita State University in Kansas, and the University of Michigan for her MM and DMA. She currently resides in Overland Park with her husband, daughter, and black lab.
Programs offered at our school:
Dazzling and dynamic, Lisa Henry represents the best of Kansas City’s current Jazz era.
Lisa has entertained many with her voice and energy around the world. She’s performed in numerous festivals, venues, and tours. Her talents have led her to stages in Argentina, South Africa, and Madagascar. Lisa has also appeared on numerous audio recordings, many of which were recorded here in Kansas City.
Lisa is also comfortable in the classroom. She has given workshops at many universities both here in the United States and overseas. Lisa has received honors for her talent including being first runner-up in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition and being named International Jazz Ambassador to Africa.
KCYA awarded Lisa with the Lighton Prize for teaching excellence in 2008.
Programs offered at your school:
Frank Higgins was a member of the first graduating class of UMKC’s Professional Writing Program. He has published two books of poetry, two books of haiku, and a number of plays.
Frank’s play Miracles, which started at Missouri Repertory Theatre, has played to sellout audiences in Virginia and was produced at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego for a six-week run in 1997. A scene and monologue from the play were chosen for the annual anthologies Best Scenes of 1996 and Best Monologues of 1996.
His play The Sweet By ‘N’ By has been produced around the country, including the Williamstown Theatre Festival where it featured Tony-winner Blythe Danner and her daughter Gwyneth Paltrow. The play was later produced at the Barter Theatre where it became one of the biggest hits for a straight play in that theater’s 65-year history.
Another play by Frank, Gunplay, has been produced in New York and Los Angeles, as well as having a few scenes read before Congress on Capitol Hill. His play, The Country of the Blind, debuted at the Coterie in Crown Center in 2007.
Programs offered at your school:
Valda Hsu was born and raised in Taiwan. She came to America in 1983 to attend college and study art. After more than four years of rigorous study she graduated from Art Center College of Design with honors.
After her graduation, Valda left Pasadena to work for Hallmark Cards Inc. as an in house designer. After six years of honorable service, on the eve of her promotion, she quit her job to raise her two children, Chi-ping and Matthew, and become an art teacher. Some of her students loved art so much that they have pursued careers in art. She has taught art for 10 years. She is also currently involved in teaching the Mandarin Chinese language and culture.
Programs offered at your school:
Programs offered at our school:
Anjali has earned wide acclaim as a performing artiste, choreographer, and teacher. She has studied Bharata Natyam with her Guru Viji Prakash for over 22 years, Yoga and Modern dance for over 10, as well as numerous other world dance forms . Combined with degrees from UC Berkeley in Anthropology and a Masters in Dance from UCLA’s Department of World Arts & Cultures, her choreographic works range from traditional to contemporary genres and include collaborations with artists from other dance forms and artistic disciplines. Anjali currently teaches Dance and Yoga in the Kansas City area, is co-founder of Post Natyam Dance Collective, and is currently working with renown Los Angeles based choreographer David Rousseve on his latest dance theatre work “Saudade” . For more information visit www.anjalitata.com and www.postnatyam.net
Courses offered at our school:
Chris Hudson received his Bachelor of Music in 1996 from the UMKC Conservatory of Music. He is a guitar instructor at The Music Station, The Fine Arts Institute, and the Mountain Music Shoppe. He also works as a group instructor of Teen Guitar Improvisation at the Mid-Continent Library.
Chris has performed in various concert series through the Kansas City Guitar Society and the Fine Arts Institute, and has also performed at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and in Cup and Saucer, a jazz ensemble. Chris performs at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, and at Eden Alley.
Courses offered at our school:
Joel Jenkins, is a storyteller. He enjoys using his imagination to help people laugh, inspire learning, and look beyond their everyday lives.
As a producer and writer, Joel created What’s Your Story, Kid?, an in-school residency that nurtures children’s storytelling skills through filmmaking. This successful program has entertained and educated many students. Parents have noted the improvement they’ve seen in their children’s self-esteem as the students learn to focus their creativity into producing a video presentation.
Joel has worked with numerous clients including Lucasfilm and The White House. He studied Producing Children’s Television at the Maine Workshops and has taught at UMKC and the Kansas City Art Institute.
Programs offered at your school:
How Many Stories in a Cupcake?
Every Frame's a Picture: How a Movie is Made
Kari Johnson is a Doctoral student at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy from Central Missouri State University, a Master’s degree in Piano Performance from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, and a Master’s degree in Piano Pedagogy from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.
Ms. Johnson has won or placed in several competitions throughout the Midwest, including the MTNA Steinway Young Artist Competition in Missouri and Illinois, the Venetia Hall Concerto Competition, MMTA state level competitions, and the concerto competitions at both BGSU and CMSU. She has participated in master classes with Anthony Di Bonaventura, Dubrovka Tomsic, Pedro Carboné, and Olga Kern. As a teacher she was placed on the Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent at UIUC for three semesters, and her students placed in local and state level competitions in Missouri and Illinois. Ms. Johnson is currently a Teaching Artist on the faculty of the Community School of the Arts, a program of Kansas City Young Audiences. Her former teachers include Mia Hynes, Robert Satterlee, and Timothy Ehlen. She currently studies with Professor John McIntyre.
Programs offered at our school:
Lisa Jorgensen, Piccadilly Productions
Lisa Jorgensen, founder and Artistic Director of Piccadilly Productions, ha s been a puppeteer since 1989. Lisa holds a BA from Kansas State University. She was an Artist-in-Residence on the Missouri Arts Council’s 2003-2004 touring roster and has also been chosen as a professional development workshop leader under Kansas City Young Audiences.
Piccadilly Productions is a child-centered company that uses the time-honored art form of puppetry to build self esteem and teach personal safety. “We believe the act of families, children, and educators sharing and participating in stories—stories that are true and innocent at heart—is a respectful and time-honored tradition,” says Ms. Jorgensen. “Sharing stories rejuvenates and maintains hope to communities and future generations.”
Programs offered at your school:
Developing Writing Skills Through Puppetry
Sharyn Brooks Katzman
A lecture or demonstration with Sharyn Brooks Katzman is dynamic and engaging. Sharyn holds degrees in history and art history, has written art criticism, works for museums and schools, and has a global view from living and working in various European and Asian countries. With experience in curating exhibitions and developing programs, she is attuned to a wide variety of audiences.
Formerly a printmaker, Sharyn creates jewelry and wearable art and loves to teach at all levels. While grounded in academics and tied to curricula, her
experience in local theater infuses her presentations with verve and fun. She is particularly knowledgeable in the fields of women’s studies, African and African-American art, and Native American art and culture. Her programs aid critical and creative thinking, build self-esteem, encourage inquiry, and inspire ongoing study on the part of students.
Programs offered at your school:
Art and Culture of the Plains and Prairie Indians
Greek and Roman Mythology: Goddesses, Monsters, and Heroes
We Wear our Hearts (and Minds) on our Sleeves
Kairy Koshoeva is a native of Kyrgyzstan (formerly one of the Soviet Republics). She began her studies at the age of seven with Bella Zubok, Faina Kharmatz, and Michael Burshtin at Mukash Abdraev at the National School of Music for Gifted Children. She studied there for 11 years, then left for Moscow to study with Vera Nossina at Gnessin's Academy of Music, where she earned her Bachelors and Masters of Music in 2000. She received a full scholarship for 2000-2002 to she study with Monique Duphil in the Artist Diploma program at Oberlin Conservatory of Music. She currently studies with Robert Weinrich in pursuit of her Doctoral of Musical Arts in Piano Performance at the UMKC Conservatory of Music.
Kairy has netted top prizes at the Sigma Alpha Lota Concerto Competition in Chautauqua, New York, the D'Angelo Young Artist Competition in Erie, Pennsylvania, the N. Rubinshtein in Paris, France, and the International Piano Competition in Vicenza, Italy. She was also the 2001 recipient of the Kyrgyz Republic Presidential Youth Award.
In September of 2003, she was invited to perform at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow as the guest of the Kyrgyz government during the Days of the Kyrgyz Culture in Russia. She has performed in recitals and as a soloist in Kyrgyzstan, Russia, France, Italy, Israel, Germany, Turkey, Switzerland, and the USA.
Programs offered at our school:
David Loewenstein studied at Grinnell College in Iowa where he received his Bachelor’s degree. He then completed his Master of Arts in Painting at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. He continues his studies at the University of Kansas.
David has painted a number of murals in the metropolitan area and displays smaller work in exhibitions throughout the region. Many of his works are displayed around downtown Lawrence, Kansas. A few of them include Sunflower Cycle, Guardian of the Arts, and Three Young People. David enjoys working with children and adults, assisting them in creating murals of their own. He has conducted numerous residencies in schools and communities. David has also served as a drawing instructor at both the University of Kansas in Lawrence and Purdue University.
David is a Master Teaching Artist and has received the Lighton Prize for teaching excellence.
Programs offered at your school:
Andi Meyer is a member of Actor's Equity Association and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. She is a professional actress and holds a BA in theatre. Andi spent 8 months as a principal actor in the “Spirit of Aloha” dinner show for Disney Resorts and has performed locally at the New Theatre Restaurant with The Coterie Children's Theatre, and The Unicorn Theatre. Andi is also a member of the radio comedy group, Right Between The Ears, which can be heard on KPR and Sirius Satellite radio. Andi teaches a comprehensive Shakespeare curriculum, acting and scene study, and creative dramatics classes for such places as The Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, The Coterie, as well as at Young Audiences to a wide variety of ages and cultural backgrounds. At the Community School of the Arts Andi teaches Acting, Acting for Teens, and performs Miss Nelson is Missing for in-school programs.
Programs offered at our school:
Programs offered at your school:
For 15 years, Myrna Minnis has been inspiring children through classes in clay. Myrna holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Kansas State University and a Master of Liberal Arts degree from Baker University in Baldwin, Kansas.
With the encouragement of parents, kids, and teachers, Myrna created the Oogly kit in 1989. These kits are used as a tool by counselors and therapists for clients to express their emotions, poems, and stories through their Oogly characters.
“Using clay sculpture, I hope to reveal my mystical, spiritual, and inner feelings of fantasy and to provide other people the opportunity to access, in a worthy way, their own creative potential and uniqueness,” Myrna’s mission statement declares. In 2000, Myrna was honored as Kansas Educator of the Year in Arts & Disabilities by Accessible Arts, Inc. and the Kansas State Board of Education.
Programs offered at your school:
Characters in Clay: Ooglies or Wizards
Clay as an instrument for Self-Expression
John Mulvey holds a Bachelor of Theatre Arts degree from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. He has performed in plays such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, as well as children’s theater productions. John has taught acting classes at Longview Community College and KCYA’s Community School of the Arts, and currently teaches acting classes for Theatre for Young America John performs regularly with the improvisational and sketch comedy group Out on a Limb. His group headlines shows for the Stanford’s Comedy Clubs. Out on a Limb has also been featured on KCPT’s Marquee and on the FOX network.
Programs offered at our school:
Programs offered at your school:
Leigh Murray is an Atlanta, Georgia native, and has been dancing since age three. She recently graduaetd from Arizona State University with a BFA in Dance Choreography, and moved to Kansas City to pursue artistic endeavors. Her focus in on ballet and contemporary movement styles, and she has worked with prestigious companies such as the Atlanta Ballet, Ballet Arizona, Dance Arizona Repertory Theatre, Atlanta Jazz Theatre, and Rotaru International Ballet.
Programs offered at our school:
Pianist Maya Murthy earned her Masters degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music under Karen Kushner. She received her Bachelor's degree from Indiana University School of Music, where she studied privately with Henry Upper and Jean-Louis Haguenauer. Since graduating, she continues to perform as a soloist and as a chamber musician. She has premiered new works internationally as well as at SCI (Society of Composers, Inc.) conferences. Along with performing, Maya has served on the music faculties of Kansas City Kansas Community College and the Community School of the Arts through Kansas City Young Audiences. In her free time, Maya enjoys travel, tennis, running, the Simpsons, and National Geographic. She has a keen interest in the welfare and ethical treatment of animals, and lives with her adopted hound mix, Boochi.
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Noted Teaching Artist Beverly Nichols holds several degrees, including an MFA from the University of California, Santa Barbara, an MA from Boston Museum School,and a BFA from Stephens College.
Beverly has considerable classroom experience. She has been an instructor with Johnson County Community College and the Kansas City Art Institute. Beverly has been the recipient of numerous grants, and her artistic work has been exhibited throughout the United States and Canada. Beverly has also been featured in various publications for her work in book making and illustration.
Programs offered at your school:
Heather Nisbett-Loewenstein, Stone Lion Puppet Theatre
Heather Nisbett- Loewenstein is the Founder, Artistic Director, and a Company Puppeteer of StoneLion Puppet Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. She has performed, designed, and/or directed more than 70 different productions for StoneLion, and works as a puppet builder and costume designer for professional theaters.
Heather has also been a Kansas City Art Institute Continuing Education Teacher and taught Puppetry and Costume at Kansas City Kansas Community College. She holds a Bachelor of Theater Arts degree from Boise State University and earned a Certificate of Theatre at the University of Dublin, Trinity College.
Programs offered at your school:
Jennifer Owen received her ballet training from Pacific Northwest Ballet School, San Francisco Ballet School, School of American Ballet, and the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. She went on to dance with the Russian State Ballet, Moscow Renaissance Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, BalletMet, and had the unique experience of appearing as a guest artist with the National Ballet of Turkmenistan. Notable roles Jennifer has danced include the title role in “Giselle,” Kitri in “Don Quixote,” principal roles in George Balanchine's “Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux” and “Donizetti Variations”, and the central pas de deux in Todd Bolender's “Arena.” Jennifer is currently artistic director, dancer, and choreographer for the Owen/Cox Dance Group, an ensemble she founded with composer Brad Cox in 2006. She has choreographed numerous works for the Owen/Cox Dance Group, as well as nine works for Kansas City Ballet's In the Wings choreographic workshop, a piece for Quixotic Performance Fusion, and a winning entry for the 2006 Columbus Choreography Project. Jennifer is the recipient of a 2000 Princess Grace Honorarium.
Programs offered at our school:
Ballet IV Technique & Pointe/Pre-Pointe
Programs offered at your school:
Creative Teamwork: The Choreographer and the Composer
Cynthia Pederson is an experienced writer, researcher, and teacher. She takes great joy in passing along knowledge through the many workshops and presentations she leads. Cynthia holds several advanced degrees in literature, creative writing, and library science. Her teaching certificate for grades K-8 has given her the opportunity to gain experience in several teaching positions.
Cynthia’s publications include two volumes of poetry, an adult literacy curriculum guide, literary reviews, newspaper articles, plus poems, articles, and essays in many journals, magazines, and anthologies. Her poetry has won a number of awards including the Carruth Award, The Great Poets Award, and the Florence Levitt Kahn Award.
Cynthia has entertained many with her storytelling performances, including the original story “The Wide-Eyed Tree Frog Who Loved Books”.
Programs offered at your school:
Collecting Your Wits and Other Bits: A Writing Workshop
Tom Plaster attended the UMKC Conservatory of Music. He taught Percussion at the UMKC Conservatory of Music for ten years, and performed with both the Starlight Theater Orchestra and the Kansas City Philharmonic for fifteen years. He currently performs with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, the Kansas City Ballet, and the Kansas City Symphony. Tom has worked as a private percussion teacher for over twenty years.
Programs offered at our school:
Private percussion instruction
American mezzo-soprano, Jennifer Powell, has begun to make a presence in major opera houses around the country. Opera News stated, "The best singing came from young artist Jennifer Powell, as a strong, affecting Mamma Lucia," in Opera Theater of St. Louis' 2004 production of Cavalleria Rusticana. During two consecutive summers at the renowned Santa Fe Opera, audiences enjoyed Ms. Powell's portrayal of Giovanna in Verdi's Rigoletto and as a devoted confidant, Alisa, in Lucia di Lammermoor. The role of Jesse in the New York premiere of William Mayer's A Death In The Family, at Manhattan School of Music, immediately found favor with the New York Times, while her work as Bianca in Britten's Rape of Lucretia with New York Chamber Opera made for a lasting impression. Jennifer has also earned success in more intimate settings with her dramatic artistry while singing lead roles in Menotti's The Medium and Amahl and the Night Visitors. Jennifer was a Metropolitan Opera Regional Finalist and performed her way to second place finish at the MTNA National Artist Voice Competition. Jennifer’s most recent engagements featured her as a guest artist with the Tupelo Symphony, and Springfield Symphony and the UMKC mezzo-soprano young artist with Kansas City Lyric Opera where she performed roles for two seasons to great reviews. Along with performing , she has served on the voice faculty at Missouri State University, Drury University, and the Missouri Fine ARTS Academy in Springfield, MO. Jennifer has also taught diverse genres of private lessons ranging from Classical to Popular Music in voice. She holds a Masters of Music degree in Voice Performance from UMKC.
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Linda Putthoff received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. She studied yoga for two years at the Yoga Ashram of San Diego and also worked for eight years as a professional modern dancer. She began teaching yoga in 1987, and over the years has taught yoga at colleges, elementary schools, hospitals, fitness centers, and dance studios. Linda is presently the owner of Plaza Wellspring.
Programs offered at our school:
Kim Ratliff has been a performer and educator for over 14 years. After graduating from the University of Kansas, Kim was immediately accepted at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts. There, she discovered her love of improvisational comedy. Kim soon started studying and performing with the nationally renowned improve troupe, the Groundlings. While in Los Angeles, Kim also did commercial work, live theater, and warmed audiences for a game show. Returning to Kansas City, Kim married, started a family, and began teaching in the Shawnee Mission School District. Kim found her niche in teaching Kindergarten. Kim has incorporated the adventures of Junie B. Jones into her curriculum and teaching practice.
Programs offered at our school:
Programs offered at your school:
Theodore “Priest” Hughes and Desmond “3-3-7” Jones, life time poets and also ten year veterans in performance poetry, came together and launched in 2005 as a duo poetry team known as, The Recipe. “We chose to work in a team format to encourage peoples to work together towards common goals. We believe that by exemplifying excellence and team work as spoken word artist/activist we can influence change.” The Recipe quickly became known for its dramatic heart felt chemistry during performances. Incorporating multiple artistic mediums to heighten the social conscious message becoming known as Dramatic Art n Rhythm,”We combined props, music and theatrical interpretations with spoken word.” Audience acceptance and appreciation led to winning many local poetry slams, opening doors to do featured performances around the Kansas City, Mo area and nationally. The Recipe has performed for youth programs, Fund raisers, Class Reunions, Theaters, Arenas, Churches, Schools, and Night Clubs.
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Mr. Robinson comes to Kansas City Young Audiences with several years experience as a teacher in the Raytown School District and is well loved by the students there. In addition to his formal teaching experience, Mr. Robinson is the Founder and C.E.O. of the Kansas City Boys Choir, Inc and the Kansas City Girls Choir. Mr. Robinson attended the University of Missouri-Columbia and studied in the areas of Elementary Education and Music. In addition to his many accomplishments, Mr. Robinson is a licensed foster parent and has been a big brother in the Big Brother/Big Sisters Program for fifteen years.
Programs offered at our school:
Kansas City Boys Choir and Kansas City Girls Choir
Growing up in a talented and creative family, Jamie was encouraged to express her artistic tendencies in paint and sculpture. She continued to explore new media while earning a Bachelors of Science in Animal Science. Jamie’s teaching career started serendipitously during an internship in the exhibits department at the Kansas City Museum. She was drafted to develop and teach history and nature classes to preschoolers. More recently, she spent 11 years teaching life sciences in the public schools.
A single lamb purchased in 1991 for these classes began a new passion. Wool from her flock of sheep is the material of her art now. Jamie loves spinning yarn and all forms of felt. She is a member of the Fiber Guild of Greater Kansas City and a known fiber art enabler.
Programs offered at your school:
Colonial and Pioneer Spining and Weaving
Brad Shaw, a graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute, is considered a “Renaissance Man” in the theater world. His name can be found on programs as actor, director, choreographer, costumer, set design, and playwright. Brad has taught in the Kansas City Public Schools and in surrounding school districts. He was also an integral part of the building and opening of the Gem Theater at 18th and Vine where he wrote and produced the musical 18th and Vine. Brad has worked with the Theater League to produce a professional partnership with Paseo High School and his teaching experience includes acting, improvisation, costuming, puppetry, creative writing, and storytelling. Brad received the Lighton Prize from Kansas City Young Audiences in the Spring of 2004 for excellence in the arts. Brad performs The Travelling Storyteller and leads the workshop: Improvisation for Kansas City Young Audiences, in addition to teaching Act Up, Theatre from Head to Toe and the CSA Players at the Community School of the Arts.
Programs offered at our school:
Programs offered at your school:
Kim has been a part of Kansas City's dance community since 1981. As the first graduate of the Kansas City Ballet School, she enjoyed a successful fourteen year career as a professional dancer under the direction of Todd Bolender and Una Kai. She danced many soloist roles in works by Bolender, George Balanchine, Alvin Ailey and Margot Sappington. During that time she was chosen to further her skills and passion for dance by teaching in the company's ballet school. Kim retired from Kansas City Ballet and opened the Midtown School of Dance in 1998 so she could continue to share her love of dance with all of her wonderful students. The Midtown School of Dance merged with the Community School of the Arts in September of 2007; Kim now serves as Dance Department Head and teaching artist for a number of ballet classes.
Programs offered at our school:
Teaching Artist Lee Slusher, a studio potter, holds degrees from Johnson County Community College and Washburn University.
Lee’s functional pottery incorporates the techniques and styles of Japanese and Korean folk pottery. His work also reflects the influence of the southwest Native Americans.
Lee travels to art fairs nationwide and also sells his work from his home studio.
Programs offered at your school:
Reach, born Stacy D. Smith, hails from Kansas City, Mo. Five short years after being introduced to Hip-Hop culture in 1986 Reach began writing and reciting rhymes at the tender age of thirteen. His early stylings were heavily influenced by lyrical gunslingers Keith Murray and Kurupt. After nearly a decade of honing and perfecting his craft he helped to form a local independent Rap label, Kingdome Records. Three years and a full-length compilation album later he opted to pursue greener pastures as a solo artist. In 2003, Reach began a blistering campaign to garner exposure with a brief stint on a national tour (2003 Vans Warped Tour) and a self-released EP in the summer of 2003.
Reach is as compelling and as atypical an emcee as you'll find in the Rap genre. He utilizes what he calls blue-collar Rap, a more reality-based personable brand of Hip-Hop, to combat an industry saturated with propaganda. This emcee, by most accounts, is considered to be a throwback to the art form's golden age. With content as distinctive and as poignant as his he's aiming to raise the bar and escort the Rap genre back to greatness.
Reach released his debut album, Joys, Disappointments & The In-Between., in the Fall of 2004. In 2005 Reach was named the winner of the Scion Next Up contest (a national Rap talent search) sponsored by Toyota Scion. He shot a fully-produced music video in Los Angeles, California (currently running on scion.com/broadband). The talented songwriter, artist, and producer recently released his sophomore project, Corner Speech, in November 2007. The new album features 12 tracks produced solely by Copenhagen producer Twelve Beats. Reach maintains a steady performance schedule and spent time on the Vans Warped Tour in both 2007 and 2008. In the Summer of 2008 he was nominated and named the 2008 Pitch Music Award winner in the Hip Hop category. In the Fall of 2008 Reach promoted a Hip Hop musical (touring nationally), Clay, for the Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Reach has opened for national acts The Roots, Big Daddy Kane, Kev Brown, Oddisee, Trek Life, Othello, P.O.S, Devin The Dude, Abyss (HBO Def Jam Poet), Sound Tribe Sector 9, Kindred The Family Soul, Pharcyde, Jeru The Damaja, Blackalicious, Soulive, and Heiruspecs. Reach is currently promoting his new album, Corner Speech, and setting up regional and national touring dates.
Prorams offered at our school:
Hip Hop Writing and Performance
Programs offered at your school:
Gerald Spaits currently teaches Jazz Bass at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, and also teaches bass lessons at the Toon Shop. He is a member of the Joe Cartwright Trio, and performs with his own group, The Westport Art Ensemble. Throughout his career, Gerald has performed and recorded jazz with several local and national jazz artists, including Karrin Allyson, Lisa Henry, and Jay McShann. His music can be heard on his three CD's, Three Sides, The Westport Art Ensemble, and Never Let Me Go with the Russ Long Trio.
Gerald has performed at the Kansas City Blues and Jazz Festival, the Kansas City International Jazz Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, the San Jose Jazz Festival, and the World's Fair in Seville, Spain.
Programs offered at our school:
Private electric bass and upright bass instruction
Private jazz theory and improvisation instruction
Mary Bridget Stewart works in the printmaking media of etching, lithography, linoleum and woodblock printing, and stamp printing. Her style is abstract and emphasizes relationships between pattern, color, music, language, and textiles. Bridget utilizes the experimental aspects of printmaking, exploring non-traditional materials for image making.
Bridget received her BFA and BA in Education degrees from the University of Kansas, and Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees from the University of Iowa. She is certified to teach art K- 12 in both Kansas and Missouri. Bridget is a dedicated studio artist as well as a teacher, and shows her works regularly in galleries and exhibitions throughout the region.
Bridget is a KCYA Master Teaching Artist.
Programs offered at your school:
Printmaking: Collograph Printing
Printmaking: Linoleum Block Printing
A diverse professional singer and actor, Ms. Stoner has performed across the country in opera and theater. Regional opera credits include the Des Moines Metro Opera, Kentucky Opera, Shreveport Opera, Union Avenue Opera, Lake George Opera, Aspen Opera Center, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and the Kansas City Puccini Festival. Favorite roles with these companies include Tatiana in Eugene Onegin, Marguerite in Faust, Manon in Manon Lescaut, Fidelia in Edgar, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Gretel in Hansel and Gretel. This past spring, she premiered the role of Flo Owens in the opera Picnic with KU Opera, and this summer she performed various chamber works including Resphigi’s Il Tramonto in Italy with Orvieto Musica. Upcoming engagements include Nedda in I Pagliacci with Kansas Concert Opera and the role of Anna Maurrant in Street Scene with KU Opera this fall. She was a district winner of the National Council Auditions for the Metropolitan Opera, Singer of the Year with Shreveport Opera, and a finalist in the Marcella Sembrich competition, the Naftzger and NATS competitions.
Acting credits include the national tour of Terence McNally’s MARIA CALLAS: MASTERCLASS in the role of Sharon Graham, as well as multiple productions with the Kansas City Repertory Theater, the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, the New Theatre, and Quality Hill Playhouse.
As a voice instructor, she has give private instruction in voice for over ten years. Most recently, she was appointed interim professor of voice at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. She has held Graduate Teaching Assistantships at both the UMKC Conservatory of Music and the University of Kansas. She has conducted voice master classes for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City Honors Artists, the UMKC Conservatory of Music, and Notre Dame de Sion. Additionally, she is a current member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.
Ms. Stoner is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Performance at the University of Kansas. She received her Master’s degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and her Bachelor’s degree in Music and Theater from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Programs offered at our school:
Lindsay Spilker Tate holds a B.S. Ed. In Dance Education (2003) from the University of Georgia. While at UGA, she trained with the CORE Concert Dance Company under the direction of Bala Sarasvati. She has danced professionally for the past six years, performing and choreographing with O-T-O Dance (Tucson, AZ), a modern/aerial company under the direction of Anne Bunker, and locally with Kacico Dance under the direction of Michelle Diane Brown. She recently completed her fifth season with Kacico. She has had the opportunity to work with current and former members of Limon Dance Co, Nikolais Dance Theatre, Pilobolus Dance Theater, and Cirque du Soleil. She has taught various forms of dance in Georgia, Arizona, and the Kansas City area, and served as Program Director for the Kacico School of Contemporary Dance (2008-2009).
Programs offered at our school:
Movement Explorations
Modern I, Modern II/III
George Watkins has his Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from California State University, and his Master of Music in Violin Performance from the University of Michigan. His performance experiences include substitute violinist for the Kansas City Symphony, concertmaster and soloist for the Northland Symphony, section viola for the St. Joseph Symphony, violinist for newEar Ensemble, and recitalist for the Reuel Joyce Recital Series. His teaching experiences include Associate Professor of Violin at the American Conservatory in Chicago, lecturer in violin at St. Xavier College in Chicago, private studio instruction since 1990, and a faculty position in the music program at Paseo High School.
Programs offered at our school:
Private viola and violin instruction
Shirley Weaver is a native Kansas Citian. In a professional career of more than twenty years she danced with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Ballet Variante, and the Radio City Music Hall Ballet as well as with several smaller groups and it numerous summer musical theatre productions. After returning to Kansas City, she joined the faculty of the UMKC Consercatory of Music and for a few years, danced in performances of the Kansas City Ballet. Now retired from the regular dance faculty, she continues to teach on a limited basis for the Conservator's Community Music and Dance Academy, City in Motion, and most recently, Kansas City Young Audiences' Community School of the Arts.
Programs offered at our school:
On Christmas Day, 1979, Mike received a copy of How To Draw Comics the Marvel Way. In this book, he found his passion. Mike, already holding a degree in Music, returned to Northwestern Missouri State University to obtain a degree in Art.
The early 1980’s found Mike as a Colorist in DC Comic’s New Talent Program and as a runner-up Penciller in the Marvel Comics Tryout Contest.
Mike’s first professional gig was as a Colorist for Eclipse Comics. From there, he built his career as a cartoonist, coloring for Marvel Comics, penciling for Archie Comics, inking the style guide for King Feature’s Phantom 2040, Marvel Comics Presents, and Midnight Sons Unlimited. Mike is currently helping to develop new talent in the field of cartooning.
Programs offered at your school:
Donna Yeager is an award-winning pastel painter whose work is collected worldwide. Her subjects include portraiture, landscape, seascapes, and still-lifes. Donna’s work is represented in local galleries as well as exhibited locally in prestigious shows and festivals such as The Plaza Art Fair, the Brookside Art Annual, and The Westport Art Show. Donna also participates in national and international art competitions.
Donna has been teaching drawing and painting classes to adults and children since 1987, when she served as the Educational Director of the Art Center of Kansas City. Her work is scheduled to appear in the International Pastel Magazine under Master Pastellists of the USA.
Programs offered at you school:
Drawing, Pastels, and Mixed Media