Every student, regardless of his/her goals, should receive the best possible training. The faculty and staff take pride in making sure all students receive personalized training and individual attention. No two artists are alike. Therefore, it is very important for each student to know how to approach his or her craft in a safe and thoughtful manner.
Our students are taught the value of fine arts so they may become a life-long supporter of the arts regardless of the paths they may choose.
The following is a list of previous faculty and staff, many of whom will be back in 2012.
Daniel Adams | Carson Alexander | Carla Anderson | Kelly Bales | Michael Baxter | Michelle Brandt | Travis Brendle | Buckner Cooke | Paul Davis | Lisa del Rosario | Rona Ebert | Taylor Edwards | Kasey Eggleston | Michael Fariss | David Gallagher | Kirk German | John Howrey | Monique Huff | Stacey Huston | Heather Huggins | Erik James | Larry Lehew | Robin Lewis | Jill Leberknight | Katie McDowell | Dr. Michael McKelvey | Ginger Morris | Aaron Moten | Alan Shorter | Dustin Struhall | Scott Thompson | David Valdes
Carson Alexander
Counselor, Acting Teacher, Residential Director
Carson Alexander (BFA in Acting, Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University) loves TAP CAMP! He graduated from St. Stephen’s where he studied acting throughout high school and was active on the Helm stage. Carson is a New York City resident, where he starred in a one-man show Off-Broadway. Theatre has been his passion since he was 13 and he hopes to make it his life work.
Carla Anderson
Guest Artist
Carla Anderson (Professional Dancer; BFA in Dance, Conservatory of Music, Univeristy of Missouri, Kansas City) has studied dance for 20 years. She has worked as a dancer for Crystal Cruises, multiple theatre companies across the country, Oakland Ballet, Anaheim Ballet, and Albany Berkshire Ballet. She has also danced in numerous films, music videos and industrials. She currently teaches dance and works as a choreographer and guest artsist on the West Coast.
Kelly Bales
Director/Choreographer, Junior Camp
Kelly Bales served as Director/Choreographer for TAP Junior for the past 5 years and Choreographer for TAP Senior in 2009. She has taught for Austin Musical Theatre and Footworks Academy. Kelly has worked as assistant director and choreographer for a number of middle and high schools and most recently for Summer Stock Austin. Kelly was an original member of Austin Musical Theatre’s Junior and Senior Companies and participated in over a dozen professional shows with Austin Musical Theatre at the Paramount Theatre. Kelly also played the role of Irene in Crazy For You at Zilker Hillside Theatre and occasionally performed with The Small Stars, an Austin rock band.
Michael Baxter
Choreographer/Dance Instructor
Michael is a professional actor, singer, dancer, teacher and choreographer (AEA Member). He currently resides in New York City after having received his BFA with Departmental Honors in Musical Theatre from The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University. Selected performance credits include – NYC Theatre: The Cradle Will Rock (Theatre Ten Ten). Regional: The Drowsy Chaperone & Guys and Dolls (STAGES St. Louis); Guys and Dolls (Riverside Theatre in Florida) 42nd Street, The Producers & My One and Only (St. Louis MUNY); Kiss Me Kate (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis); She Loves Me & Godspell (Hope Summer Repertory Theatre). Other selected performances credits include: Oklahoma! (Will Parker), Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (Lead Performer), Angels in America: Millenium Approaches (Prior Walter) & Cabaret (Emcee). Recent choreographic credits include: The Producers & My Fair Lady (Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre), Man of La Mancha (Insight Theatre Company).
Michelle Brandt
Movement Teacher, Counselor, Dance Captain
Michelle Brandt is a graduate of St. Edward’s University. Her performance credits at St. Edward’s include City of Angels, The Stronger, and On the Town. She also served as the choreographer for the mainstage production of Peer Gynt. Michelle is a founding company member of DA! Theatre Collective, a movement based acting company in Austin. As a DA! member, she has assisted several workshops teaching the Droznin System of physical actor training at T.E.T.A and in local middle schools. Michelle has spent over ten years studying and training in classical ballet, the Cecchetti Method, tap, jazz, lyrical dance, modern dance, acting, and voice in the greater Austin area. She currently resides in New York City.
Travis Brendle
TAP Production Stage Manager
Travis lives in New York City, where he works as a professional Stage Manger (AEA). He is working on the revival of Carrie at MCC Theatre in NYC. He will be working as Stage Manager on One For My Baby in NYC this summer. Travis is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) with a BFA in Theater Design and Production with an emphasis in Stage Management. Having stage managed musical theatre, opera, and drama, some favorite credits include HAIR, Two Gentlemen of Verona: The Musical and Assassins at CCM, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Oklahoma with SummerStock Austin, and the regional premieres of Becky’s New Car and The Marvelous Wonderettes at the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati. He also spent three months in Las Vegas as the stage management intern for The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil in 2009. He is a graduate of the St. Stephen’s Theatre Focus Program and loves coming back to TAP as often as possible.(Camper in ’04, Councilor in ’06, and Production Manager in ‘07/’08). He is a proud member of the Actor’s Equity Association.
Buckner Cooke
Head of Filmmaking, Senior Camp
Buckner is a graduate of the University of North Texas. Buckner has been working professionally for over ten years. His work in the music industry has been broadcast both national and internationally on MTV and he served as the Music Video Judge at the 1999 SXSW Film Festival. In 1999 he co-founded Red Frame Productions, a full service production company in Austin Texas. Since that time, Buckner has worked as a Producer, Director, Director of Photography, and Sound Mixer for several diverse types of film and video projects. Over the course of the last several years Buckner’s work has been screened at film festivals including SXSW and Slamdance as well as being broadcast nationally on PBS and ABC. Buckner has been the head of Filmmaking for Texas Arts Project since its inception in 2003.
Paul Davis
Technical Design, Senior Camp
Paul is an active set designer in and around Austin. He has also worked as a scenic artist for the Dallas Theatre Center, Portland Stage, and Connecticut Repertory Theatre; and as Scene and Costume Designer for Finborough Theatre in London, England. In 2004, Davis was nominated for his work on The Importance of Being Earnest, as well as a B. Iden Payne Award for The Drawer Boy. His students have placed among the top in the state at the Texas Thespian Convention for set, costume and mask design. Many have also qualified for National Competition is Set and Lighting Desgin.
Lisa del Rosario
Co-Head of Dance/TBallet & Modern Teacher & Choreographer, Senior Camp
Lisa began her dance studies at the Margo Marshall School of Ballet and the Cleveland San Jose School of Ballet. She continued her training as a presidential scholarship student at the University of Texas at Austin where she received her B.F.A. in Dance. She also studied classical piano and violin for many years and in her later years Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi, Vipassana Meditation, Taoist Meditation, and the Feldenkrais Method of movement education. Lisa danced professionally in the Philippines with The Philippine National Folk Dance Company, Bayanihan. She currently dances locally with Moving Voices Dance, Sharir/Bustamante Danceworks, Sheep Army/Elsewhere Dance Theatre, Subclavian Groove Dance Company, Yellow Tape Construction Co., and other independent choreographers. Lisa has taught and choreographed at the UT Informal Classes, the Dougherty Arts School, the McCallum High School Fine Arts Academy, and the Creative Movement and Pre-Ballet divisions of the Ballet Austin Academy. She is thrilled to be in her third season teaching for the Texas Arts Project at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School. Lisa is also undergoing training in New York City to become a Guild Certified Practitioner of the Feldenkrais Method.
Rona Ebert
Tap Teacher/Tap Choreographer, Senior Camp
Rona began studying ballet and tap at the age of 8, in many schools across the country as she traveled with her military family. Arriving in Austin at age twelve, she began professional ballet training with Eugene Slavin and Alexandra Nadal (Slavin-Nadal School of Ballet). Under their direction, she danced with Austin Civic Ballet (now Ballet Austin) for eight years. After graduating from U. T. with a B.F.A. emphasizing graphic design, she joined Austin On Tap, a nationally touring company based in Austin. Ms. Ebert traveled the with the company for five years and in 1990, joined Tapestry Dance Company, followed by Estampa Y Española, a local Flamenco company. A serious injury put a stop to her career for two years. Upon recovering in 1996, Ms. Ebert began working with Scott Thompson and Richard Byron, directors of Austin Musical Theatre She was graphic designer for the company until 2002, and has danced in their productions of Peter Pan, West Side Story, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Music Man and Celebrate Austin Musical Theatre, The Wizard of Oz as well as numerous Gala productions. In addition to her professional career as a graphic designer, Ms. Ebert has taught tap and ballet for over 20 years at various locations including Austin Civic Ballet, The YMCA, the Slavin Nadal School of Ballet, and Austin Musical Theatre.
Taylor Edwards
Musical Theatre TA, Counselor, Vocal Assistant, Dance Captain
Taylor Edwards is a BFA Musical Theatre Major at Texas State University. She played Nicki in Sweet Charity with Summer Stock Austin and is currenly playing Madeleine True in Lippa’s The Wild Party with Texas State Musical Theatre Department, directed by Kaitlyn Hopkins.
Kasey Eggleston
Guest Artist, Dance
Kasey Eggleston is an English Teacher at Dripping Springs High School. She has danced in numerous professional musical theatre productions with Austin Musical Theatre, Austin Playhouse, Zachary Scott Theatre and more.
Michael Fariss
Counselor
Michael Fariss is in his third year studying Acting at Webster University in St. Louis. He performed with Summer Stock Austin for five seasons. His final role was the Dentist in Little Shop of Horrors.
David Gallagher
Residential Director, Acting Instructor
David Gallagher graduated from St. Edward’s university in Austin, TX. He received his bachelors in Theatre Arts and a minor in business and music. Currently he lives in New York City and has been for the past two years. He is a member of Actors Equity Association, which is the union for professional actors. Some of his New York credits include, “Othello” produced by Wandering Bark Theatre company, “Estreies Verdes” with Full Stop Theatre Collective, and last year he had the wonderful opportunity to intern with the great Acting Company. He has been the Residential Director/Acting Coach for Texas Arts Project for the past 4 years.
Kirk German
Residential Director, Senior Camp
Kirk German has worked in the arts and education for over ten years in three states. At Middlebury College in Vermont, where he graduated with honors with a degree in theatre, literature, and art history, he worked extensively as a playwright, director, actor, and stage manger. He also worked as an RA, a feature writer for the campus newspaper arts section, and as a DJ for the local radio station. During the summers, he taught extensively for a variety of theatre camps and arts education enrichment programs, including a two-month stint as an RA and instructor for the Exploration Summer Program in Wellesley, Massachusetts. After graduating, he worked for a year as an assistant dean and residence hall director at Middlebury College while also writing and directing for Middleground Children’s Theatre Company. Since returning to his hometown of Austin, Kirk has performed with several companies including Austin Lyric Opera, TexArts, Austin Playhouse, Different Stages, Naughty Austin, and Theatre at the J, for which he received the B. Iden Payne “Best Ensemble” award along with four other actors. He has directed several children’s shows, including James and the Giant Peach for the Austin Scottish Rite Children’s Theatre and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown for kidsActing. During the day, Kirk has happily worked for the past five years as a teacher of English and theatre at Huntington-Surrey High School in Hyde Park.
John Howrey
Musical Director/Musical Theatre Instructor, Senior Camp
Adjunct faculty at Massachusetts College of Art and Design and Curry College. Currently pursuing his MFA in the Dynamic Media Institute at MassArt. Theatre credits include Bat Boy (Metro Stage Company, BroadwayWorld Boston Award), Sunfish (Stoneham Theatre), Oklahoma, Footloose, Les Miserables, 42nd Street, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Once Upon a Mattress (Stoneham Theatre’s Young Company), The Rocky Horror Show (Suffolk University), Pageant, Personals (Naughty Austin Productions), The Rocky Horror Show, The Santaland Diaries, (ZACH Theatre), You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Austin Musical Theatre), Merrily We Roll Along and Passion (Austin Circle of Theaters). John has taught for Stoneham Theatre, Austin Musical Theatre, Austin School of Music, ZACH Theatre and more. John is a graphic designer. His Map of Musical Theatre History can be found in Strange Maps by Frank Jacobs or at chonny.com.
Monique Huff
Guest Artist
Monique Huff is a Junior B.F.A Musical Theatre major at Ithaca College. Ithaca credits include Kit in Top Girls and Miriam in A Thousand Years, a workshop. Her other credits include playing Logainne Schwartzandbrubenierre in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Hangar Theatre.
Stacey Huston
Jazz Choreographer, Senior Camp
Stacey is happy to be involved with TAP as often as possible. After graduating from UT with a Business degree, she attended The University of California at Irvine and graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Dance, Theater and open-by-audition-only Choreography program. At UC Irvine and an away-program in NYC, she studied dance, voice and acting under such renowned greats as Susan Stroman, Uta Hagen, Donald McKayle and Harry Garland to name only a few. Stacey has been involved in partner dancing in one way or another for over 13 years. She tested out and is certified through American Style Gold levels and competed heavily in International Latin for 3 years. Her rankings include top six placements in Rising Star events in many national competitions like California, Nevada, Washington, Virginia, and Florida. Upon completion of her competing career in 1996, she was ranked 7th in the U.S. and 13th in the World in Rising Star Latin and Jive styles. Her vast experience includes Feature Films, Television appearances, Commercials, Special Gala events, and stage productions. Her most recent work has been 5 years with stage show productions in theaters and hotels in California, New York, Philadelphia, and finally overseas on cruise ships. She has quite literally been around the world and back.
Heather Huggins
Head of Dance/Jazz Teacher/Acting Teacher, Senior Camp
Heather has taught at Baylor University, Ballet Austin’s Musical Theatre Division, Musical Theatre Institute at St. Stephens Episcopal School, Footworks Dance Center, Zilker Academy, Performers’ Workshop, Young Actors’ Shakespeare Project, Kids’ College and DanceWorks. Regionally she has performed with Austin Musical Theatre, Broadway Texas!, Hyde Park Theatre, Vortex Repertory Theatre, Sharir + Bustamante Danceworks, Silver Star Productions, Waco Musical Theatre, Inc., Zachary Scott Theatre Center and Zilker Theatre Productions. Her recent performance credits include Rhonda in You’re No One’s Nothing Special, Frenchie in Cabaret, Kathleen in Chopper and Lilianna in Windblown, conceived by Kimmie Rhodes and directed by Joe Sears. Heather is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance, where she was a member of Dance Repertory Theatre under the direction of Yakov Sharir, Lyn Elam and Jeffery Bullock. Heather received her MFA at the Boris Schukin Insititue at the Vakhtangov Theatre, a studio of the Moscow Art Theatre (MXAT) in Moscow, Russia. She now spends most of her time as the Founder and Producing Artistic Director of DA! Theatre Collective.
Erik James
Musical Director, TAP Jr
Erik James is a classically trained pianist and composer living in New York City. Frequently playing and Music Directing cabaret and theatre, New York knows him as a versatile pianist, singer, and entertainer. Erik also makes a living by composing and producing music for TV and Film. His credits include the College Baseball World Series theme song, “Omaha” for ESPN, as well as many orchestral, pop and rock library packages for ESPN, Spike TV, and Inside Edition. Erik has collaborated with such musicians as Frank Black (of the Pixies), Stephanie J. Block (“Wicked”, “Pirate Queen”), Mario Cantone (“Sex and the City”), and Mark Mulcahy.
Larry Lehew
Technical Director/Designer
After spending some time at Yale School of Drama, Larry moved back to Texas build a high school theatre program in San Antonio. He served as the Master Electrician at the UT Performing Arts Center for several years. He holds a BA in Arts Administration from St. Edward’s University, where he worked on many shows. Larry has worked as a Lighting Designer, Set Designer, Technical Director and Robotic Lighting Consultant for theatre companies, educational institutions and lighting organizations around the country.
Robin Lewis
Guest Artist
Robin Lewis is a veteran of several Broadway stage productions including Disney’s Beauty & the Beast (dance captain), A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden (dance captain) and Fosse (including the film version) with Ben Vereen and Ann Reinking. Additional credits include the Off-Broadway production of The Green Heart as well as the first national Broadway touring production of Mel Brooks’ The Producers starring Jason Alexander and Martin Short. Lewis has taught for the University of Texas, Saint Edward’s University and has been a guest lecturer for American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensives, Ballet Austin, the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Oklahoma University, Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, Camp Broadway in NYC, US Performing Arts Camp and others nationwide. He has also been a guest teacher for, and holds membership with, the Musical Theater Educators Alliance and the Texas Educational Theatre Association among others. He is also a member of Actor’s Equity.
Jill Leberknight
Guest Artist
An actor in varied professional settings for over 20 years and enthusiastic teacher of theatre, Ms. Leberknight has taught for some of the top performing arts organizations in Austin and on the East Coast where she grew up. She believes in a strong educational foundation based on learning technique and strives to help students build their “traveling suitcase of performing tools.” She holds a BA from Penn State University and an MFA from the University of Texas at Austin.
Katie McDowell
Film TA, Counselor
Katie McDowell is majoring in Radio/Television/Film at the University of Texas, Austin. She has directed, written, produced and filmed several short films over the past five years that have run the festival circuit, including WorldFest, Berkeley Film Festival, and the Toronto International Film Festival. She has worked internships in Toronto, Canada (CTV) and Austin, Texas. She recently finished shooting her first feature film with fellow TAP camp alum, Andrew Edison. They won the Audience Award for Best Feature at Slamdance Festival 2011. This will be her seventh year with TAP camp and she can’t wait for TAP 2011.
Dr. Michael McKelvey
Musical Theatre & Voice Instructor; Senior Camp
Dr. McKelvey is the Head of Private Voice/Associate Professor at Point Park University. He served as coördinator of Music at St. Edward’s University for 6 years and received his Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Texas. Performance credits include work with Austin Lyric Opera, The State/Live Oak Theatre, Austin Musical Theatre, Austin Shakespeare Festival, and Mary Moody Northern Theatre, Dallas Opera, Shreveport Opera, Theatre Three, Deep Ellum Opera Theatre, New Texas Music Festival. He has been a musical and vocal director for Austin Musical Theatre, The State Theatre Company, and Austin Playhouse. This past year Dr Michael Mckelvey won Austin Critic’s Table award for best musical direction and received his third B. Iden Payne nomination. He has served on the faculties of Concordia University, St. Stephen’s School, Broadway Texas/AMT Academy, The Zilker Academy @ Footworks and Mountain View College. He also runs a private vocal studio in north Austin, opened a new theatre production company in Austin, where he has won a number of awards for Best Director and Best Musical Director.
Ginger Morris
TAP Artistic Director
Ginger graduated with a BFA in Theatre and a minor in Speech Communications from the University of Texas – Austin in 1998. While in college, Ginger worked as Assistant Stage Manager and Academy Director for Austin Musical Theatre where she produced the Annual All-Youth Summer Musical for three years and garnered two B. Iden Payne Awards for “Best Play for Youth.” She also had the opportunity to direct productions with St. Edward’s University, Zilker Theatre Productions, Austin Scottish Rite Children’s Theatre and Second Youth Family Theatre. Ginger directs and choreographs for middle schools and high schools in Central Texas including Dripping Springs, Leander and Austin school districts. She is co-founder of Summer Stock Austin, where she has directed Footloose, West Side Story, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Little Shop of Horrors and The Producers with high school and college students. She is very excited to be travelling to New York this summer to Assistant Direct the new musical, One For My Baby.
Aaron Moten
Residential Staff/Acting Instructor
Aaron Moten currently resides in New York City, where he works as an Actor. He studied dance, voice and acting in Austin for ten years. He has performed professionally, to fantastic reviews, as Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd, Emcee in Cabaret, and Jimmy in Thoroughly Modern Millie. While studying Acting at The Juilliard School, Aaron played King Henry V in Henry V, Semyon Medvedenko in The Seagull, George in A Raisin In the Sun and many other notable roles.
Alan Shorter
Vocal Coach and Musical Theatre Director, TAPAdvanced
Alan Shorter received his BA in Acting/Directing from Indiana University and his MFA in Theatre Arts with a Directing Concentration from Minnesota State University. Mr. Shorter worked as an Instructor, Music Director, Artistic Associate, Stage Director and Composer for The Children’s Theatre Company & School in Minneapolis. He served as Director of Music Theatre for Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Graduate Assistant in the Department of Theatre and Dance for Minnesota State University and Musical Theatre BFA Program Coördinator/Assistant Professor for The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Mr. Shorter has worked professionally as a Stage Director, Choreographer, Actor, Musical Director and Composer for college departments, organizations and theatre companies across the country. He is associated with The Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival, The American Composers Forum, The American Federation of Musicians, The Theatre Communications Group and The Educational Theatre Association. Mr. Shorter is currently an Assistant Professor/Performance Faculty for Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX.
Dustin Struhall
Musical Director/Accompanist
Dustin graduated from Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, NJ in 2007 and hightailed it back to Austin soon after. Since returning, his music education continues with work as an accompanist, vocal coach and music director. As a music director, he regularly collaborates with Stuart Moulton on his many musical adventures. Other artists include Joe Hartman on variations of his character “Cathy Dresden”, with Ginger Morris in the summers as music director for the Texas Arts Project. Other credits as a music director include Anything Goes at McCallum High School Fine Arts Academy, and Songs from the boX with Cathie Sheridan. As a keyboardist, Rockin’ Christmas Party (ZACH), Little Shop of Horrors (NJ), Wizard of Oz (Broadway Texas), Guys & Dolls (Broadway Texas Academy), Into the Woods (VLA, ZTP), Sweeney Todd (Westminster Actor’s Company), and The Will Roger’s Follies (ZTP).
Scott Thompson
Guest Director/Choreographer
Scott has over 20 years teaching experience. Though currently residing and teaching in New York City, he has worked nationwide at universities, conservatories, dance academies, and summer camps. Scott has guest lectured at NYU, California State College at Fullerton, Birmingham University, University of Arizona and the College of the Desert in Palm Springs, California. Scott Thompson has won numerous awards for directing and choreographing some of Broadway’s brightest talents in over 100 productions nationwide. Scott directed Tony Award winner Betty Buckley in her first GYPSY, country music legend Larry Gatlin in THE MUSIC MAN and Tony Award winner Cady Huffman in DAMN YANKEES. For the Library of Congress, he choreographed an all-star Gershwin Gala featuring four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, recording star Dawn Upshaw and Tony Award nominees Lara Teeter, David Garrison and Wanda Richert. For Princess Cruise Lines, Scott Created, Directed and Choreographed a multi-million dollar production show BROADWAY BALLROOM, which premiered on Princess Cruises new star ocean liner the Ruby Princess. Scott co-wrote and will direct/choreograph One For My Baby, a new musical in NYC.
David Valdes
Head of Acting, Senior Camp & Director, TAPAdvanced
David is currently the Director of Theatre at St. Paul’s School. He was the Director of Theatre for the Theatre Focus program at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School for 8 years. Prior to coming to St. Stephen’s, he was Theatre Department Chair and Arts Facilitator (fifteen years) at one of the top ten nationally ranked performing arts high schools in America. David was awarded “arts educator of the year” from the Milwaukee Magazine in 1998. He has directed many award winning plays and musicals in Milwaukee and many of his former students have gone on to study at the some of the top pre-professional acting programs in the country. He was hired by St. Stephen’s in 2000, to design and develop a curriculum, which is the Theatre Focus program. His goal as a theatre educator is to make it clear to student actors that the classroom is an extension of the stage and that the stage must always be a classroom. His goal is to guide actors through a “process” rather than a “product” oriented curriculum. David has his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin and has MFA graduate training from Boston University and Minnesota State University.
