DST ACADEMY

CENTER STAGE: SNOWMEN “MELTDOWN”
Center Stage Snowmen “Meltdown” celebrates winter and famous Snowmen from favorites like: Frozen, Frosty the Snowman and Abominable. We will be singing and dancing as well as making winter themed crafts to take home!
Instructor: KARA ARMSTRONG
Kara has been involved with DST since 2016 as an actor, counselor, and volunteer. She has helped with multiple Center Stage sessions, and she cannot wait to share her passion for theatre with the incoming generation.

DANCE TRAINING FOR MUSICAL THEATRE
Sadie teaches the technique behind all styles of dancing while learning new and challenging combos! Maybe you didn’t understand a dance term used in your last audition or you fell out of turn. From JAZZ to TAP to even some CONTEMPORARY, Sadie will help sharpen those dance skills and even teach you better technique! Improve your movement quality and stage presence. NAIL your next dance audition!
Instructor: SADIE KROTONSKY
NOTES: For the safety of everyone, temperatures will be taken upon arrival, masks will be mandatory for all in attendance, and social-distancing guidelines will be observed.

COLLEGE AUDITION PREP
- What are the “Unifieds?”
- How do I know which schools are right for me?
- What kind of audition material does each school require?
- What should I wear to my audition?
Born and raised here in Phoenix, Sophia Drapeau is now a current Senior at New York University, where she studies Drama at the Tisch School of the Arts. She has spent the past three years at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting studying extensively in modern realism, Shakespeare, voice and speech, movement, character, and Adler technique. She is currently spending her last semester at the Stonestreet Studio for film and television acting. Aside from acting, she enjoys creative writing, playing ukulele and guitar, singing, and spending time with her family and friends. She has appeared in more than 40 youth theater and professional shows across the Valley, and recently appeared in the Scottsdale Community Players alumni productions of The TomKat Project and The Wolves. Having gone through the college audition process herself, she could not be more thrilled to teach this class and share what she’s learned with other young actors!
NOTES: For the safety of everyone, temperatures will be taken upon arrival, masks will be mandatory for all in attendance, and social-distancing guidelines will be observed.

SKILLS, STRENGTHS & STYLE
Instructor: MARK 4MAN
NOTES: For the safety of everyone, temperatures will be taken upon arrival, masks will be mandatory for all in attendance, and social-distancing guidelines will be observed.

FIT FOR BROADWAY
Come get fit with Allie! This exercise and dance class is the perfect way to continue your triple-threat training! Allie, a certified personal trainer, leads this class focusing on building strength, flexibility and stamina necessary for every great musical theatre performer. Learn tips and tricks to pick up choreography in a snap so you can head into your next audition with confidence! New music, new dances and new combos from your favorite TV shows and musicals make getting FIT FOR BROADWAY fun!
Next to living and breathing musical theatre, Allie loves nothing more than to be working out at the gym, so she is thrilled to continue bringing the two things she loves most together in her DST Academy classes!
NOTES: For the safety of everyone, temperatures will be taken upon arrival, masks will be mandatory for all in attendance, and social-distancing guidelines will be observed.

CENTER STAGE “VALENTINE FRIENDSHIPS”
This Center Stage session will feature songs from Aladdin, The Descendants, and The Little Mermaid! We’ll make Valentine’s Day crafts, friendship bracelets, and more! Please “Be Our Guest” as we meet “Friends Like Me” on Wednesday afternoons for Center Stage. At the end of this 4 week session, we will have a recital-style performance for family and friends. Who knows? You may even discover “She’s in Love” with theatre!
Instructor: KARA ARMSTRONG
Kara has been involved with DST since 2016 as an actor, counselor, and volunteer. She has helped with multiple Center Stage sessions, and she cannot wait to share her passion for theatre with the incoming generation.
NOTES: For the safety of everyone, temperatures will be taken upon arrival, masks will be mandatory for all in attendance, and social-distancing guidelines will be observed.

THE ARTS AS ACTIVISM: LGBTQ+ HUMAN RIGHTS
THROUGH MUSICAL THEATRE
The performing arts have been an integral part of social activism for centuries. During this engaging, interactive, student-led series of master classes, the students will explore both historical and recent events in local, national, and global culture as regards to Social Injustice and Human Rights for LGBTQ+ populations. In the process, they will create an original song, poetry, monologues and other spoken word pieces to help them give voice to the deeper thoughts and feelings of their hearts in a hopeful, compassionate, inclusive, and empathetic way. All in a safe space where sharing is welcome, and judging is not.
Instructor: DAVID SIMMONS
David Simmons serves as founder and creative director of The UBU Project , an education outreach company specializing in Social/Emotional Arts Integration Residencies. The mission of UBU is: to end youth suicide, addiction and bullying through arts integration. A graduate of the University of Montana School of Music, David’s diverse career as an educator, performer, producer, recording artist, worship leader and mental health advocate has taken him to all 50 states, 14 countries and 3 continents. He has served as education director and teaching artist for Arizona Broadway Theatre, Desert Foothills Theatre, and Fort Peck Fine Arts Council, and as a teaching artist for Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Center, Childsplay Theatre, Wyoming Council on the Arts, the Montana Arts Council, and the Missoula Children’s Theatre (multiple international residencies). Additional teaching experience includes residencies with the Minneapolis and St. Paul Public Schools, the University of Montana, Casper College, and Estrella Mountain Community College.
David has performed live with Alice Cooper, The Solid Rock House Band and members of REO Speedwagon, A-ha, Tower of Power, Sly and the Family Stone, The Phoenix Symphony, and The Schubert Kirche Orchester (Vienna) and has served as music director, bassist and featured soloist on tour with Motown recording artists TheDrifters.
Whether in a classroom, coffee shop, rock club, worship space or classical concert hall, David brings a wealth of experience, energy, and encouragement to every stage, school, or project he encounters.
NOTES: For the safety of everyone, temperatures will be taken upon arrival, masks will be mandatory for all in attendance, and social-distancing guidelines will be observed.

SHAKING UP SHAKESPEARE!
Instructor: BETTE VAJDA
NOTES: For the safety of everyone, temperatures will be taken upon arrival, masks will be mandatory for all in attendance, and social-distancing guidelines will be observed.

DST INCUBATOR
NOTES: For the safety of everyone, temperatures will be taken upon arrival, masks will be mandatory for all in attendance, and social-distancing guidelines will be observed.

DANCE TRAINING FOR MUSICAL THEATRE
Sadie teaches the technique behind all styles of dancing while learning new and challenging combos! Maybe you didn’t understand a dance term used in your last audition or you fell out of turn. From JAZZ to TAP to even some CONTEMPORARY, Sadie will help sharpen those dance skills and even teach you better technique! Improve your movement quality and stage presence. NAIL your next dance audition!
Sadie has been involved with DST for the past 7 years. She has been an actor, camp counselor, dance captain, and a choreographer. Sadie has also been dancing for the past 13 years. She trains at Dancers Domain in all styles including tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, contemporary, ballroom, and improv. Sadie has also been an assistant for the past two years assisting beginning to advanced level classes as well as enrolled in “choreo lab” for the past 4 years, where she learns about choreography and how to choreograph. She is very excited to use that knowledge to teach her class!
NOTES: For the safety of everyone, temperatures will be taken upon arrival, masks will be mandatory for all in attendance, and social-distancing guidelines will be observed.

IT’S ALL FUN AND THEATRE GAMES
Instructor: SANDI CARLL
Sandi Carll has been a youth theatre director in the valley for the last several years. As Director of Education at Valley Youth Theatre, she managed youth camps, classes and community outreach programs. Her VYT director credits include Alice in Wonderland and The Hobbit. In 2018, Sandi directed Robin Hood at TheaterWorks which received two ariZoni wins and six additional ariZoni nominations, including best production and best director. She was also an integral part of the YouthWorks program, Kids Alive and other shows including, A Christmas Carol, Frog & Toad and Twilight’s Quest. Last season, Sandi directed Annie at Starlight Community Theater where she was a long-standing board member, show producer, and stage manager.
NOTES: For the safety of everyone, temperatures will be taken upon arrival, masks will be mandatory for all in attendance, and social-distancing guidelines will be observed.

