20 Years on Auburn Avenue!
On May 9, 2003, Imagination Stage moved from two small, compromised spaces into our beautiful home on Auburn Avenue.
Meet Our Teaching Artists! (Part 2)
Get to know the faces behind our fall classes! We have a passionate and highly trained slate of teaching artists preparing to lead courses in acting, musical theatre, creative drama, dance, and more, starting September 16.
Learn about just a few of our talented faculty members and sign up for their classes by reading below.
Julia Ross
Julia has been teaching at Imagination Stage for one year! Plus, she worked as the Music Director Cover for this past season’s professional production of Cinderella: A Salsa Fairytale!
Favorite part of teaching at IStage: “Connecting with new students and developing relationships over time spent in different classes and camps!”
Julia first fell in love with musical theatre as a teenager, finding a passion for new works development and theatre for young audiences along the way. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Julia is always excited to support her students as they traverse the realm of theatrics! Over the 2023-2024 year with Imagination Stage, Julia worked as a music director, director, and composer, meeting with over 400 students from Pre-K to High School.
Classes:
Musical Theatre: Mary Poppins (grades K-1)
Musical Theatre: Matilda (grades 2-3)
Musical Theatre: The Eras Tour (grades 4-5)
Voice and Dance: Back to School Musicals (grades 4-5)
Musical Theatre Technique (grades 6-8)
Voice and Dance: Mamma Mia (grades 6-8)
Speak Out on Stage Musical (Audition Only, grades 4-6)
Ashlee McKinnon
Ashlee has been teaching at IStage for 13 years and currently serves as a member of our Senior Faculty in Dance!
Favorite part of teaching at IStage: “I started teaching because I saw my students light up with pride when they tried something new and they were able to do it. Dance is a vulnerable art form because it can only be demonstrated by putting your whole self on display. So to take that risk while still physically developing, learning about their emotions, and building trust with the world really touches my heart.”
Ashlee is a passionate dance teaching artist and advocate, who has worked in the Washington, DC area since 2011. Ashlee’s focus as an educator and arts administrator is advocating for youth development and arts education programming that centers equity and identity. The joy she feels when she witnesses her students grow personally, academically, and emotionally through their positive involvement in dance education, is what motivates her to continue to teach. In addition to being a teaching artist, Ashlee also performs with AftaShock DC and serves as a grant reviewer at Maryland State Arts Council.
Classes:
IStage Dance Theatre (Audition Only, grades 8-12)
Nikki Kaplan
Nikki has been teaching at IStage for 18 years and currently serves as our Director of Education!
Favorite part of teaching at IStage: “My teaching work focuses mainly on our teen advanced programs (Acting Conservatory and IStage Performance Ensemble); helping teen actors refine their process and dig deep into the techniques that make for great acting. But...and keep this between us...my absolutely favorite grade grouping to teach is actually 4-5 grade! I love this age group and try to teach our Monday afternoon 4-5 grade acting class every semester!”
Nikki has helped to shape Imagination Stage’s framework for curriculum in theatre education and has led several best practices and professional development workshops for teaching artists both regionally and nationally. Nikki oversees IStage’s acclaimed Advanced Training program and has directed numerous student productions. Favorites include Romeo & Juliet, Antigone, and The Manhattan Project’s Alice in Wonderland. Nikki has gotten immense joy and professional fulfillment in managing the offsite Musical Theatre Production camp (a perfect blend of skill building, performance, and positive youth development!), providing guidance to our wonderful teaching artist faculty, and teaching young performers about the power of live theatre.
Classes:
Fundamentals of Acting (grades 4-5)
Shanna Sorrells
Shanna has been teaching at IStage for 9 years! She also serves as our Access & Inclusion Senior Manager and first interacted with our programming as a student.
Favorite part of teaching at IStage: “I love seeing imagination and creativity come to life! There are so many "life has come full circle" moments as well, and I absolutely love that too!”
At Imagination Stage Shanna is developing theatre education programming for Deaf and Hard-of-hearing children in the DMV region. Prior, she spent almost ten years teaching ASL in middle school, high school, and college classrooms, while working intermittently as a Teaching Artist for Imagination Stage and other theatres. She holds a master's degree in Theatre Education from the University of Northern Colorado, as well as a B.A. in Education and Child Study from Smith College. She also happens to be a proud Imagination Stage alum!
Classes:
Pegasus (registration unavailable this year)
Sammi Rosenfeld
Sammi is a professional dancer and educator who has been teaching at IStage for 11 years!
Favorite part of teaching at IStage: “I continue to return to teach at Imagination stage because the passionate staff remain loyal to upholding its core values of inclusion, being child centered, championing creativity, and celebrating individuality. I love that I am given the freedom to compose my classes in a way that highlights my strengths and interests as a teacher, while also receiving guidance to ensure I maintain the standards of Imagination Stage. I love the passion of the staff and the culture that encourages creativity and uniqueness.”
Sammi is a dancer, dance teacher, choreographer, school counselor for a K-8 special education school, and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. After receiving her foundational dance training from The Washington School of Ballet and other conservatories, Sammi received her BFA with honors from The University of Michigan in Dance with a minor in Movement Science. She danced professionally with such companies as Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company, Maida Withers Dance Construction Company, and Motion X. She received her M.S.Ed from The University of Pennsylvania in School and Mental Health Counseling in 2018.
Classes:
Stay tuned for future classes taught by Sammi!
Fall classes start September 16; don’t forget to register today!
Did you miss "Part one" of our teaching artist highlights? Read it here.
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