Fiona Santos: Co-Artistic Director

Fiona Santos is a performer and musical director based in New York City.  She musical directed and arranged the music to the new Off-Broadway show The Water Coolers, assistant musical directed the U.S. Open Tennis Ceremonies starring Diana Ross and the cast of Blast!, and arranged and musical directed Enya's backup vocalists for live performances of her hit song "Only Time" in New York.  She was the founding Artistic Director of Brand X Musical Theatre in upstate New York, and has musical directed with companies up and down the East Coast, including Ithaca Opera, Civic Theatres of Central Florida, First Edition, and SAK Comedy Lab.  She spent two years performing and directing for the Walt Disney World Co., one of the industry leaders in family entertainment.  Fiona received her theatre and music training at Ithaca College and Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.  She is a musical director for the Theatre and Dance Alliance in New York City, a Theatre Department Director at Long Lake Camp for the Arts, and an adjunct professor at New York University.  She is married to Co-Artistic Director Jason Brantman.

Jason Brantman: Co-Artistic Director

Jason Brantman is a Director of Theatre & Live Events, currently living in New York. He recently directed Summer with the Stars - a week of events and concerts in Cancun, Mexico - featuring 13 stars from American Idol (including Ruben Studdard), plus Corbin Bleu, Cody Linley, and host Joey Fatone ('N Sync).

For the past 12 years, Jason has been on the directing team for the US OPEN Tennis ceremonies, getting to work with incredible musical legends ranging from Art Garfunkel, James Taylor, Harry Connick Jr., Tony Bennett, Carole King, and Liza Minnelli to film/tv stars Liev Shrieber and Phylicia Rashad to theatre icons Ben Vereen, Idina Menzel, and Twyla Tharp, to fabulous divas Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, and Patti Labelle.  This event is broadcast live on CBS to millions of homes around the world, and includes Jason's favorite part - directing 40 Marines unfurling the largest American flag in the northeast. 

Other live events include: productions for Walt Disney Entertainment, ABC's "The View," associate director for the IBM e-server Spectacular event at Radio City Music Hall (featuring the band Smash Mouth), and production stage manager for The Water Coolers - both off-Broadway and as a show for corporations such as Microsoft, Toyota, JP Morgan, Lego, Caesars Entertainment Las Vegas, and the launch of Microsoft's Xbox 360.

NYC and regional theatre directing credits include: The Crucible, All in the Timing, Urinetown, Les Miserables, Chicago, Tommy, The Secret Garden, Once on this Island, Sweeney Todd, Into The Woods, The Fantasticks, Assassins, The Drowsy Chaperone, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, the world premiere of Lady Chardonney at Theatre Row on 42nd Street, and the NYC premiere of Are We There Yet? at Queens Theatre in the Park. 

In addition to directing plays, musicals, and live events, Jason has been the director of several improvisation troupes across the northeast.  He received his improvisation training at SAK Comedy Lab (training ground for Wayne Brady). 

On the filmmaking front, Jason has had the privilege of working with Emmy Award Winning Documentary filmmaker Slawomir Grunberg.

Jason has a passion for animals, and loves collaborating with them whenever possible.  He had the honor of being part of the opening team of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, performing in a breathtaking free-flight bird show called Flights of Wonder (developed and run by one of the foremost animal trainers in the world – Steve Martin). During his time at Disney World Orlando, Jason got to perform at each of the 4 Disney Theme Parks.

Jason is a member of SDC - the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and also a member of AEA - Actors' Equity Association.

Jason is a proud graduate of Cornell University, and very much enjoys bringing his love of theatre to the next generation.  At the college level, he has been an adjunct professor at NYU and a director & guest lecturer at Cornell University.  At the pre-college level, Jason is show director for the CASA program at Queens Theatre in the Park, has been a senior director at Long Lake Camp for the Arts, has directed at French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts, and has worked with the Helen Hayes Performing Arts Center - Youth Theatre Program.  Jason is currently the co-artistic director of Broadway Training Center with his inspirational partner Fiona Santos and their mercurial child Mouser.

Lynne Ciocca: Dance Instructor

Lynne Ciocca has studied ballet, pointe and jazz since she was very young. Her initial training was with Al and Connie Fanton, of CT, where she became a soloist with the Fanton Dancers. She has trained with Peter Humphrey, Jo Ann Ogawa, Judith Garfinkel, Suzanne Hawe, Sheree Roller, Lisa Lockwood, and Joe Cavise, where she trained with his professional Company Off Center Dance Group. Lynne has taken master classes in NYC with Lisa Lockwood, Daniel Catanach, Joe Lanteri, Patricia Wilcox, Sheila Baker and Michele Assaf.

She has performed in numerous variety shows, theater productions, and dance performances, including a principal role with the SHPAC Professional Company, where she was also head choreographer for the Professional, Adult, and children companies. As a choreographer, Lynne has had many of her works copy-written, and performed as repertoire with various companies.

Lynne has been teaching dance in this area for over 20 years. She taught at Humphrey Dance Centre, Tappan Zee Dance Group, and Sleepy Hollow Performing Arts Center. She taught the after school program for elementary school children at Bedford Road School in Pleasantville, and the afterschool Dance program at Mahopac Middle School. She was also a guest teacher at Lakeland High School where she taught classes for their Dance Team, and was a guest artist at Dance Expression in Peekskill. In 2000, she co-founded the very successful Dance Centre of Westchester (DCW) dance studio in Pleasantville and was co-director until it's closing in 2011. At DCW, she taught both children and adult age ballet and jazz classes. She ran the advance level ballet and Pointe classes, and offered Pointe Variation Workshops, in which she taught professional Pointe Variation repertoire. Lynne's ballet students have been accepted into various dance programs including Alvin Ailey's prestigious summer dance program, the Boston Conservatory Dance Workshop, , and various other dance programs stretching from NYC to Russia. Her students have graduated and been accepted to many college dance major programs, including the University of Massachusetts, Vassar, Columbia, Potsdam University, and Westchester Community College's Dance Company.

Lynne graduated summa cum laude from Mercy College, in 1982, where she received her Bachelor's degree.

Kevin R. Free: Summer Mainstage Director

Kevin R. Free has appeared on national television in commercials and on NBC’s Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU. New York audiences have seen Mr. Free Off-Broadway, creating the role of Memphis in From My Hometown both for Amas Musicals and at the Gramercy Theatre, for which he was nominated for an Audelco Award. He was also seen Off-Broadway at the York Theatre in Taking A Chance On Love, and as Bubber Brown in The New Federal Theatre’s acclaimed The Conjure Man Dies. He is a writer/performer/director in the New York Neo-Futurists, writing and performing regularly in Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind. Once a regular contributor the NPR show “News & Notes, “ Mr. Free’s voice can now be heard on the World Premiere Recording of the musical Avenue X and numerous audio books, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Known World, for which he won an AudioFile Magazine Earphones Award. As director, he assisted Martha Banta with Barbara's Blue Kitchen off-Broadway. Though he has been an actor, singer, writer, and director in NYC since 1995, he is proudest of his accomplishments as a teaching artist. He has shared his passion for Theatre-making for organizations like Symphony Space, QIIQ, The Hamptons Shakespeare Festival, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and Roundabout Theatre Company. He created his own company, Working Actor For Hire in 2005, to create and develop programming for Drama Clubs, and directed or vocal coached numerous school productions in NYC, including Dreamgirls, A Year with Frog & Toad, and The Big Bad Musical (his favorite). Kevin is now the Artistic Director of Educational Programming at Queens Theatre in the Park, overseeing their ever-expanding CentreStage Program, in which over 500 elementary and middle school children write, edit, rehearse, and perform their own plays.

Laura Gusso: Dance Instructor

Laura Gusso is a performer and teacher who lives in New York City.  She grew up in Shaker Heights, OH where she started teaching musical theatre when she was still a student herself.  She performed in shows and taught classes all over the Cleveland area.  She worked at many theatre camps teaching dance, acting, & music.  Laura also instituted theatrical curriculum into summer camps that were based around sports and arts & crafts.  Laura moved to New York City in 2000, when she began studying Musical Theatre at NYU.  In 2004, she graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance.  After graduation, Laura continued her work performing for children.  She was Meg in the original cast of Vital Children Theatre’s The Bully.  She went on to tour with the production and performed in over 100 performances of the show.  She also did several workshops of upcoming children’s theatre, including the smash hit, Pinkalicious.  It was at Vital Theatre that Laura met her husband and creative partner, Miron.  Miron is Educational Director for Teatro SEA, New York’s first bilingual children’s theatre, as well as a skilled clown and puppeteer.  Laura is currently in pursuit of her Masters in Business Administration with a focus on Arts & Entertainment Business.  She hopes to lend her business savvy to more arts education organizations.  She is thrilled to be working for Broadway Training Center, a company whose values mirror her own.  Favorite roles include Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Toffee in Zombie Prom, Cinderella in Into the Woods, & Rhoda in A New Brain (stage managed by Jason & musically directed by Fiona!).

Heather LoSchiavo: Managing Director, Acting/Dance Instructor, Summer Director

Heather LoSchiavo is an accomplished producer, director, choreographer, master teacher and performer in NYC, LA and abroad. Currently, Heather is the Director of the Musical Theatre and Teen Acting Conservatory Programs at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre in NYC and the Managing Director at Broadway Training Center of Westchester – both not-for-profit organizations dedicated to the enrichment and education of young people. Her experience in the professional world of entertainment has informed her teaching style, blending philosophies and technique to form an organic and impulsive way of utilizing movement with specialized moment-to-moment acting work. She is also a visiting guest artist at The Dance Center of Westchester and The Caymichael Patten Studio for adult professionals. Her students have been seen on Broadway, listened to on the Radio, featured on numerous TV shows, and spotted in Films and commercials.

Performed: The Clark Studio Space/Lincoln Center, Dixon Place, The 92nd Street Y, BAM, Walt Whitman Theatre/Brooklyn College, ATA, The Gene Frankel Theatre, The Trilogy, Producers Club, NADA, Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, Carnegie Hall, Caramoor Center for Music and Arts, and The Cathedral of Saint John The Divine. Company work: Walk The Plank, I Guillari di Piazza, Contemporary Dance Theatre of NY, The Bouncing Gingers, and Jonathan NYC. Choreography: In The Mirror (Ugly- productions/film), Mazur Children’s Rep., BTC, French Woods Festival, and MTV. Produced: Straight ForWard (film/Saige Belle productions), The American Theatre, Classic Stage (CSC), and Chicago City Limits. Recent Film credits: Sheltered (featured on the Chiller network 2010), Echo’s (Independent film award winner), The Session, Reverse, and You Fit The Description. Television: ABC, NBC, HBO. Voice Over/Scratch: Pampers, Jello, Playtex, and US magazine. Worked: The Public Theater & The New Victory Theater, NYC.

Professional Movement Training: Dance Educators of America, Dance Masters of America, Luigi, Frank Hatchett, Phil Black, Joe Lanteri, Gus Giordano, Suzi Taylor (Jazz Studies) Finis Jung, David Howard, Katie Lagan (Classical Ballet) Lisa Hopkins of Tap Kids (Tap), Maher Benham of Coyote Dancers and the Graham School (Graham Technique), Diane McCarthy (Simonson Technique), Rebecca Vernooy (Authentic Movement), Bachelor of Arts (BA) 4-year program participant MMC.

Professional Theatre Studies: Caymichael Patten, Richard Niles, Rod McLucus, Susan Riskin, Pat Hoag-Simon, Jim Seymour, Lisa Norman, Bob Vorlicky, Gordon Farrell, and Irma Nevero. She has additionally trained with educator’s who have affiliations with such theatres as: The Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Signature Theatre Company, The Women's Project, The Second Stage Theatre, Jean Cocteau Repertory Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, Circle Repertory Company, Playwright's Horizons, American Place Theatre, and The Nuyorican Poets Cafe. Heather holds a BFA in Acting from Marymount Manhattan College (MMC) and is also a proud graduate and alumni-member of The Neighborhood Playhouse JR School.

She is a founding member of Focal Point Aid, a not-for-profit organization, helping education systems in crisis. Currently working on projects in Perquien, El Salvador and Coffee Bay, South Africa.

Julie Mac: Dance Instructor, Choreographer

Julie Mac has been dancing tap, jazz, ballet, modern, lyrical, African and hip-hop for over 20 years. In 2004 she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance Studies with a minor in Theatre at the University of South Florida. At USF, her studies with well-known professionals in Choreography, Music for Dance, Dance Kinesiology, Dance History, Stage Practicum combined with hours of dance technique provided an in-depth understanding of the many styles of dance.  While at USF, she performed and choreographed the production of “HONK! The Musical,” and numerous other fall, spring and student dance productions.  After graduation, Julie landed her first professional dance job at Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay appearing in the main stage show “Katonga, Tales of the Jungle.” She remained with the show for two years, working as a dancer and technician.  In January 2006, Julie moved to New York City and was hired as a choreographer for Long Lake Camp for the Arts during the summer of 2006.   She returned to Long Lake in 2007 and 2008 to choreograph and to co-direct the camps first year of a Dance Intensive. Julie is currently dancing and choreographing for MusInc.-An Artist Collective a local company based in Tampa and West Palm Beach.

Patricia Santos: Administrator, Music Instructor

Patricia Santos, a native of New York, received her Bachelor’s of Music from Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory with Regina Mushabac.  After earning a magna cum laude degree in cello performance, Patricia’s postgraduate studies were with Bryan Dumm of the Cleveland Orchestra.  Additional teachers include Carole Tilson and the late Andor Toth.  She has performed at music festivals around the country and was an orchestral and chamber music fellow at Texas Music Festival in 2001.  As an eighteen-year-old, Patricia took Gold Ribbon at the Young Artist’s Concerto Competition and subsequently performed Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major with the Rockland Symphony Orchestra.  She is currently on faculty at Rockland Conservatory of Music and has served as Principal Cellist for the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra.  In addition to her classical music pursuits, Patricia is active in pit orchestras for musical theatre and also collaborates with various bands on recordings and live shows.

John Scacchetti: Dance Instructor, Choreographer

John Scacchetti is a Broadway dancer who gets to celebrate 25 years as a dancer, and 10 years as a dance teacher  this year.  John has performed on Broadway in in the 2001 Tony Award winning revival of 42nd Street with choreography by Randy Skinner, and the recent critically acclaimed 2008 revival of Gypsy starring Patti Lupone with direction by Arthur Laurents.  John has also toured the nation twice - once with 42nd Street, and again with My Fair Lady directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Matthew Bourne.  John has performed in regional productions of West Side Story, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Anything Goes.  John was also a soloist in The Illinois Ballet company before moving to NYC.  John holds a BS in theatre performance from Bradley University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude.

Cheryl Bass: Guest Ballet Instructor

Cheryl Bass began her career at age nine at The Metropolitan Opera House performing in over 40 operas and ballets, and national tours. She was an honors graduate of School of Performing Arts and was the owner/director of The Ballet Arts Center in Nyack for 23 years, and starred in and/or choreographed countless shows for Nyack Drama Group, Tappan Zee Playhouse Restoration, Theater For All Seasons and The Hudson River Repertory (in which she is still active). 
 
Many of her students (including Fiona Santos) are now top professionals in dance, theater, film,TV and the fitness/nutrition industry. Cheryl thankfully continues her love of choreography and teaching with the extraordinary students of BTC.

Kristen Briscoe: Guest Dance Instructor

Kristen began her dance training at the early age of five studying ballet at the Anita-Jean Dance Theatre in Orange County.  As a teen she placed in several talent competitions including the National Association of Dance and Affiliated Arts and Talent America.   In 2008 she graduated from Manhattanville College with a BA in Dance and Theatre where had the privilege of studying with principle dancers, teachers and choreographers from Alvin Ailey, New York City Ballet, Riverdance, and Pilobolus as well as costume designer Liz Prince.  She has been teaching and choreographing for private studios and community projects in and around the New York City area for seven years.  She is a graduate student at Metropolitan College of New York City and hopes to become an active participant in the promotion of dance and theatre in the public school system when she receives her degree in 2011.

Christopher Dippel: Guest Acting Instructor

Christopher Dippel is an actor, director, and playwright with credits including four seasons at the Brown County Playhouse, the Indiana Repertory Theatre, the New 42nd Street Theater, and the Producer's Club. Favorite roles include Lennie in Of Mice and Men, Jonathan Waxman in Sight Unseen, and Orgon in Tartuffe. His play Lick the Mouse has been produced in both New York and Chicago. He teaches drama at Hofstra University and with the American Globe Theatre in New York. He received his MFA from IU. He is a member of the Neo-Futurists who currently perform Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind 50 weeks a year.

Aaron Galligan-Stierle: Guest Acting Instructor

Aaron Galligan-Stierle is both an actor and a director, although he spends much of his time doing what he calls "artistic collaboration." He has assisted in the creative process of over forty-five original works, including scripts, movies, plays, cabarets, and dance concerts. He has an extensive performance resume including:

Broadway and 1st National Tour: Henry Ford in Ragtime (currently on Broadway), Papa Who in Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2007 & 2008 Company.) International Tour: The Herald in Cinderella (starring Lea Salonga)  Regional: Frankie in Forever Plaid, Flute in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Mordred in Camelot, Leo Davis in Room Service, Slender in Merry Wives of Windsor (Utah Shakespearean Festival), Will Blunt in Measure for Pleasure (Florida Studio Theater), Phil Davis in White Christmas (Arts Center of Coastal Carolina), Hortensio in Taming of the Shrew (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival), Jamie in The Last 5 Years, Eugene in Broadway Bound, Stephano in The Tempest (Pennsylvania Center Stage), Action in West Side Story, Dickon in The Secret Garden (SSMT). Other favorite roles: Frank in Merrily We Roll Along, Motel in Fiddler on the Roof, Lloyd in Noises Off, Feste in Twelfth Night, and Old Tom in The Lost Colony. Aaron played Max in the 1st reading of the NYC-bound Lend Me a Tenor: The Musical as well as numerous workshops of original musicals through both the NYU Graduate Musical Theater program and the BMI Writer’s Workshop.

Some of Aaron’s favorite directing credits include:

The Pact (Penn State University), …Ever After…(Shenandoah University and The Grove Theater), Opaline (NAPP @ Utah Shakespearean Festival), and a world premiere version of Terrance Man’s “R & J.”

Additionally Aaron is Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Late Night Cabaret at the Utah Shakespearean Festival. He served on the reading / selection committee in 2005 for the New American Playwright’s Project. He is also Co-owner of the film production company “Lonely Planet Productions.,” which has produced 4 short films including "The Big Production" which has screened world-wide at film festivals and won 1st Runner-up for Best Comedy at the 2007 College Emmy Awards.

Aaron received a BFA in Musical Theater from Shenandoah University and an MFA in Acting from Penn State University.

Steve Konopelski: Guest Dance Instructor, Choreographer

Born and raised in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Steve Konopelski began his dance training at the age of 8.  He graduated from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School’s Professional Division in 1997. His first professional job was in Anne of Green Gables the Musical in Charlottetown, PEI.  He has performed across the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean.  Before moving to New York City, Steve performed on Cruise Ships, for Opryland, and in both the US National Tour and Myrtle Beach companies of Spirit of the Dance.  Broadway Credits:  Gypsy starring Patti LuPone (L.A.), Beauty and the Beast (Cheesegrater, Ensemble), and Hot Feet (Ensemble).  Radio City Christmas Spectacular (Ensemble). Regional Theater Credits:  A Funny Thing Happened….Forum (Protean), White Christmas (Dance Captain), West Side Story (Baby John, Big Deal, understudy Riff, Dance Captain), Cats (Pouncival, understudy Mistoffelees, Mungojerrie), Guys and Dolls (Ensemble).

Ginger Merritt: Guest Dance Instructor, Choreographer

Ginger Merritt has been on the faculty of Broadway Training Center for 3 years wherein she has taught Musical Theatre Dance and Tap and has choreographed Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  For the past 3 summers she has taught and choreographed at Long Lake Camp for the Arts wherein she choreographed such shows as Chicago, West Side Story, Footloose, Frog and Toad, and Free to Be You and Me.  She has also choreographed and performed in Sugar Babies for Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Varia at Merce Cunningham Studios.  Ginger has perfomed all over the world in such shows as 42nd St. and Fiddler on the Roof wherein she has worked with Broadway choreographers, Randy Skinner and Sammy Dallas Bayes.  She holds a B.A. in Theatre/Dance from Wagner College.  She is proud to be a part of the very talented staff at Broadway Training Center.

Pepper: Guest Dance Instructor

As a Washingtonian-Panamanian, Pepper graduated from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, and then continued her career path to New York City. Having attended Adelphi University on a scholarship, Pepper graduated with a BFA in Dance, with concentrations in English, Theater and Psychology. She was a recipient of several scholarships where she studied, to include The Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance and Dance Theatre of Harlem. Pepper danced with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, performing at the New York State Theatre at Lincoln Center, The Joyce Theatre and the Houston Grand Opera. She then danced with Guimond Dance, Rae Dance, Ballet Long Island, Lumiere Ballet, Arthur Aviles Typical Theatre, and Louis Johnson Dance Theatre Ensemble. Among various experiences with Louis Johnson, Pepper performed at various venues throughout New York and Washington D.C. as well as for Aretha Franklin.

Pepper’s professional dance experiences also included working with Blondell Cummings on a Josephine Baker solo, Donald Byrd on "Jazz Train,"; Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson on various repertory works for Complexions; and Frankfurt Ballet with William Forsythe . She has also worked in film and television, to include appearances in "City Hall" and "A Bronx Tale," and a featured role in Salt-n-Pepa's "Ain't Nothing But a She Thing" video. In addition, Pepper choreographed and coordinated with Arthur Aviles on Martha Wash's "Listen to the People" video for students of El Grito Dance Studio with professionals from Contemporary Ballet Theatre (CBT), which she founded.

Aaron Salazar: Guest Dance Instructor, Choreographer

Aaron Jacob Salazar has been on stage performing since the age of 8 years old.  Trained as a legitimate singer, actor and dancer, with dozens of plays, musicals, dance productions and concerts under his belt, Salazar’s professional training is paramount to his vision of the entertainment industry and the professional level of product that it requires in order to have success in this business.  

As a teacher and choreographer, Salazar’s passion for his craft began at a very early age when at 15 years old, he was asked to choreograph a private High School’s production of FAME.  After that experience of feeling what it is like to see an idea turn into a reality, he was hooked.  Now in his late twenty’s Salazar has continued to pursue his career as both a performer on stage and a choreographer and instructor behind the scenes.

Since moving to New York City in the summer of ’99, Salazar has performed in the Broadway European Tour of GREASE as well as dancing as a guest artist at Barnard School at Columbia University and Now Dance at the Mulberry Street Theatre under H.T. Chen and Dancers. As well as guest dancing in the Nutcracker in Pennsylvania and dancing with the contemporary company Opus One under the direction of Lina McMenamin and Tim Early.  In 2004 Salazar was hired by the European Union to choreograph the "Physical Education Youth Campaign" for the Olympics in Athens. Featuring the Pop Group B3 (Germany's Largest selling Pop/Boy Band).

Salazar has simultaneously been steadily building a name for himself as an instructor and a choreographer for various companies and schools in the greater New York area. Currently Salazar is a resident choreographer and instructor at former ABT principal Vicky Simegiatos’s Performing Arts Center. Salazar is also a proud faculty member of the National Dance Competition/Convention Dancers Inc for which he is a Master Teacher & Judge. Salazar has also recently been appointed the position as the program “Head” and Director and Choreographer for the Broadway Training Center of Westchester’s 2007 Summer Musical Theatre Intensive.  As a teacher and choreographer, Salazar loves to give back and help young and professionals alike strive for excellence in their performance and execution of choreography and dance. His passion for the craft is what moves him to keep reaching for something fresh and exciting in the performing arts.

Having spent 15 years of his life thus far on stage and behind the scenes, Salazar feels confident with his experience  to teach others how to give a great performance, that (to paraphrase Martha Graham) …stems from something deeper than just technique.  At the core of all of Salazar’s performing, teaching and choreography is the emphasis on execution  and that proverbial  “fire” that is needed to be the best, if for one’s career, or just for the love of the arts.

  “…I sincerely love what I do on all levels, this is my heart and my life, and nothing makes me more content than being involved in the arts as a professional and a human being.”

Rachel Wineberg: Guest Acting Instructor

Rachel Wineberg is a teaching artist with the Metropolitan Opera Guild, where she teaches students in Kindergarten through 4th grade. She uses theatre improvisation to get kids to write original plays based on their academic curriculum. She has directed everywhere from New York Stage and Film at Vassar College to the Public Theater. She taught acting classes to Cornerstone Theater whose company members included Amy Brenneman (of TV’s Judging Amy). She has taught at Wagner College, The Lark Theater and Circle Rep and public speaking at Cooper Union College.