Spring 2020 Teaching Team
Skykira Allen- Stage Makeup & Improvisation- Shykira Allen is junior at Bartlett High School and is very excited to be teaching your child vocal health, projection and diction, and audition workshop. She is a participant in the National Beta Club, Honors Academy, and Tri-M Music Honors Society. Shykira was also in the 2019 All-West Honor Choir (first chair alto 2) and is in the 2020 All-State Honor Choir (second chair alto 2). Previous show credits include Pippin (Leading Player), Tarzan (Kala), and Trap (Heche). Shykira was also a counselor for NSPA’s Fall Break Camp where she taught music.
Dunstan Ashe- Acting & Audition Prep- Dunstan Ashe, a senior at Fayette Academy, is excited to join the New Spark Performing Arts class series to teach Acting and Audition Prep. She assists teaching youth tap, jazz, and ballet as well as mentoring younger aspiring actors within her school’s performing arts department. Dunstan was a student director for Jungle Book: Kids and a choreographer for 101 Dalmatians: Kids. She plans to pursue Special Education and Theatre in college. Dunstan can’t wait to teach the New Spark kids!
Vera Brown- Tap & Vocal Health- Vera Brown is a 16 year old sophomore at Crosstown High School. She has been doing theater for 11 years and has such a passion for the arts. She loves to pass on information to her peers, to learn from her experiences and apply it not only to her theatrical endeavors, but her real life included. She is so grateful for this opportunity and is so excited to be apart of NSPA’s 2020 Spark Of Creation class series!
Sarah Cornelison- Monologue Workshop- Sarah Cornelison is a senior at Bartlett High School. She has previously been a camp counselor for the 2019 New Spark Performing Arts Fall Break Camp. Sarah has been learning and performing monologues for four years. She is very excited to be co-teaching the monologue workshop!
Aaliyah Green- Musical Theater & Jazz- Aaliyah is a junior at Overton High School. From the age of 9, she has been taking dance classes with experience in primarily ballet, tap, jazz, and modern. She is very excited to be teaching students in this class series.
Payton Jenkins- Stage Makeup- Payton Jenkins is a tenth grader at Houston High School. She has been doing theater for over 5 years, participating in productions both on stage and off. She is so excited for the opportunity to teach this class and thanks Raejah for creating such a wonderful space to do so. Payton hopes your kids have a blast in this class and bring home an elevated love for technical theater!
Dylan Stevenson- Improvisation, MT2, & Acting- Dylan Stevenson has been acting for 4 years and is excited to be teaching two classes at New Spark. He has collected tips for acting and theater and is ready to share them!
Rocky Turnage- MT2 & Hip Hop- Rocky Turnage is a sophomore at Central High School and has been actively dancing since he was 7. He took hip-hop at New Ballet Ensemble for several years before dedicating more of his time to musical theatre. Rocky has created and taught choreography in multiple summer and fall break camps over the past year, such as Magic Tree House: Night at Dawn Kids at New Spark this past October. He is so grateful for this opportunity to teach one of his favorite past times to younger kids.
Taylor Werkhoven- Improvisation & Stage Makeup- Taylor Werkhoven is in 11th Grade and goes to East High School. She's been in Hairspray and The Wiz. Taylor also does stage make-up for ensemble and leads. She's excited to teach kids the fundamentals of being successful in theater through the New Spark Class Series!
Dunstan Ashe- Acting & Audition Prep- Dunstan Ashe, a senior at Fayette Academy, is excited to join the New Spark Performing Arts class series to teach Acting and Audition Prep. She assists teaching youth tap, jazz, and ballet as well as mentoring younger aspiring actors within her school’s performing arts department. Dunstan was a student director for Jungle Book: Kids and a choreographer for 101 Dalmatians: Kids. She plans to pursue Special Education and Theatre in college. Dunstan can’t wait to teach the New Spark kids!
Vera Brown- Tap & Vocal Health- Vera Brown is a 16 year old sophomore at Crosstown High School. She has been doing theater for 11 years and has such a passion for the arts. She loves to pass on information to her peers, to learn from her experiences and apply it not only to her theatrical endeavors, but her real life included. She is so grateful for this opportunity and is so excited to be apart of NSPA’s 2020 Spark Of Creation class series!
Sarah Cornelison- Monologue Workshop- Sarah Cornelison is a senior at Bartlett High School. She has previously been a camp counselor for the 2019 New Spark Performing Arts Fall Break Camp. Sarah has been learning and performing monologues for four years. She is very excited to be co-teaching the monologue workshop!
Aaliyah Green- Musical Theater & Jazz- Aaliyah is a junior at Overton High School. From the age of 9, she has been taking dance classes with experience in primarily ballet, tap, jazz, and modern. She is very excited to be teaching students in this class series.
Payton Jenkins- Stage Makeup- Payton Jenkins is a tenth grader at Houston High School. She has been doing theater for over 5 years, participating in productions both on stage and off. She is so excited for the opportunity to teach this class and thanks Raejah for creating such a wonderful space to do so. Payton hopes your kids have a blast in this class and bring home an elevated love for technical theater!
Dylan Stevenson- Improvisation, MT2, & Acting- Dylan Stevenson has been acting for 4 years and is excited to be teaching two classes at New Spark. He has collected tips for acting and theater and is ready to share them!
Rocky Turnage- MT2 & Hip Hop- Rocky Turnage is a sophomore at Central High School and has been actively dancing since he was 7. He took hip-hop at New Ballet Ensemble for several years before dedicating more of his time to musical theatre. Rocky has created and taught choreography in multiple summer and fall break camps over the past year, such as Magic Tree House: Night at Dawn Kids at New Spark this past October. He is so grateful for this opportunity to teach one of his favorite past times to younger kids.
Taylor Werkhoven- Improvisation & Stage Makeup- Taylor Werkhoven is in 11th Grade and goes to East High School. She's been in Hairspray and The Wiz. Taylor also does stage make-up for ensemble and leads. She's excited to teach kids the fundamentals of being successful in theater through the New Spark Class Series!