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| Teaching Artists for ArtsXtreme Summer Workshop |
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Jennifer L. Collins
Teaching Mixed Media and Landscape Painting.Jennifer is a professional artist involved in many aspects of the Radford Community. She is the director of The Gallery, Radford's only commercial gallery featuring fine art and crafts by artists of the New River Valley and beyond, an instructor in the art department at Radford University, and an oil painter who has been regularly exhibiting her work over the last 10 years locally, nationally, and internationally. She works out of her studio in the back of The Gallery where she offers private lessons in painting and drawing, paints in preparation for exhibits, and works on commissioned landscape paintings for people's homes and businesses. Jennifer spent two summers teaching art to children at Camp Kippewa in Maine, and also organized a summer art camp for kids offered through Mish Mish in Blacksburg for a few years.
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Leigh Ann Cronin
Teaching Modern Dance. Leigh Ann is currently a sophomore at Virginia Tech and is majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Business Management and Sociology. She has continued her study of dance and is currently a member of Contemporary Dance Ensemble through Virginia Tech. She has been taking ballet since she was four from Terri Post at the Post School of Ballet in Salem, Virginia. She was also a member of Southwest Virginia Ballet for six years and has been in many noteworthy productions including The Nutcracker with the Roanoke Symphony. She has played many different roles including the lead performer in the Post School of Ballet production of Cinderella. She has had the opportunity to take classes from several well known instructors including Donne Faye Burchfield, Martha Fayse, and Tom Clower. Leigh Ann has had the experience of working with young dancers before, and is thrilled to share her passion of dance with ArtsXtreme this summer. |
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Lola Davis-Jones
Teaching Dance/Drama 2nd to 8th grade and Play Production with 5th to 8th grade. Lola Davis-Jones says, ”The arts give children the freedom to celebrate themselves in their own unique ways.” Lola has over twenty years teaching experience in North Carolina Public Schools teaching Drama and Dance. She has facilitated numerous summer camps and workshops all over North Carolina. Last summer she was the visiting artist for the Children’s Theatre Workshop of Oriental, NC. She has a wide range of experience professionally as a dancer including working with the Atlanta Ballet. She has directed and choreographed over twenty productions. She has worked with the Winnepeg Ballet and the Santa Fe Opera. She is a Teaching Artist with the North Carolina Arts Council, South Carolina Arts Commission and the Virginia Arts Commission. She has a BA in Theatre Arts from UNCG and is certified in Drama and Dance K-12. |
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Shauntrece Hardrict
Teaching StreetJazz. Shauntrece is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Chemistry at Virginia Tech, and is the Founder and Artistic Director of the former FUSiON Dance Organization at Virginia Tech. Shauntrece has studied a myriad of dance forms throughout her life including: ballet, jazz, street/hip-hop, West African, Zulu, and production tap. Most recently, Shauntrece has discovered a passion for teaching. She pursues this passion through teaching jazz, hip-hop/jazz and afrocentric movement at The Center of Dance in Blacksburg. In December of 2003, Shauntrece served on the USA Delegation of the Step Afrika! Cultural Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she had the privilege of teaching a hip-hop/jazz workshop in SOWETO. Shauntrece admits, "I'm a dancer down to my very soul..." |
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Alison Pack
Teaching Jewelry Making & Metalsmithing. Alison Pack is the Assistant Professor of Metalsmithing/Jewelry Design in the art department of Radford University. She is a North Carolina native. She has a BS in Art Education, (certification K-12) from Appalachian State University and an M.F.A. in metalsmithing/jewelry design from East Tennessee State University. Her artwork reflects her feelings on growing up as a woman in the south. Her Professional Affiliations include: The Society of North American Goldsmiths, The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, Southwest Virginia Metal Arts Guild, and The Society of American Silversmiths. She has eleven years of experience in working with metal and jewelry, including experience in the commercial jewelry industry. She enjoys interacting with students of all age levels and educating them about jewelry. |
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Chris Lively
Teaching Pottery. Chris was born and raised in southwest Virginia. In 2004 he graduated from Radford University with a B.S. in studio art. Chris returned to Radford a year later were he is now in the progress of receiving the Master of Fine Art in ceramics and sculpture. Chris' work has been displayed in local galleries and recently won the Dodson 3D award of Excellence at the 2006 RU Juried student show. Chris is passionate about working in clay and looks forward to working with others to share his excitement of art. |
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Lucinda McDermott Piro, Artistic Director
Teaching Acting Out, and Play Production 9th to 12th Grades. Lucinda McDermott Piro is an actor, playwright, director, and facilitator of Creative Leadership programs. ArtsXtreme is a celebration of her love of all the arts, and belief that we are all born creative. Lucinda’s background includes acting in theatre in New York and regionally, commercials, voice overs and independent films. She has taught acting to children of all ages, working professionals and at the university level for over 20 years. She is also a musician who sings, plays guitar and piano. She has been a member of several different types of bands including Ransom, a band she created with her husband Jon Piro when they were both in New York City. Lucinda was most recently seen on stage at Mill Mountain Theatre in the world premiere of Elvis People, and in A Wonderful Life. Her play Feeding On Mulberry Leaves premiered last summer at Barter Theatre in Abingdon. Her play O’Keeffe!, a one woman show which she wrote and toured for a number of years is in the process of being published by Playscripts, Inc., along with Feeding On Mulberry Leaves. Lucinda has a BFA in performance from VA Commonwealth Univ., a MFA in playwriting from the Univ. of VA. She studied acting in NYC with Michael Moriarty, Rob Spera, and at HB Studios. |
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Jonathan Piro
Teaching So You Wanna Be A Rock Star, and Audio Engineering Jonathan is a singer/songwriter who has been in more bands than he can remember. He has played extensively either solo or with bands in clubs and venues in the metropolitan New York/New Jersey area, Philadelphia, Norfolk, Charlottesville, and locally in the New River Valley. His songs have been featured on MP3.com, and Tunesmith. Jon’s music has also been featured in theatrical productions such as O’Keeffe!, Shatter the Vessel, Who Will Carry the Word? In addition to his own music, Jon has engineered and produced many demos for other artists. He has done sound reinforcement for many touring bands and acts including June Rich, Carbon Leaf, and Bill Irwin. He has done sound design and sound operation for many theatrical productions including Copacabana at Mill Mountain Theatre. Jon’s influences as a song writer range from Pete Townsend (“Who can listen to “Love Reign O’er Me” and not be moved?” ) to the Beatles, to Neil Finn to the rhythmic sounds of New York City where he was born. Jon devotes a great deal of time to Club 210, an outreach for local teenagers which is devoted to providing a place to perform for up and coming young local musicians. |
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Jillian Sessoms
Teaching Music, Morning Program. Jillian is a musician and teaching artist who plays string bass, guitar, piano, and a variety of other instruments. She has taught music in elementary and middle schools. Most recently she has worked with children who are hearing impaired. She has a bachelor's degree in Music Performance with a concentration in Classical String Bass performance from VA State University, and is currently enrolled in the Graduate Music Therapy program at Radford University. In addition to her teaching, she is Resident Director in the Visual and Performing Arts Hall at RU. Jillian strives to reach children with the gift of how music can enhance their lives, and be integrated into all aspects of learning. |
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