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Faculty
Dance | Theater
| Music
Jacqueline Underwood
Finishing her training as a scholarship student for 3 years at the School of American Ballet (New York City Ballet), she also received the Advanced Certificate from the Royal Academy of Dance. Her professional career began at age 13; when she was chosen as a principal dancer for the Ballet Theatre of Maryland. Working extensively as a Guest Artist, she’s performed many of the classics including Giselle, Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, & Swan Lake; as well as, works by Balanchine, Robbins, Fosse, Ashton, and DeMille. She’s worked with many notable artists including: Alexandra Danilova, Melissa Hayden, Violette Verdy, Suki Shorer, Helen Hayes, Denzel Washington, Wendy Wasserstein, and Estelle Parsons. After graduating with Honors from Fordham University, she returned to the stage, working as an actor, on Broadway and Regionally (Lincoln Center, The Majestic, Atlantic Theatre, Kennedy Center, Center Stage, Arena Stage, Rep Stage, Woolly Mammoth, and Everyman Theatre), as well as in film, TV, and radio… winning awards for her performances in Oleanna and The Yellow Wallpaper. She has taught for the Kennedy Center, Roundhouse Theatre Co., University of Maryland, American Dance Institute, Configuration Dance, Cape Cod Ballet Theatre for Children, and Youth Performing Arts School, among others. Her students have won scholarships to many different professional training programs including: SAB, ABT, Joffrey, Kirov Academy, Boston Ballet, Walnut Hill, Nutmeg Conservatory, North Carolina School of the Arts, Chautauqua, Washington School of Ballet, Maryland Youth Ballet, Miami City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Alvin Ailey, Interlochen, and the Shakespeare Theatre. Several have also performed with such companies as American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Joffrey, and Washington Ballet. Ms. Underwood is a member of Actor’s Equity Association, Screen Actor’s Guild, & the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists; as well as, the Nat’l Dance Education Organization.
Katherine Whitelaw
Ballet, Broadway Jazz, Musical Theatre, Creative Movement
Founder in 1983 of the Academy Dance Ensemble and co-founder of the Children's Musical Theatre Program, Ms. Whitelaw has been a teacher at the APA for over 30 years and Chairman of the dance department for over 10 years. In addition to a B.F.A from the Boston Conservatory, she trained with Ballet Russe, American Ballet Theatre, Luigi, Boston Ballet and Jacob's Pillow. Professional performing credits include The American Festival Ballet Co., The King & I, Oklahoma, Merry Widow, Carousel as well as the original Broadway production of Mame with Angela Lansbury. Locally she has both performed and choreographed for the Academy Playhouse, Cape Rep, and VIVA. She is currently active in the APA Outreach program Capewide.
Elaine Chase
Training: Leticia Jay, Carlos, Eddie Wright in New York, Stanley Brown in Baltimore. Performance: Latin Quarter and Coconut Grove in Boston, The Clover Club in New York, Bouches Villa Venice in Florida. Elaine is the founder and Director of the Elaine Chase Dancers as well as the founder of the Academy’s tap program and Tap Night! Her award winning choreography has been seen across the Cape. Elaine has been on staff at the Academy for over 25 years.
Dottie Beaton
Tap
Dorothy received her early training from her mother who established The Delutis School of Dance in 1939 which she subsequently co-owned and operated with her sister Rosemarie.
Her extensive dance credits include: studies in Boston, New York, Jacob’s Pillow---
Dance Major at Boston Conservatory---
Former professional dancer----
Teaching experience which spans over four decades---Member of Dance Masters of America for whom she served as first Vice President---Member Dance Teacher’s Club of Boston---Adjudicator for National Dance Competitions---Artistic Advisor, Dance Department of Franklin School for the Performing Arts.
Dottie is best recognized for fostering her love of dance for all and is pleased to join the faculty of APA.
Lucinda Deschamps
Ballet, Kinderdance, Creative Movement, Yoga
Training: Ballet with John Kelly, Finis Jhung, Marie Kearing, Kathy Whitelaw; Jazz with Naomi Turner, Barbara Ehle and Tap with Elaine Chase. Performance credits include: Oklahoma, Hello Dolly, Mame, Pippin, Les Sylphides, Degas Suite, The Pied Piper, Hansel & Gretel and Steel Magnolias at the Academy Playhouse. In addition Lucinda has attended Tom Brown Jr.'s Wilderness Survival Classes and loved the experience.
Barbara Ehle
Jazz
Barbara began her dance training at the age of five with the Doris Jean Dance Studio of California. She has since studied with John and Elizabeth Kelley, Sam Fiorello, Jeanette Neill, Tommy Marlow, Ralph Hamilton, Richard Jones, Sheila Lawrence, Jeremy Anderson, Joyce Gardner, Elaine Chase, and Naomi Turner. She is Co-Founder of the Viva Dance Company. She has performed extensively in local theater productions and has both choreographed and performed in numerous dance concerts and companies. Barbara has been teaching at the Academy for over 20 years. She is currently Co-Founder and Co-Choreographer of the hit movement/theater troupe "The Extremes".
Chuck Frates
Tap
Training: Elaine Chase, APA; Pamela Raff, Julia Boynton, Boston; veteran member of Footlight Club, roles in Boston area productions include: Jesus - ‘Godspell’; Harold Hill- ’Music Man’, Cocky- ‘Roar of the Greasepaint’; Hystarium-‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’, Michael-‘Shadowbox’, George M.Cohan- ‘George M’; writer,director and choreographer for ‘Harwich on Parade’; member of Elaine Chase Tap Dancers.
Suzette Hutchinson
Contemporary Dance, Kidz Dance, Musical Theatre, Outreach Artist
Suzette Hutchinson holds a B.A. in Dance performance, choreography and education. She has studied and performed in NYC, Boston and Providence. Suzette is Artistic Director of Danscapes Dance Theatre and her choreography has been performed in Orleans, Boston, Providence, and at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. In addition to teaching at the APA, Suzette is currently on the faculty of the Cape Cod Community College (adjunct instructor, Modern Dance) and the Harwich Junior Theatre (musical theatre, creative movement).
Colleen Kanely
Irish Step Dance
Gwen Leonard
Ms. Leonard's training covered all classic schools of ballet, including the Vaganova, the Cecchetti, the French school, the Royal Academy of Dance method and the Danish school. She received a full scholarship to American Ballet Theatre studying with Alexander Minsk, Patricia Wilde, and Madame Pereyaslavic. Prior to ABT, she received a scholarship to Neubert Ballet Theatre in New York City. In addition, Ms. Leonard studied with other New York leading teachers including Finis Jhung, David Howard, Melissa Hayden, and Mimi Paul. Ms. Leonard also studied ballet in Sydney, Australia, Stuttgart, Germany, Paris, France and London, England. She crossed trained in modern and jazz with the Martha Graham School and Luigi. She graduated from the North Carolina School of the Arts with a B.F.A. A. She performed with the Stuttgart Ballet Company, the Children's Ballet Theatre, The North Carolina Dance Theatre, and on Broadway with the New York Ballet Festival, where Ruth Anna Boris, Norbert Vesak, Senta Driver and Salvatore Aiello created several premier works for her. Ms. Leonard holds a B.F.A. A. from North Carolina School of the Arts and a M.B.A. from New York University.
Terry Norgeot
Tap, Jazz, Musical Theatre Dance
Ms. Norgeot has received her dance training from Alfredo Corvino, Oleg Briansly and Finis Jhung in Ballet, Bob Audy, Jerry Ames, Charles Kelley and Henry La Tang in Tap and Charles Kelley, Betsy Haug, Tony Stevens, JoJo Smith and Frank Hatchett in Jazz. She studied acting at H.B. Studio and the Charles Kebbe Associates T.V. Workshop and voice with Leslie Harnley, Benny Carter and Jane Kennedy. Terry appeared professionally in productions from South America to New York City. Her Broadway and national tours include Hello Dolly with Pearl Bailey, My Fair Lady with Edward Mulhare, No No Nanette with Ruby Keeler and Don Ameche and Cabaret with Lucie Arnez and Annie Get Your Gun with Barbara Eden. She was a featured dancer at Lincoln Center and assisted Jacques d’Amboise with the National Dance Institute in NYC and has been a guest dance teacher in many studios nationwide. She is a well known director/choreographer throughout the Cape and her credits include Celebrate Broadway, Broadway Kids,You’re a Good Man, CharlieBrown and Honk for HJT, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat for the Academy and Urinetown for Cape Rep.
Keelia Sky O'Donnell
Hip-Hop
Keelia has been dancing since the age of two accompanying her grandfather Henry who was a talented musician and tap dancer. At a young age she found her favorite music was funk, soul, Motown, reggae and blues. She studied Ballet, gymnastics, tap, and then discovered Hip hop dance at the age of 12. At the age of 15 she began to immerse her self in different styles of dance such as house, tribal, jungle, locking, popping and breakdance. While in school in Burlington VT she studied African dance and Capoeira as well as serving as the Vise President of UVM hip hop club. Keelia as taught Hip hop dance and theory off Cape at the Bangs Community Center and The Pioneer Valley Performing Arts High School. Now on the Cape she continues to teach Tribal belly dance and Hip hop dance and theory while performing in different venues on the Cape
Debra Sawka
Tap, Jazz, Folk Dance
Training: ballroom and tap at Judy Kugler's School of Dance; affiliated with the Canadian Dance Ring; Ukrainian dance with various dance educators based in Alberta, Canada. Dance workshop in Lviv, Ukraine. At university, performed with St. John's Institute: Ukrainian Dance and Choral Group. Jazz education with the adult dance program at the Alberta Ballet School [Edmonton, Alberta] and recreational Jazz in Irvine, California. Active in tap and jazz at the APA since December of 2000. Ms. Sawka holds a degree in nursing and business management with a certificate in Management Informational Systems.
Elaine Spiezio
Ballet
Elaine Spiezio is a former student of the Delutis School of Dance.
She graduated from Boston Conservertory with a bachelors degree
in Fine Arts/Dance Major. She is a current member of the Dance Teachers Club of Boston. She has taught all forms of the dance, ballet, creative movement, tap, jazz, and modern dance.
She taught at the American Academy of Dance in Mansfield, Ma for several years.
While living in R.I., she was the director and teacher of the dance and gymnastic program for the town of Burrillville's recreation department. One of her most rewarding jobs was at the Homestead in Woonsocket, R.I., a day program for adults with physical and mental disabilities, to whom she taught creative dance.
She teaches the joy of dance to a range of ages, from preschoolers to Senior Citizens.
In 2008, After raising their twin daughters and sending them off to college, she and her husband moved to Centerville, MA. Here on the Cape, along with teaching ballet at the Academy of Performing Arts, she is busy teaching dance to Seniors at several senior centers, as well as a few Senior Resident Living facilities (she teaches Aqua Aerobics at one of the facilites!). She is also teaching at a few recreational centers
as well as another dance school on the upper cape.
Ray Girardin
Special Guest Instructor, Acting
Ray Girardin and his wife Marlene have been happily semi-retired on the Cape for over 4 years now. He is very busy, howver, directing at a variety of Cape Tehatres, but mainly at the Academy Theatre in Orleans, where he has directed GREASE, BILOXI BLUES, AMADEUS, LEND ME A TENOR, MURDER AT THE VICARAGE, THE GRADUATE, LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR, RUMORS, BAREFOOT IN THE PARK, SOCIAL SECURITY, COME BLOW YOUR HORN, and PRISONER OF SECOND AVENUE.
Ray has also continued teaching Acting, which he first did 40 years ago while starring on GENERAL HOPSITAL for six years, in Hillywood. He named his Actor's Workshop there "The Hollywood Actor's Movement" (HAM).
Ray taught a two-month Workshop here at the Academy about two years agao, and it was so much fun, we want to do it again!
Julie Allen Hamilton
Julie Allen Hamilton studied theatre at UMass/Amherst and has worked as a director, actor, producer, company manager, stage manager and teacher throughout New England. On Cape she has taught and worked as an Outreach Artist at Cape Cod Community College, Harwich Jurnior Theatre, and the APA.
Michelle Pelletier
Michelle’s professional credentials include directing at the American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) in San Francisco, as well as the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. She was the founding director of the Creation Conservatory in Santa Rosa, Which won the 2001 North Bay Bohemian newspaper award for “Best place to let your kids express their creative selves.” Michelle has presented her work at Santa Clara University, New College of California, Body and Soul Healing conference, Shotwell Studios, California Theatre Center, Womongathering and San Francisco Fringe Festival.
Richard Stocks
Guitar, Electric Bass, Saxophone, Keyboard, Outreach Artist
Training: Hart College, 102nd Army Band, Hartford CT; self-employed musician, bandleader, teacher since 1962. Mr. Stocks has performed in concert with Tony Orlando and Dawn, Dionne Warwick, Kenny Rogers, and Johnny Maestro and the Crests to name a few. He is staff musician for APA musical productions.
Lucy Brett
Voice and Coaching
MA from the Eastman School of Music.Ms. Brett has performed in recitals in Boston, Cambridge and the Duxbury Art Complex, and has appeared as soloist with the New Bedford Symphony, the Chatham Chorale, Pro Arte, and Royall Noyse. She has taught privately in Rochester and Brookline.
Lary Chaplan
Violin, Viola
Training: BA music UCLA, BFA City University of NY. MEd. U.Mass Boston. Private study: Ben Berzinsky, William Heffeman, Stanley Applebaum; Orchestra affiliations: 1st violin: Cape Cod Symphony, Plymouth Philharmonic, Woods Hole Choral Society, SMU Symphony. String instructor for New Bedford School System.
Peggy Gerber
Flute, Recorder
Training: flute and piccolo performance at Bowling Green State University; private studies with Blain Cory, professor of flute at Brown University.
Performance: numerous chamber music groups in Ohio, Maryland, Massachusetts and India.
She is currently principal flutist for the Cape Community Orchestra. Her newest CD with piano accompanist Chris Morris is ‘Classical usic for my Grandchildren’.
Helene Guilet
Voice
Received her training with Frank Corsaro, Peter Wilhousky, Milan Petrovic, William Home, Ira Petina and Anna Hamlin. She has been a performance soloist with The New York City Opera, Kansas City Lyric Opera, Chattanooga Opera, Connecticut Opera, Maine Opera Co and the New York City Center Gilbert and Sullivan Company. Helene is a member of the New York Singing Teachers Association, The National Association of Teachers of Singing, American Guild of Musical Artists, Actors Equity Association and The Screen Actors Guild.
Fran Hartswick
Musical Theatre, Piano
Training: BA State College of NY, MA Columbia: Music Ed and piano. Teaching: W. Hartford, E. Hartford Public Schools, Hartt College, Central State College
Richard Klopfer
Guitar
Training: Arlington Academy of Music, Arlington MA with instructor Chris Bennett. Additional studies with David Tegelaar. Richard has offered private guitar instruction from his home and continues his professional career with several music ensembles on the Cape and in the greater Boston area.
Berke McKelvey
Clarinet, Saxophone, Flute, Jazz Ensemble, Saxophone Ensemble, Recorder, Pennywhistle
Training: BM: Berklee College of Music, MA: UCLA, San Diego. Performance: Boston Pops Orchestra, Boston Opera Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Glen Miller Orchestra, Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Temptations; Fame, Quincy TV show studio bands; Teaching: Southwestern College, Chula Vista Calif.; Berklee College of Music, Boston; UCLA, San Diego Member: North American Saxophone Alliance, International Wind Synthesis Assoc.
Mike Mills
Drums
Christopher Morris
Piano, Musical Theatre
Training: BM,MM Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Awarded the Carol Nott Piano Pedagogy Prize. Young Artists Piano program, Boston University Tanglewood Institute. Presenter, Music Educators National Conference, Washington D.C. Member of the American Choral Directors Association. Music Director for theatre productions at the Harwich Junior Theatre, the Chatham Drama Guild, and the Academy. Private study: Shirley Grew, Nancy S.Fadely, Lillian Enright and Lydia Frumkin.
Betty Tipton
Piano
B.S., M.S. Piano performance, Juilliard School of Music with major studies with Rosalyn Tureck, Beveridge Webster and Nadia Reisenberg. Post Graduate studies at Colombia Teacher’s College, NYC. Ms. Tipton has accompanied solo and choral performances including Plainfield Choral Arts Society, Middlesesx College Chamber Chorus, Hei Kyung Hong, Stephanie Chase, Derek Mann. She was co-owner of Tipton Music Studios in NJ and has performed extensive solos performances in NJ, NY, and Cape Cod. She has performed with the Meridian String Quartet, Moments Musicaux in trios, quartets, and quintets.
Robert Wilder
Musical Theatre, Piano accompanist
Training: MM, Ohio U, student of Ken Andrews (former principal flutist-Montreal Symphony Orchestra) and Nathen Jones; piano study with Chiu Ling-Lin and Stephanie Brown; harpsichord study with C. David Harris; conducting with John Canarina and Ken Andrews; accompanist for recitals at the Chautauqua Inst., St. Paul’s Concert Series (NYC) and competitions (vocalists and instrumentalists) performing literature from the Baroque to contemporary; Musical Director for theatre at the Cleveland Playhouse, Gateway Playhouse, Monomoy Theatre, off-off Broadway, and "The Secret Garden" and "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at the Academy.
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