Because I believe that theatre education and performance can boost confidence and leadership skills for students, I have invested my life in performance and I strongly believe it is important as a creative outlet for children and adults alike. I have witnessed this first hand in my own experiences of finding my self worth and individuality in theatre throughout my youth and still in my work today. As an educator, my goals are to give support and guidance to students so that they might trust in what their own bodies can do, and to establish a learning environment that values creativity, safety, vulnerability and bravery. In the classroom, my students access the possibilities of what their bodies can do as performers and push them to new limits that they did not know were achievable. It is rewarding when my students feel empowered after leaving my class or lesson and realize they are capable of more than they imagined. My hope is that, after a class or lesson with me, the student is more confident in themself as a performer or in their daily lives and feels equipped to have a successful audition or even feel better about themselves when singing in the shower.

During my undergrad years, going to my one hour voice lesson once a week was my favorite part of every week. I thrived in the one-on-one environment where my voice professor pushed me each week to be the performer I only dreamed of being before. What motivates me as a teacher is hoping to be the favorite part of someone’s week, to show them they can achieve the goals they set and help them to better themselves. With a focus on musical theatre and acting, I teach my students after my the tools they will apply to any show or performance. Comfortability of my students is important, but I will not hesitate to push them where I see fit. I believe my students learn best when they can easily grasp or access the material they are singing or acting. I want to paint verbal pictures for them that they relate to and understand. As I know that my viewpoint is limited to my own experiences with theatrical materials, I believe in practices of diversity, equity and inclusion and that every voice should be heard and seen in the classroom. My hope is that every student feels empowered to speak up for their own boundaries and limits as performers and humans.