INSTRUCTORS
Theatre 31 is fortunate to enjoy professional relationships with many accomplished artist/educators with experience ranging from Broadway to Cirque du Soleil. They are passionate about the arts and about sharing their wealth of knowledge and experience with our students.
Graduate, East 15 Acting School
Anniwaa is a Ghanaian-British actress. As a child, she was scouted by ballet dancer Rhian Robins, who believed her dance skills were of an exceptionally high standard and encouraged her into the Royal Academy of Dance. For 16 years Ballet and Contemporary dance was Anniwaa’s obsession. Anniwaa also attended the prestigious British method based acting school – East 15. Shortly after graduating from East 15, Anniwaa was awarded the Alan Bates Outstanding Newcomer award. She has continued on to work on the British stage and national TV, as well as US television. It is her goal as an instructor to enrich young people’s perception of the performing arts. She works/volunteers with Los Angeles Drama Club, Inner City Shakespeare, East LA Theatre, and the Centre Theatre Group.
Chicago-Native, Beverly Bautista, found her love for dance while performing at Filipino folk dances during her early teens. After studying dance at Ball State, she focused on hip hop, performing with dance companies in the Chicagoland area as well as Monsters of Hip-Hop: Los Angeles.
Since moving to Los Angeles, Beverly has worked with many renowned choreographers including Chucky Klapow (Disney’s: HSM), Christopher Scott & Galen Hooks (LXD), Anthony Thomas (Nation), Rosero McCoy (Disney’s: Shake It Up), and Gil Duldulao (Janet Jackson), Michael Rooney (500 Days of Summer), and recently Kennis Marquis & Free Boogie (iHeart Radio).
She has traveled internationally with multi-platinum rapper, Nicki Minaj, shooting a national commercial with Pepsi as well as live performances in Japan, China, & Jamaica. Beverly also performed in Minaj’s music video, “Super Bass,” the Billboard Music Awards, and at Times Square for Nokia’s Lumia 900 Launch Event.
In addition to working with Theatre 31, Beverly is the Dance Instructor for the VAPA program at Pacifica Christian High School. She believes in investing in the next generation and hopes to challenge students with classes rooted in foundational technique. She is honored and grateful to God for the opportunity to share her passion of dance around the world.
California School of Professional Fabric Design, Berkeley, CA
Farley Crawford Bliss is a multifarious visual artist who has had the pleasure of collaborating with Theatre 31 as a set designer, painter and instructor since 2013.
She is simultaneously a freelance illustrator, muralist, production designer and gardener in Los Angeles. Farley grew up in the Northeast before making her way to California to study at UC Santa Cruz. Over the years, in addition to extensive traveling and living abroad, she has led after-school and summer-camp art workshops for young people in California, Oregon, Massachusetts and New York. It is with great joy that she guides Theatre 31’s young tech teams, bringing their creativity to the sets for the audiences to delight in.
Musicians Institute
Miles has worked extensively with the Off-Broadway show STOMP, performing in the New York, U.S. and international touring companies.
A session and touring musician, his work encompasses drumming in the studio, in music videos, and on stage with Eminem, Ringo Starr, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Art Garfunkel, Darwin Deez, Bronagh Gallagher, other international acts and local bands.
Miles also directs for camera. His “DNA,” was nominated for a UK Music Video Award; short film, “Drum-Off,” was featured at LACMA and on The Huffington Post; “I Forgot My Phone” went viral, and has been viewed over 49 million times. The series “2 Black Dudes” for which he was Director of Photography, was bought by 20th Century Fox.
His most fulfilling work has been in arts education as a teacher and choreographer: in Los Angeles for THEATRE 31 at John Adams and Lincoln Middle Schools; for CITYStage; and in Salvador, Brazil with the non-profit Quabales.
It has been his honor to work with the incredible, insightful, and dedicated team at Theatre 31.
BA, Media and Psychology, Mount Saint Marys University
Hydeia is a professional Ballroom & Latin dance instructor and owner of Dansé Ballroom, a mobile dance business. She has over 20 years of dance and musical theatre training and experience, and specializes in numerous genres of dance. Hydeia is from North Carolina where she studied and competed in dance since the age of three. Becoming an instructor at 16 years old changed her life and has allowed Hydeia to travel, perform, and express her passion and love for movement throughout the U.S. She has won numerous competitions both as an amateur and a professional. Her strong belief that anyone is capable of dancing has led to her creation of The Blind Dance Company. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization empowers the lives of the visually impaired and creates employment opportunities in the blind community. This has drawn media attention including national CBS news, NBC California Live, and more, all helping to spread the cause. Hydeia aims to change the way society views the disabled, one group and one art form at a time, leading to greater equality within the entertainment industry.
Graduate, The Second City Conservatory
Katey is thrilled to be a part of the Theatre 31 family for so many years and has loved working alongside Chad at Lincoln Middle School, John Adams Middle School, and many elementary schools & Summer Camps since 2006! She is deeply honored to be on the improv faculty at both AMDA College & Conservatory of the Performing Arts & The Lee Strasberg Institute. She also lends her talents to the Eamon Cannon Comedy Project at Inner City Arts, and runs the improv portion of Comedy Playground at The World Famous Hollywood Improv, in addition being the Director of Theatre for LA CITYstage.
Jordan grew up right outside of Minneapolis Minnesota, spending much of her time in her mothers dance studio. Dedicating her life to the arts she enrolled in Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, graduating from their theater program. She continued her studies at the Chicago College of Performing Arts within Roosevelt University, receiving a BFA in Musical Theatre with a Dance Emphasis. Jordan now lives in Los Angeles and is pursuing her dreams as a working actor and teacher, passing on the knowledge she has learned along the way.
Lexi has worked as a dancer/ aerialist/ actor, with; Cirque Du Soleil, AntiGravity, Diavolo, LA Circus, Eye of Newt Circus, Dream World Cirque, Wonder World, Cirque Berzerk & the Theatricum Botanicum, on stage, screen & television. Lexi has performed throughout the world; Japan, China, Brazil, Italy, Bahamas, Mexico, Canada & all over the US. Ms. Pearl is inspired as an artist by being able to “create a tangible experience out of the invisible”
Erica made her Broadway debut playing “Lorraine” in the Original Broadway Cast of the 2006 Tony award winning musical, Jersey Boys, and recently reprised her role in the film version directed by Clint Eastwood. In Television and Film, she has starred on “Hart of Dixie”, “The Closer”, “Lie to Me”, “Medium”, “Numb3rs”, “NCIS”, “Friends with Benefits”, and more. She can also be seen in many national TV commercials. In addition to performing, she enjoys teaching private voice lessons and coaching acting. Her students range from elementary school age beginners, to teenage singers on American Idol, to middle aged adults.
MS, Pepperdine University – Business
Lee Strasberg Institute of Acting – Professional Acting Program
Maxwell hails from West Texas, where he grew up playing baseball and football at the competitive level while balancing academics and working as chief financial advisor for his family’s business.
He discovered his passion for acting at Lubbock Community Theater, where he participated in over 12 productions and served as a board member. In Los Angeles, Maxwell studied at the Lee Strasberg Institute, where he trained in Method Acting and acting for TV/Film.
He volunteers at the Youth Ministry of Malibu Pacific Church in his spare time. He is very grateful he gets to impact children’s lives through Theatre 31 & MPC Youth Ministry.
Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Danielle grew up performing in numerous productions at The MUNY and also competed in countless regional and national dance competitions. After being cast in the Equity ensemble of a MUNY production at the age of 17, Danielle decided to further pursue her love of the performing arts and made the move out to California.
Danielle graduated from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, with a concentration in Musical Theatre. She has performed at Cabrillo Music Theatre, Chance Theatre, and at Universal Studios Hollywood and also works as an actress in commercials and tv/film. Danielle has been teaching and choreographing alongside Chad with Theatre 31 for the past decade and is so grateful to have the opportunity to continue sharing her passion for theatre with her students and to be a part of the magic that these young artists create. Danielle is available for private/group lessons.
MFA, Acting, UCSD
Emily Stout is an actor and teaching artist from Steamboat Springs, Colorado. She’s directed and choreographed mini musicals for Child’s Play NY since 2016, and has coached students into acceptances at performing arts high schools in the tristate area. She graduated from Fordham University with a BA in Theater and a Minor in Classical Languages and Civilizations. In 2021, she graduated from UCSD with her MFA in Acting. While at UCSD, she also taught undergraduate classes in acting and public speaking. Having grown up as an athlete in Colorado, games are by far her favorite part of acting.
BA, Dance, Belhaven University
MA, Music Theatre, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Torianna Turnbow is a recent LA transplant from Seattle, WA. She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre and a BA in Dance from Belhaven University and was the first person in the history of the university to achieve this double major. She also achieved an MA in Music Theatre from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London.
While in London, she worked with Royal Ballet alum and West End veterans, appearing in new works, devised theatre, and classics. She has studied with Actor Therapy, the Joffrey Ballet, and the Upright Citizens Brigade, and is always seeking other opportunities to learn and grow as an artist and a human.
Since moving to LA, she has taught Shakespeare and musical theatre to children with Topanga’s Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, and she co-created an improv class for adults dealing with memory loss. She is a working actor in LA, appearing on stage and on screen every chance she gets.
BA, Media & Communications, Muhlenberg College
Samantha is an NJ/NYC transplant who found her way to sunny Los Angeles. She is an actress, voice actor and teacher best known for co-hosting Nickelodeon’s TOP ELF alongside the one and only Santa Claus. She’s also had the pleasure to work on shows seen on MTV, A&E, Discovery and Lifetime as well as commercials. As a voice actor she can be heard on commercials, podcasts and narrating popular children’s audiobooks such as Pearl the Magical Unicorn and Rivals! Frenemies who changed the world. Samantha loves live theatre and has performed throughout America in regional productions, off-broadway and in schools with Story Pirates!
Samantha has taught theatre and creative writing in New York, New Jersey and California for the past 8 years. Currently she teaches with Story Pirates, Mainstages, JCC Westside and with the amazing Theatre 31! Samantha brings patience, energy, and pure joy into every classroom and theatre. She can’t wait to work with more amazing young performers!
Sammy was born in NYC, and started training competitively at the age of 10 at Jazz Unlimited in Marlton, NJ. At 15, she danced at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in NYC, and won “Critic’s Choice” at New York City Dance Alliance many years in a row. Sammy was chosen to attend the Governor’s School of the Arts at 17. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Towson University in Maryland, and danced on the #1 collegiate dance team in the country. She also ran the Towson University Youth Dance Team, The Tigers 2.
After college she traveled to Beijing, China and danced with Team USA in the Olympic Village. She was a principal dancer in the movies Step Up and Step Up 2: The Streets. She has been seen acting and dancing in dozens of national commercials, many soap operas and has had roles on TV shows such as Law & Order: SVU, Criminal Minds and Anger Management.
Sammy started her event, DANCE 4a CAUSE, 9 years ago. She has raised over $100,000 for many charities by combining the art of dance and her love of giving back.
Sammy lives bi-coastally and is the Creative Dance Program Director at Jazz Unlimited in NJ. She believes that the love of dance starts right away, and wants to make sure children feel encouraged from the start. She loves being an instructor for Theatre 31, and thinks the positive environment is exactly what kids need to flourish in the arts.