Bucks County School of the Performing Arts

Bryan has been a student of voice and theatre for 10 years now, beginning his training at Bucks County Community College.  SInce then he has been studying privately in New York with renowned vocal coaches Candace Goetz and Steven Lutvak.  His hard work and study have yielded great successes creatively and professionally as both a performer and educator.  His work with Lenape Middle School and their program, the PA Premiere of Disney's Camp Rock, earned him critical acclaim in 2011. He has directed many successful productions for Performance Based programs throughout the Tri-State Area.  Some noteworthy credits include: 101 Dalmatians, Once on this Island, Sleeping Beauty, Schoolhouse Rock Live and Dear Edwina.  As a performer Bryan was a regular at the Bucks County Playhouse for several years.  He has worked in Philadelphia's Fringe and Spark Festivals, New York's Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) and has been featured in over 40 Regional Theatre Productions in The Greater Philadelphia and New Jersey Areas.  His work Off-Broadway in Brunch the Musical earned him praise for his vocal abilities, described in a New Theatre Corp review as a "knee weakening romantic croon."  In the recording studio, he has completed works in both his original and popular music and can be found most weekends playing around the Bucks County Area. (To listen to his music, click the Facebook link below.) His body of work is improved by his dedication and love for the art, and is only further enhanced by Andrea, his extremely talented partner in life and in all things creative.  It is his privilege to share his passion and experience with his students.  

Ryan James Stauffer began dancing at the age of 17 at his mother's dance studio,he attended the university of the arts as a ballet major. Since college he has toured as a backup dancer for raven Symone,was a background dancer in the film "Bolden!" Choreographed by hinton battle, ryan then performed in the STEPS on Broadway Faculty Show in a piece choreographed by Roberta Mathes. Soon After he switched gears into musical theatre. He has performed in "hairspray" "the producers" "dirty rotten scoundrels" and "curtains" at the walnut street theatre, where he earned his actors equity card. In the same week that "curtains" closed at the walnut, ryan debuted as a member of Koresh dance company in the production "somewhere in between" choreographed by Ronen Koresh. His most recent noteworthy performance was in NYC in an excerpt of "on the town" choreographed by Scott Jovovich. Ryan resides in Philadelphia where he teaches and creates new work. 

Kristin has been working as an actress, singer, dancer and director in the theatre in NYC for almost two decades. Most recently she was the assistant director for the Broadway revival of Lend Me a Tenor directed by Stanley Tucci (3 Tony Nominations including Best Revival of a Play), directed The Incredibly Deaf Musical at The Duke Theatre on 42nd street in NYC, and Avenue Q at The Cape Rep Theatre. Kristin began her career as a professional ballet dancer, and later moved into musical theatre, performing in countless musicals including The National and International Tours of A Chorus Line, The Music Man, and Jerry’s Girls and Off Broadway in Sessions and The World According to Ruth Wallace. She spent last summer reviving her production of Avenue Q at The Geva Theatre and The Cape Rep Theatre due to popular demand. Kristin plans to assist Mr. Tucci again for a play to open on Broadway in the 2012/2013 season. She earned a BFA in theatre from Emerson College.

    
Dawn is a native of New Jersey and began her dance training at the age of 6 in her hometown of Edison.  She has been professionally trained in Ballet, Tap and Jazz from various studios in NJ and NY.  Her performance experience includes lead dancer at Six Flags Great Adventure, Chandris (Celebrity) Cruise Line, and summer community theatre.  A graduate of Rutgers University, Dawn founded and was artistic director for the Absolute Dance Co. in 1997 and has taught for several studios across NJ.  She brings 25 years of dance teaching experience to BCPA.  Her love of dance shines through as she encourages students to be the best they can be.  

Megan gave her first dance recital at the age of two. Since that moment, dance has remained an important part of her life. Megan studied dance in Bucks County under the direction of various local teachers.  She spent several weekends in NYC learning from the best in the business.  Megan continues to educate herself through master classes in the Tri-State area with popular choreographers: Wade Robson, Mia Michaels, and Sonya Tayeh.  Throughout her career, Megan has studied ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and contemporary.  Recently, she has been exploring a new found love for Latin Dance.  Megan feels that it is important for her students to grow and learn while building a good work ethic and self confidence. “To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak.” 

Alicia Sehn is a dancer, choreographer and teacher in the Philadelphia, Montgomery and Bucks County areas. She is a graduate of Muhlenberg College, where she earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Dance and Psychology. During her years at Muhlenberg, Alicia had the opportunities to study with noted dancers and choreographers such as Charles Anderson (Dance Theatre X), Garth Fagan (Garth Fagan Dance, 'The Lion King') and Jacques d'Amboise (New York City Ballet). Her regional performance credits include productions of 'A Chorus Line', 'Miss Nelson is Missing' and 'Annie Get Your Gun'. She has performed with several Philadelphia based dance companies including Artists in Rhythm, Loose Screws Contemporary Tap Company, and tAra Madsen Dance. Alicia has also performed in the Influx Concert Series, the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, the Philly Collective at The Painted Bride, the Norristown Dance Festival, and the Etc. Performance Series to name a few. In 2007, she was the director of dance for the Arts After Hours program; a state-funded grant designed to bring theatre arts to underprivileged children and communities.  Alicia is the choreographer for Central Bucks East High School, where she has staged productions such as 'The Music Man', '42nd Street', 'Footloose', 'High School Musical' and 'Sweet Charity'. She is on staff at two local dance studios, where she teaches full time.  She also teaches master classes in modern and contemporary dance and works as a guest choreographer in the Bucks and Montgomery County areas. In the fall of 2011 Alicia was asked to join the staff of the Lehigh Valley Dance Alliance, which gave her the opportunity to give master classes and be on the judging panel for the Lehigh Valley Dance Challenge. She continues to further her dance education by attending the annual Dance Teacher Summit in NYC and through regular classes with Koresh Dance Company in Philadelphia.

Steven Lutvak will teach a master class on shaping a song: working from the inside, and making solid acting choices and effective musical choices that help illuminate your performance. To whom are you singing? What’s JUST happened that makes you need to sing THIS song? How do you gesture? Which gestures are strongest? Is this the right key? Is this even the right song? 
With more than 30 years of experience coaching many performers, including Oscar and Tony winners and nominees, Steven has a unique vantage point from which to work, which is helpful to beginners, and experienced performers alike. There’s a reason he’s one of the most sought after coaches in New York City.

Singer/songwriter, composer, lyricist, music director and coach Steven Lutvak is one of the most exciting musicians in New York. Steven wrote the title track to Paramount’s hit documentary, MAD HOT BALLROOM. As a composer for the theater, he has won a grant from the NEA, and is the only two-time winner of the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Grant. With his principal writing partner, Emmy-nominated Robert L. Freedman, he also won the coveted Kleban Award for Lyric Writing and the Fred Ebb Award for Songwriting, each for songs from their musical, A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER. A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE was also developed at the Sundance Theater Lab.

Lauren Putty White, as an emerging artist, is steadily building her list of credentials.  Once receiving her BFA from University of the Arts in Philadelphia in 2005, she left as a recipient of the UArts Choreography Prize and Outstanding Performance in Modern Dance award.  Later that same year, Lauren made her first professional choreography debut at the 2005 Elan Awards in New York, where she restaged her senior piece, "The Third Layer".  She continued on to perform with companies such as Washington Reflections, Urban Bush Woman 2, Parsons Dance Company as well as the Opera Company of Philadelphia.  Throughout those years choreographically, Lauren also received the Individual Artist Fellowship Grant in Baltimore, MD in support of her artistry. In 2007 she had the privilege of setting her first company work on Washington Reflections Dance Company in DC entitled, "Shades of Thought", which was also featured in the 2008 American Dance Guild Festival in New York.  In April 2010, she premiered her piece, "Hide", on Ballet X in Philadelphia, as a part of their spring series at the Wilma Theater.  Most recently, Lauren has done guest artist residencies at Mercy High School in Baltimore, the 2011 Winston-Salem All County Dance Festival in North Carolina and Stockton College in New Jersey.  Her piece, "Sleeping in Wonderland", was selected to be featured in the Regional Dance America showcase in Pittsburgh in spring 2011 as well.  Currently, Lauren continues to freelance as a performer with her company, Putty Dance Project, and is teaching at various pre-professional programs throughout the Philadelphia area.

Chelsea Shelton has been dancing for 18 years and has been trained in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Modern, Lyrical and Contemporary styles. After graduating high school she auditioned and was accepted into a dance program called “Remnant” under the direction of Derek and Cami Capps located in Tampa, Florida. In this 10 month training program she had daily training in Jazz and Modern styles had many teaching opportunities, administrative training, and many performance opportunities within the city of Tampa as well as abroad including a dance trip to the Philippines. Chelsea was also accepted into Ingredients Dance Training Company in Dallas, Texas under the direction of Michelle Brogan. In this company she trained daily in Ballet, Jazz ,Modern, and Contemporary. She had many performance opportunities in the metropolis of Dallas as well as traveling on a nationwide tour with the dance convention, Dance Revolution. Chelsea came home to Quincy, Pa in the summer of 2008 to plan her wedding in the Spring of 2009. Since, Chelsea has trained and traveled abroad, she has been teaching locally and choreographing, which is her true heart’s desire. She has been directing dance programs and teaching for over 11 years. In addition to being the company director of Neshema Dance Company, Chelsea is also the owner of Bloom Dance Studio in Hagerstown, Md.  She continues to strive and move forward to bloom where she has been planted. 

Lauren has been dancing and performing since the age of four. She has trained at various studios throughout Bucks County, PA and is a previous student of Bryan and Andrea’s. She is currently studying dance and communication at The George Washington University and has danced in their Main Stage season since her freshman year. Lauren was recently named Artistic Director for the Fall 2012 season of GW’s student produced theater company, Forbidden Planet Productions. She has also choreographed for many of their shows including Promises, Promises, A Chorus Line, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. She is honored to be sharing her passion with BCPA!