Classes and programs sponsored in part by the following organizations...please show your support by visiting them!

           
                                                                                      
 634 Main Street
Grand Junction
(970) 254-1166
www.pilatesspacegj.com


                        
               

Staff Biographies:                                                                                            


Shawn C. (Music Theater, Acting)
Shawn is a native to Grand Junction and currently teaches Drama at Grand Mesa Middle School.  He brings much experience to our Theater Program and Play Writing classes.  He has been writing and performing in plays and theater ventures throughout the Grand Valley for the past 20 years and is currently a co-director of Teen Scene. 

Dana S. (Music Theater)
Dana has a BA degree in Music Theater and has been teaching, directing, and performing  for over 18 years.  She is a co-producer of Teen Scene (free theater program for teens in the Grand Valley) and has worked with almost every theather in Grand Junction.  She is also currently a teacher of dance at the Grand Junction Academy of Dance.

Kelly A. (Music Theater)
Kelly graduated in 1994 from Cameron University with a B.F.A. in Acting and Directing.  In the last 14 years, she has performed in over 40 shows.  Some of her most notable roles include Patsy Cline in Always, Patsy Cline, Sister Hubert in four different versions of Nunsense, Mayzie La Bird in Seussical the Musical, and  Rizzo in Grease.   Kelly is also an experienced director, directing many shows including The Lion in Winter, Steel Magnolias, School House Rock, Live, and most recently The Underpants for Two Chairs Theater Company.  She has taught acting and auditioning classes to children and adults for the last 17 years.  Kelly is currently one of the Producer/Directors of Teen Scene. 

Jessica R. (Dance)
Jessica is currently a Senior at Mesa State College pursuing a degree in Performing Arts - Dance.    She has vast performing and choreographic experience including Dance Boulevard, Cleo Parker Robinson dance intensive, Movign People Dance Theater in Santa Fe and Manhattan Dance Project..  She is versed in all genres including ballet, jazz, modern, tap, and ballroom dance.

Mitzi W. (Japanese, ballet)
Mitzi is a native of Tokyo, Japan and moved to US at the age of 19 to attend an American college.  She speaks, reads and writes both Japanese and English equally well.   Her Japenese classes allow for easy understanding as her accent has "thinned" since being in the United States.  Mitzi also has a background in ballet and currently teaches at the Institute of Dancing Arts on the Redlands.

Esther W. (Tiny Tots)
Esther was born in San Sebastian, Spain and has been in Grand Junction since 1994.  She has vast experience with kids and loves watching their little world "spin".  She has spent time studying administration while in Spain and worked with the Early Childhood Education program at Mesa upon coming to the States.  She has three children of her own and spends much of her free time working with her husband (co-owner of Bocaza Mexican Grill). She has spent numerous hours volunteering in classrooms around the Grand Valley for the past 10 years.  Her goal is to make every child enjoy learning and to experience new things every day. 

Shelly A. (Tiny Tots, Music)
Shelly has over 20 years of teaching experience in various areas.  She has been the director of a preschool along with ten volunteer years in grade-school classrooms.  She is working on her degree in English and Humanities and has experience in art, dance, Spanish/Portuguese, voice, piano as well as child care.  She loves doing enrichment projects and motivating kids to learn using a "hands-on" approach.

Sandy H. (Tinty Tots, Explore)
Sandy has an extensive background in travel as she holds a college degree in travel management and worked more than 20 years in the travel industry before taking time off to become a full-time mom.  She likes to dabble in travel and occasionally enjoys planning trips for family and friends.  Among her other interests are freelance writing and scrapbooking.  Sandy has been fortunate enough to have some of her poetry and articles published and currently writes a monthly food page for a small mountain town newspaper.  She has aspirations of completing a book she started many years ago.  Scrapbooking is also an important part of her life as she feels preserving a legacy of family memories is a precious commodity that can be enjoyed for years to come.  Sandy loves to share her interests with children and enjoys watching their creativity bloom. 

Amy Y. (Art, Explore)
Amy was born and raised in Grand Junction, CO and has attended the local schools of: Chatfield Elementary, Orchard Mesa Middle School, and Central High School where she graduated from in 2003. As of the beginning of 2008, Amy is in the middle of getting her BA in Art Education with a minor in creative writing. She has almost ten solid years of art experience in a multitude of medians (especially drawing and painting) and around eight years of both high school and college creative writing. She adores children and loves getting them to use their imagination as much as she can. She hopes that she can take her experiences here at Creative Avenues and apply them to her future as an educator. 

Natasha K. (Dance)


Liz P. (Art, Activity, Explore)
Liz is a junior arts education major at Mesa State College.  She has worked as the art coordinator/teacher at Lincoln-Park Elementary and Columbine Elementary for the past year.  She has vast experience in all mediums and looks forward to opening the minds and creativity of her students.

Mike A. (Spanish)
Mike comes from a bilingual family that speaks English and Spanish.  He holds a Bachelor degree in Mathematics, a Masters in Education and an additional  Masters Degree in Counseling.  He has taught all over school district 51 and loves working with kids.  He is currently a counselor at Grand Junction High School.

Taylor R. (Explore Science, Activity)
Taylor is a Junior at Mesa State College pursuing a degree in Natural and Physical Sciences.  He loves to stimulate and engage young minds and turn them "on to" science and its amazing concepts.  He spends much of his free time on horticulture and botany working with Mount Garfield Nursery.  Taylor also has an extensive background in fitness with a specialty in soccer.

Cassie F. (Art, Theater, Explore)
Cassie is a student studying to be an art education minor at Mesa State College.  She has worked with children through the city of Fruita and other local organizations.  She has a great love for art and loves to see that same passion passed on.  She is a firm believer that if a person is truly passionate about something then that is their "art" - no matter what area that may be in. 

Heather M. (Music)
Heather is currently pursuing a degree in Music Education and specializes in voice and piano - both instruction and performance.  She dabbles in all facets of the performing arts and spends much of her time in rehearsals for various productions from Opera to Vocal performance.

Mary Ann R. (Explore, Tiny Tots)
Mary Ann has a B.S. in Sociology with 30 years experience as an elementary educator. She has taught in New York City, Denver, and most recently in Cedaredge, Colorado. She has been retired for 2 years and is looking forward to teaching and working with young children again.

Candice H. (Music)
Candice is an art education major at MSC but also dabbles in percussion, voice, piano, acting and even photography!  She loves being involved in all facets of the arts and looks forward to sharing her love of learning.

Joy P. (Owner, Dance, Explore)
Joy has a B.S. in Mathematics along with a minor in dance. She has over 15 years of experience in dance and theater, including teaching, choreographing, and performing. In previous years, she was very involved with various organizations including Mesa State Continuing Education and Performing Arts Conservatory. She continues to dance and perform with Beyond Boundaries (a local organization of dancers). She loves working with children and has been teaching mathematics at Grand Junction High School for twelve years.