2024 Faculty & Guest Artists
Mary-Kate Schmidt
APAA Director
Mary-Kate Schmidt is the Director of the Axelrod Performing Arts Academy. Mary-Kate graduated from Fairfield University where she double-majored in Music and Journalism. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Montclair State University with a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. After half a decade at Random House, Mary-Kate left the publishing industry to pursue her true passion of working in arts education.
For over a decade, Mary-Kate served as director, music director, and choreographer at St. John Vianney High School. During her tenure, her productions were nominated for several local theater awards, including a Basie nomination for “Best Musical Direction” for their production of The Sound of Music. She was also the founder and director of the show choir, Lancer Harmonies.
Mary-Kate grew up surrounded by musical theater and dance from a young age and was fortunate enough to be a part of some of the best arts education programs. She is passionate about providing students with the same high-quality education that she received.
Diana Grover
APAA Assistant Director
Diana graduated Valedictorian from Monmouth University as a double major in Education and Psychology. She received the top honor given at Graduate School, also at MU, with a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership/Supervision. She taught at the elementary level for eight years, receiving both District and County Teacher of the Year her first year eligible. Diana then took time off from teaching other children to raise her own, also serving as Sunday school director, scout leader and class mom. Years later, she found herself volunteering at the newly-formed Axelrod Performing Arts Academy, where she is currently proud to be its Assistant Director. As the mom of now four grown children whose passions all lie within the arts, she is a firm believer in the necessity of the arts in a child's life and a staunch advocate of the power of the arts for a healthy education, life and community.
Susan Marrazzo
Faculty
Miss Susan has been lovingly teaching Dance for the last 40 years. She is the proud owner/artistic director of Dancesation Studios in Nutley, NJ.
She has performed, choreographed and directed extensively both professional and locally throughout the tri-state area. She is thrilled to be sharing her love of the art of dance and theatre with APAA!
Olivia Miranda
Faculty
A founding member of AXCBT, Olivia graduated from Ailey/Fordham with a B.F.A. in Dance and English (2018). She previously danced with Ballet Hispanico's BHdos and has performed works by Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Colby Damon, Graham Lustig, and Riccardo de Nigris. She has performed at Lincoln Center and the historic Apollo Theater. Olivia has presented and performed choreographic works at Asbury Park Dance Festival, Ailey Citigroup Theatre, Dixon Place, Rider University, The Tank NYC, and Bell Works.
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Justin Christopher Odon
Faculty
Justin Christopher is an NJ based theatre artist. He has a large theatre background that includes directing, choreography, set design, lighting design, sound design, costume design, prop design, producing, stage management, production management and performing. He is the founder and artistic director of Theatre@Home: Save The Arts, a virtual theatre company that produces virtual theatre productions. In 2022, Justin Christopher was nominated for three NJACT Perry Awards for his production of The Wizard of Oz in April/May 2022 at the Count Basie Center for the Arts (Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical, and Outstanding Musical Production). Alongside being nominated for the NJACT Perry Awards for The Wizard of Oz, he was also nominated for the Broadway World 2022 Regional Awards (Best Direction of a Musical, Best Sound Design of a Musical, and Best Production of a Musical). Justin Christopher is a teaching artist for the Phoenix Rising Star Academy in Red Bank and the Count Basie Academy of the Arts. A few show credits include Once On This Island, Pippin, In The Heights, A Chorus Line, Cabaret, Mamma Mia, Disney’s Descendants the Musical, Be More Chill, Legally Blonde, The Music Man, Spring Awakening, The Wizard of Oz and A Christmas Carol The Musical. Justin Christopher has worked on many productions in the Monmouth County area and is recognized for his dedicated work in helping young theatre artists to create and grow. He is a proud advocate for the arts and is very dedicated to keeping the arts alive.
Kathleen Pearlberg
Faculty
Kathleen is a NJ based choreographer, musical theatre and ballet teacher. She was trained at the professional New Jersey School of Ballet and went on to dance in the New Jersey Ballet Company where she performed pieces by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Jay Norman, Edward Villella, Joseph Carow and George Tomal. She serves as the Ballet Mistress for the professional contemporary ballet dancers of the Axelrod Theater.
Choreography credits include, Fiddler on the Roof, Kinky Boots, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Jesus Christ Superstar, Peter Pan, Man of LaMancha, Footloose at Algonquin Arts Theater. Associate Choreographer Fiddler on the Roof, Axelrod Performing Arts Center.
Christina Wallis
Faculty
Christina is a professional dancer, choreographer, and teacher dedicated to sharing joy through dance. She graduated summa cum laude from Marymount Manhattan College with a B.F.A. in dance and was awarded the Alpha Chi Award for her choreographic work. Upon graduating, she performed and taught worldwide with Buglisi Dance Theater and Parsons Dance for over a decade. She published an article in Dance Spirit magazine that shed light on body image challenges and a path to overcome them. While performing professionally, Christina pursued a parallel career in dance-fitness and became a NASM certified personal trainer, weight loss specialist, nutrition specialist, and behavioral change coach. In 2017 she founded her own business, Living-Dance, and for 6 years she helped women love and transform their bodies through a series of original dance cardio, barre, and meditative stretch classes. Recently, Christina choreographed her first evening-length solo dance theater show and she continues to use art as a healing force to inspire presence and peace in this world.
Jessica Totaro
Faculty
Jessica Totaro is a Contemporary, Choreography Skills and Hip Hop teaching artist from Neptune City, NJ. She received her BFA in dance from Rutgers, Mason Gross School of the Arts and has been teaching and choreographing professionally for over a decade. Her movement vocabulary is deeply rooted in Limón Modern technique while integrating the Hip Hop fundamentals of Breaking, Locking, House and Popping. She is the founder and Artistic Director of the Movement Arts Project Dance Company. Jessica has presented original choreographic works at various academies and performing arts programs. She has recently expanded her dance composition class to dancers internationally. Her teaching method is to not dictate but guide each dancer deeper into their own creative ability and communicate authentically through movement.
Kerry Butler
Guest Artist
Kerry Butler is a Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League Award nominee. She first dreamed of being an actress when she was 9 years old and saw Annie. Since then she has been in twelve Broadway shows.
Some of her favorite roles include Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Penny in Hairspray, Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors, and Kira in Xanadu which earned her a Tony nomination. Most recently Kerry appeared in Mean Girls and Beetlejuice.
Kerry has also crossed over into film and television with roles in The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Honor Society, 30 Rock, Gilmore Girls Reunion, Law & Order: SVU, and The Mindy Project.
Kerry loves working with children and young adults, and feels very privileged to pass on all she has learned.
Joseph Fritz
Guest Artist
A scholarship student at both the School of American Ballet and Joffrey school, Fritz was a principal dancer with the Eglevsky Ballet, New Jersey Ballet, and the Metropolitan Opera Ballet where he served as dance captain before eventually becoming Dance Director at the Met, a position he held for 30 years. Fritz was also ballet master at Blue Lake Fine Arts camp in Michigan as well as a guest artist and guest teacher for companies in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Tamisha A. Guy
Guest Artist
Tamisha, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, began her formal dance training at Ballet Tech, under the direction of Eliot Feld. Later she attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, and SUNY Purchase College as a double major in dance and arts management. She has completed summer programs with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Nathan Trice and Springboard Danse Montreal. She has performed works by William Forsythe, Bebe Miller, Doug Varone, Merce Cunningham, Pam Tanowitz and Mark Morris. In 2013 Guy graduated with honors from SUNY Purchase College and joined the Martha Graham Dance Company shortly after. In 2016 Guy was selected as one of Dance Magazine' Top 25 to Watch and she also received the 2016 Princess Grace Award. She was featured in the segment “Spotlight on Success” in Dance Informa Magazine as well as the Caribbean Life newspaper, where she discussed her upbringing and the distinguished Princess Grace Award. In 2017, she was named one of the Best Dancers of the Year by Dance Europe. In 2021, she received the 2022 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Dance for her evocative and intuitive performance style that blends elements of contemporary, modern and narrative dance traditions, and for her commitment to furthering her own practice through instruction, collaboration, and mentorship. Tamisha currently dances with A.I.M, under Artistic Direction of Kyle Abraham and formerly an Adjunct Lecturer in Dance at SUNY Purchase, Western Washington University and Barnard College.
Lindsay Jorgensen
Guest Artist
Lindsay Jorgensen is a NYC-based performing artist, choreographer, and teacher from Lawrenceville, New Jersey. She has performed with Ballet Nepantla, Buglisi Dance Theatre, VALLETO, American Repertory Ballet, and Axelrod Contemporary Ballet Theater. She graduated summa cum laude from the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Dance Program, where she holds degrees in Dance and English. She also was awarded departmental honors in Dance from the university. Lindsay has taught for Montclair State University, Steps Youth Program, and American Repertory Ballet’s Trainee Program. She also holds a certificate in Creative Writing from the University of Pennsylvania. Theatre credits (Axelrod PAC): Sunday in the Park with George (Ensemble/Dance Captain), Grease (Cha Cha), Evita (Associate Choreographer), and The Prom (Swing/Asst Director and Choreographer).
Gabriela Soto
Guest Artist
Gabriela Soto was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and relocated to the states at age 14. Miss Gabby is an alumni from The Ailey School Certificate Program. Theater credits include Wicked, Brigadoon (New York City Center), and In The Heights (Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Seattle Repertory Theater, Cincinnati Playhouse at the Park). TV/Film credits include Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Gabriela has also performed works by William Forsythe, Alvin Ailey, Lar Lubovitch, Matthew Rushing, Elisa Monte, Robert Battle, Francesca Harper, Amy Hall and Jae Man Joo. When off stage Miss Gabby enjoys sharing her passion and knowledge with the younger generation of dance.
John John Tarrayo
Guest Artist
John John has been dancing and performing since the age of 12. His passion for dance began with Hip-Hop and Breaking. Wanting to grow as a well-rounded dancer he trained in Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Contemporary and African and was very active in choreographing and performing in both high school and college.
John John was featured in America's favorite dance television show, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE SEASON 16, performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and was a featured dancer performing in the world’s biggest cruise line Royal Caribbean in the “Aqua 80” show. He has appeared in music videos and worked with platinum artists such as The Jonas Brothers, J Balvin, Daddy Yankee, Natty Natasha, Sebastian Yatra and Ingrid Michaelson. He has performed at the Radio City Music Hall with Soave, has been a featured dancer on MTV’s TRL, and danced on a national tour with Raymix. He also worked with well known choreographers such as Talia Favia, Luther Brown, Cat Rendic, Theresa Stone, Stacey Tookey, Mandy Moore, Ashle Dawson, Anthony Rue, etc. 
John John has developed a unique and distinct style by mixing contemporary and breaking when he freestyles and choreographs movement. He continues to strive in diversifying his skill set by training in classes at Broadway Dance Center, Peridance Capezio Center, and Brickhouse. He succeeded in winning 1st place in Monsters of Hip Hop LA. He strongly grasps every opportunity to educate him further in becoming successful in the dance industry. 
His main endeavor is to travel, teach, inspire, and perform all over the world and to create a name for himself.  “Dance is My Passion. My Reason. My Life.”
Michelle Thompson
Guest Artist
Michelle Thompson is currently a professor at SUNY Purchase in New York. She received her training from San Francisco Ballet, and danced for 14 years with Ballet Austin. She performed in works by George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Ulysses Dove, Stephen Mills, Sidra Bell, Greg Dolbashian, Nelly van Bommel, Amy Seiwert, James Gregg, Gina Patterson, Thang Dao, and more. Also during her time in Texas she earned her undergraduate degree from St. Edward’s University, and began her choreographic career with an emphasis on site specific and immersive dance experiences. Michelle was the Artistic Director of New York based Spark Movement Collective from April 2020-April 2024. Michelle grew this company for 4 years, and has been awarded grants by The Flushing Town Hall for programming for children and The Queens Council on the Arts for her work Armenian Voices. She is currently a freelance choreographer in New York, and has recently shown work at The Mark O’Donnell Theater, Green Space, Dixon Place, and Art On Site. She was chosen as the Women’s Choreography Project winner in 2017 by Avant Chamber Ballet in Dallas and was featured in Dance Magazine. Her commissions include NuVu Festival, CreateArt, Style Pointe for New York Fashion Week, Ballet Hartford, J Chen Project, Ballet Austin II, Harvard Ballet, Columbia Ballet Collaborative, Ballet Spartanburg, TY&CO, CounterPointe, Prelude Projects at Carvalho Park Gallery, and SUNY Purchase. Michelle has worked closely with Grammy award winning musician Johnny Butler and creative partner Caleb Patterson on projects performed at The Visionary, Mercury Lounge, Ace Hotel in Brooklyn, C'mon Everybody, and the Howland Cultural Center in Beacon, NY. Michelle’s Illusory Impressions collaboration and co-directorship with composer Catherine Davis was given an award by the Austin Critics’ Table for excellence in a Site-Specific work. She also creates for film and music video projects including music video "Let You in" by Pete Muller. She teaches for Peridance and for NY Community Ballet in Manhattan. Michelle has also performed with XAOC Contemporary Ballet under the direction of Eryn Renee Young at Battery Dance Festival amongst other New York venues. Michelle teaches yoga, and she is a mother of two. Michelle most recently premiered a new commission in Dallas for Pegasus Contemporary Ballet in June 2024 in collaboration with Grammy award winning musician Scott Tixier.
IG @michelle_thompson_ulerich
Andrew Winans
Guest Artist
Andrew Winans is an award-winning director and choreographer represented currently with two shows in the off-Broadway circuit. His work has been honored with multiple Perry, New York Theatre Festival, Theatre Maker and BroadwayWorld Awards and nominations. Andrew has worked closely under TONY Award recognized Broadway legends Bob Avian, Baayork Lee, Randy Skinner, Chet Walker and Donna McKechnie.
He recently directed and choreographed Maddie, nominated for 7 NYTF Awards including Best Direction and Best Choreography. The show is set for an upcoming limited run off-Broadway at Players Theatre.
Off-Broadway credits include: Do Re Mi (revival), Agatha Christie’s The Hollow (Players Theatre), Mike & Mindy's Wild Weekend Jam (Players Theatre) and Company of Man (AMT Theatre).
Andrew worked as Assistant Director to Bob Avian and Assistant Choreographer to Baayork Lee on over 10 companies of A Chorus Line including: New York City Center, National Tour, multiple International Tours, China Premier, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, The Public Theatre and The Apollo Theatre. Andrew also re-staged A Chorus Line at Summer Stock Stage and Algonquin Arts, nominated for 4 BWW Regional Awards.
Original, associate, resident and reconstruction work has been seen internationally with: Norwegian Creative Studios, Hershey Park, RWS Entertainment, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, American Dance Machine for the 21st Century, 54 Below, Green Room 42, CAP21, Hunter College in additional to multiple regional theatres, AEA staged readings and workshops. Andrewwon both the 2021 NJ Perry Award and BWW Regional Award for Best Choreography in Hello, Dolly! with Capital Productions.
As a performer, he toured in national and international companies of 42nd Street and A Chorus Line, also seen at: North Shore Music Theatre, Gateway Playhouse, Maine State Music Theatre, ACT of Connecticut among many other regionals. On screen television and film credits include Saturday Night Live hosted by Jason Sudeikis, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Live by Night starring Ben Affleck.