Performing Arts

As a result of a CHCA Fine Arts education, students recognize that music, theatre, and dance are gifts from God and, as such, should be used to glorify and serve Him. We encourage a lifelong love of the arts through study along with performance and outreach to internal and external audiences. Our acclaimed programs strive to nurture and encourage students of all ages to pursue performing opportunities with confidence. They receive both challenge and support - and the outcome? Confident, well-rounded student performers.

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Dance

CHCA Dance Academy is not just an after-school program; it is a dance academy exclusively for our CHCA students.

We offer a variety of levels that include technique and competitive options. Our professional faculty features instructors who have danced and choreographed professionally throughout the United States and carry with them national and regional awards for choreography and performance.

CHCA Dance Academy Instructors

Anna Leithart, Director

Anna Leithart

Titles: Director

Degrees: B.F.A., Wright State University

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Biography:
This Cincinnati native started figure skating at age four and took ballet lessons to improve grace and technique on the ice. She fully transitioned to dance at age 13 receiving intensive ballet training at The School for the Creative and Performing Arts, Starstruck ADA's ballet intensive program, and North Cincinnati Youth Ballet. Anna performed with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company's second Company while earning her B.F.A. in dance from Wright State University. She was a summer apprentice with the iconic River North Dance Chicago for two years, then took a full-time position with Ad Deum Dance Company in Houston, Texas. There she received Graham technique training from Dani Hammack (former Graham dancer) and Horton technique training from Alicia Graf Mack (former principal dancer of Alvin Ailey and the new Juilliard School dance department head). Anna recently performed and taught throughout the U.S. and in Paris, Cambridge, Switzerland, Bulgaria, and Dublin, Ireland. While passionate about technique and artistry, Anna has found that her true love is teaching dance as a form of prayer and worship and she hopes to inspire this form of spiritual expression in each student.

Serena Hanavan

Titles: Ballet Program Lead

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Biography:
Serena Hanavan, originally from Cincinnati, began her ballet training with Claudia Rudolph Barrett. At age 10, she was awarded the Bronze Medal at Youth America Grand Prix New York City Finals, which proved to be just the beginning. She won many medals over the next several years and received full scholarships to train at American Ballet Theatre, the Princess Grace Academy, and the Munich Ballet Academy. At age 16, Hanavan joined Boston Ballet II and during her two seasons with BBII, danced as a member of the Corps de Ballet in more than 11 full length ballets. Hanavan joined Cincinnati Ballet in 2015 where she danced for five seasons with featured roles including: the Lilac Fairy in Devon Carney's Sleeping Beauty, Dream Marguerite in Val Caniparoli's Lady of the Camellias, Princess Tiger Lily in Septime Webre's Peter Pan, Snow Queen and the Rose in Victoria Morgan's The Nutcracker, the Turning Girl in George Balanchine's Who Cares? and the Dark Angel in George Balanchine's Serenade. Serena feels so happy and blessed to be teaching the dancers at CHCA where she hopes to pass along her love and passion for ballet.

Felicity Engel

Titles: Dance Instructor

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Biography:
Felicity is a graduate of Ohio Connections Academy and brings over 15 years of dance training and performance to her students — 11 years with Anneliese von Oettingen School of Ballet and 3 years in the AP Student Program at De La Dance Center. Her areas of study include a variety of dance styles with an emphasis on ballet technique, pointe, and variations. As an elementary student, she performed with The Cincinnati Ballet in The Nutcracker and went on to dance in numerous ballet and theatrical productions including Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Thumbelina, and Les Sylphides. She continues her dance training at The Cincinnati Ballet and is a current student at Sinclair Community College studying Business Management. She also specializes in dance shoe fitting, including pointe shoes with Vera Nova Dance Boutique where she was trained and continues to extend her knowledge of the structure and placement of a dancer’s body and feet and how they impact movement.

Melissa Kidd

Titles: Classroom Teacher, Dance Instructor, Classroom Teacher

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Biography:
Melissa Kidd has over 30 years of training in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary/lyrical, pom, hip hop, kick, and acro as well as 15+ years of instruction/choreography experience. She is certified in injury prevention, rehab, and dancer specific training on the Pilates Reformer. Ms. Kidd owns Dance Technician LLC, a small business that provides private strength and flexibility training for dancers. She was the Founding Director of CHCA's Dance Program, and her choreography and routines have won CHCA several regional and national titles. Melissa's experience includes training under the Cincinnati Ballet and members of the New York City and Boston Ballets. Miss Kidd has also choreographed for the Christian rapper "Gyfted" and had her choreography featured on ESPN and FoxSports Network. Melissa currently judges for over 30 dance event producers in cities across the United States in both the all-star and studio competition circuit where she has also served as a judging coordinator/trainer. Melissa has been nominated 6 years in a row for the prestigious Dance Worlds in Orlando, Florida where she judged dancers from over 32 countries around the world.

Ally Wallace

Titles: 1st Grade Teacher, Dance Instructor

Degrees: B.S., University of Kentucky

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Biography:
Ms. Wallace has 19 years of training in ballet, jazz, contemporary/lyrical, pom, hip-hop, and acro and has danced competitively for 18 years. Most recently, she was a four-year member of the nationally ranked University of Kentucky Dance Team serving as co-captain for the 2018-2019 season. As a collegiate dancer with the UK Dance Team, Ally attended nationals all four years (the team placed consecutively in the top 5 in Hip-Hop and in the top 10 in Pom) and represented the USA as a member of the US National Hip-Hop and Pom team at the prestigious Dance Worlds in Orlando, Florida. As a member of the US National team, Ally achieved 2 silver medals. While at the University of Kentucky, she was featured on ESPN, ESPN Game Day, and Fox Sports Network. Ally also is an alumna of CHCA's Dance Academy, where she competed on the first ever dance team as a freshman in high school. Ally has been instructing since 2009 and choreographing since 2017.

Black clad dancers with pink cloud behind

Early Learning Program & Lower School

Upper School

Curricular Offerings

Dance as a Fine Art (Gr 9-12)
Dance as PE (Gr 9-12)

Extracurricular Offerings

CHCA Dance Academy (PK3-Gr 12)

Summer Offerings 2023

Dance Academy Drop-in Classes (Gr 2-12 girls)
Dance Academy Summer Intensive (Gr 2-12 girls)

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Dance Faculty

Melissa Kidd

Titles: Classroom Teacher, Dance Instructor, Classroom Teacher

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Armleder School

General Music

General Music provides fundamental music processes and opportunities for our students to learn, create and perform. Our students learn by doing as they sing, play instruments, move to music as well as read and notate music. This exploration is done independently and with others and provides the building blocks of their music education through a comprehensive and sequential program. With the skills learned in General Music, our students are well prepared to continue on to our Instrumental and Vocal Music programs.

Early Learning Program

Curricular Offerings

Music (Ages 2-4)

Performance Opportunities

Gr PK Christmas Program

Extracurricular Offerings

Private Music Lesson Program (onsite) (PK3 - Gr 12)

General Music Faculty

Carolyn Hill

Titles: Classroom Teacher, Music Lesson Provider-Voice

Degrees: B.M., Wright State University
B.Ed., Kentucky Chrisitian College

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Biography:
Carolyn Hill teaches Music in our Early Learning Program, leads worship for Preschool Chapel, and also teaches private voice lessons. Outside of CHCA, Carolyn is a member of the May Festival Chorus and Ensemble, serves as Children's Minister at Connections Christian Church, and is the wife of a minister.

Private Music Lesson Program Faculty

Dr. Lydia Woodin, Director (Viola and Violin)

Lydia Woodin

Titles: Music Lesson Program Director, Music Lesson Provider-Violin & Viola

Degrees: D.M.A., University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
M.M., University of Cincinnati
B.M., University of Alabama

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Biography:
Lydia is a member of the American String Teachers Association and the Suzuki Association of the Americas. She has training in both the Suzuki and Sassmannshaus Tradition methods. Additionally, Dr. Woodin attended the American String Teachers Association Conference in 2009 and the Starling-Delay Symposium on Violin Studies at the Juilliard School in 2011 & 2013 and was a member of the Violin Faculty for the Preparatory Department at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. She is also an active performer and has played countless solo and chamber music recitals in the US, Italy, and China. She has extensive experience playing with professional orchestra, opera, and ballet companies throughout the United States, and has performed under notable conductors Yoel Levi, Louis Lane, Benjamin Zander, Mark Gibson, Awadagin Pratt, Hugh Wolfe, and Paavo Jarvi.

Robin Albus (Piano)

Robin Albus

Titles: Music Lesson Provider

Degrees: B.S., James Madison University

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Biography:
Robin earned the National Guild of Piano Teachers High School diploma and has been teaching private piano lessons at CHCA since 2003. She also launched the Wunderkeys program at CHCA, which offers a musical experience on the keyboard for 3-5 year olds.

Dr. Rick Brantley (Acoustic and Electric Guitar)

Richard Brantley

Titles: Music Lesson Provider

Degrees: B.S., Xavier University
M.D., University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Email:

Biography:
Rick has loved music his entire life. He began playing the guitar at the age of 8, and by 14, he was recording his own music. He first performed professionally as a high school student! Since then, Rick has played on stage with many regional and national artists, from 1983 to the present. In addition to both the acoustic and electric guitar, Rick plays the mandolin, bass, dobro, lap steel, and bouzouki. He’s also a vocalist, programmer, audio engineer, and record producer. Currently, Rick serves as a guitarist for Crossroads Mason Worship Team. He’s excited to share his lifelong love of music with the students at CHCA.

Dr. Sera Cheon (Cello)

Sera Cheon

Titles: Music Lesson Provider

Degrees: D.M.A., University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
M.M., University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
A.D., University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

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Biography:
Sera has been teaching cello for more than 20 years to students of all ages. She has performed various solo and chamber recitals using both the baroque cello and the modern cello across the United States and Asia. Sera is currently a board member and a principal cellist at JS Chamber Ensemble and was selected to be an associate member in the Chicago Civic Orchestra and the New World Symphony. She graduated Cum Laude with a B.A. from Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea then earned 3 additional degrees from University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She believes that music enriches lives, and she shares her passion and love of music through teaching and performing.

Jill Duebber (Piano)

Jill Duebber

Titles: Music Lesson Provider

Degrees: B.M. Ed., University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

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Biography:
Jill taught both piano and flute at a private studio for 28 years with students ranging from preschool to adults. As a child, she had wonderful music teachers who inspired her to choose music education as her vocation. Jill’s biggest passion has always been playing the piano, and she loves passing that on to others. She’s currently a member of the OMTA and MTNA and has a Level 1 Orff-Schulwerk Certification, as well as an MTNA Professional NCTM Certification. In addition to private music lessons, she has taught preschool music classes, summer composition camps, prep for RCM national exams, and has been an accompanist for high school and collegiate soloists. In her free time, Jill enjoys running, biking, reading, and spending time with her husband and three kids.

Dr. Takako Frautschi (Piano)

Takako Frautschi

Titles: Music Lesson Provider

Degrees: M.M., Eastman School of Music
D.M.A., University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
B.M., University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

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Biography:
Takako has taught precollege level students since 1992 throughout the United States and Canada. Her childhood musical training was completed through Toho Music School Preparatory division, one of the most prestigious precollege music programs in Japan. Her mentors and the experiences that she remembers from childhood inspired her to find true joy in working with precollege level students. Takako has performed in Banff, Paris, Prague, and Amalfi Coast. Takako's performance highlights include an appearance at Weill Hall in Carnegie Hall, New York City in 1998 and 2010. Her most recent recital was broadcasted over WECI 91.5FM, in Richmond, Indiana. Takako holds additional certificates in Suzuki Method and MTNA Professional NCTM Certification Program. Outside of CHCA, Takako serves on the faculty of the piano department at the Preparatory Division of University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music and the College of Examiner of Royal Conservatory in Canada. She also enjoys presenting lectures on pedagogical topics to share her teaching tips to other educators. She and her husband, David have two children and a Sheltie.

Andrew Hartman (Percussion)

Andrew Hartman

Titles: Classroom Teacher-Instrumental, Music Lesson Provider-Percussion

Degrees: B.M., The Ohio State University
B.M.Ed., The Ohio State University

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Biography:
Andrew is a member of the Ohio Music Education Association, the National Association for Music Education, and the Percussive Arts Society. He teaches drumline for marching band during summer band camps. He has served as a church musician for 14 years, providing drums and percussion for Forest Chapel United Methodist Church, Northminster Presbyterian Church, and All Saints Catholic Church. In 2014, Andrew won the Ohio State University James Moore Percussion, and he performed with the Ohio Military Band as a featured soloist in 2010 and 2015.

Emery Hicks (Trumpet)

Emery Hicks

Titles: Music Lesson Provider

Degrees: M.M., University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
B.M., Belmont University
A.D., University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

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Biography:
Emery was first intrigued by the brass instruments in the great movie scores he grew up listening to. As he got older and began to perform, it brought him so much joy that he wanted to help spread that joy to others. Emery graduated from Belmont University with a B.M. in trumpet performance and went on to earn an M.M. and an A.D. in trumpet performance from the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Today, he plays the second trumpet in the Evansville Philharmonic and performs regularly in several regional orchestras in the Greater Cincinnati area. Emery’s passion is to find beauty in the world, whether that be through music, art, or the natural wonders that the world offers.