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. Students are encouraged to develop a lifelong love of the arts through participation in performance and study. We strive to nurture and encourage students of all ages to pursue performing opportunities with confidence. Audiences within and outside of the school provide opportunities for performing outreach. Our acclaimed programs provide countless opportunities for students in the musical, theatrical, and dance arenas. Students receive both challenge and support in pursuit of success in all those, 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: Dance Instructor

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.

Felicity Engel

Serena Hanavan

Titles: Dance Instructor

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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, she 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.

Melissa Kidd

Titles: Director, 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. 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. In 2018 and 2019 Melissa was nominated for the prestigious Dance Worlds in Orlando, Florida where she judged dancers from over 32 countries around the world.

Erica Lohman

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 2021

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: Director, Classroom Teacher

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Biography:

Armleder School

Extracurricular Offerings

FaithWalkers Dance Team (Gr 1-6)
CHCA Dance Academy (PK3-Gr 12)

Summer Offerings 2022

Free One Day Dance Camp (PK-Gr 2 girls)
Mermaid Camp (Gr K-2 girls)
Dance Academy Drop-in Classes (Gr 2-12 girls)
Dance Academy Summer Intensive (Gr 2-12 girls)

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Faithwalkers Dance Team

Destiny Howard

Titles: PK 4/5 Lead Teacher

Degrees: B.F.A., Radford University

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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 (PK3 - Gr 8)

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 is a member of the May Festival Chorus and Ensemble. Outside of CHCA, she serves as children's minister at Connections Christian Church, and also is the wife of a minister.

Private Music Lesson Program Faculty

Dr. Lydia Woodin, Director (Strings)

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. She is 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 J‰rvi.

Amy Macy (Strings)

Amy Macy

Titles: Classroom Teacher-Strings, Music Lesson Provider-Violin, Viola & Cello

Degrees: M.M., Temple University
B.M., The New School

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Biography:

Amy came to CHCA from Zimbabwe, where she had lived for four years teaching strings and coaching chamber music. Amy is a member of the American String Teachers Association, the Suzuki Association of the Americas, and the National Association for Music Education. In 2016 Amy launched a European Suzuki Association Teacher Training Program in Zimbabwe. She also performed at the Harare International Arts Festival. She has been a cellist in the West Virginia Symphony and is a registered Suzuki Violin (Books 1-4) and Cello (Books 1-5) teacher through the Suzuki Association of the Americas.

Dr. Siryung Park (Strings)

Siryung Park

Titles: Music Lesson Provider-Violin & Viola

Degrees: D.M.A., University of Cincinnati
M.M., University of Cincinnati

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Biography:
Siryung Park is a member of American String Teachers Association, and has training in Sassmannshaus Tradition methods. Park has been teaching violin for a wide rage of age groups and education levels since 2000. Her teaching experience extends through a chamber music coaching and music theory class at Starling Project Foundation Preparatory, Sassmannshaus Tradition Preparatory Division, and CCM Preparatory Department. She is an accomplished performer as a soloist, orchestra member and chamber musician in South Korea, China, Cuba, Israel and the United States. She is actively performing as a principal violin in JS Chamber Orchestra, Con fuoco Piano Trio, and a substitute violin in Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra and Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra.

Robin Albus (Piano)

Robin Albus

Titles: Music Lesson Provider-Piano & Wunderkeys

Degrees: B.S., James Madison University

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Biography:
Robin has taught piano for 17 years and has been a private piano teacher at CHCA since 2003. She also earned the National Guild of Piano Teachers High School diploma. Most recently, she launched the Wunderkeys program at CHCA, which offers a musical experience on the keyboard for 3-5 year olds.

Dr. Takako Frautschi (Piano)

Takako Frautschi

Titles: Music Lesson Provider-Piano

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

Email:

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.

Song Hun Nam (Piano)

Song Hun Nam

Titles: Music Lesson Provider-Piano

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

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Biography:

Mr. Nam is a frequent solo and chamber music recitalist and is highly praised for his sensitive and expressive piano playing. Mr. Nam is a devoted and inspiring teacher, receiving the Special Recognition Award of Faculty by Graduating Seniors for an outstanding faculty who most influenced their academic achievements at Northern Kentucky University. He was also on the piano faculty, a chamber music coach and a choir conductor at the Philadelphia International Music Festival in Bryn Mawr College, PA. He is an active adjudicator for various piano competitions and scholarship auditions throughout the region. Christian faith has always been in the center of Mr. Namís life and his family and he is the music director at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Burlington, Kentucky. Mr. Nam has a musical family as his wife is also a pianist and voice teacher, and his two daughters are very dedicated violinists.