Risk, Play, Transform
Acting is a full-body sport, for all.
In my classes, neuroscience meets nonsense, clown meets craft, and artists of all levels get to unfreeze, unravel, and rewire. It's a space to be curious, messy, and brilliant. I specialize in working with students in ballet, opera, and musical theatre — performers who are highly trained in precision and discipline but crave more spontaneity & freedom!
My approach is highly physical and heart-forward, blending movement-based training, playful improvisation, deep character work, and poetic embodied storytelling. The goal is to help artists feel more present in their choices—and more themselves in the work.
I endeavor to create a curious, compassionate space—where safety makes room for risk, and joy makes room for depth. We train the body to lead, the mind to soften, and the heart to show up. You’ll leave feeling freer, braver, and perhaps... a little more mischievous.!
Below is a sampling of my class offerings. Curious? Take a lil peek!
For private 1 on 1 Coaching, click here!
📝 Downloadable Teaching Resume
Credentials:
MFA Acting & Directing, University of Missouri Kansas City
Shakespeare & Company
Pandemonium Studio Clown Teacher Training
Coaching Options
1 hr
50 US dollars
1 hr
50 US dollars
1 hr 30 min
100 US dollars
Clown & The Poetic Self 🎈
Got the Pearl Studios Blues?
Level: Professional
Flexible Workshop Length: 2-5 Hours
This course helps performers unfreeze, take up space, and rediscover joy through physical comedy and the art of play. Together we’ll tumble through a classic clown progression—awakening the body, cracking open impulse, courting chaos, and discovering what makes you utterly ridiculous and strangely lovable. Through games, physical play, and structured mischief, we’ll discover your clown – bursting at the seams, and ready to meet the audience.
Perfect for singers, dancers, and ensemble-weary pros looking to build physical comedy chops, soften a little, or move through showbiz burnout in a new way.
"Doing this work was beautifully vulnerable and absolutely a tool I want to incorporate when bringing a character to life. This class gave me so much room to open myself to infinite possibilities and discoveries as an actor."
-DeShawn Bowens, Mean Girls, Harlem, "Two Many Christmases" on BET
Interested in a full course description?
Cast of How To Succeed,
Theatre Under The Stars 2016
Art of the Ensemble 🤝
Build Your World Backwards & Forwards
Level: Pre-Professional
Flexible Workshop Length: 3-5 Hours
Ensemble life is like reverse engineering—you start with the choreography and staging, then sneak your character’s heartbeat into every moment.
The truth is, commercial theatre runs on the power of the ensemble—artists who adapt, connect, and elevate everyone around them. This course blends Lecoq technique, Viewpoints, and improvisation with professional rehearsal processes, casting expectations, and the collaborative mindset needed to thrive in today’s theatre, dance, and musical theatre worlds.
Through scene work, movement composition, and industry-informed workshops, students develop the flexibility, presence, and creative generosity that directors, choreographers, and casting teams value most—becoming both technically sharp and artistically indispensable.
Perfect for MFA, BFA and conservatory programs preparing students for a competitive, ensemble-driven industry.
Interested in a full course description?
Framed In Motion 🎥
Lecoq Techniques for Film & TV
Level: Pre-Professional, Professional
Flexible Workshop Length: 3-5 Hours
Your body tells the story before you say a word.
In this class, we take Jaques Lecoq’s playful, physical approach to acting and bring it right up close to the camera. You’ll learn how to use size, rhythm, and subtle shifts in movement to make your scenes pop on screen—without losing the truth or spontaneity of the moment.
We’ll get you comfortable hitting marks, living in the frame, and staying fully alive in your body, whether it’s a big physical beat or the tiniest close-up. Perfect if you want your on-camera work to feel grounded, connected, and just a little bit electric.
Perfect for physical performers expanding into film and television.
Interested in a full course description?
Acting For Dancers 🩰
Embody the story. Move beyond the steps.
Level: 5th Grade - Pre-Professional
Flexible Workshop Length: 2-5 Hours
George Balanchine once said, “Don’t worry about your soul, I want to see your foot.” But in today’s story-driven world, dancers need both.
This class helps all dancers move beyond beautiful lines into expressive, spontaneous storytelling. Using guided improvisation, character work, and event-based acting exercises, dancers learn to perform with emotional clarity and authentic presence—without compromising technique. They might even learn some slapstick along the way!
Perfect for pre-professional programs, summer intensives, and narrative productions.
Curriculum is flexible to fit your dancer's needs.
Interested in a full course description?
Behind The Mask 🦸
Big Characters, Bold Storytelling
Level: 5th Grade - 12th Grade
Flexible Workshop Length: 3-10 Days
“The mask is not for hiding; it is for revealing.”
Jaques Lecoq
In this class, students ages 13–18 design and craft their own wild, one-of-a-kind half-masks — then they bring it to life.
We’ll stomp, stretch, and play our way into new characters, exploring how a mask can change the way you move, think, and tell a story. From big, silly moments to epic, dramatic scenes, students work together to create original performances that are as bold and unique as they are.
They might also discover a more truthful and courageous version of themselves emerges... behind the mask!
Perfect for teen theatre programs, summer intensives, and devised performance projects. Curriculum is flexible to fit your program’s needs.
Cost for materials not included.
Interested in a full course description?
Mary-Kate Griffin, Into The Woods,
UMKC Conservatory, 2025
Acting for Opera Singers 🕯️
Don’t just die well. Live first.
Level: Pre-Professional & Professional
Collegiate Course
A practical, movement-based acting class designed specifically for the vocal artist. This course addresses the unique challenge of embodying heightened stakes, complex text, and larger-than-life characters—without compromising vocal technique.
We explore impulse work, physical presence, and truthful behavior alongside classical acting tools: rhetoric, sense memory, and emotional specificity. From Greek tragedy to modern libretti, we help singers activate the text and make emotionally compelling choices grounded in the body.
Build confidence in your acting, sharpen your storytelling, and deepen your connection to the character—all while keeping the voice free and supported.
Interested in a full course description?