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Daniel Chavez Jr.

Director of the Musical Theater Program

Daniel Chavez Jr. or Mr. Daniel has been with California ARTS Academy for 8 years now. He started off teaching 2 jazz classes, but is now the Director of the Musical Theatre program. Daniel received his B.A. Degree in Music Education and Vocal Performance from California State University, Chico. After getting his degree, Daniel packed up and moved to NYC to explore, grow, refine, culture, as well as sing, dance and act. He was fortunate enough to come in contact with Music Theatre International where he helped develop a music theatre program for elementary and middle schools, that is used all over the world called The Broadway Junior Collection™. After this development, Daniel toured Italy in West Side Story playing Bernardo and the US in Kiss Me, Kate playing Gremio. Daniel is also the Artistic Director of Artists’ Repertory Theatre’s production of Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show in Fresno. He has had many wonderful experiences and is excited and happy to share them with his students.

Julie Ann Keller
Young Actors Workshops, Acting for Dancers, Summer Talent Team

Julie Ann studied ballet and modern dance at the University of California at Berkeley with Sue Li Ju and former Martha Graham dancers David Wood and Marni Thomas. After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, Julie Ann joined the San Francisco Westwind International Folk Ensemble where she was a dancer, singer and Production Manager for 8 years. Julie Ann participated in three dance tours in East/Central Europe, performing in prestigious venues and international festivals in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey. She danced with Moving Basis Modern Dance Collective and Neva Russian Dance Ensemble, the resident dance company of the Russian Center of San Francisco. She trained as a teacher of Irish Step Dance with Brian Cleary. Julie Ann began teaching dance at Cynthia Merrill School of Performing Arts in 1994. She became the Studio Manager in 1998, Co-Owner in 2000, and Owner/Director in 2006 and changed the name to California Arts Academy. Over the past fourteen years she has been involved teaching and directing Irish Step Dance; International Folk Dance; Modern Dance; Creative Dance; Ballroom; Ballet; Jazz; Tap; and ChildrenÕs Drama. She directs the Celtic Motion Dance Company, Retroactive Ballroom Dance Team, and Summer Shakespeare Plays. Julie Ann is also a founding member of Artists' Repertory Theater. She is a drummer, dancer, and singer in Wadaba Annye Ben, West African Drum Ensemble.

Karey Seright
Teacher Assistant for Musicals

Mark Porter
Young Actors Workshops

Nancy Hale
Director of the Drama Program

Nancy has a degree from Fresno City College in Theater Arts and has been teaching drama and directing plays at California Arts Academy since January of 2001. She has been involved in assisting and costuming many productions here and has been the Costume Director for four Garden Ballets and seven Summer Shakespeare productions. Nancy has also costumed Sunnyside High School's production of Grease and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest for Artists' Repertory Theater. Nancy has 15 years of teaching and administrative experience with San Joaquin Valley College in Fresno.

Sarah Waxman
Musical Theater, Teacher Assistant for Musicals

Sarah has been performing since the age of six and has been involved in over 40 productions since with California Arts Academy, Artists Repertory Theatre, Childrens Musical Theatreworks, and StageWorks Fresno. She graduated from University High School in 2010 and is now studying musical theatre at Fresno City College. She plans to transfer to UC Irvine and then pursue a career in the arts.

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California Arts Academy
4750 N. Blackstone Ave
Fresno, CA 93726
(559) 222-6539

The Severance Building
1401 N. Wishon Ave.
Fresno, CA 93728
(559) 498-3300