Instructors A to C

Instructors: ( A - C ) ( D - K ) ( L - R ) ( S - Z )

Baldwin-Wallace College is offering a variety of classes at BCA through it's Conservatory of Music Outreach Department. Courses include Suzuki Strings, Adult and Teen Voice, Private Piano for children and adults and Dalcroze Eurhythmics. Classes will be taught by Dr. Susan Artstrong, Leonor Garcia (Certified Dalcroze Eurhythmics Instructor) Carol Ross (Certified Suzuki Instructor and Suzuki Program Coordinator) and Corrie Ann Riberdy and Kyle Williams (Certified Suzuki Instructors.)

Kelly Berick: Contemporary (Modern) Dance, Creative Movement for Children

Kelly H. Berick, a North Carolina native, received a BA in Dance at Columbia College, M.Ed. in Dance at Temple University, and Ohio K-12 Dance licensure at the University of Akron. She has taught dance in numerous public schools in SC, PA and OH, which includes directing the Firestone High School Dance Program since 1996. Her area of focus during graduate work was the development of movement curricula for PreK-12 students in a variety of settings. She has served on faculties of Columbia College, Temple University, The University of Akron and Cuyahoga Community College teaching dance techniques, dance appreciation/fundamentals and instructional strategies courses, and has conducted staff development workshops on dance education in Ohio and South Carolina.

Kelly has extensive professional performance experience appearing with the Wrenn Cook and Friends DANCE in SC for four years, as well as in residency/repertory works by David Dorfman, Dan Wagoner, Liz Lerman and others.

Professional memberships include National Dance Education Association, National Dance Association, Ohio Alliance for Arts Education and OhioDance. Berick has been included in “Who's Who Among America's Teachers three times, was named “Ohio's Dance Educator of the Year” by the Ohio Association for Health, PE, Recreation and Dance, and was named to the writing team to create and draft Ohio's Fine Arts Content Standards by the Ohio Department of Education in 2001-2003.

Dick Blake: Ballroom Dancing

Dick Blake's career began as choreographer and teacher for the Arthur Murray School. Since then he has performed on local and national television programs as well as at the Thunderbird Casino in Las Vegas. Prior to becoming a teacher exclusively in the Ohio area, he was Master Teacher at Grossinger's Resort and has been teacher to hundreds of movie, television and sports stars. Mr. Blake teaches students of all ages; from local school children and debutantes to West Point Cadettes and has choreographed the Cleveland Cavalier cheerleaders. Dick Blake has taught at BCA for many years and we are delighted to welcome him back for his Sunday Dance classes. www.dickblake.com

Joyce Bolte: Watercolor Fast and Focused

Joyce Bolte is a freelance artist whose passion for watercolors began over twenty-five years ago. Her love of nature is evident in her original paintings of florals, landscapes and seascapes. She takes advantage of the versatility of the watercolor medium by also experimenting with non-objective and abstract work.

As an exhibitor in numerous juried and invitational fine art shows, she has been the recipient of many awards. A current member of the Ohio Watercolor Society, she has exhibited at St. John Westshore's Festival of the Arts, the Lakewood Arts Fest and the Berea Arts Fest, to name a few.

Residing on six acres in rural Grafton, Ohio, Joyce draws much of her inspiration from her surroundings. With sketchbook and camera in hand, she often takes hikes or mountain bikes the Lorain County and Cleveland Metroparks as well as the hills of Pennsylvania. Later, in her studio, these experiences are interpreted in her original paintings. In addition to painting, Joyce also enjoys teaching watercolor classes, tending her extensive gardens, mountain biking and rescuing animals.

Bryan Bowser: Italian Art Song for Beginners

Bryan Bowser is the Assistant Director of the Conservatory for External Affairs at Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music where he oversees the Preparatory / Adult Education, Summer Music, Opera and Arts Management Programs. Mr. Bowser spent three seasons as Director of Operations and Development with Lyric Opera Cleveland before returning to his alma mater to head the newly formed Conservatory Outreach Department; he was appointed Assistant Director of the Conservatory in 2004. Bryan also serves as Minister of Music at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Berea and has been seen in many local theaters as a performer, music director, conductor and choreographer. Bryan is a board member of Brecksville Theater on the Square and the International Music Festivals of the Americas and serves as resident musical director at Cuyahoga County Community College's Western Campus. A summa cum laude graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College, he is currently pursuing his MBA in Entrepreneurship.

Donna Box - 2005 Outstanding Teacher

BCA Youth Chorus and Brecksville Community Chorus

Donna is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and studied voice and cello at the Cleveland Institute of Music. She sang with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus for 20 years, and was the Choir Director for Brecksville United Methodist Church. Donna has also served as musical director for Brecksville Theater on the Square, The Broadview Heights Spotlights and, most recently, for HONK at the Brecksville Broadview Heights Middle School and for Kaufmann's Fall in Style event. Donna has won numerous vocal awards and has passed her knowledge and love of music to countless singers in the area.

The Brecksville Center for the Arts Chorus celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2005 marked by a series of successful holiday concerts, performing at Heartfelt Holiday and appearing in Christmas performances at Eye Candy Gallery and other venues in Tremont

The BCA Chorus is sponsored by Brecksville Center for the Arts and is open to any Ohio resident. Auditions for the Chorus are held in September and the singers rehearse once a week all year. For more information about the chorus call Donna Box at 440-526-3593 and for information about additional youth programs and classes contact BCA at 440-526-6232 or visit the BCA website at www.brecksvillearts.org

Beverly Braun - 2004 Outstanding Teacher

Watercolor & Drawing

Beverly Braun, known throughout the community for her teaching excellence and care for her students, has been named as recipient of Brecksville Center for the Arts' 2004 John J. Smith Instructor of the Year Award. Beverly received her BFA from Carnegie Mellon University and continued her studies under such teachers as Fred Leach, Lowell Ellsworth Smith and several Sumi teachers. She was a greeting card artist and designer at American Greetings Co. for many years, and now teaches watercolor and drawing at Brecksville Center for the Arts and the Richfield Recreation Center. Bev has won the Roy Wilhelm Award at The Ohio Watercolor Society Show, and the OWS Exhibit Award. When asked about her philosophy, Beverly answered,

"Learning to draw and paint isn't all about what happens on the paper or canvas. It's mostly about learning to see. Most people observe a tree or flower in only one way. If I teach them to focus on that tree or flower in five different ways, then their whole world has been expanded and enriched. Along the way of this magical journey of ours, skills are sharpened and our world is enlarged

Carol Braverman: Floral Heart Wreath, Floral Arrangements

Carol Braverman, a long time BCA instructor, also displays her beautiful floral work at Heartfelt Holiday.

An award winning artist, Carol is a member of the Herb Guild, the Herb Society of America, the International Herb Marketers and Growers, the Cleveland Botanical Gardens and the Stan Hywet Needlework Guild. Carol Braverman holds a B.S. from Ohio University with an emphasis in art, clothing and textiles. She has continued her education in floral, needlework and arts and crafts through national and local programs. Carol taught high school home economics and teaches needlework and floral crafts for art centers, community recreation programs, needlework guilds and garden clubs.

Jeff Buchman: Chess

Jeff Buchman loves to teach Chess. He is a life member of the United States Chess Federation, a Certified Tournament Director, President of the Brecksville Chess Club, and was a nationally rated Candidate Master.

Kevin Burns: Writing for Journalists

Kevin Burns, senior editor for Sun News and editor of The Sun Courier since September, previously served as editor of Sun Newspapers West Group for 12 years and, before that, as editor of the Euclid Group for six years. Earlier, he worked as a reporter covering police, news and feature beats in Lake County and Euclid, as well as the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. He also has worked as a photographer, drama and art critic and graphic artist during that time. He has a bachelor's degree in art history from Ohio University. A Westlake resident, he and his wife, Carole, have two daughters: Gianna, 6, and Jillian, 1.

Linda Carpenter - 2000 Outstanding Teacher

Decorative Painting

Linda began her painting career over 20 years ago as an avid student. She studied with leading teachers before beginning her own teaching career at BCA. She has been a member of the BCA faculty since its founding.

Kimmer Cave: The Art of Children's Literature and Rubber Stamp Everything

In addition to teaching a variety of classes for BCA, Kimmer is a member of our Arts for Tots team and will assist local Boy and Girl Scout Troops to earn their Art Badge and other badges. Brownies, Cub Scouts and Weblos are welcome too.

Camille Clark: "People Drawing People" and "Expressively Creative Art"

Camille is a graduate of Miami University of Oxford with a Bachelor in Fine Arts and teacher certification. She has been a practicing artist and art educator for 15 years. She taught classes through the Crocker Art Museum of Sacramento, Sacramento Park and Recreation Programs, Art programs for Sacramento City School District and is now an art educator at Maple Heights High School. She is beginning to show her work locally and participated in the Brecksville High School Art Mart. She specializes in commissioned portrait work using charcoal, graphite, watercolor and pastels.

Deanna Clucas: Truly Beginner Watercolor
Being able to put a thought, a feeling or something she has seen into a two dimensional visual form is intriguing for artist/teacher Deanna Clucas. Whether painting outside or using photos or items around the house, she can make up a whole scene with some imagination, a few rules, a piece of paper and some paint. She specializes in animals, people and homes on commission and works in watercolor and acrylics. Having earned a degree in Business and Commercial Art through the University of Akron while working in the corporate world and raising her family, she has also been instructed in watercolor and acrylics by the area's finest artists. Besides teaching others this wonderful art at the Richfield Recreation Center, there are about twenty art shows throughout the year that she shows and sells her work. By doing her own matting and framing with archivally safe materials that won't damage the artwork, she can price her work very economically. Her realistic style of work has been accepted into many exhibitions and her paintings are included in many corporate and private collections throughout the country. She is a member of the Medina County Art League, Women's Art League of Akron, The Crooked River Gang at MD Garage and Women's Network.

Stephanie Craig
Canadian artist Stephanie Craig has recently moved to the Cleveland, Ohio area with her husband, fellow artist Todd Leech. Stephanie is a MFA graduate of Edinboro Univeristy of Pennsylvania, and is presently teaching ceramics at Tri-C West. In her ceramics studio, Stephanie handbuilds "abstracted sculptures inspired by design in nature." www.stephaniecraig.net

Csárdás
Csárdás Dance Company is a 501©(3) nonprofit professional dance company located in northeast Ohio presenting traditional and contemporary works stemming from Hungarian heritage. Founded in 1994 by Richard Graber, Csárdás strives to promote and further ethnic dance as an art form as it embodies the infectious exuberance celebrated in Hungarian villages. The richness of the Hungarian culture is revealed through performances featuring a broad range of dance dialects and styles. Celebrating the universal joys of tradition, the vibrancy and richness of Hungarian culture is revealed through informative performances and lecture demonstrations. Csárdás has toured locally in Ohio, neighboring states and internationally. Holding a unique place in Ohio's professional dance community, the Company preserves the brilliant splendor of folk elements meshed with contemporary choreography creating a rich and exciting cultural experience. Csárdás Dance Company offers classes and workshops in Hungarian dance for the general public and occasionally auditions for its Youth Ensemble. www.csardasdance.com.

Richard Graber

Richard Graber, Founder of Csárdás Dance Company*, is a son of Hungarian immigrants who came to America in 1956. Richard was always interested in the art of dance and began learning Hungarian ethnic dances at the age of 14 and later began studying modern dance and classical ballet in Cleveland with Dana Snyder; he later went on to be a graduate of The Ohio State University with a Major in Dance Performance. While at OSU, he danced in productions of The King and I, and also choreographed his own works entitled "8 - 6 =" and "duet." Richard also performed as principal dancer with Zivili Kolo Ensemble in Columbus, Ohio, and was featured in the 1993 Mark Morris premier choreography "The Office," which was critically acclaimed by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Richard served as Assistant Dance Director to the Company from 1993-95, and has toured Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herczegovina, Sarajevo, Bulgaria and Hungary. In 2000, Richard performed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. He has studied Hungarian ethnic dance in Budapest as well as in the US and has conducted modern and ethnic master classes at The Ohio State University-Creative Activities Program, Ohio University, Theater West Virginia, University of Akron and Cuyahoga Community College, where he served as faculty.

Richard founded Csárdás Dance Company in 1994 and has toured both locally and internationally creating the ensemble an international reputation for excellence. In 1998, Richard was awarded a dance research and study grant from the Ohio Arts Council to study ethnic dance in Budapest and Romania. In addition to creating over a dozen works for the company, he has organized tours for Csárdás to travel and perform in Budapest, Hungary in December of 1998 ,October of 2000 and December 2003 upon personal invitations.

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Instructors: ( A - C ) ( D - K ) ( L - R ) ( S - Z )