CINDY BRENN holds a BS degree with emphasis in Science and Math from the University of Oregon along with a secondary teaching certificate. She taught tap, choreographed, directed and produced in Japan from 1973-1992. Since 1986 she has studied with all the great tap masters and has conducted workshops featuring the classic styles and sounds of masters such as Bill Robinson, Honi Coles, Eddie Brown, Eleanor Powell, John Bubbles and Baby Lawrence. Living in Hong Kong, India, Taiwan, and Japan provided her with ample opportunities for infusions of Asian rhythms, motifs, and influences.

SEAN CAIN is one of Portland's premiere artists. Educated at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Pacific Northwest College of Art, he has shown his artwork regionally since 1994 and is currently represented by the Laura Russo Gallery. His work has been reviewed in such publications as Artweek, New American Paintings, Reflex Magazine, The Oregonian, and Willamette Week and he has sold paintings to some of Portland's most expert art connoisseurs. A prolific painter, Sean is passionate about teaching his formidable skills and knowledge to young people.

NATHAN LUCAS has a BFA in Fine Arts (Visual Design and Photography) and an MFA focus in visual Design and multimedia design, and brings to his multimedia work a rich background in art and aesthetics. He was a multimedia artist and media coordinator for ImageBuilder Software and has extensive background in photographic processing. He has taught photography and computer art at the high school and college level.

HEIDI L KIRKPATRICK, an established fine art photographer, based in Portland Oregon has exhibited widely over the last ten years. Kirkpatrick’s work is included in collections at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, Springfield Museum of Art, Ohio and The OHSU Corporate Collection. Kirkpatrick’s work often depicts a view of the world experienced by women. Kirkpatrick develops her own images, including silver gelatin printing, alternative processes, photographs using a Holga toy camera, transparent images on film and 3-D mixed media objects. In addition to being an experienced mid-career artist, Kirkpatrick joined The Northwest Academy, in 2004, to teach photography at the high school level. Kirkpatrick is currently represented locally by the Alysia Duckler Gallery and G. Gibson Gallery in Seattle, Washington.

ERIN SHANNON holds a BFA in Dance from Oklahoma City University including extensive training in dance pedagogy. She has been teaching theatre dance, tap, jazz, lyrical, and ballet for over 10 years. Professional dance credits include 2 years with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, "The Producers" and “Thoroughly Modern Millie” (Lakewood Theatre Company), “Pippin” (Tin Pan Alley), “Mutt” (Many Hats Collaborations), “Annie Warbucks” (Tin Pan Alley) and “The Wild Party” (Live On Stage). Choreography credits include: “Pippin” (Tin Pan Alley), and “La Carpa del Maestro” (Milagro Theatre), “The Producers” (Lakewood Theatre Company) and numerous high school and college productions. Erin is also a certified Hatha yoga instructor.

DAVID BERKSON is founder and director of education for Will Power! an after school Shakespeare program for young people in the Portland area. David is a professional actor who has appeared with the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Marin Shakespeare Company, San Jose Stage Company and more recently in Portland at Profile Theatre Project's production of The Zoo Story. Other roles include Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Hotspur in Henry IV, Part I , and Feste in Twelfth Night. Television roles include appearances on CBS's Nash Bridges and The Discovery Channel's New Detectives. David was education director for Marin Shakespeare Company and outreach coordinator for Profile Theatre Project. He has directed many plays for teenagers including Hamlet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, A Night Out, and The American Dream.

RACHAEL TORCHIA, BA (Bennington College) is a photographer with a
background in mediation and conflict resolution. Rachael's instructional experience includes public, private and charter schools as well as court intervention programs. She specializes in experimental and student-directed learning; she has taught conflict management and varied art's-based curriculum at the middle and high
school level in both Vermont and Oregon. Currently, Rachael serves as the Middle School Program Coordinator.

BRIAN ALLARD, has come to Portland via Minneapolis, London and New York, but is now very happy to call Oregon home. He holds a BA in Theater Education from Viterbo College in La Crosse, WI. Brian is very happy to be continuing here at the Northwest Academy, where he began working in the fall of 2007. Previously, he has been the former Head of Drama at the Cumberland School in London, has worked as a substitute teacher in New York City, and has been the Education Director of Blue Monkey Theater. During his time in New York, Brian appeared off-Broadway as Caliban in The Tempest and Romney Leigh in Aurora Leigh. Since coming to PDX, he played in the US premier of Tales of Ordinary Madness in the lead role of Peter, clucked around as Allen in bobrauschenbergamerica at Portland Playhouse, and proudly appeared as Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice this past summer with Quintessence Theater. Recent directing credits include Dog Sees God at CoHo Theater, Robin Hood with Blue Monkey and Moon Over Buffalo at HART. Brian is also the Artistic Director and Founder of the Original Practice Shakespeare Festival.