Faculty Bios
LINDSAY BASS has taught at BlackRock since 2005. She has studied piano and composition with Anthony Stark and Janet Peachey, and performed locally with the Catholic University Jazz Band and the CUA Contemporary Music ensemble, where she was a featured marimba soloist in 2000 and 2003. Her compositions have been performed locally, and also in New York and San Francisco by members of the progressive jazz band Curio. In addition to her students at BlackRock, Lindsay teaches at the JCC of Greater Washington, and coaches ensembles at the Mitchellville Community School of the Arts, where she works as a grant writer and administrator. She has over five years of experience teaching piano and music theory.
SARAH CAIRNS has been teaching at Blackrock since its doors opened. She teaches young artists the elements of space, rhythm, value and color; unlocking each student's ability to fluently express themselves through visual art. Sarah has been a passionate artist since she could hold a crayon. As a student attended the Visual Art Center magnet program through MCPS and went on to recieve talent-based grants and scholarships to attend the School of Visual Arts in New York City. After graduating with a B.F.A. in graphic design, she worked as a freelance photo-illustrator, publishing her work in Spin and Vibe magazines. She co-founded a not-for-profit graphic design group, Road Work, that worked in collaboration with the Door School, in New York City, helping teen parents express, create and advance. Sarah went back to school to get a post-baccalaureate in art education, inspired to teach by the knowledge of that quality art instruction creates creative thinkers and lifelong learners.
DR. WILLIAM W. CHANG received a D.M.A. degree for piano performance from the University of Maryland, College Park. Also, he received his M.M. degree in piano from the Peabody Conservatory of Music for and a B.M. degree in piano from the Toho School of Music in Tokyo, Japan. He has performed in Japan, Korea and the U.S., including Carnegie Hall in New York City. He currently teaches at Montgomery College.
JOAN CLOWES has taught art to preschoolers at Black Rock since 2003 and through the Montgomery Country Department of Recreation since 1996. These youngest of artists explore various child-friendly art media with children's books as inspiration for self-expression. Attention to socialization, simple composition, and the joy of creation are the focus of each 45-minute class. In addition, she has taught the Metropolitan Opera’s Creating Original Opera program to fifth graders, and the Hands-on-Science program to K–5 students. In her spare time, she shuttles her two teenagers to musical theater auditions and rehearsals.
VERONIKA FARKAS (Program Instructor) is the founder and artistic director for VF Dance and Fitness, LLC. Ms. Farkas brings a lifetime of experience in theater, having begun her acting career at the age of 7, when she was cast as Cosette in the world tour of Les Miserables, remaining in the role for 3 years. Following her early training in acting, dance, and voice at such prestigious institutions as the Moscow Ballet Academy and Berlin School for Performing Arts, Ms. Farkas came to the US where she continued her training at the university level, receiving an AA in Theater/Directing, Arts Management certification from George Washington University Mt. Vernon, and BA in Dance Performance and Choreography from University of Maryland. Prior to founding VF Dance in 2008, Ms. Farkas served as Director of Dance programs at Imagination Stage for 9 years, in addition to her work as a Teaching Artist at BlackRock and other area arts programs. She is currently completing an MS in Human Movement at Still University.
MARIA SHORB is a ballet instructor and has studied in Virginia, Washington D.C. and Venezuela. She has performed with Nina Novak’s Ballet Company, Twinbrook Ballet and Metropolitan Ballet Theatre. She has taught for Metropolitan Ballet Theatre, Montgomery College Day Care Centers and D’Elia Ballet.
ALAN HART is pleased to return to BlackRock Center for the Arts, where he has been music director for the center's summer musical theater program for three years. Prior to coming to BlackRock, Al was music director for Round House Theatre's education program for several years. He has over 30 years of experience as a musician, music educator, composer and music director, working for schools and arts organizations in Boston, Chicago and here in Maryland. He is a teacher in the Montgomery County Public Schools, where he has taught choral and general music for more than 15 years. Al holds a B.A. in music from Tufts University and a master’s degree in music from Boston Conservatory.
BECCI KIMM was trained as a child in tap, jazz, character and ballet. She attended international summer intensive programs in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, given by the Royal Academy of Dance. At age 16, she was accepted to the Royal Ballet School, London, England where she studied with world renowned teachers. During her stay at the Royal Ballet School she observed rehearsals of all the upcoming ballets and performances which included performances by Rudolph Nureyev, Dame Margot Fonteyn, Antoinette Sibley and Anthony Dowell. She met and danced for Dame Ninette de Valois, founder of the Royal Ballet Company. Upon returning to the United States, she trained with American Ballet Theater, Joffrey and Harkness House in New York City. She performed with the Garden State Ballet in Newark, New Jersey and the resident ballet company at Radio City Music Hall, New York City. Becci has over 30 years of teaching experience both in the United States and Europe. She was the director of her own school for 15 years. Several of her former students have become professional dancers with American Ballet Theater and Washington Ballet. Many of her students have performed in the Kennedy Center Opera House with New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theater, London Festival Ballet and Stuttgart Ballet. They have also been accepted to many summer intensive study programs, often on scholarship. Becci is the chairman of the Mid-Atlantic Region of the Royal Academy of Dance Organization. She continues her studies and is a fully certified, registered teacher with the Academy. Students may enter for examinations under her tutelage.
MIKE KLIGERMAN has a B.A. in fine arts and music from Goddard College, Instituto de Bellas Artes Mexico D.F. (1974).He has taught guitar for over 40 years and plays in many styles and settings, both professionally and just for fun. He plays violin, viola, string bass, recorders, and most recently button accordion as well as guitar, and has taught at BRCA since fall 2006.He is currently a member of Trinity Chamber Orchestra, Montgomery Philharmonic, Potomac Crossing Consort, Town and Country String Quartet, Pleasant Ridge Gospel Quartet and Mike, and the Council, a rock/pop/folk quartet. His paintings and sculpture are exhibited internationally.
RACHEL KNUDSON is a teacher of creative movement, modern dance and ballet. She holds a master’s degree in dance education from the George Washington University and has taught and performed in the Washington, D.C. area for over 20 years. She is a master teaching artist for Wolf Trap’s Early Learning through the Arts program, and also teaches dance at the Jewish Community Center. Through the Wolf Trap program, Ms. Knudson teaches creative movement in the Early Childhood Classroom and leads teacher workshops on strategies for incorporating dance in the classroom. Rachel danced professionally with Pacific Northwest Ballet and studied modern dance at Jacob’s Pillow and the American Dance Festival. She also recently attended the Teacher’s Institute at the Creative Dance Center in Seattle, Washington. This institute explores a multi-sensory approach to the teaching of creative dance. Rachel is a member of the National Dance Education Association.
BARBARA KOBER, concert artist, accompanist, teacher, writer and critic, teaches private piano students in her studio in Chevy Chase. She has performed in the Washington area and elsewhere as soloist and accompanist and has published articles in several newspapers and in leading magazines. Before becoming a full-time music teacher, she spent more than 25 years in the newspaper business—14 with The Washington Star—as a reporter, writer, editor and critic. She holds a master of arts degree in music from the American University, a master of arts in journalism from the Pennsylvania State University and a bachelor of arts in English literature from Grove City College. Her piano teachers have been Charles Crowder, Tamara Dmitrieff and Victoria Modarelli. She is a nationally certified teacher of music in piano accredited by the Music Teachers National Association. Her hope for her students at BlackRock is that they will have fun learning to play the piano and find a love for music that will last their whole lives.
MARTA LAUTZ is a creative artist and watercolorist. She obtained a bachelor’s degree as a graphic designer in Bogota, Columbia then moved to the United States. In Maryland, she continued her studies at Montgomery College in both watercolor and design. Currently, Marta also teaches art-related classes at Montgomery College. Her studies at MC allow for the exploration of combining traditional media with modern tools such as the computer. She enjoys teaching both media and also learning new avenues of expression. Marta is currently teaching drawing at BlackRock.
KIMBERLY ONLEY MARSHALL has been performing in musical theater most of her life. She started out as singer and developed skills in acting and dancing along the way. Kimberly was the choreographer for Seneca Valley Theater for five years. Not only did she choreograph but led acting warmups and assisted directed. She has worked with toddler through adult during her work in the fine arts. In addition, she has performed in many plays and participates in community theater in her free time. Also Kimberly has a well rounded background not only in theater but the visual arts as well. She has studied art history, interior design, painting and a lot more from Marymount University. Kimberly loves the arts and loves to incorporate everything she has experienced when she is working with kids, teens and even her adults.
KATERINA RODGAARD is originally from the metro DC area. She began her training with Irena Prochotsky and Daweh Zhang and also at the North Carolina School of the Arts. She continued her training on scholarship at Point Park University where she received her BA in 1996. Katerina danced professionally with the River North Chicago Dance Company, Cerqua/Rivera Art Experience, Tony Powell Music & Movement, Bowen/McCauley Dance, DanceSmith, and Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh & Company. She has worked with members of the Athens Opera Ballet in Greece, performed on tour in China with the Washington Potomac Dance Ensemble, and has studied extensively with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and the Parsons Dance company in New York. In 1999, Katerina produced, choreographed and directed The Kopsidas Project at the Jack Guidone Theater. In 2002 she performed on National TV for the Kennedy Center Honors Program in a Broadway tribute to Chita Rivera. Katerina completed her Juris Doctorate studies at the University Of Baltimore School Of Law in 2002. She is currently a licensed attorney, and a dancer, choreographer and teacher in the local area. She would like to thank her family for all their love and support.
ARNETIA WALKER was 16 and attending New York’s prestigious High School of the Performing Arts when she was cast in her Broadway debut, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window by Lorraine Hansberry. She went on to standby for Stephanie Mills as Dorothy in the original Broadway run of The Wiz. She spent five years as a “Dreamgirl” in the role of Lorrell Robinson, and eventually achieved the distinction of being the only woman to have played all three of the show’s principal characters. Her films include For Love of the Game, Scenes From the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and College Road Trip. She also appeared in the HBO movie Cast a Deadly Spell. She has worked extensively in television, including as a series regular in The Big House, Camp P, and Nurses, and as a guest star in Everybody Loves Raymond, City of Angels, Touched by an Angel, The Steve Harvey Show, Just Shoot Me, and NYPD Blue.