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TEACHING ARTISTS
BlackRock Center for the Arts prides itself on providing exceptional teaching artists across all disciplines. These individuals are experienced, award-winning, and experts in their field. Click below to learn more about those who help us provide art access to all!
Click on image to read full Teaching Artist bio.
Dance TAs
DANCE & FITNESS
JESS APO
Yoga & Meditation
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Jess Apo has always been a teacher, first completing a Masters of Teaching and certification, she began her career as an elementary educator for Montgomery County Public Schools. She turned to yoga to manage the daily stress in her life and discovered her true passion. After practicing yoga, Jess felt compelled to bring teaching and yoga together as her full-time career, bringing peace and expansion of self she experienced to others. A daily meditator, she is a lover of movement and stillness alike. Powerful cueing and physical alignment are skills she teaches so that her students understand vibrational energy. Jess is highly skilled at dynamic sequencing and connecting to the individual student’s needs. She uses Yogic philosophy, personal experience and hands-on adjusting as tools for transformation in her classes. Jess loves teaching many styles of yoga and enjoys watching transformations in her students on and off the mat. She leads yoga retreats all over the world, taking her students to exotic locations to immerse themselves in yoga. Jess has created an original 85-hour prenatal teacher training from her vast teaching experiences including teaching prenatal yoga while she was pregnant with her children. She is so grateful for the practice that has changed her life in countless ways.
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Jess Apo has always been a teacher, first completing a Masters of Teaching and certification, she began her career as an elementary educator for Montgomery County Public Schools. She turned to yoga to manage the daily stress in her life and discovered her true passion. After practicing yoga, Jess felt compelled to bring teaching and yoga together as her full-time career, bringing peace and expansion of self she experienced to others. A daily meditator, she is a lover of movement and stillness alike. Powerful cueing and physical alignment are skills she teaches so that her students understand vibrational energy. Jess is highly skilled at dynamic sequencing and connecting to the individual student’s needs. She uses Yogic philosophy, personal experience and hands-on adjusting as tools for transformation in her classes. Jess loves teaching many styles of yoga and enjoys watching transformations in her students on and off the mat. She leads yoga retreats all over the world, taking her students to exotic locations to immerse themselves in yoga. Jess has created an original 85-hour prenatal teacher training from her vast teaching experiences including teaching prenatal yoga while she was pregnant with her children. She is so grateful for the practice that has changed her life in countless ways.
GOTTASWING
Swing Dance
BECCI KIMM
Ballet & Pointe
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Ms. Kimm’s has been teaching dance in the Washington D.C. area for over 30 years. Her ballet training and experience includes the Royal Academy of Dance, the Royal Ballet in London, the American Ballet Theater, and the Garden State Ballet. She was the owner/director of The Gaithersburg Academy of Dance for 15 years. She was selected as the Chairman of the Mid-Atlantic region of the Royal Academy of Dance. Ms. Kimm’s students have performed at Wolf Trap National Park, the Kennedy Center, and the White House, and are now members of American Ballet Theater, dancers on cruise ships, owners of studios, dance teachers and dance majors at various universities. Ms. Kimm’s main goal in her teaching is to instill a love for the art in all her students at all levels of training.
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Ms. Kimm’s has been teaching dance in the Washington D.C. area for over 30 years. Her ballet training and experience includes the Royal Academy of Dance, the Royal Ballet in London, the American Ballet Theater, and the Garden State Ballet. She was the owner/director of The Gaithersburg Academy of Dance for 15 years. She was selected as the Chairman of the Mid-Atlantic region of the Royal Academy of Dance. Ms. Kimm’s students have performed at Wolf Trap National Park, the Kennedy Center, and the White House, and are now members of American Ballet Theater, dancers on cruise ships, owners of studios, dance teachers and dance majors at various universities. Ms. Kimm’s main goal in her teaching is to instill a love for the art in all her students at all levels of training.
DEIDRA SQUIRE
Performance Step
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Deidra Squire is a native of Columbus, Ohio. She began dancing at the age of seven and discovered the power and beauty of the performing arts at a young age. Deidra earned a B.A. in Communications from Hampton University, where she was an honors student and a recipient of a presidential scholarship, a merit based academic scholarship. Deidra then earned a Juris Doctorate from the George Washington University School of Law. She is a licensed Maryland attorney. Throughout her life, Deidra has remained very involved in the performing arts both professionally and through volunteerism. She began producing shows at the age of 16 and began competing nationally in Humanities and Performing Arts as a sophomore in high school. Deidra has also been involved in nationwide oratorical competitions since she was in middle school. Deidra has taught students from the ages of 4 to 85. She has also taught homeless and at-risk students. Deidra Squire has been tap dancing for 29 years. She was trained at Ballet Met Dance Academy in Columbus, Ohio and Judy Conti Dance Academy in Youngstown Ohio. She founded Above Deck Tap Dance Ensemble at Hampton University. Above Deck Tap Dance Ensemble continues to be an official campus organization at Hampton University. Since relocating to the DMV, Deidra has taught tap dance at the Patricia M. Sitar Arts Center and the Program for Academic and Leadership Skills in Washington, DC. She has also taught at Impact Performing Arts, Momentum Dance and Fitness, C-Unit Dance Studio, Adagio Ballet, Body Moves, JMD Studio, Legacy Performing Arts, 5-6-7-8 Dance, Dance Makers Dance Studio, The Dance Academy of Virginia and many more. She also founded Rhythm&Soles, a percussive arts instruction organization, and she is a company and board member of SOLEdarity, an adult performance tap company in Washington, DC. Deidra also has experience in production, pageant coaching, poms, step, spoken word, oratory, and African dance and drumming. She was the founding coach of a step and cheerleading squad at National Collegiate Preparatory Public Charter School in Washington DC. Under her leadership, the team placed in a local competition within four months of formation. Deidra also served as the Artistic Director of S.W.A.G., a competitive step team in Washington, DC that won first place in the Junior Division of the Six Flags National Invitational Competition. As an active contributor to the arts community, Deidra believes in teaching “Poise, Professionalism, and Perfection,” and she firmly believes that performing arts are a powerful means of developing self-esteem and awareness in students of all ages.
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Deidra Squire is a native of Columbus, Ohio. She began dancing at the age of seven and discovered the power and beauty of the performing arts at a young age. Deidra earned a B.A. in Communications from Hampton University, where she was an honors student and a recipient of a presidential scholarship, a merit based academic scholarship. Deidra then earned a Juris Doctorate from the George Washington University School of Law. She is a licensed Maryland attorney. Throughout her life, Deidra has remained very involved in the performing arts both professionally and through volunteerism. She began producing shows at the age of 16 and began competing nationally in Humanities and Performing Arts as a sophomore in high school. Deidra has also been involved in nationwide oratorical competitions since she was in middle school. Deidra has taught students from the ages of 4 to 85. She has also taught homeless and at-risk students. Deidra Squire has been tap dancing for 29 years. She was trained at Ballet Met Dance Academy in Columbus, Ohio and Judy Conti Dance Academy in Youngstown Ohio. She founded Above Deck Tap Dance Ensemble at Hampton University. Above Deck Tap Dance Ensemble continues to be an official campus organization at Hampton University. Since relocating to the DMV, Deidra has taught tap dance at the Patricia M. Sitar Arts Center and the Program for Academic and Leadership Skills in Washington, DC. She has also taught at Impact Performing Arts, Momentum Dance and Fitness, C-Unit Dance Studio, Adagio Ballet, Body Moves, JMD Studio, Legacy Performing Arts, 5-6-7-8 Dance, Dance Makers Dance Studio, The Dance Academy of Virginia and many more. She also founded Rhythm&Soles, a percussive arts instruction organization, and she is a company and board member of SOLEdarity, an adult performance tap company in Washington, DC. Deidra also has experience in production, pageant coaching, poms, step, spoken word, oratory, and African dance and drumming. She was the founding coach of a step and cheerleading squad at National Collegiate Preparatory Public Charter School in Washington DC. Under her leadership, the team placed in a local competition within four months of formation. Deidra also served as the Artistic Director of S.W.A.G., a competitive step team in Washington, DC that won first place in the Junior Division of the Six Flags National Invitational Competition. As an active contributor to the arts community, Deidra believes in teaching “Poise, Professionalism, and Perfection,” and she firmly believes that performing arts are a powerful means of developing self-esteem and awareness in students of all ages.
EMERALD HOLMAN
Hip Hop
RACHEL TIMMERMAN
Ballet
MUSIC
Music TAs
WILLIAM CHANG
Piano
JAEWOOK KIM
Saxophone, clarinet, flute, and general music
DEBRA MERRITT
Piano
BOB SHANN
Piano
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Bob Shann earned a B.A. Degree in music performance from State University of New York at Stony Brook. He is a full-time musician and has been performing and teaching in the DC area for many years. His experience teaching is conveyed in the classroom with a commitment to encourage the student(s) to excel. He also has a deep understanding of music theory and can work with students not only on classical technique but also with learning improvisation playing the blues and jazz.
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Bob Shann earned a B.A. Degree in music performance from State University of New York at Stony Brook. He is a full-time musician and has been performing and teaching in the DC area for many years. His experience teaching is conveyed in the classroom with a commitment to encourage the student(s) to excel. He also has a deep understanding of music theory and can work with students not only on classical technique but also with learning improvisation playing the blues and jazz.
AARON SPOOR
Guitar
TUNES4TOTS
General Music
NATALIA VLADIMIROVA
Violin
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Natalia Vladimirova has 20 years of experience in music education. Natalia graduated from Novosibirsk Music College in Russia with a Diploma in Performing Artist and Violin Teacher. Then she graduated from the Novosibirsk Conservatory with Bachelor and master’s degrees in fine arts in Music. She worked for 15 years in the Opera and Ballet Theater in Novosibirsk and in the Symphony Orchestra as a member of the first violin group. After moving to America, Natalia began teaching private and group violin lessons and playing in concerts as a violin soloist and chamber player. She is currently a member of the Columbia Orchestra as a first violinist. She has also played with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
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Natalia Vladimirova has 20 years of experience in music education. Natalia graduated from Novosibirsk Music College in Russia with a Diploma in Performing Artist and Violin Teacher. Then she graduated from the Novosibirsk Conservatory with Bachelor and master’s degrees in fine arts in Music. She worked for 15 years in the Opera and Ballet Theater in Novosibirsk and in the Symphony Orchestra as a member of the first violin group. After moving to America, Natalia began teaching private and group violin lessons and playing in concerts as a violin soloist and chamber player. She is currently a member of the Columbia Orchestra as a first violinist. She has also played with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
PERFORMING & THEATER
Performing & Theate - TA