Summer Theatre Program - Jitterbug Staff 2010

Nupi is the Director of Youth Programming for Theatre Ancaster.  She has her B.A.H. B.Ed, and is the Department Head of the Arts at Brantford Collegiate Institute in the Grand Erie District School Board.  Apart from teaching, Nupi directs her high school’s annual spring musicals, co-ordinates the Specialist High Skills Major Performance and Production program, and is usually involved in Theatre Ancaster’s main stage productions as well as the Board of Directors.  Last fall, she directed Theatre Ancaster’s Beauty and the Beast while overseeing the Stage 2 and Stage 3 youth programs of the company. She is the proud mother of three children, all who have participated in our theatre programs. 

Mandy is very excited to make her debut as the new Jitterbugs Head Instructor this year, although she is not new to the program! She was the Jitterbugs Associate Dance Instructor for three past summers at the camp. Mandy has been the Choreographer for all four of Theatre Ancaster’s Stage 2 Saturdays’ productions, including this year’s Willy Wonka Jr. When not in the theatre, she is working on completing her honours degree in Biology and Environmental Sciences at McMaster University.

Julia Bobiak – Jitterbugs Volunteer

Julia is a veteran Stage 2 camper and performer with our Saturday program. She also made her debut singing and dancing as part of the chorus in Theatre Ancaster’s main stage production of Beauty & the Beast. Julia just completed her first year at Westmount Secondary School. She is very excited about continuing her dramatic and vocal studies at the high school level. We are very happy to have Julia return to camp this year as our Jitterbugs volunteer where she will be assisting Agnes in the Craft Room and anywhere else she is needed. Julia was a huge help this fall as she volunteered with our Stage 2 production of Willy Wonka Jr.  

Sam has been working for Theatre Ancaster in a multitude of capacities for a number of years now. He currently takes care of all of Theatre Ancaster's lighting needs and directs the Stage 3 program. He is also one of the founding members of The Essential Players, a small theatre company dedicated to excellent theatre in the Hamilton region. This will be Sam's third year looking after the technical needs of the Jitterbugs and the Stage 2 Performance Camps, and he is excited to return to such a high energy environment.

Emma Greve – Jitterbugs Junior Music Instructor

Emma is a past Stage 2 camper who spent last summer volunteering with our Jitterbugs. This year she joins our staff as the Junior Music Instructor. Emma was a cast member in Stage 2 Saturday’s production of Seussical, and has acted as student volunteer usher for other Theatre Ancaster productions.  Emma studies the flute, and piano, and has studied voice for eight years.  She also has training in ballet, hip hop and jazz dancing.  Emma will be entering grade 11 in the fall at Westdale Secondary School in Hamilton where she is a member of the Senior Band, Ladies Choir, and the school Orchestra.  Emma is also fluently bilingual in French and English.

Eryn Hartmier– Jitterbugs Junior Dance Instructor

We are excited to welcome Eryn to our Jitterbug team this year as our Junior Dance Instructor. Eryn has been dancing since the age of 9, and has danced competitively from age 11. She has taken lessons in ballet, acro, musical theatre, and hip-hop dance. Eryn also plays guitar, piano, trumpet and sings. She is a founding member of the Highland Glee Club. She is currently a senior at Highland Secondary School. Eryn has future ambitions of becoming a high school drama/English teacher.

Kedie McIntyre – Jitterbugs Associate Drama Instructor

Kedie adds a new face to the Jitterbugs program this year as the Associate Drama Instructor. She has experience working in the Artsaround Program teaching drama lessons to children in grades 1-6. She has also worked as a Shakespearean camp counselor teaching drama to children in the Hamilton Urban Theatre. Kedie is currently attending Brock University.

Agnes rejoins the Stage 2 team after successfully acting as Properties Master and Set Designer for Stage 2 Saturday’s production of Annie Jr.  She is a fine arts graduate from the Ontario College of Art & Design in Toronto, with distinction in Sculpture and Installation and will be lending her talents as Junior Jitterbugs drama/craft instructor.  She will also be lending her fine art skills in the Stage 2 Performance Camp in props and costume making workshops.  Agnes is also stepping into the role of Administrative Assistant for Stage 2 this summer. 

Ashlyn Richard – Jitterbugs Associate Dance Instructor

Ashlyn rejoins the Jitterbugs team for her second year as the Associate Dance Instructor. She has 14 years of dance experience including jazz, tap, ballet, musical theatre, lyrical and modern dance. Recently, Ashlyn was a junior kindergarten co-op assistant at Holy Name of Mary School. While there, she was one of the directors of the school’s Drama Club where she taught drama and organized performances. Ashlyn was also a dance instructor at Pure Energy dance studios. As a performer, she has been in many musicals as well as danced with Royal Caribbean Cruise lines. Ashlyn graduated from Bishop Tonnos Catholic Secondary School this spring and has been accepted to Laurentian, Lakehead, and Wilfred Laurier University for concurrent Honours BA/BEd program as well as Brock University for Child and Youth Studies.

Rory Ruud- Jitterbugs Junior Drama Instructor

Rory joins the Jitterbug team this year as our new Junior Drama Instructor. Rory’s love of acting has led him to be involved with performances at Binbrook Little Theatre, Theatre Aquarius, MAD Creative Arts School Program, and the Dundas Valley School of Arts. Most recently he performed in Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure as Professor Moriartyat Binbrook Little Theatre. Rory is a graduate of McMaster University with a B.A in Classics.

Hollie Stephan- Jitterbugs Associate Music Instructor

Hollie joins the Jitterbug team this year as the Associate Music Instructor, however she is no stranger to the program having been the Jitterbugs head Instructor in 2007. She recently completed her Bachelor of Music Honours degree from McMaster University. She also holds a diploma in the Applied Music Program at Mohawk College as well as a certificate in the Preparatory Music Program at Mohawk College. Hollie is continuing her education through the Royal Conservatory of Music in which she is currently studying grade 10 piano. She also teaches private music lessons at the Performance School of Music in Ancaster, and is starting her own music studio in Cayuga called Progressive Music Studio.

Alex Thompson - Stage 2 Performance Camp Junior Dance Instructor & Jitterbugs Guest Instructor

Alex is recently completed his first year at the Ontario College of Art & Design. He is also a graduate of Brantford Collegiate Institute where he was avidly involved in their drama, music, and dance programming.  While in high school, Alex trained with Daniel Levinson from Rapier Wit and members of the Stratford Festival company for stage combat.  He will be using these skills to work with both camps for fun stage tumbling and safe, non-contact fighting workshops. Most recently, Alex choreographed fight sequences in BCI’s productions of Oklahoma and Beauty and the Beast, where he also played the role of Lumiere.