Starz Theater Company Administration
TINA COOK
STC Executive Producer
OWNER- Turning Pointe School of Dance
In the fall of 2004, Tina founded Turning Pointe School of Dance to share her joy for dancing and teach students how to use their gifting to bring glory to their Creator. Tina knew this was the beginning step for a bigger vision which would include additional outlets for students of varied creative passions. In 2013, she and Heather Rider (STARZ first Director) came together to launch a new creative arm of Turning Pointe School of Dance. STARZ was born to give students who enjoyed the art of combining dance, singing and acting into a masterpiece on stage. STARZ was designed around a seasonal concept consisting of training then producing a full scale stage production. In addition, students get a piece that is unique to the STARZ vision. Students engage in weekly devotionals and learn the practicalities of how to integrate faith and talent to touch others through the powerful venue of the arts. In its first year, STARZ was a huge success thanks to our students, parents, volunteers and director.
LAURA BERGEN
StC Artistic Director,
Peter pan sHOW diRECTOR
Laura was born and raised in Wichita, KS. She graduated from Friends University with a BA in Music Theatre in 2009. Since childhood, Laura has had a desire to create and tell powerful stories. During her college training, God breathed life into this dream and Laura began her career as a choreographer and director. Throughout her years in the Arts, Laura’s desire to provide youth with the opportunity to learn and perform in a positive and encouraging environment has only grown. In the Wichita area, she taught ballet and tap, served as the Drama Director for a non-profit children’s ministry and assisted with the founding of a children’s theater. Living in Colorado Springs since 2010, Laura has continued to teach dance and work as a choreographer for local high schools, community theater, children’s theater, dance studios, and various summer camps and intensives. Favorite show credits in Colorado Springs include: Fiddler on the Roof (choreographer), Newsies (Director and Choreographer), Mary Poppins (Director), Beauty and the Beast (Director) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Choreographer). Laura is a YPAD-certified Dance Instructor and teaches at Turning Pointe Dance. She was honored to receive an Outstanding Teacher Award from Dance Revolution Convention in 2018. She has been a part of Starz Theater Company since 2016. She joined as the first Starz Rizing Lead and spent two years establishing this part of the company before moving into the role of STC Creative Director in 2018. Laura is so grateful for every chance she has to cheer on students as they develop their unique talents and discover more of who they were created to be. Laura and her husband, Justin, love raising their four boys in the beautiful Colorado mountains.
Starz Theater Company Creative Team
CARLIE EMERY
STC Choreography co-Lead
Peter Pan
Carlie Emery was born and raised in a small coastal town in the redwood mountains of northern California. She received her AA in Behavioral Science from College of the Redwoods and her BA in Dance from Belhaven University. After dancing with Ad Deum 2 Dance Company in Houston, TX, Carlie moved to Minneapolis to dance with Vivid Artistry Dance Company, before making the move with her husband to Colorado Springs. Carlie has taught and choreographed for the past 10 years, including being lead choreographer for Anoka County High School's rendition of Hair Spray. In her free time, she loves walking her two dogs Odie and Piper. Along with learning more about the joys of golf with her husband Luke.
LIZ MORALES
STC Choreography co-Lead
Peter Pan
Liz Morales is from Charlotte, North Carolina and graduated with her BFA in Dance and BA in Theatre Performance from Belhaven University. She performed in both concert dance works and theatre shows throughout high school and college, and has been teaching and choreographing for the past 10 years. Liz currently teaches at Turning Pointe School of Dance, choreographs for STARZ Theater Company, and performed as a company dancer for Jubilee Arts Collective during their 2023-2024 season. Her choreography was selected to perform at the 2023 Alabama Dance Festival and she set works for Jubilee Arts Collective and Fidele Youth Dance Company. Along with traditional solo dance forms, Liz also teaches private competitive and social ballroom lessons, and competes herself in American Rhythm and American Smooth styles. She is passionate about the joy and fun found in dance, but also connects deeply to the cathartic and storytelling abilities found in this beautiful art form!
KRISTI HILL
STC Vocal Lead
Peter pan
Kristi Hill is a music teacher, vocalist, and voice instructor with 20+ years of experience making music come alive for students. She is passionate about creating joy and instilling confidence in young performers, teaching them to excel in their craft while cultivating dependence and trust in the Lord along the way. Exploring the singing voice can be a vulnerable journey for many students, and Kristi loves helping kids find courage and stretch themselves beyond what they think is possible. Kristi has been on the Turning Pointe staff for four years as the vocal teacher, and she is thrilled to be a part of the Starz creative team for this production of Peter Pan.
GRACE NICHOLS
STARZ RIZING & All-STARZ LEAD
PETER PAN
Grace was born in Anchorage, Alaska, and has been a proud Coloradan since age four. She has always had a passion for teaching, since she was very little and practiced with her siblings! Dance created an outlet for that passion, and she has had the privilege of teaching at Turning Pointe School of Dance for three years as an assistant/intern, and two years as an instructor. As a student for seven years she has been instructed in various styles such as hip-hop, ballet, modern, jazz and musical theater. She was a cast member in the Starz productions of Newsies and Mary Poppins, where her enthusiasm for the arts was able to flourish. She is overjoyed to be on the creative team! Through the position, she is looking forward to leading students to grow in their own passion for theater, and to glorify God's name in their endeavors. Grace lives with her husband, and in her free time she loves to take adventures with him, try new recipes, and go horseback riding.
JENNA MOORE
STC PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
PETER PAN
Jenna has been a student of Turning Pointe Dance for 14 years. She studied ballet for 12 years, Musical Theater for 9 years and a little bit of everything else! Jenna is currently teaching Musical Theater at Turning Pointe School of Dance. She has been a part of Starz since 2020, two shows as a performer in the cast, one as an SA and now has joined the creative team since Music Man. She has also taken a year of culinary school and in her free time, she loves to bake, make cakes and is the Marketing Director at Chick-fil-A. Jenna’s biggest passion is to inspire the next generation and equip them for the future and the world around them.
TONYA HAYDEN
STC Stage Manager
PETER PAN
Tonya was a very ‘theatrical’ child who loved to dance and sing around the house. She grew up in Utah and started dancing when she was 6. It was love at first class. Her time on her high school competition dance team taught her the value of hard work and dedication. A couple of months after she graduated high school she received her license in Cosmetology, then continued on to graduate college in 2002 with a BA in Communication with an emphasis on public culture. During that time she dabbled in musical theater and acting. After college, she spent a year traveling around the US coordinating all aspects of live events, including a fashion show for children. In 2003 she moved to Colorado Springs for a new adventure. It was here that she started teaching hip hop at a few local studios, including the YMCA, Fountain Arts Center, and Northridge Dance. She spent the last 20 years as a hairdresser, while simultaneously holding second jobs as an event coordinator at Pulpit Rock Church, and teaching dance. At Pulpit Rock she held a lead role in a melodrama, which was loads of fun. In 2005 and 2007, Tonya served two mission trips to Ecuador as a leader with Big World Ventures where they performed Spellbound, a drama that tells the story of Christ. This opportunity afforded her to learn some leadership skills in an unfamiliar place. She married her husband, Drew, in 2010, and enjoys raising their two children Izzy and Declan. Tonya is a teacher at Turning Pointe and her fifth year with STARZ Theater Company. Her role as stage manager affords her to use all her experiences to bring all the moving parts together behind the scenes.
Keeping kids happy, healthy, and safe in dance is an important topic for teachers and studio owners. Our staff and instructors at Turning Pointe School of Dance are in the first group of studios nationally certified in YPAD (Youth Protection Advocates in Dance) Safety and Wellness Course. Each member of the Starz Theater Company Admin has earned a YPAD Certification.
Our training included: educational best practices including background checks and CPR/First Aid, abuse awareness & prevention, injury prevention & response, safety & emergency preparedness, social media/media safety/today’s dance culture, developmentally appropriate artistry, body image/nutrition/disordered eating, and bullying/conflict resolution.
The more we know, the better we can do for kids.
YPAD courses are the foremost, research-based, educational courses for dance professionals and the dance industry as a whole and we are so grateful to be a part!
It Takes a Village
Parent Volunteers, Community Volunteers,
student leadership
Parent and Community Volunteers
When audiences attend a STC production, their experience from start to finish is impacted by our STC volunteer teams. From the welcoming environment in the lobby to the beautiful sets, props, costumes, show program and the organized backstage management - each piece has an army of volunteers working together to serve in both large and small ways. Our STC volunteers have tremendous heart and give the precious gift of time as they partner with STC in helping our youth bring the story to the stage!
While parent participation is not required, we do ask at least one parent from each family to please serve on one of the teams. Craftiness or artistic ability is not a requirement in order to serve! Volunteers work under a Team Coordinator and time commitments for each team vary. Our goal in our parent volunteer teams is to create flexible opportunities for family members to get involved and create community!
Volunteer Teams:
Marketing Team
Advertising/ Merch Perch / Front of House
Sponsors/ Program Design/ Fundraising
Costume Design and Sewing
Hair and Makeup
Photography
Green Room / Security
Cast Events & Care (cast party & events, occasional meal ministry, etc.)
Props Design and Construction
Set Design and Construction
Painting (sets and props)
Student Assistants
The Creative Team for STC’s Frozen, Jr included four former Starz Student Assistants
The Starz Theater Company Student Assistant program exists to train future leaders as they serve, observe, and are examples to younger students.
Student Assistants work directly with our Creative Team and have a unique, hands-on role in helping bring the show to the stage. These students forego the cast experience and focus on servant leadership throughout the season. These students lead the charge in demonstrating how to be a voice of encouragement and strength while giving their time to serve in all aspects of the production. Throughout their time, they are mentored by the Creative Team and there are various opportunities that will arise for Student Assistants to step into peer leadership under the guidance of the Directors.
Our Student Assistants are one of the ways that STC is investing in, training, and "inspiring future leaders in the Arts & beyond"!
Apply to be a Student Assistant (Applications for our Fiddler on the Roof season will open January 1)