Creative Arts Summer Staff

Sherri Hellman (President, Director, Founder, & Dance Educator)

Sherri graduated from Adelphi University in 1989 with a BFA in Dance.  Since then, she has worked with many choreographers including Sara Hook, Murray Louis, Sabrina Peck, Joanna Mendl Shaw, and many others.  She spent 10 years performing with Janis Brenner and Dancers, touring, teaching, and restaging choreographic work throughout the United States and abroad.  While dancing professionally Sherri also taught at numerous after-school programs throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan, some of which include Brooklyn Preparatory Center for Performing Arts at Brooklyn College, the 92nd Street Y, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and the Brooklyn Heights Montessori School.  She has also been a special guest artist at the Chinese Art School in Kaosiung, Taiwan, at the Caribbean Dance School on the Island of St. Croix in the West Indies and at various other performing arts institutions throughout the United States. 

In 1992, Sherri began teaching creative movement classes in Cobble Hill and due to the growth of her classes she opened the Creative Arts Studio in 1995.  Since then her role at Creative Arts Studio has been Director, Producer, Teacher, Administrator, Graphic Designer, and anything else imaginable.

Through Creative Arts Studio Sherri has provided her students with many exciting performance opportunities including appearances on the Nickelodeon and VH1 Television Networks, participation in festivals throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan, and performances with professional New York based dance companies.  She is now entering into her 14th year of business and is proud to see that Creative Arts Studio has blossomed into a nurturing place where children can find their own way of expressing themselves, whether it's through singing, dancing, acting, writing or even knitting.  Creative Arts has become a place of discovery.

Through her travels, Sherri has had the luxury of teaching a diverse group of children from all cultures, which has been a large influence for her in developing a strong comprehensive program at Creative Arts.  She is a firm believer that dance is a form of self-expression that can enhance all aspects of a child's life. Sherri is proud and thrilled to have two locations, Carroll Gardens and Boerum Hill, where she can Give the Gift of Self-Expression throughout the Brooklyn Community.

Andrea Ariel (Dance Educator, Summer Arts Camp)

Andrea Ariel is the Artistic Director of Ariel Dance Theatre, based in Austin, TX where she produces, choreographs, and performs in dance theatre works created in collaboration with artists working in music, theater, video, film, and visual art. In NYC she works with Strike Anywhere Performance Ensemble and The Walter Thompson Orchestra. Andrea also choreographs for opera, theater, musicals, film and TV/Web commercials.  With her company she directs and teaches ARTSPLUS, arts-in-education programs in the schools and Community Voices Project, workshops that bring the community into the development of new work.  As a recipient of numerous project support grants and commissions, her work has been presented in Texas, California, Illinois, Arizona, New Mexico, and New York.  Andrea holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Illinois and is a Certified Personal Trainer.

Brandy Blaha (Tap, Ballet, & Summer Arts Camp After-Camp Supervisor)

Born and raised in Michigan, Brandy moved to New York in the summer of 2007.  She received her Bachelor's Degree of Fine Arts in Dance from Wayne State University in Detroit.  While with the WSU dance company she performed in concerts such as OnStage, Spring Gala, and Dance Umbrella.  At WSU she was honored to be a part of Company 1 as well as Dance Workshop and participated in many faculty and guest artist repertory pieces with Urban Bush Women, Melissa Allen, Bridgeman and Packer, Jan Van Dyke, Jeffery Rebudal, and Joshua Hilberman.  As a member of both the C3 Tap Cooperative and the Undertoe Dance Project she has performed in such concerts asthe American Tap Dance Foundations Tap and Song, On Tap at Joes’ Pub and at Broadway Underground at BB Kings in Time Square.  Most recently, Brandy was selected to perform in new choreographic works by Jason Samuels Smith, Brenda Bufalino, Michelle Dorrance, Jared Grimes and Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards in the American Tap Dance Foundation's "Take it to the Stage" performance series.  Brandy is thrilled to be teaching at Creative Arts and loves working with Sherri and all the students.

Danielle Cacciopo (Art Educator, Summer Arts Camp)

Danielle is simply thrilled to join the wonderfully talented Creative Arts Staff.  She grew up on Long Island among a big, loving, Italian family.  Danielle moved out west after graduating from Hofstra University with a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts.  Living in Arizona she discovered her passion for working with children.  She taught Art in an elementary school in Tucson for three years, and now that she is happily back in NY where she is working towards her NY State Teacher Certification.  Danielle leads an active lifestyle, competing in triathlons and marathons.  She has worked in the fitness industry as a personal trainer and nutritionist, and she loves to share her passion for health and wellness with her students.  Danielle finds the connection between movement and art fascinating.  She is currently working on a series of charcoal drawings, seeking to capture the effectiveness of the human body.

Kirsten Kammermeyer (Drama & Summer Camp Staff)

Kirsten is a graduate of San Francisco State University where she received her BA in Theatre Arts with a double minor in Dance and Recreation/Leisure Studies.  She works with Basil Twist’s puppetry company, performing in Behind the Lid (2007), Petrushka (2008), and Arias with a Twist (2008).  She has also worked with Drama of Works in Warhol (2005).  She is a co-founder of 16 Tons Theatre Company, creating and performing in Eternal Struggle of Man Vs. Heavy Object (2004), Ghost Stories (2005), and The Rise and Fall of 16 Tons (2006) at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival.  While living in San Francisco Kirsten worked with Liebe Wetzel’s company, Lunatique Fantastique, on several productions including My Dinner With Lunatique, Brace Yourself, and Snake in the Basement.  She also performed for youth across Northern Califorina through Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Theater Program.  She is currently a Resident Puppetry Artist with Arts Connection teaching puppetry in the NYC public schools, as well as a Drama teacher with the Creative Arts Studio in Brooklyn.  Recently, Kirsten co-founded Alphabet Arts, a puppet-based theatre company that create innovative, quality live performances for both youth and adult audiences.

Lindsay MacNaughton (Drama, Musical Theatre, & Summer Arts Camp Supervisor/Educator)

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Lindsay MacNaughton is an actor and teaching artist who has lovingly called Brooklyn home for four years now.  A performer since age 5, she holds a B.F.A in Drama from Syracuse University.  Lindsay is thrilled to have found a home here at Creative Arts and would like to thank Sherri, all the parents, and all the amazing students for making this year so wonderful!

Storme Sundberg (Creative Movement)

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Storme has been performing and teaching dance to children of all ages in New York City for nearly a decade.  She received her BA in Psychology from SUNY Buffalo where she also danced for Pick of the Crop.  Her choreography has been shown at Lincoln Center Out-Of-Doors, the Joyce Soho, the BRIC, WAX, and in Stamford Connecticut.  She is a long-time member of Jordan Fuchs Dance and has worked most recently with Stephan Koplowitz, Noemie La France, and with the Bessie Schoenberg Residency on Martha's Vineyard.

Sam Traylor (Drama Instructor, Summer Arts Camp, & Birthday Party Staff)

Sam, now entering his second year with the Creative Arts Studio, moved to New York from Oakland, California and is pursuing a career in Television and Film.  When he's not teaching at CAS Summer Camp or assisting a Creative Arts birthday party, you might see Sam on TV with shows such as 'Kings', 'Law & Order', 'Nurse Jackie', and 'As the World Turns.'   Sam attended the University of New Mexico before returning to California to perform children's theater with Kaiser Permanente's Educational Theatre Programs.  He also currently works with fellow Creative Arts Staff member Kirsten Kammermeyer in New York Public Schools teaching puppetry.

Alicia White (Hip Hop, Modern, & Birthday Party Staff)

Alicia White began her dance training at Brushwood’s School of Dance in the quaint city of Gordonsville, Virginia at the age of 5 and at 14 she became an apprentice to Pamela Brushwood and discovered her love of teaching.  Alicia received her BA in Dance from James Madison University in 2002.  At JMU, Alicia danced with the Virginia Repertory Company, co-student taught the Associate Ensemble, and performed in venues such as the Kennedy Center.  After relocating to New York City, Alicia made her living doing all of the odd jobs that the city holds.  She has made CAS her home base since 2003 when she met Sherri Hellman and the CAS community.  Currently Alicia is a lead artist with Arts Connection, through which she teaches dance in the public schools and has worked with choreographers Chistalyn Wright and Kelly Bartnik.  She recently worked at Perry Mansfield Performing Arts Camp in Colorado where she taught dance and theatre.

Diana Yourke (Music Educator & Summer Arts Camp Music Staff)

Diana Yourke was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.  She has been immersed in the arts from birth and grew up singing, playing the piano, dancing, acting and making lots of art with her parents.  She was a member of Dancewave Kids Company before attending college where she worked with Mark Morris, Twyla Tharp, Bill T. Jones, Donald Byrd, David Dorfman and Doug Varrone.  She went on to study voice at Ithaca College where she performed several operatic roles including Damon in Handel's Acis and Galatea and Sandrina in Mozart's La Finta Giardiniera.  She graduated with a degree in Vocal Performance in 2008 and now teaches private voice and performs as a singer, actress and dancer in the NYC area.  She is currently pursuing a certification program to become a Certified Movement Analyst from the Laban Institute of Movement Studies in Manhattan.

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