Karen Lesser

Founder

Karen Lesser was a co-founder of The Colorado Academy of the Arts, Inc. with Gay Slade in 1983. Karen turned over the directorship of the Academy to her daughter in law, Brandony Lesser in 2010. Karen grew up in a musical family, performing with her parents’ song & dance troupe in Oregon. She enjoyed children's theatre as a teenager and was selected to be on the Oregon All-State Dance Team. At Brigham Young University she studied piano and education. After acting as a personal assistant to Stephen R. Covey for two years, Karen moved with her husband Rick to Fort Collins where they have resided since 1979. She enjoyed directing the Academy for over 30 years and sharing that responsibility with Janet Von Forell and Denise Hagemeister. She has directed over 70 music theatre productions at the Lincoln Center acting as director/choreographer and producer for most. Karen enjoys the “fruit” of her many years in the arts in Ft. Collins as she now watches the children of her past students perform on stage. Currently, Karen teaches music at Rivendell School in Ft. Collins, helps backstage during Academy productions, and acts as a consultant to the Academy. Her husband Rick who supported the Academy for years, continues to cheer on his daughter-in-law Brandony, and looks forward to seeing Elyn on stage. Karen has four children, all CAA alumni: Jessica (a special education teacher who performs in musicals in Salt Lake City, Utah), Brian (businessman extraordinaire) married to Brandony (Director at CAA) with daughter Elyn, Scott (a freelance cellist in Boston) married to Annelise (a music & orchestra teacher) with daughters Zalia & Calla, and Brittany (Press Secretary for US Congressman Steve King-IA

Brandony Lesser

Artistic Director

Brandony has been teaching students of all ages since 2001.  At the Academy, she has had the unique opportunity to open a world of exploration and creativity with her youngest students while encouraging and challenging her older students to reach new heights. 

She has a passion for spreading the benefits of the performing arts to the community and is proud of CAA’s legacy of doing so.  Brandony took over as Director of the Colorado Academy of the Arts in 2010 from her mother-in-law Karen Lesser who invested 30 years into the studio. 

Brandony has been dancing, singing, and performing her whole life.  She has received training from the Colorado Academy of the Arts, Westin Arts Academy, Canyon Concert Ballet, University of Northern Colorado, and Colorado State University.

At UNC and CSU, her studies included Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, and Dance Education.  She has experience in ballet, hip hop, jazz, modern, swing, tap, Music Theater, and ZUMBA®.  She has been involved with numerous shows in the community (both production and performance) including: Fiddler on the Roof, The Wizard of Oz, 42nd Street, and Into the Woods. 

She has been happily married to her husband Brian since 2004, whom she met at CAA. He is a senior manager for the Product Recovery Group with Waste Management in Loveland.  They have a darling baby girl named Elyn.

Beth Beyer

Music Theater, Triple Threat, Acting Coach

Beth Beyer, received her Bachelor Of Music Degree in Vocal Performance from CU Boulder. After working on cruise ships as a singer/dancer for a year she decided to make the move to New York City to pursue her Broadway dreams.

That year she booked her first national and Asian tour playing opposite Marie Osmond in The Sound of Music and earned her Actors Equity Card. She has spent the last 15 years performing, studying and honing her craft in NYC while acting in Film/TV, Commercials and Theatre. Performing has taken her around the world and back home again to Colorado where she is raising a family of her own, and currently teaching Music Together classes to the wee ones.

Career highlights and favorite roles include:

* The Drowsy Chaperone (Kitty) Broadway Workshop
* The Sound Of Music (Elsa) National and Asian Tour starring Marie Osmond
* Camelot starring Robert Goulet-National Tour
*Guys And Dolls (Adelaide) Macau International Festival-China;
*Singin’ In The Rain (Lina Lamont) Barrymore Award Nomination-Walnut Street Theatre;
*Little Shop Of Horrors (Audrey) Maine State Music Theatre;
*The Full Monty (Pam Lukowski) Pittsburgh CLO;
*South Pacific (Nellie Forbush) Country Dinner Playhouse;

Acting is not about being someone different. It’s finding the similarity in what is apparently different, then finding myself in there.

  ~ Meryl Streep

Kelsey Bonar

Modern, Ballet, Lyrical, Classic Combo, Strength & Conditioning, Ebb & Flow, Tiny Tots, Twinkle Toes, Storybook Adventures and Starz

Kelsey Bonar was 2 years old when her mother put her into dance because she couldn’t stop moving. She has been dancing ever since. Kelsey has studied ballet, tap, modern, jazz, lyrical, flamenco, and Music Theater. She grew up studying at the Academy of Dance in Rapid City, SD. She was elected to be the dance captain of her school dance team for two consecutive years. Over her summer breaks Kelsey attended Snowy Range at the University of WY, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in Canada. Kelsey continued her studies as a dance major at the University of Minnesota as one of twenty
dancers chosen for the BFA program.
Ballet quickly became my favorite form of dance because of its beauty, elegance, and how technical it was. After seeing my first Modern performance in 5th grade I immediately fell in love with that style of dance ironically because it was so unrestricted. I love to teach dance because I know how happy it makes me, and I want to share this great love with others!

Kelsey Bonar

Modern, Ballet, Lyrical, Classic Combo, Strength & Conditioning, Ebb & Flow, Tiny Tots, Twinkle Toes, Storybook Adventures and Starz

Jonathon Caudill

Vocal Coach, Music Theater, Triple Threat, Yoga

Cara Lister

Applause and Showcase

Cara Lister performed and toured with the Valhalla Folk dance team while attending Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho) where she earned an Associates degree in Dance in 1981 while there she studied all forms of dance Inc.luding ballroom, folk,
clogging, tap, jazz, ballet and modern dance. She continued her studies at BYU-Provo, where she earned a BA in general dance professional in 1984 competed in ballroom dance. After moving to Fort Collins in 1987, Cara clogged with a local group while raising a family. She started teaching at CAA in 1993 as a Jazz teacher and took night classes to learn Hip- Hop. SInce then she has taught Hip-Hop, Jazz, Modern, Broadway dance and Musical theater over the last 17 years with CAA. She has enjoyed teaching at the Academy with her five kids: it's truly a family affair!

Cara Lister

Applause and Showcase

Gwen Lister

Hip Hop and Strength & Conditioning

When I was little, my mom taught me and my 4 younger siblings how to dance. We would try out our newly invented moves on our selfdesignated dance floor (otherwise known as the living room). Gwen began taking Hip Hop classes and performing at CAA at age ten. At twelve she started attending adult Hip Hop classes at various dance studios around town.
The energy, culture, music, and movement captured me and I began improving my technique and performing in Urban Jamm and Spotlight dance competitions. Over the past ten years Gwen taught in several studios, and worked with a variety of ages and ability levels. She taught music theater choreography, ballroom, line dancing, and even lawn-chair drills (don’t ask); however, Hip Hop has always
been her top priority.
For the past 3 years Gwen helped develop the annual Down for Life Hip Hop Expo for middle school students and their families in the Poudre School District. Dance, specifically Hip Hop, is more than movement for me. It is an art and a science; a means of self expression and emotional release; a source of social commentary and action; and my goal is to pass it on to others and have a blast doing it.

Gwen Lister

Hip Hop and Strength & Conditioning

Britony Orwick

Hip Hop, Jazz, Urban Combo, Club Fusion and Strength & Conditioning

Britony Orwick has been choreographing and teaching dance for over 12 years now. She is skilled in multiple areas of dance Inc.luding ballet, tap, jazz, Latin, swing, hip-hop, tai chi, and aerobic dance. She was a dance major at Colorado State University in 1999. She has also previously coached for the Thompson Valley High School Dance Team, and she has choreographed for several Thompson Valley HS musicals.
At a young age, she established and choreographed for the dance team at Rocky Mountain High School. This school still carries on the tradition today. At the Colorado Academy of the Arts, Britony will be teaching hip-hop and jazz dance classes for multiple levels and abilities. Britony loves working here at the studio and enjoys the privilege she gets to daily share her passion for dance with so many others.

Britony Orwick

Hip Hop, Jazz, Urban Combo, Club Fusion and Strength & Conditioning

Tara Smith

Tiny Tots, Twinkle Toes, Wiggles'N'Giggles and Creative Movement

Tara Smith grew up in Colorado Springs. She loves music and dancing and has danced since she was four, beginning with jazz, ballet, tap and baton twirling. She loves all styles of dancing but her favorite is modern. Tara has an Organ & Piano Performance degree from Ricks College (BYU-Idaho) where she also studied dance. She also trained with the modern dance team at BYUProvo, and her dances were showcased in Studio Night and Winter dance performances at Colorado State University. She has been in numerous plays and musical theatre productions over the years. Tara enjoys sharing and teaching others the joy of music and movement. She has taught at the CAA off and on for over 12 years. She now teaches piano and dance while residing in Fort Collins with her husband and two boys, whom she hopes will love the arts as much as she does.

Tara Smith

Tiny Tots, Twinkle Toes, Wiggles'N'Giggles and Creative Movement

Andy Steinhauer

Music Theater and Acting Coach

Andy Steinhauer does a little bit of everything in the entertainment business. He makes his living as a freelance stage technician and rigger but can often be found producing, directing, writing, singing and acting. He's been teaching improvised comedy to adults for several years and is excited to get back into education with young people.

He believes in high expectations and accountability because the feeling of building a good performance and owning it is like nothing else. Because of this philosophy, His classes are run more like a production company than a traditional drama class and you can expect him to use the lessons from his mentors that helped him get into the industry.

Andy Steinhauer

Music Theater and Acting Coach

Jacob Stonebraker

Tap, Urban Combo and Lyrical

I began tapping when I was eight years old after I saw the Tap Dogs live at the Lincon
Center in Fort Collins. I had been inspired by dancers that I had seen in old videos
such as Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, and the Nicholas Brothers but after seeing a live
performance...needless to say I was hooked. Recently I even had the honor and the
privilege of sharing the stage with the Tap Dogs after a long audition their opening night
at the Buel Theater in Denver. I enjoy tapping more than anything else. I approach
every class, whether I'm teaching or taking, with an open mind and ready to learn new
things. There is no end point in dance, we can always get better.

I started doing ballet, hip-hop, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, African, salsa, ballroom, Irish
step dancing, clogging, and stomping when I was 12 and it made me a far better tapper
getting more experience with other styles. I believe that tap is one of the most enjoyable
and fun experiences a person can have.

When I'm not tapping I enjoy long boarding down steep hills, watching any of the
three Toy Story movies, or spending time with my friends and family. I am thankful to
everyone at CAA who has made me feel so welcome!

Jacob Stonebraker

Tap, Urban Combo and Lyrical

Kirsten Thomas

Vocal Coach and Music Theater

“The only thing beter than singing is more singing.” Ellla Fitzgerald

I am 26 years old. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance: Vocal Studies from Brigham Young
University-Hawaii. I have been singing and performing since I was very young. I love music! I am a
performer. Music has always touched me on a very deep level.

I will be attending Colorado State University in Fall 2011 for my Graduate work in Music Therapy. My are
of interest is Physical healing through vibrations. Therea are many healing qualities of music that have
yet to be discovered and I want to help find them.

“music should go right through you, leave some of itself inside you, and take some of you with it when it
leaves.” -Henry Threadgill

Jill VanOrden

Broadway Bound and Tophats

was born and raised in Pocatello, Idaho with a family of five sisters and three boys. She performed her first tap dance at age four and has danced ever since. Her mom was her first teacher. At BYU she participated in modern, jazz, and ballroom performance teams. Jill began teaching children's and teen dance classes while living in White Rock, NM,1996-1999. Jill has a degree in English and credentials for Elementary Education in California and Colorado. She has taught at CAA since 2000 and has choreographed musicals for Rocky Mountain High School and Children's Centennial Chorus, Including: Kiss Me Kate, Oklahoma, Music Man, Les Miserables, Seussical Jr., and Once Upon A Mattress. She enjoys teaching older beginners because they are so willing, as well as early elementary aged students because of their joyful approach to movement. Jill is married to a CSU Chemistry Professor and has 3 kids: Amanda, Emma, and Andrew who have all performed with CAA since 1999. CAA has been their second family ever since they move to Fort Collins 13 years ago.

Jill Van Orden

Broadway Bound and Top Hats