Creative Writing 

Maeve Aickin 

Creative Writing/Music

Maeve is a writer and proofreader based in Minneapolis. Her work has been published in Lux and Dissent, and her clients have included nominees for the National Book Award, the PEN/Faulkner Award, and the Kirkus Prize for Fiction. She holds a B.A. in Literature from Sarah Lawrence College.

Alys Dutton 

Alysandra Dutton is a Twin Cities based novelist and the author of The Stolen Women, from Park Row HarperCollins. Her fiction has been published in or honored by The Sun Magazine, Electric Literature: Recommended Reading, the Bread Loaf Writer’s Workshop, the Elizabeth George Foundation, and The British School at Rome. She received her MFA from the University of Arkansas, and has taught for many years with Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development, The Loft Literary Center, and other arts orgs & schools, with a particular interest in fiction & publishing. She is working on a second novel of historical fiction, set in 1500s Venice.

Arielle Newfield

 Arielle is a Twin-Cities based poet and educator with over five years of publishing and educating experience. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Hamline University.  As a writer, her work blends poetry and fiction forms to showcase the complexity of human experiences. Arielle’s poetry was previously published in the Fulcrum Journal, and, in 2024, she received the Hamline University Writing Across Genres Award for her work. As an educator, Arielle focuses on developing artistic voice, reflecting on creative practice, and cultivating collaboration across disciplines. Outside of teaching at SPCPA, she is currently developing her hybrid-form novel.

Visual Arts

Matthew Kriske

  Matthew is a Twin Cities-based artist with over ten years of painting, exhibition, and teaching experience. HE holds n MFA Degree from The Glasgow School of Art and has exhibited his artwork internationally in London, Ireland, and Scotland, including a solo exhibition in 2025.  As an educator, Matthew focuses on working to help students find their own voice for expressing themselves as creative individuals.  This is achieved through practical hands-on learning, ideation, and theory.  Outside of teaching at SPCPA, he maintains an active and ongoing studio practice in painting with several upcoming exhibitions.  

Stuart Loughridge

 Stuart operates a studio near the Mississippi River in St. Paul. In the studio he creates etchings, serigraphs, watercolors, oil paintings and hand-made frames. Stuart has been a full-time artist since 2002, working across a variety of genre but focused primarily on landscapes. He studied drawing, painting, and framing under his father, and then studied drawing and painting at The Atelier School of Fine Art in Minneapolis. He has been teaching art since 2009, giving private lessons and workshops. At SPCPA Stuart will focus on the fundamentals of drawing, painting and composition. You can see Stuart’s work at the 2026 Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibit.

León Valencia

León is a Twin Cities-based multimedia visual artist with over ten years of art and education experience. They hold a BA from Instituto Allende and have worked with organizations and galleries such as The MIA, CLUES, Highpoint Printmaking Center, The Creating Change Gallery, The University of Minnesota Quarter Gallery and was a studio artist with Public Functionary. As an educator, Leon focuses on hands-on learning, deepening critical thinking skills and adapting lessons to align with curiosity and interests. Outside of teaching at SPCPA, they are currently working for Ricardo Levins Morales in his Minnehaha Ave. studio & shop and at their own studio (#467) in the Northrup King Building.

Dance

Daniel Adu-Gyamfi

 Daniel is a Twin Cities-based dancer, choreographer, educator, and creative artist
with over 16 years of experience in dance and performance. Originally from Houston, Texas, Daniel has spent years developing his craft and performing throughout the United States, with his primary styles rooted in Hip Hop and House dance.
As an educator, Daniel focuses on helping dancers develop their individuality, musicality,
confidence, and ability to express themselves through movement. His teaching approach combines foundational technique with freestyle, creativity, and an emphasis on creating an encouraging environment where dancers can discover their own voice. Outside of teaching, Daniel continues to perform, choreograph, DJ, and contribute to the Twin Cities dance community through workshops, events, and creative projects. He is also the founder of Black Star Society, a Twin Cities-based organization focused on creating opportunities for emerging artists through dance, visual arts, talent showcases, and community fundraising events.

Emily Nies

Dance/Musical Theatre Dance

 Emily Nies is a passionate dance and theatre educator, dedicated to creating holistic, process driven learning environments where students are encouraged to embrace the beauty of imperfection and the transformational power of authentic creative expression. 

A Minneapolis native, she trained in the BFA Musical Theatre Program at Pace University in New York City. She has over a decade of professional experience performing professionally and teaching at theaters and studios across NYC and the East Coast including Broadway Dance Center, Lincoln Center, Transport Group, Pittsburgh CLO, New York City Center, and City Center Encores. She currently teaches Dance and Musical Theatre at Lundstrum Center for Performing Arts in Minneapolis. 

As an educator, it’s Emily’s priority that all students feel a sense of community, belonging, and joy in her classes. She celebrates students as whole, unique individuals with the understanding that everyone learns differently. With a group fitness and personal training background, she incorporates dance-centered functional exercises in her warm-ups, inspired by the techniques of Sugarfoot Therapy and Doctors for Dancers. She believes the physical body is both a temple and channel for creative energy to contain and flow, therefore must be treated with care, conditioning, and respect. Additionally, Emily centers the music as the primary tool for storytelling in dance, adopting the philosophy that dancing is music in motion. “See the music, hear the dance.” — George Balanchine 

Kadie Habana

 Kadie is a movement artist, dance educator and dance/movement therapist based in St. Paul, MN. They hold a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology/Anthropology, with a minor in Dance, from Gustavus Adolphus College and a Master of Science in Dance/Movement Therapy from Pratt Institute. As an educator, Kadie focuses on cultivating a multimodal and holistic approach to movement studies, integrating social, emotional, cultural, and psychological considerations into somatic, movement and art modalities. Kadie’s passion lies in helping others explore their authentic creative voice and freedom in self-expression, develop sustainable movement and artistic practices and promote the overall health of artists for an integrated sense of well-being. As a movement artist, Kadie currently dances with Kinetic Evolutions, a Twin Cities-based modern and contemporary dance company, and continues to develop her own choreographic work to present at local art events, such as the St. Paul Art Crawl. 

Danielle Ricci Cheng

 Danielle is an educator, choreographer, director, and dancer. She received her BFA in Dance Performance from University of California, Irvine under direction of Donald McKayle. She graduated with an MA in Arts and Cultural Management from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota and earned an MFA in Choreography from Jacksonville University. She has studied at The Ailey School in New York City as part of their Certificate in Dance Program and has danced professionally in California, Texas, and Minnesota performing with Loretta Livingston and Dancers, Austin Classical Ballet, and Austin City Ballet.

Danielle is the Founding Artistic Director of Borealis Dance Theatre- a contemporary modern dance company based in Minneapolis. She is also Director of Dance Camera North- International Dance Film Festival and Minnesota High School Dance Festival. She has served as an adjunct professor of dance at Winona State University and has presented work and taught at the American College Dance Festival Association upper Midwest conference in association with University of Wisconsin, River Falls where she has been a guest artist for the past nine years. Danielle specializes in ballet, modern/ contemporary, jazz, musical theatre, improvisation and partnering, social justice choreographic practices, and dance appreciation. She has choreographed over 30 musicals for high  schools, universities, and professional theatre companies. Along with directing BDT, Danielle currently teaches ballet and contemporary dance at Minnesota State University, Mankato, modern/ contemporary dance at Ballet Royale Minnesota, ballet at Turning Pointe Dance Studio and coaches the Minneapolis Dance Team for MPS. 

Korma Aguh-Stuckmayer
Founder and Director, Afrocontigbo Dance & Wellness Company

 Korma Aguh-Stuckmayer is a Nigerian-born dance artist, educator, and cultural leader based in Minnesota. She is the Founder and CEO of Afrocontigbo Dance & Wellness Company, a cultural movement dedicated to promoting African heritage, intergenerational wellness, and community empowerment through dance and storytelling.

Korma’s passion for movement began in her hometown community in Nigeria, where dance was both a joyful expression and a vital tool for cultural preservation. After relocating to Minnesota in 2002, she attended Winona State University, where she combined her artistic passion with academic rigor, earning a Master’s degree in Business. While in college, she trained with Dancescape, expanding her repertoire to include Afro-diasporic styles, jazz, salsa, Japanese, and American contemporary dance.

In 2014, she founded Afrocontigbo, a dance and wellness company rooted in traditional Igbo movement and influenced by contemporary African styles such as Afrobeats and Ndombolo. Through her teaching and choreography, Korma has developed a unique approach that bridges culture, wellness, and storytelling. The company’s performances have been featured at major community and arts events including the Minnesota State Fair, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Little Africa Festival, Ordway Family Festival, Minnesota Fringe Festival, and the Minnesota Timberwolves African Night.

Beyond performance, Korma’s work emphasizes education, collaboration, and access. She has partnered with numerous organizations such as African Global Roots, United Artists Collaborative, Titambe West African Dance Ensemble, Memorialize the Movement, the Somali Museum, African Economic Development Solutions, and the Center for Performing Arts. Her creative and educational projects have received funding and recognition from the Capitol Region Watershed District (CRWD), Minnesota State Arts Board (MSAB), and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC). She is also the producer of the short dance film “3D – Dance in the Diaspora,” which explores identity, movement, and belonging.

Through Afrocontigbo, Korma leads programs that reach over 1,000 community members each year and provide paid opportunities to more than 30 artists. Signature initiatives include “Emume,” a multi-month West African dance residency that celebrates cultural heritage through community classes, live performances, and cultural education. She also facilitates school and organizational residencies across Minnesota, including at Gustavus Adolphus College, Breck School, Anoka Middle School, the Northside Achievement Zone, and more using movement to promote creativity, confidence, and wellness.

A passionate advocate for holistic well-being and cultural pride, Korma believes that movement is not just an art form but a path to healing, wholeness, and joy. Her work continues to uplift multicultural voices, preserve ancestral knowledge, and build community through the arts.

Recognized by her community both locally and abroad, Korma has received several honors, including the title “Ada eji Ejemba” from her hometown in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria, an award of recognition as a cultural bearer from African Economic Development Solutions, and a Humanitarian award from Level Concepts-Black Excellence.

Theatre 

Erik Abramsen

 Erik is a Twin Cities-based actor who has been performing and teaching for the past nine years. He has appeared on stage in New York, Chicago, and Washington, DC. Locally, he has performed with TheatreX, Wayward Theatre Company, and Commutator Collective, among others. As an educator, Erik fosters a classroom built on collaboration, allowing students to take creative risks while building a strong ensemble. Erik holds a Master of Fine Arts in Classical Acting from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Carleton College. Erik was last seen on stage in Guillotine City at Open Eye Theatre earlier this summer.

Cody C. Carlson

 Cody is a Twin Cities-based actor, director, and choreographer who has been working in the Cities for the past ten years. Cody holds his B.F.A from The University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program and has been seen in shows with theaters such as Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, Artistry Theater, Park Square Theatre, The Guthrie Theater, among others. As an educator, Cody has worked at Lakeville South High School since 2019 where he directs the theater program there. Cody focuses on bringing professional quality and atmosphere to a high school setting, and strives for excellence in well executed theater. His creative emphasis is how impactful theater is in establishing community. Outside of teaching at SPCPA, he is currently preparing for his next role as Mortimer in Arsenic and Old Lace with Sidekick Theatre and gearing up for the season at Lakeville South High School!

Instrumental Music

Chris Hepola 

 Chris is a drummer, pianist and composer based in the Twin Cities.  He has worked in many musical settings for live audiences through North America and Europe including Lincoln Center, The Newport Folk Festival, Bush Hall in London and The Greek Theater in L.A.

He has worked as a music director and composer for theater productions that have debuted locally, nationally and internationally including Joe’s Pub in New York, Tricklock Theater in Albuquerque, The Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis and the ITSelF Festival in Warsaw, Poland.

Additionally, Chris has written scores for films through commissions with Syncopated Silents, the Minnesota History Center, Sound Unseen, Twin Cities Horror Festival, the Minnesota State Arts Board and others. Chris also records, produces, performs and tours with artists making music in a variety of different genres.

Paul Fonfara

 Paul is a multi-instrumentalist composer, songwriter, producer and all-around nice guy.

He has toured numerous times throughout the US, Canada and Europe as both a soloist and band member with performances on NPR and BBC. He has been awarded 5 grants for composition, writing for chamber orchestra, Balkan’s style brass bands and songwriting collaborations. As a songwriter, Paul has recorded 5 albums that are an eclectic mix of effects laden odd meter post punk, Eastern European folk and jazz. His last mostly instrumental record received a 4 star review in Downbeat Magazine and in 2024 produced an album of Venezuelan folk songs that was voted best new Latin release on Billboard and a first round selection for a Grammy. In addition to numerous commissions to score and perform for silent films, Paul has scored documentaries for Netflix, Hulu/Disney and writes for NBC/Universal. Often collaborating with West Thordson for feature films, Paul’s playing can be heard on M Night Shyamalan’s Glass, Queen of Bones and in the outro credits of Breaking Bad El Camino. Paul’s music has been placed in over 70 episodes of TV world wide.

Paul has been teaching clarinet, saxophone and guitar lessons in the metro area since 2005 as well as general music, band and music therapy in Minneapolis Public Schools. 

Curtis Thompson 

 Curtis is an active performer, educator, instructor, and recording artist whose work spans classical, modern, musical theater, popular, and chamber music. A multi-instrumentalist with a passion for diverse musical traditions, he focuses on performing and recording 20th-century classical guitar repertoire.

Curtis served as Guitar Instructor at Idaho State University, where he taught applied guitar, developed curriculum for the university’s Commercial Music program, and advocated for music education through outreach to rural schools throughout Idaho.

Curtis is currently the Coordinator of the Celedonio Romero Guitar Institute and the rhythm coach MMEA All-State Jazz Band. He holds degrees in guitar performance from Idaho State University and Northern Arizona University and is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Guitar Performance at the University of Minnesota.

Based in the Minneapolis area, Curtis performs throughout the Midwest with collegiate, orchestral, and community ensembles. His debut album, Tonada (2023), features works by Ponce, Barrios, Villa-Lobos, and Lauro. This Fall, Curtis is collaborating with the Fargo-Moorhead Choral Artists to present works for guitar and choir.

Musical Theatre

John Brink 

 John is a Broadway performer, recording artist, and educator whose career spans Broadway, national tours, arena concerts, and arts education. He earned a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from The Hartt School and an M.A. in Theatre from Montclair State University before making his Broadway debut in the Tony Award-nominated revival of Les Misérables. He also appeared in the acclaimed 25th Anniversary National Tour, understudying the iconic roles of Jean Valjean and Enjolras. Since 2009, John has been a featured vocalist with the internationally renowned Trans-Siberian Orchestra, performing for millions of audience members across North America and appearing on the RIAA Platinum-certified album Night Castle.

Alongside his performing career, John is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of artists. Drawing on more than two decades of professional experience, he brings real-world insight into acting, singing, audition technique, and career preparation. He is passionate about cultivating disciplined, versatile performers who communicate with authenticity, artistry, and confidence. Based in the Twin Cities, John continues to perform professionally while teaching and contributing to Minnesota’s vibrant theater community.

Braylon Lane

Theatre/Musical Theatre 

 Braylon is a young, award-winning director, teacher, producer, and performer with recent collaborations on and off stage that include Guthrie Theater, Lyric Arts Main Street Stage, The Phipps Center for the Arts, Children’s Performing Arts, Loud Mouth Productions, and BCS Summer Stock, to name a select few. Besides directing, he is currently the Education Director at Children’s Performing Arts and serves on the Board of Directors at MN Thespians (Minnesota’s branch of the National Educational Thespian Society), serves as a Spotlight Evaluator for Hennepin Theatre Trust, a Competition One-Act official judge, and was recently elected into office to serve on the National Federation of High School Associations representing the Theatre Arts & Speech educators and directors nationwide. Currently, Braylon is directing NEWSIES at Children’s Performing Arts for their Young Adult Professional Summer Stock production, where early career professionals get to learn about how theatre works at the Regional LORT-Level.

Vocal Music