CINDY BRENN holds a BS degree with emphasis in Science and Math from the University of Oregon along with a secondary teaching certificate. She taught tap, choreographed, directed and produced in Japan from 1973-1992. Since 1986 she has studied with all the great tap masters and has conducted workshops featuring the classic styles and sounds of masters such as Bill Robinson, Honi Coles, Eddie Brown, Eleanor Powell, John Bubbles and Baby Lawrence. Living in Hong Kong, India, Taiwan, and Japan provided her with ample opportunities for infusions of Asian rhythms, motifs, and influences.

SEAN CAIN is one of Portland's premiere young artists. Following study and a degree at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Pacific Northwest College of Art, he has exhibited at the Corvallis Art Center and currently shows at the Laura Russo Gallery. He was named by Willamette Week as 'Best Emerging Artist' in 1996 and has sold paintings to some of Portland's most expert art connoisseurs. A prolific painter, Sean is passionate about teaching his formidable skills and knowledge to young people.

NATHAN LUCAS has a BFA in Fine Arts (Visual Design and Photography) and an MFA focus in visual Design and multimedia design, and brings to his multimedia work a rich background in art and aesthetics. He was a multimedia artist and media coordinator for ImageBuilder Software and has extensive background in photographic processing. He has taught photography and computer art at the high school and college level.

GREG MCKELVEY is known throughout jazz band circles in the nation for developing excellence in big bands on the secondary level. His 'Green Machine' jazz band at Wilson High School was always an award winner and was the national champion in the heavyweight division in secondary jazz bands in 1990. His players have garnered full music scholarships to colleges and universities throughout the country. His bands have performed with jazz greats like Clark Terry and Mel Brown and have played for two US Presidents, Bush and Reagan. Mr. McKelvey has taught at the high school level since 1978. His work in high schools has been universally regarded by parents, students, other teachers, administrators and professional musicians as 'the best there is' in jazz on the secondary level.

HEIDI L KIRKPATRICK, an established fine art photographer, based in Portland Oregon has exhibited widely over the last ten years. Kirkpatrick’s work is included in collections at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, Springfield Museum of Art, Ohio and The OHSU Corporate Collection. Kirkpatrick’s work often depicts a view of the world experienced by women. Kirkpatrick develops her own images, including silver gelatin printing, alternative processes, photographs using a Holga toy camera, transparent images on film and 3-D mixed media objects. In addition to being an experienced mid-career artist, Kirkpatrick joined The Northwest Academy, in 2004, to teach photography at the high school level. Kirkpatrick is currently represented locally by the Alysia Duckler Gallery and G. Gibson Gallery in Seattle, Washington.

SARA MARTINS, BA Dance (University of California, Los Angeles), first made her mark in Portland as part of The Jefferson Dancers, Jefferson High School's award-winning dance troupe. She began her teaching career as a substitute tap teacher at UCLA before moving on to teach dance at The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks. There, she helped to develop the middle and upper school dance curricula, and created and implemented a successful tap program. Her choreography resume includes nine musical theatre productions and over 100 dance pieces, including choreography for Oregon Children's Theatre productions.

DAVID BERKSON is founder and director of education for Will Power! an after school Shakespeare program for young people in the Portland area. David is a professional actor who has appeared with the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Marin Shakespeare Company, San Jose Stage Company and more recently in Portland at Profile Theatre Project's production of The Zoo Story. Other roles include Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Hotspur in Henry IV, Part I , and Feste in Twelfth Night. Television roles include appearances on CBS's Nash Bridges and The Discovery Channel's New Detectives. David was education director for Marin Shakespeare Company and outreach coordinator for Profile Theatre Project. He has directed many plays for teenagers including Hamlet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, A Night Out, and The American Dream.

RACHAEL TORCHIA, BA (Bennington College) is a photographer with a
background in mediation and conflict resolution. Rachael's
instructional experience includes public, private and charter schools
as well as court intervention programs. She specializes in
experimental and student-directed learning; she has taught conflict
management and varied art's-based curriculum at the middle and high
school level in both Vermont and Oregon.

JAMIE STILLWAY has been playing guitar since she was 13, and decided to follow her musical muse at the opportune time of her graduation from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a degree in film studies. After studying with one of the nation's foremost experts in country blues and ragtime guitar in Santa Barbara, Kenny Sultan, Stillway moved to Denver, Colorado. During her short time there, Stillway had a brief stint as a rhythm guitarist in a Gypsy jazz band. Deciding the Rocky Mountain high wasn't for her, she relocated to Portland, Oregon in the spring of 2002. Since then, Stillway has released 2 solo albums and one duo album with Ben Bonham, which was chosen as one of Willamette Week's top albums of 2004. She has been featured several times in regional and national publications and was also featured on OPB's Oregon Art Beat in May of 2006. After a short tour of Germany in 2006, Stillway received an endorsement from Stevens Guitar of Munich. In addition to her time at the Northwest Academy, Stillway also teaches private guitar lessons out of her studio and performs in a variety of musical settings.