the Blackhawk Theatre Company
of Citrus Valley HS
PERFORMING ARTS DEPARTMENT
As a department, our philosophy is simple - give each and every student the opportunity to grow personally and collectively through the performing arts. We believe in empowering students to make the most of their high school years, therefore we go out of our way to ensure students CAN participate in all four A's - Arts, Academics, Athletics and Activities. We maintain high standards of excellence for ourselves and our students while promoting integrity and grace in their interactions with each other and the student body at large.
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"Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possible can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.”
- Kurt Vonnegut, author of Slaughter House Five
Theatre - Elena Villa
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Elena Villa began her teaching career in 2001 and joined the CV staff in 2010. She has a BA in English from Mount St. Mary’s Univ., a MA in Curriculum & Instruction from Chapman Univ., and a MA in Directing from Roosevelt Univ. The best part about teaching at Citrus is the mutual respect all the Performing Arts students show for each other. Fostering the creation of art is the most rewarding thing about teaching. When not at school, she enjoys trying new foods, cooking and going on adventures with her husband and son.
Band - Austin Meiners
Mr. Meiners has taught the bands and orchestras at Citrus Valley since 2016. He loves conducting the pit orchestras and collaborating with all performing art students. He is an avid soccer fan and will often get up to watch his Tottenham Hotspurs across the pond at 4am. A graduate of Long Beach State (B.M Instrumental Music ‘12), Mr. Meiners is finishing his Masters of Arts in Music and Music Education at Teachers College, Columbia University (‘22).
Choir - Kimberly Anaya
Kimberly Anaya has been teaching at Citrus Valley for 10 years and teaching music in some capacity for 22 years. She moved from a small mountain town to attend the U of R for her Bachelors in Vocal Performance. Continuing her education at the U of R, she earned her Masters in Vocal Performance. When her dreams to become an opera singer became harder by the week, she decided to get her teaching credential and find a high school gig. She feels fortunate to have a home at CV and support from her husband, 2 kids and amazing colleagues.
Piano - Sophia Ohanian
Sophia Ohanian began teaching at Citrus Valley in 2019. She teaches piano classes ranging from beginning to advanced as well as accompanying for the choirs and musicals. Originally from Los Angeles, Ms. Ohanian attended the University of Redlands where she received a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance (2015) and a Master of Arts degree in Education (2019). She has taught private piano lessons for over 10 years and is associate music director at Redlands United Church of Christ. When not working, Ms. Ohanian is an avid NBA follower. Go Lakers!ned.
Production Design (Lighting & Sound) - Daniel Gilstrap
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Sceneshop Supervisor - Ashton Bolanos
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Guest Director - Raphael Berglas
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Zach Simons - Theatre Manager/Tech Director
Zach Simons joined the CVPA in 2022 as the Theater Operations Manager, and is so glad that he did! An entertainment professional with over 15 years of experience, including 16 Seasons as Lighting Director at the Redlands Bowl, he has worked with groups ranging from The Pacific Symphony to P.O.D. He holds a BA in Performance and Directing from Vanguard University, and can be found elsewhere directing and fight coordinating. A lifelong nerd, he loves all things creative, filling his head with useless facts, Disney Parks, vintage design and his 3 cats.
Guest Director - Adam Brodner
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Choreographer - Janelle Good
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Choreographer - Lieren King
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Choreographer - Brian Curl
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