in addition to being the Education Coordinator for our Schauer School of the Arts, Melissa has ten years of experience working as an instructor within our dance, visual art, and theater programs. She has taught dance for over twenty years and is a member of The Dance Masters of Wisconsin. Melissa has always preferred the behind-the-scenes side of putting together performances, and has done choreography work for the Musical Masquers, Kettle Moraine Players, and North Shore Academy of the Arts, as well as costuming and prop work for various dance productions. Melissa holds a BFA in visual art from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design and has done extensive master’s work in art education through Concordia University. Outside of the creative arts, she spent twelve years in special education working as an instructional aide for the public school system. Her teaching is driven by the desire to support people in the variety of ways in which they connect to and communicate with the world around them.

Anna has been dancing for 11 years, and has been with the Schauer Center since 2010. She’s concurrently pursued further dance education from Academy of Dance Arts, Danceworks, Valley Academy for the Arts, and Milwaukee Ballet. She’s taken an intensive course in the systematic teachings of Vaganova, Anatomy, Kinesiology and developmental movement in children through Valley Academy for the Arts. Performing in countless dance productions with Schauer Center, Storybrook Dance, Dance Alive National Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Valley Academy for the Arts, and Dance of Wisconsin has been a highlight for Anna. She has taken master classes from Patrik Kasper of Storybrook Dance Theater, Andre Valladon and Kim Tuttle of Dance Alive National Ballet, Karl Van Rabeneau and Jennifer Miller, as well as attended Dance Masters of Wisconsin workshops and Milwaukee Ballet’s 6-week pre-professional summer intensive. Anna has been professionally trained in ballet, pointe, contemporary and modern, with varying exposure in tap, funk, Irish, ballroom, African, hip-hop, Afro-Cuban, and Latin dance. Anna was a teacher assistant at the Schauer Center for 3 years, served a dance internship through their Sycamore Tree location in 2015, and has taught 6 levels of ballet as well as the lower levels of contemporary. She’s assisted and choreographed modern and contemporary group and solo pieces, dances for a school play, the Schauer’s 2016 showcase “The Toy Shop”, 2017 showcase “Dance of the Swans”, and 2018 showcase “A Story Through our Shoes”. She is excited to continue teaching at the Schauer Center for the fourth year, and is looking forward to helping your children develop into the best dancers and individuals possible.

Elisabeth’s passion for dance began at age 6 and she has continued to study dance and perform for the past 23 years. In 2011, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a BA Piano Major and a Dance Minor. As a dance professional, she has interned and performed with Danceworks Performance Company in Façade in 2013. She is currently entering her fourth season as a company member with Catey Ott Dance Collective in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In Fall of 2015 and Spring of 2016, Elisabeth has choreographed and performed her solo works for MKE Follies. Since the Spring of 2014, Elisabeth continues to perform with CODC, Milwaukee Ballet II, and Milwaukee Ballet Academy dancers in the Lake Arts Project directed by Jennifer Miller and Karl von Rabenau. As a teacher and dancer, Elisabeth finds it rewarding to teach her students the joy of artistic expression, intention, and communication through the power of dance and performance.

Hannah has been dancing competitively for over 15 years. She has performed professionally and actively competes at the international level.  Some of her accomplishments include training a junior 8-person mixed ceili team to win 5th overall at the Midwest Regional Championships, taking first place at the Midwest Championships in the set dance category and ranking top 10 in the solo championship category at the Midwest Championships.  She is currently understudying for the TCRG exams (international Irish Dance teaching certification) and enjoying the position of Troupe director with the Schauer's first semi-professional performing Irish Dance Troupe.  If you wish to enjoy a great Celtic Christmas, St. Patrick's Day performance or other show, workshop, or combination, please make arrangements by email. To contact Hannah regarding Troupe performances and workshops, email at reelceltic@gmail.com

Bio coming soon! 

Bio coming soon! 

Lori graduated magna cum laude from UW-Platteville with a degree in general music and secondary choral education. She currently teaches general music and is the Director of Choirs at Central Middle School in Hartford. Before moving to the area, Lori taught K-12 music at Cuba City Schools for several years and was an assistant director with the Platteville Children's Choir. She has also been very active on and off the stage as a director and performer. Some of her favorite roles have included Sister Robert Anne in Nunsense and Nunsense II, Marian in The Music Man, Princess Winifred in Once Upon a Mattress, and a wife in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Lori currently lives in Milwaukee with her husband John, daughter Olivia, and step-son Aiden. She enjoys camping, spending time with her family, reading, cleaning, and being outside.

Terese has been teaching private music, directing and performing in productions, and coaching speech & debate for dozens of years at Hartford Union High School and other venues in SE Wisconsin.  She studied music, theater, and education at Northern Michigan University and Concordia University Wisconsin.  A homeschool mom of four, Terese is especially adept at managing different age groups and learning styles.  Her passion for teaching music and all kinds of communication has enriched her life!  She and her husband, Dan, own Hummel Media, serving the area's needs for all types of live or recorded communication of any kind.  In addition to being an avid organic gardener and working backstage at the Schauer Center, Terese is a volunteer with the Seed of Hope Center, Kettle Moraine Home Educators, and the Hartford Players, and she holds a variety of responsibilities at the 1st Congregational Church of Hartford.

Lisa is a violin/viola instructor from Jackson. She runs Heartstrings Violins and has offered lessons for 20+ years. She attended UW-¬Milwaukee where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts - Music Performance (violin). After moving to Jackson 14 years ago, Mrs. Kitzke coached UW-WC's Washington County Youth Orchestra in West Bend. In 2011, Lisa joined Kettle Moraine Symphony as a first violinist and is presently a member. From 2013-2016 she taught individual and group lessons as well as assisted in leading sectional rehearsals at Hartford Union High School. Beginning in the fall of 2016, Lisa begins a new position as String Instructor for Silverbrook Intermediate and West Bend High Schools.

For more information about Ryan, please visit MeiselMusic.net/ryan-meisel.

Therese has been the theater instructor for the Arts Immersion program at the Schauer Arts Center for the past six years.  Therese has directed countless plays and taught a wide variety of drama classes for the past 25 years. She has served as Artistic Director for the Milwaukee Youth Theatre for 20 years and is currently still helping to oversee the organization as Board President and volunteer grant writer.  Since she moved to Oshkosh 16 years ago, she has been very active directing and stage managing shows for Fond du Lac Community Theatre. She most recently directed "Addams Family" and "Harvey" there. In addition, she is the theater teacher for Oshkosh Knowledge Seekers, a local home school group that enjoys working on improv skills. Therese has been instrumental in starting up three Winnebago area community theater groups. One of her proudest accomplishments is writing and directing two original cabarets for the Windhover Center of the Arts, which is currently The Thelma, in Fond du Lac.  Therese loves working at the Schauer Center with their highly professional and creative production team and staff.

Melissa has been teaching dance for 18 years while working for many area studios including The Compromise of Germantown and Dance Tracks, LLC of Waukesha. She is a member of The Dance Masters of Wisconsin, and has attended workshops with notable figures such as Colleen Kelly Beaman, Mark Yonally, and Charmaine Ristow. In addition to teaching, she has done choreography work for The Musical Masquers, Jim & I Productions, The Kettle Moraine Players, and The North Shore Academy of the Arts. Melissa holds a BFA in visual art from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design and is currently working towards a combined teaching certification and master’s degree in art education at Concordia University. She wants to continue work in both visual art and dance education and is highly interested in finding ways for them to support each other. Outside of art and dance, Melissa has 12 years of experience in special education. She previously worked as a home therapist for The Wisconsin Early Autism Project. During the day, Melissa works as an instructional aide for Merton Community Schools.

Frank is best known for his reputation as a contemporary master of expressionism painting, but he is experienced in many other mediums, subjects, and styles. A native of Wisconsin, Hoeffler is a classically trained professional artist whose formal art school training included advanced studios of multiple artistic mediums. He began his art career at an early age and still yearns for the opportunity to be more creative with his art. He started painting in his free time as a vehicle of self-expression and over the years his work developed into his current style of abstract art. His painting subjects are influenced by nature, particularly the landscape and atmosphere around him. All of which were major elements of his environment as a youth.  His work has been established in museums and galleries throughout the country and featured in many solo shows. He exhibits in a multitude of national and international juried shows and his artwork has won many prestigious awards. He has been published in International Contemporary Artists Vol. IV by ICA Publishing New York, NY and three times in New Art International “A Compendium of Recent Works by World contemporary Artists,” Book Art Press: Publishers, New York, NY.  Original works of art by Frank Hoeffler are available at his studio gallery, The Saddler Gallery in 3rd Ward Milwaukee, and Hair and Gallery Guys & Dolls in Germantown.

Tricia is currently studying Art Therapy and Art Education at Mount Mary University in Milwaukee. She has had previous experience in many aspects of art including dance, music and visual arts. In high school, Tricia helped to start an art club and has showed her work at several art shows in the Washington County community. At Mount Mary University, Tricia is the president of the Student Art Therapy Association and is a Layton Art Scholar. She also is involved with the campus programming counsel. Tricia is looking to peruse a career in Art Education as an elementary art teacher once she graduates.