Starz Theater Company Administration
Tina Cook
STC Executive Producer
OWNER- Turning Pointe School of Dance
In the fall of 2004, Tina founded Turning Pointe School of Dance to share her joy for dancing and teach students how to use their gifting to bring glory to their Creator. Tina knew this was the beginning step for a bigger vision which would include additional outlets for students of varied creative passions. In 2013, she and Heather Rider (STARZ first Director) came together to launch a new creative arm of Turning Pointe School of Dance. STARZ was born to give students who enjoyed the art of combining dance, singing and acting into a masterpiece on stage. STARZ was designed around a seasonal concept consisting of training then producing a full scale stage production. In addition, students get a piece that is unique to the STARZ vision. Students engage in weekly devotionals and learn the practicalities of how to integrate faith and talent to touch others through the powerful venue of the arts. In its first year, STARZ was a huge success thanks to our students, parents, volunteers and director.
Laura Bergen
StC Artistic Director,
The LittLE meRMAID sHOW diRECTOR
Laura was born and raised in Wichita, KS. She graduated from Friends University with a BA in Music Theatre in 2009. Since childhood, Laura has had a desire to create and tell powerful stories. During her college training, God breathed life into this dream and Laura began her career as a choreographer and director. Throughout her years in the Arts, Laura’s desire to provide youth with the opportunity to learn and perform in a positive and encouraging environment has only grown. In the Wichita area, she taught ballet and tap, served as the Drama Director for a non-profit children’s ministry and assisted with the founding of a children’s theater. Living in Colorado Springs since 2010, Laura has continued to teach dance and work as a choreographer for local high schools, community theater, children’s theater, dance studios, and various summer camps and intensives. Favorite show credits include: Fiddler on the Roof (choreographer), Mary Poppins (choreographer), Newsies (Director and Choreographer), Beauty and the Beast (Director) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Choreographer). Laura is a YPAD-certified Dance Instructor and teaches at Turning Pointe Dance. She was honored to receive an Outstanding Teacher Award from Dance Revolution Convention in 2018. She has been a part of Starz Theater Company since 2016. She joined as the first Starz Rizing Lead and spent two years establishing this part of the company before moving into the role of Director in 2018. Laura is so grateful for every chance she has to cheer on students as they develop their unique talents and discover more of who they were created to be. Laura and her husband, Justin, love raising their four boys in the beautiful Colorado mountains.
Starz Theater Company Creative Team
Liz Morales
STC Choreography Lead
The Little mermaid
Liz Morales is from Charlotte, North Carolina and recently graduated with her BFA in Dance and BA in Theatre Performance from Belhaven University. She has performed in both concert dance works and theatre shows, while also participating as a student designer and assistant director for several shows. Liz has been teaching and choreographing for 10 years and has choreographed for productions such as Belhaven University's production of Pride and Prejudice and STARZ Theatre Company's production of The Music Man, Frozen JR, and several YPS Summits. She has created concert dance works for Belhaven University concerts, Fidele Youth Dance Company, and recently had a work selected to perform at the Alabama Dance Festival. Liz is thrilled to get to further pursue her passion for choreography, community, and fun with STARZ Theatre Company!
Michelle Kaufman
STC Vocal Lead
The Little Mermaid
Michelle's musical journey started at a young age with a God-given ear for music, having a musically talented mom, and taking lessons from a fantastic private piano teacher. She taught her own piano students throughout high school and then graduated from Southwestern Community College with an AA in Music. After being involved in theatre and vocal ensembles herself, and then teaching in youth theatre summer camps, her artistic passion shifted from pianist to musical theatre. Being a military spouse has afforded her many opportunities to be involved in vocal directing positions for youth theatre across the country. She has loved being a part of the Starz family in the beautiful city of Colorado Springs and has high hopes that her daughter and twin sons will one day be involved in theatre alongside her!
Jenna Meinz
Starz Rizing & All-STARZ LEAd
The LittLE MERMAID
Jenna has been a student of Turning Pointe Dance for 14 years. She studied ballet for 12 years, Musical Theater for 9 years and a little bit of everything else! Jenna is currently teaching Musical Theater at Turning Pointe School of Dance. She has been a part of STC for 3 years, two as a performer in the cast and one as an SA and now has joined the creative team since Music Man. She has also taken a year of culinary school and in her free time, she loves to bake, make cakes and manage at Chick-fil-A. Jenna’s biggest passion is to inspire the next generation and equip them for the future and world around them.
Grace Nichols
All-STARZ Assistant
The LittLE MERMAID
Grace was born in Anchorage, Alaska, and has been a proud Coloradan since age four. She has always had a passion for teaching, since she was very little and practiced with her siblings! Dance created an outlet for that passion, and she has had the privilege of teaching at Turning Pointe School of Dance for three years as an assistant/intern, and two years as an instructor. As a student for seven years she has been instructed in various styles such as hip-hop, ballet, modern, jazz and musical theater. She was a cast member in the Starz productions of Newsies and Mary Poppins, where her enthusiasm for the arts was able to flourish. She is overjoyed to be on the creative team! Through the position, she is looking forward to leading students to grow in their own passion for theater, and to glorify God's name in their endeavors. Grace lives with her husband, and in her free time she loves to take adventures with him, try new recipes, and go horseback riding.
Tonya Hayden
STC Stage Manager
THE LITTLE MERMAID
Tonya was a very ‘theatrical’ child who loved to dance and sing around the house. She grew up in Utah and started dancing when she was 6. It was love at first class. Her time on her high school competition dance team taught her the value of hard work and dedication. A couple of months after she graduated high school she received her license in Cosmetology, then continued on to graduate college in 2002 with a BA in Communication with an emphasis on public culture. During that time she dabbled in musical theater and acting. After college, she spent a year traveling around the US coordinating all aspects of live events, including a fashion show for children. In 2003 she moved to Colorado Springs for a new adventure. It was here that she started teaching hip hop at a few local studios, including the YMCA, Fountain Arts Center, and Northridge Dance. She spent the last 20 years as a hairdresser, while simultaneously holding second jobs as an event coordinator at Pulpit Rock Church, and teaching dance. At Pulpit Rock she held a lead role in a melodrama, which was loads of fun. In 2005 and 2007, Tonya served two mission trips to Ecuador as a leader with Big World Ventures where they performed Spellbound, a drama that tells the story of Christ. This opportunity afforded her to learn some leadership skills in an unfamiliar place. She married her husband, Drew, in 2010, and enjoys raising their two children Izzy and Declan. Tonya is a teacher at Turning Pointe and her fifth year with STARZ Theater Company. Her role as stage manager affords her to use all her experiences to bring all the moving parts together behind the scenes.
Keeping kids happy, healthy, and safe in dance is an important topic for teachers and studio owners. Our staff and instructors at Turning Pointe School of Dance are in the first group of studios nationally certified in YPAD (Youth Protection Advocates in Dance) Safety and Wellness Course. Each member of the Starz Theater Company Admin has earned a YPAD Certification.
Our training included: educational best practices including background checks and CPR/First Aid, abuse awareness & prevention, injury prevention & response, safety & emergency preparedness, social media/media safety/today’s dance culture, developmentally appropriate artistry, body image/nutrition/disordered eating, and bullying/conflict resolution.
The more we know, the better we can do for kids.
YPAD courses are the foremost, research-based, educational courses for dance professionals and the dance industry as a whole and we are so grateful to be a part!
It Takes a Village
Parent Volunteers, Community Volunteers,
Team Coordinators, student leadership
Parent and Community Volunteers:
Each season, families and volunteers get involved in the Starz Theater Company (STC) process and build community. These individuals discover new friendships and connect with the many other families on a similar journey of raising creative individuals with a passion for the stage. Many parents enjoy this outlet for their own creative or administrative gift mix as they directly benefit their own children's efforts. Our Company also benefits on many levels. Students enjoy the involvement and input of others and families draw closer as they work together to produce a show of excellence for our community. The creative process is also strengthened as additional ideas are brought to the table and often implemented. Parent expectations are outlined in the Student/Parent Handbook families will receive after casting. Families are asked to prayerfully consider where they can give their time and talents. Our families and volunteers really are the "secret ingredient" to the many details of production.
Team Work:
Parents, volunteers and students have the option of joining the Team of their choice where their gift mix can best be utilized. For some, that means working throughout the season. For others, show month and weekends are their best window of opportunity. Either way, volunteers are asked to identify where they can give and make an investment in our cast and production. Our Teams include: Set Design and Construction, Costume Design and Production, Props, Hospitality, Dressing Rooms, Photography, Ticket Sales, Ad Sales and Program Production, Technical and Show Month Volunteer Opportunities.
Team Coordinators:
There are some who step into the role of Team Leadership to serve our Creative Team in a very hands-on way. Individuals interested in serving as a Team Coordinator must have at least one season of experience serving/volunteering for Starz Theater Company and demonstrate the ability to work with our Creative Team, students, families and build unity through all their efforts. These Coordinators are the hub of communication for their team, assist in moving the overall vision forward, coordinate work days, manage team efforts, and provide leadership throughout the process of bringing our shows to the stage. Team Coordinators are chosen by our Directorial Team on an individual basis.
Student Leadership:
In recent years, STC has added an additional layer to our leadership structure. This layer is represented by our student leaders. These consist of our Student Assistants, Interns and Dance Captains. The Dance Captain role a cast member who is focused on assisting the Starz Choreography Lead during all rehearsals. It is based on experience with our company, training, skills, character, integrity, and leadership qualities. Student Assistants and Interns work directly with our Directorial Team and Team Leads. These students forego the Cast experience and focus on servant leadership during rehearsals and the performance. These students lead the charge in demonstrating how to be a voice of encouragement and strength for others while giving their time to serve in a variety of capacities. SA's and Interns are required to be at rehearsals and performances, and have the privilege of joining strategic leadership meetings with Team Leads. Along the way, there are various opportunities that will arise for students to step out and into roles of leadership. We invite creativity and ideas into this process. Our Dance Captain, Student Assistants, and Interns are one more way that STC is investing in, training, and "inspiring future leaders in the Arts & beyond"!