Chara Dance Academy proudly employs professional, caring, and dedicated dance instructors who are active role models in the lives of their students.  Our instructors teach students technical skills, Christian values, and self-confidence that will guide them throughout their dance journey and within their everyday lives.  Many of our instructors have danced at a professional level and/or hold a university level degree in dance. Each instructor participates in continued education both within and outside of the studio to stay current in the field of dance.

Shanna Kirkpatrick

Chara Founder

Shanna opened Chara Christian Dance Academy in 2008 with the intent of combining faith with excellence in dance instruction. She attended Texas A&M University, receiving a BS in Sport Management and Minor in Dance and Business. In 2017 she and her husband Bobby, Pastor of Friendswood Friends Church, started Part of the Art Foundation providing dance scholarships to deserving kids. Together they have three children. Shanna enjoys serving on the board of the FISD Education Foundation and Friends of Downtown Friendswood. She is a certified business and personal development coach with More Than Just Great Dancing!®, helping other studio owners create businesses that serve their students and communities with excellence!

Directors & Coordinators

Samantha Aguilera

Costume Coordinator

Samantha has 17+ years of administrative experience in which attention to detail, structure, and organization are crucial. Her family has been attending Chara since 2020 starting with her daughter dancing then a year later her son starting piano lessons. She is a homeschool mom who loves taking field trips and learning alongside her children. She and her husband have been married for 13 years and together serve in the children’s ministry at their church. She loves spending time with her family and traveling!

Madison DeShane

Director of Studio Events, Artistic Director of Friendswood Contemporary Ballet & Dance Instructor

Madison began her dance training and performing in North Carolina. During that time she performed in works with Carolina Ballet, Graceful Expressions Classical Ballet Company, and Atlanta Ballet’s Centre for Dance in Georgia. She attended college at Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi for Dance and graduated with a degree in Management. Madison loves teaching and working with our families at Chara Christian Dance Academy, and hopes to grow each of her students’ passion for dance! She is the Artistic Director for Friendswood Contemporary Ballet, and loves bringing ballet to the community of Friendswood!

Cindy Fletcher

Music Department Director & Piano Instructor

Combining a passion for teaching, children and music,  Mrs. Fletcher is an award-winning educator and musician who is thrilled to be sharing her love of fine arts in the Christian environment of Chara Christian Dance Academy.  Her goals are to motivate and encourage students while instilling a life-long appreciation of music.  She has taught piano lessons for 25 years, taught in public and private schools, and directed/performed with numerous choirs, singing groups, praise teams and musical productions.  When not teaching or making music, Mrs. Fletcher can be found with her other obsessions – reading, cross-stitch, fur babies and family.

Ashley Gilfoil

Bloom Fine Arts Coordinator & Bloom Teacher

Ashley is known for her positive energy and her ability to connect with and inspire children. She holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Texas Tech University. She also holds a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction and a Teaching Certification in Spanish from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. She has experience teaching in preschool, elementary and high school. When she is not working with the Bloom class at Chara, you can find her parenting her two active boys, smiling behind a camera, volunteering, struggling in a 5:00 am CrossFit class, working on a puzzle, or reading.

Lori Harvey

Marketing Events Coordinator & Customer Care Representative

Lori has been married to her husband Jim for 39 years, and is the mother of two daughters. She spent many years serving in Children’s ministry at her church and many years as a Chara Dance Mom herself.  She enjoys spending time with family and friends, as well as traveling to new places. Her favorite thing about working at Chara is making the young dancers feel at home in our studio, as well as making families feel welcome and comfortable.

Christen Hellman

Director of Operations & Director of Sales and Marketing

Christen came to Chara from the corporate world with project management experience across small businesses.  Christen has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of Minnesota.  She is a League City resident and mother of two.  Christen has grown in her passion for the arts through her time and experience at Chara and contributes to our communication, website, and graphics, and community impact.

Susan Keeble

Director of Organizational Support

Susan has a passion for people and enjoys building community by connecting and collaborating with others in her career and volunteer work. She and her husband Craig are the proud parents of a Florida Gator. They enjoy going to Longhorn and Gator football games, volunteering in the Galveston community, and serving at their home church, Moody Methodist. Susan earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from The University of Texas and a master’s degree in human resources and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University. As a human resources professional for 30+ years, she is excited to serve employees by helping them grow in their careers and serve others.

Kyndal Kennedy

School Director, Pearland

Kyndal received her Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations with a Minor in Theater from Texas State University in 2014. After spending 5 years in advertising and marketing, Kyndal returned to the dance industry full time as the Assistant Director of the Friendswood High School Wranglerettes from 2019-2024, all while continuing a position with Crowd Pleasers Dance Company as a part of their creative team. She hopes to bring her experience to Chara Christian Dance Academy to enhance the legacy that the staff has worked so hard to create. She is honored to serve students and teachers in her role as School Director, where she can prepare our dancers for a bright future, wherever their journey takes them. The only thing she loves more than an venti iced vanilla latte is spending time with her husband and two boys.

Ellaine LaBorde

Director of Customer Support

Ellaine received her undergraduate degree from Texas State and Masters from the University Houston. She taught for several years in CCISD before spending over a decade as a recruiter and Human Resources manager for a large public accounting firm. After deciding to stay home and focus on her family, she taught preschool and led many children’s ministry programs at her church. She’s been married to her husband for 21 years and has 3 children, one attending Baylor University and two in high school. Ellaine enjoys exercising, traveling and spending time with her family, especially their 7 dogs!

Jillian Marshburn

Media Coordinator & Technical Coordinator

Jillian started at Chara in 2016 working part time at the front desk while finishing her Bachelor of Arts degree in Ministry Leadership from Northwest University. After graduation, she shifted to a full time role with Media and Marketing being the focus. Growing up dancing herself and later becoming a member of the Deer Park HS Drill Team, she loves getting the opportunity to continue to be in the dance world while using her talents in graphic design & videography to showcase the culture and community of Chara to bring families into our Chara family! When Jillian is not at Chara, she enjoys reading, geeking out over Star Wars & Marvel, going to (& talking about) Disney and spending time with family & friends. Let them praise His name with dancing. Psalm 149:3

Meghan Owen

Director of Dance Programs & School Director, Friendswood

Meghan has been with Chara since 2014. Meghan grew up with a passion for dancing. She was captain of her high school dance team and danced competitively with her dance studio. She attended the University of Iowa receiving a BA in Dance and a BA in Performing Arts Entrepreneurship where she was a part of the university’s pre-professional dance company. Meghan then moved to Kansas City to dance professionally with Kacico Dance. Coming to Houston through Teach for America, Meghan previously coached dance and cheerleading teams at YES Prep Southwest and South Houston High School. Meghan holds a Masters in Physical Education from the University of Houston. Meghan hopes to give her dancers a well-rounded training experience that makes them versatile dancers for whatever dance journey they pursue! Meghan, her husband, and two children enjoy camping, hiking, and traveling throughout the year.

Madi Pack

Performance Company Coordinator, Dance Instructor, Customer Care Representative

Madi grew up dancing right here at Chara when it was still located in the gym at Friends Church. She danced competitively with Chara as a company principal for a few years before joining the National Champion Friendswood Wranglerettes drill team where she held a leadership position of President. Eventually she went on to teach dance at a fellow MTJGD studio in College Station while attending Texas A&M University and getting her degree in early childhood education. While she was there she coached a several companies and started a program for dancers with disabilities. She has been teaching dance for 10 years and believes wholeheartedly that all students deserve the opportunity to experience the joy of dance!

Nicole Reed

Director of Student Services 

Nicole received her Bachelor’s in Public Relations & minor in Business Management from University of Houston. She spent 3 years training with Ingredients Dance Company in Dallas where she had the privilege of touring the country with the Dance Revolution Dance Convention. Nicole manages our competitive and recreational dance companies, is the Administrative Director for Friendswood Contemporary Ballet and a dance instructor. She hopes to instill a deeper self confidence in her students as well as a drive and determination to push towards their goals. It is not about how you compare to your peers, but that you are better than you were the day before. She encourages her students to believe in themselves and to find one thing to grow in and improve on each day. Outside of dance, Nicole likes to spend time with her family, enjoys eating Mexican food and cheering on the Astros. She and her husband are looking forward to growing their family and welcoming their first baby in the fall of 2023.

Hillary Stout

Executive Assistant, Facilities Coordinator & Enrollment Coordinator

Hillary joined Chara in 2021 from a long background in early childhood education and children’s ministry. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Houston and certification in Early Childhood Development. She’s been married to her husband Marty for 23 years and enjoys being an “on-call” parent to a high school junior and a college junior. She enjoys volunteering in the community and loves to travel.

Customer Care Team

Roselyn Franke

Customer Care Representative

Roselyn has a joint JD/MA degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law and have worked primarily in the legal field for thirty years. Her two granddaughters, Lauren and Brooke, have attended Chara for about 13 years. She has always loved the Christian environment and example Ms. Shanna, the instructors, and the staff has provided to all students at Chara. In her spare time, Roselyn loves to read, dance, and travel – Paris, France is one of her favorite European cities. For summer vacations, she loves to swim and snorkel. Roselyn is thrilled to be a Customer Care Team Member.

Cassandra Fuqua

Customer Care Representative

Cassandra recently received her undergraduate degree from Houston Christian University. In high school, she volunteered as an assistant Sunday School teacher with Sagemont Church, along with working at Bay Area Christian School’s after-school program. With both of her sisters having danced at Chara, she’s loved getting to see all the work that goes into making the whole dance season and especially recital season run smoothly. She hopes to help the families of Chara in any way she can. Outside of work, she loves to read, spend time with her family, listen to music, and paint.

Susan Mercer

Customer Care Representative

Susan enjoyed working for the State of Texas for over 30 years, 20+ years of experience in the public school district working in Student Services and 10 years working at Texas Department of Public Safety, retiring as a Facilities Manager. After retiring, she moved from the Waco area to be closer to family but still had a desire to work but on a part-time basis. Having two daughters that took dance classes growing up and now two granddaughters dancing at Chara, she thought Chara would be a perfect fit. She has enjoyed meeting and working with all the families at Chara and especially getting to know their sweet children. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her family and fur baby, she loves reading a good book and baking goodies.

Cristina Ovalle

Customer Care Representative

Cristina is a certified teacher with a passion for teaching Kindergarten. She holds a Bilingual EC-6th grade certification and has extensive experience teaching diverse student populations. She believes that every child has a talent, and she is committed to helping them discover and develop their unique abilities. Cristina is very excited to work with the customer care team and help families at Chara Christian Dance Academy. She has been married to her husband, a Navy veteran, for 19 years, and together they have three wonderful children. Their eldest is in college, while the younger two are in elementary school, one which is a dancer at Chara. Outside of teaching, she love to travel and spend quality time with her family.

Stormy Stanford

Customer Care Representative

After graduation from Texas A&M University, Stormy has a great deal of professional experience working across several different industries. While this vast knowledge ultimately led her to become a Kindergarten teacher, her immense growth, love, admiration, and faith filled her once becoming a mom. She have been a primarily stay-at-home mom and now assist her daughters with their homeschool curriculum. Her family spends a great many hours at Chara and she has watched them both thrive and grow – this is her hope for all of our Chara students: that they find their strength and purpose through their God given abilities, and that they love, respect and support each other as they all are unique and individual. You may again see her flying the friendly skies one day, but until her girls are grown, she will be ready to assist you at the front desk any time that you find a need!

Victoria Wright

Customer Care Representative, Align Boutique Manager

Victoria graduated from Texas State with a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences majoring in Fashion Merchandising. When her daughter was born, she decided to go back in to school to be a teacher so that she could spend as much time with her as she could. Victoria has been teaching in Catholic schools for 10 years with a specialization in Pre-K.

Victoria loves being able to teach and to incorporate her fashion degree in her role at Chara as a Buyer for Align Boutique. Her daughter is now 13 and has been dancing with Chara since she was five. Her family loves the community, the values and the Christian faith that Chara provides. She has been married to her husband for 15 years. Victoria loves to travel, spend time with family and attend Mass. She trusts in Jesus and ask for his guidance in everything she says and does.

Chara Dance Instructors

Jheru Alba

Dance Instructor, Assistant Director of Chara Crew

Jheru brings 20 years of experience in Hip Hop dancing. He started dancing with a Filipino cultural group at his church. With the friends he made there, they went on to dance in numerous shows and competitions across the state. Fast forward to today he’s been blessed with opportunities such as being cast in a Netflix movie, going on tour across America, cast in commercials and dancing in music videos. His most valued accomplishment is the 11 titles he’s won at ‘World of Dance’ tour in multiple cities! He now wishes to share his experiences and inspire future generations of dedicated dancers.

Bethany Armistead

Dance Instructor & Bloom Fine Arts Teacher

Ms. Bethany graduated from Towson University with a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography. She is currently a member of Ad Deum Dance Company Collective and has performed with Kinetics Dance Company and Open Sky Arts Collective. She hopes to give her students a community where they feel seen, heard, loved, and accepted by their peers and teacher. Something unique about Ms. Bethany is that she grew up in China!

Sydney Cockburn

Dance Instructor

Sydney has 23 years of dance experience, beginning her dance career as a toddler. She received instruction and performed in many group routines as a student at Star Steppers Dance Studio in Friendswood, TX. A member of the competition team, Sydney won many awards for group and solo performances. Sydney was also a member of the Pearland High School dance team, the Pearland Prancers. Sydney graduated from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology / Pre-med. Post university, Sydney became a ballroom dance teacher, instructing students in the genres of contemporary, jazz, modern, ballet and heels. Sydney is also a Private Instructor. Sydney was a member of the CLI Conservatory in Southampton, MA and Of Moving Colors Productions in Baton Rouge, LA. Sydney currently works in the healthcare / physical therapy space, helping patients continue to move, thereby improving the quality of their lives. Ms. Sydney is looking forward to a great year ahead with these young dancers!

Casey Dervay

Director of Chara Crew & Dance Instructor

Casey is originally from League City and served as Captain of the Clear Creek High School Cavaliers. A Baylor University graduate with a major in Finance and minor in Chinese, Casey was a four-year member and Captain of the Baylor Songleaders Dance Team, performing at NCAA football and basketball games. Post-college, Casey moved to California where she continued dance for The Walt Disney Company at Disneyland, performing in numerous roles and productions, as well as studio training in jazz, jazz-funk, and hip-hop. After relocating back to Texas, Casey was selected as a member of the NBA Houston Rockets dance team, the Clutch City Dancers. She is currently a second year member of Dance Revolution’s Hip-Hop Rev Crew! This is Casey’s fifth year teaching at Chara and she truly loves sharing her passion for Jesus and dance with all of her students!

Jazzy Farrish

Dance Instructor

Jasmine “Jazzy” Farrish is trained in ballet/pointe, contemporary, jazz, and drill team technique. After graduating from Crosby High School, Farrish attended Tyler Junior College (TJC) where she held roles in Tyler Junior College’s “The Nutcracker.”’ After graduating from TJC, she continued her B.F.A in Dance studies at the University of Houston (UH) where she is a member of the UH Dance Ensemble. Ms. Jazzy hopes to give her students a safe space to explore their movement qualities and to grow not only physically but spiritually. Something unique about Ms. Jazzy is she knows how to play piano and the drums!

Tanya Fenier

Acro Instructor

Tanya is one of the teachers who will be launching the AcroDance program at Chara. She started her gymnastics training at the age of 7 and competed until she was 15. In high school, Tanya utilized her acrobatic skills and flexibility as a cheer leader. In college, she continued to cheer on the school’s co-ed cheer squad in addition to being on the girls dance team. Tanya began her coaching career in college and today, brings with her 20 years of coaching experience. Tanya finds joy in encouraging students to challenge themselves to develop new skills, increasing confidence in themselves and their abilities. Tanya is blessed to continue to homeschool 2 of her 4 children. Tanya has been with Chara as a parent since 2014 and looks forward to wearing the new title of “Acro Instructor” at Chara.

Ashley Henry

Dance Instructor

Ms.Ashley studied at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana receiving her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance. The styles she specializes in are ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Drill/ Precision Team Dance and Modern. The top performance experience according to Ms.Ashley was when she performed at a halftime show at Louisiana State University Tiger Stadium, alongside LSU Tiger Girls Dance Team!

She hopes to motivate students and ensure that they learn in a comfortable and enjoyable environment by providing them with the opportunity to express themselves and have “talk time” to build confidence and improve their overall dance knowledge and skills. “I try to make my lessons practical, as well as personalizing them to each student”. As an educator and mentor, she aims to see her students succeed, to be proud of their accomplishments and enjoy all of the hard work and dedication they put into dance or any other goals they endeavor to achieve!

Outside of Chara, you will find Ms. Ashley spends time with her family, enjoying beautiful views at local parks or traveling to new places. She also enjoys cooking, baking and taking dance classes in her free time.

Lauren Hurstell

Dance Instructor

Lauren began dancing at an early age and studied at the Ruth Page Foundation School of Dance in Chicago, Illinois. She has performed with the Civic Ballet of Chicago working with choreographers from Hubbard Street Dance and River North Dance Chicago while there, then Ballet Magnificat!, Evansville Dance Theatre, and The Pilot Dance Project. Her desire is to come alongside each of her students in class to help them realize their full potential. Outside of the classroom, Lauren loves spending time with her husband, horseback riding, and going for walks with her dog Bella.

Annica Marcuccio

Dance Instructor

Annica started dancing at the age of 10 and was one of the original members of Chara’s competitive dance team where she moved through the ranks until she became a principal. During her time as a company member, she performed at Texas A&M, churches, numerous community outreaches, and competitions. She continued in high school as a part of the Pride and Joy of Friendswood, The National Champion Wranglerettes Drill Team and she was appointed chaplain her senior year! Annica has also performed in numerous shows and musicals. Annica taught at Chara form 2015 – 2017 and then went on to be a part of Dance Revolution’s Ingredients trainee program, as well as become a teacher at Dance Academy of Mansfield and Dana’s School of Dance in the DFW area. Annica is so excited to be back at Chara to share her love of dance with all of her students.

Katie McGinn

Dance Instructor, Customer Care Representative

Katie spent most of her childhood studying dance in Pearland, Texas. She danced on a competitive team for two years. She later taught classes from her home and was an occasional assistant and substitute teacher at the studio she attended. After attending a performing arts homeschool co-op in high school, Katie attended Brazosport College and received an Associate of Arts in Music.

After graduating college, Katie married her husband, Mark, and spent two years working in administration at an electrical company in Stafford. Katie loves spending time with her husband and family and trying new cooking projects, and she is excited to teach the performing arts again!

Alyssa Murphy

Dance Instructor

Alyssa grew up dancing at Renee Johnson’s Dance Studios in St. Louis, Missouri and was a member of their competition team for 5 years, dancing at both regional and national events. After high school, she began her college education at Maryville University and was a part of their nationally ranked dance team. Alyssa then transferred to Missouri University of Science & Technology to pursue an engineering degree and joined the S&T Gold Miners Dance Team. During her time in college, she taught at local dance studios and was a member of the school’s dance company. Her favorite performance experience has been to play the role of Mufasa in her school’s dance company production of the Lion King! Alyssa is so excited to teach at Chara this year and to share her love of dance with others!

Lauren Neill

Dance Instructor

Ms. Lauren started dancing when she was 3 and never stopped! She attended the Houston Ballet Academy, performed in the Houston Ballet Nutcracker for three years, danced in musicals in high school, became a professional ballroom dancer and instructor who competed across the country, and co-directed a high school drill team. She has a BS in biology from Texas A&M and an MS in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins. Something unique about Ms. Lauren is that she has worked as a microbiologist at NASA.

Julia Padilla

Dance Instructor

Julia Padilla started dance training at age 14 in her high school drill team where she trained in ballet, contemporary, jazz and hip-hop dance. In 2022, she graduated from the University of Houston receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a minor in education. She has been choreographing and teaching dance at her church dance ministry since 2017. She has performed in the “Emerging Choreographers Showcase” and “UH Goes to the MATCH”. At Chara, she hopes to lead and inspire lifelong dancers. Outside of Chara, she runs So Loved by Julia, a small business creating handmade polymer clay earrings and accessories.

Dominique Petrinko

Dance Instructor 

Dominique, a Lafayette, Louisiana native, developed her passion for dance under the mentorship of Sheridan Productions Inc., earning a full ride scholarship that allowed her to refine her skills in dance, music, and acting. She furthered her education at The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, graduating with a BFA in Performing Arts, concentrating in Dance, and enhanced her craft through prestigious summer programs like the Nashville Ballet, American Dance Festival, and Ballet Arkansas. As an active member of her university’s Dance Honor Society, she contributed to bringing dance to the Lafayette community. Dominique’s expertise spans ballet, jazz, and modern dance, supported by a certification in Progressing Ballet Technique. She continues to engage with the Houston community through performance and education, previously dancing with Ad Deum II from Fall 2019 to Spring 2020. Now, as a dedicated dance educator, Dominique is committed to inspiring the next generation of dancers.

Adria Reyes

Dance Instructor

Ms. Adria is a Chara Alumnus and recently graduated from Friendswood High School. She plans to attend the University of Houston to study Architecture with a minor in Dance! During her time at Chara, she was a member of the semi-professional company, Friendswood Contemporary Ballet. She especially loved being part of FCB’s Spring Collective and getting the opportunity to choreograph dances themselves!

Ms. Adria hopes to give her students an environment in which they feel safe to learn, make mistakes, have fun, and grow as people as well as dancers. Outside of dancing, she really enjoy singing, especially singing songs in lots of different languages!

Rachel Stonestreet

Dance Instructor & Customer Care Representative

Rachel has been dancing for over 11 years, training in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, contemporary, musical theatre, and more. She has performed in multiple productions with the Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre and as a paid artist with Juxtapose Arts Collective. Rachel also received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a Minor in Human Development and Family Sciences from the University of Houston in Spring 2024. She hopes to use her dance instructor/Performing Group Director and administrative experience to provide students with valuable skills that they can use both in and out of the studio, and help create a welcoming environment for all Chara families. When she’s not working, Rachel can be found painting, singing in her church’s band, or spending time with family and friends.

Taylor Williams

Dance Instructor

Ms. Taylor’s style specialty is Hip-hop and has been training in various street styles since 2019. She currently also teaches and directs Hip-hop teams at Soreal Dance Studio & Atascocita Dance Academy. She has competed in and choreographed for the World of Dance Franchise (Houston & Dallas)! Ms. Taylor hopes to bring her students at Chara a fresher outlook on Hip-hop culture! When she is not dancing or teaching, you can find her inside or outside with a volleyball in her hand!

Cassidy Woodcock

Dance Instructor

Cassidy is a Chara alumnus, having trained here for six years studying ballet, contemporary, and modern, and was a member of Friendswood Contemporary Ballet for four years. She is furthering her dance training by pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Dance at The University of St. Thomas. She has danced in pieces by Jenifer Mabus, Nao Kusuzaki, and Randall Flinn. In 2023, she was in the original cast of El Sueno de Ximena: A Contemporary Ballet, Choreographed by Fernando Racha. Cassidy wishes to offer the dancers at Chara the care and instruction that defined her time as a student here, as well as incorporating in her classes the fresh ideas encountered while active dancing and training with professionals in the field.

Chara Music Instructors

Leeann Dockall

Piano & Voice Instructor

Leeann is thrilled to share her passion for music at Chara! Her musical journey was ignited in high school, where she discovered a deep love for performance. From playing at open mic nights to finding various local gigs, those formative years brought a lifelong dedication to music. She obtained a music degree at Texas Woman’s University, where she studied voice and piano. During her time there, she was able to perform at prestigious venues such as Helzberg Hall in Kansas City and Moody Performance Hall in Dallas, Texas.

In addition to her classical training and performance experience, she has spent years leading worship. Her love for music is intertwined with her desire to serve and love God through her talents, and this aspect of her musical journey has only deepened her love for music and the talents the Lord has given her. She is dedicated to nurturing and guiding each student to discover the beauty of music in their life and the lives around them. In her free time, you can find her investing and enjoying time in her community, reading a good book, and watching some soccer, her favorite sport!

Alfonso Flores

Piano Instructor

Mr. Alfonso began music studies at the age of 12 at the conservatory in his native Honduras. He completed his higher education at Los Angeles City College and California State University Los Angeles. In addition to being a piano instructor, he is also a sound engineer and music producer.

With more than 35 years of experience, his passion remains the education of
children and young people in music His main goal is ensuring that students obtain quality education while having fun learning. Other passions include serving as a worship leader in his local church.

Hope Gallagher

Piano & Violin Instructor

“Where words fail, music speaks.”

Hope began piano lessons at 8 years old. Music lesson days were the highlight of her week, and more instruments were added as the years went by. Music has brought much joy to Hope’s life to accompany church services, youth orchestras and individual students, as well as collaborate with other musicians in sharing the beauty and gift of music. For over 20 years Hope has had the privilege of working with young musicians through both private and group instruction. Hope believes that music enriches every life and loves getting to be a part of each unique journey as students overcome challenges, growing in skill and confidence. When not teaching, Hope enjoys writing, watching movies and hanging out with her 6 children and their dog.

Jeanette Gant

Piano and Voice Instructor

Jeanette Gant has been teaching at Chara as a voice & piano teacher since 2020. She taught Music & Choir in the public school system for 20+ years in HISD, Aldine, Conroe, and Pearland. She graduated from the University of Houston with a master’s degree in Vocal Performance as well as a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of St. Thomas. She has performed and traveled with the Houston Grand Opera and the Houston Chamber Choir performing in festivals in Scotland and Wales. She is currently a choral member with the Archdiocesan Choir of Galveston/Houston and the Houston All-Women’s chorus, Casulana. Along with directing several church choirs, she has performed as a paid soloist and choral member at a variety of churches in the Houston area and currently at St. Helen’s Catholic Church. When not singing or teaching, she enjoys spending time with her family (especially her two beautiful grandsons), friends, and fur-babies, along with reading, writing, traveling, and cooking.

Deborah Morris

Voice Instructor

Ms. Deborah graduated from Texas State University in San Marcos with a degree in Music Education. She started her career as an elementary music teacher but has gained experience through giving back to her community as a church volunteer in a variety of areas of music. She looks forward to sharing her music knowledge and love of teaching in a smaller setting and helping her students be the best they can be! When Ms. Deborah is not at Chara teaching, she loves spending time with her family and sitting down to enjoy a good book!

Arlana Peacock

Voice & Piano Instructor

My name is Arlana Peacock and I am so happy to be returning to the Music Staff at Chara. I have taught Elementary Music in public school for 18 years, and have directed after school Choirs for 7 years. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from Baylor University and have performed with The Dallas Symphony Chorus, Arlington Opera, and was a soloist with The North Richland Hills Symphony. When I am not teaching music; I enjoy leisure time with my family, watching dolphins jump while riding the ferry, being with friends at my exercise class, and singing with Faith Choir at Webster Presbyterian Church.

Jon Gowen

Guitar, Piano, Bass Guitar, Banjo and Ukelele Instructor

Jon studied music education and classical guitar at the University of North Texas. Jon has studied the guitar for 40 years and began playing the piano at age 5. Jon has been teaching private lessons in guitar, piano and other instruments for over 25 years. Jon began playing professionally in church and school productions at age 15. Jon has performed with groups ranging in styles from blues, jazz, rock, funk, country and pop. As well as ensemble for classical guitar and solo acoustic guitar performances. Jon uses a pedagogical teaching approach with emphasis on technique. “It is my purpose to share my gift with others.” – Jon Gowen; “You don’t know what the future holds. But you know who holds the future.”

Chara Junior Faculty

Addilyn Boysel

Junior Faculty Dance Instructor

Addilyn joined Chara in 2020 after winning many championship titles as a competitive gymnast for six years. She is beginning her fourth year with the Friendswood Contemporary Ballet Company and have truly fallen in love with the art of dance. She looks forward to sharing her love of the Acrobatic Arts with other dancers this year at Chara. Addilyn strives to encourage her students to try new things and better their technique. When she is not at Chara, she with her dog.

Arya Gangakhedkar

Junior Faculty Dance Instructor

Arya embarked on her dance journey with Chara at the age of 4. Chara has become an integral part of her life for the past 14 years. She has been diligently training in ballet, pointe, contemporary, jazz, and hip hop. Arya is also currently a member of Chara’s Senior Competitive Company and Chara Crew. She has been a committed Dance Teaching Assistant for 7 years and is excited to return to the Junior Faculty for her 3rd year, co-teaching ballet and hip hop! Arya hopes to create a positive and uplifting environment, empowering students to reach for their full potential! Apart from dance, she loves to volunteer and is on her path to hopefully becoming a pediatrician!

Taylor Slaughter

Junior Faculty Dance Instructor

Taylor started dancing at Chara when she was 2 years old and Ms. Shanna was her first ballet teacher!  Taylor joined Competitive Company at the age of 7 and this year is still invested and currently enrolled in Senior Company and Chara Crew.  Taylor is also taking the highest level of classes in ballet, point, jazz, hip hop and contemporary.  This year as one of our first Junior Faculty Members Taylor will be co-teaching Hip Hop II. Taylor is excited to join our team to help other students share their love of the Lord through dance.