Ava is from Portland, Oregon and has a deep love for the performing arts. She’s a 2024 graduate from Pacific University with a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance. During her time at Pacific, Ava was a member of the Chamber Singers ensemble and took on a leadership role as one of the Directors of the Vera Voce treble acapella choir. Ava works as an Apprentice at Spotlight Musical Theatre Academy helping young people develop their skills and passion for performing. Her musical theatre experience includes key roles in Ride the Cyclone, Sondheim on Sondheim, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

(She/They) recently graduated with Honors with a BA in Music Composition from Lewis and Clark College. Emily is a musician, composer, singer, musical theatre performer and has been playing piano since before they can remember. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area they discovered their passion for the arts as a teen and acted in many musicals at Youth Musical Theatre Company in Berkeley with such highlight roles as Mark Cohen in Rent, Tom Watson in Parade, as well as Joly in Les Miserables. Emily also worked as a swim coach for youth, led private piano lessons and participated in advanced acting and choral training throughout high school. While attending Lewis and Clark College, Emily started to fall deeper in love with music while not forgetting their roots in theater. They continued performing as Ron Weasley in A Very Potter Musical and as the Lead Guitarist for their production of Rent plus made their Music Director debut in a thesis production of Fun Home.  Throughout their undergraduate experience they participated in many musical ensembles such as Jazz Combos, Ghanaian Drumming Ensemble, and the Capella Nova Chamber Choir, as well as worked as section leader and a peer tutor helping other students develop their music theory skills. Most recently, Emily composed music for 21Ten Theatre's production of 52 Pick-Up. ​Spreading the magic that music and theater bring to children of all ages, as well as, the world at large, has always been one of Emily's greatest passions.

(She/Her) recently graduated from Lewis & Clark College with a dual degree in Theatre Performance with Honors and Psychology, where she also served as a Resident Advisor and a Leader for Lewis & Clark ARTS- PDX New Student Trip. She also worked as an Intern at Silver Tree Summer Camp leading groups of kids in outdoor adventures and games. Born and raised in San Francisco, Emma began participating in theatre camps and choir, quickly developing a love for performing. While in high school, she participated in the WorldStrides Heritage and Chanticleer Youth Choral Festivals and an Acting and Vocal Summer Intensive with Young People’s Teen Musical Theatre Company. During her Sophomore year, Emma began directing, earning a 2nd Place award at the Ohlone Theatre Festival for Tartuffe. Recent directing credits include a cut of Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit at Lewis & Clark College and Much Ado About Nothing and For the Love of Three Oranges with MoveAbout Theatre in San Francisco. In 2023, Emma participated in a four-month internship in Ireland with Dublin Youth Theatre. Some of Emma’s favorite roles are Jenna in her thesis production of Waitress: the Musical, Texas in Cabaret, and Juliet in Romeo & Juliet. In her last decade working with kids, her favorite part is getting to know each young person and their unique passions to help them shine. Emma is overjoyed to join Spotlight Musical Theatre Academy and is focused on providing the same joyful experience to a new group of young performers.

(She/Her) is a dance educator and choreographer in Portland, OR. She received her B.A. from Linfield College. Eve has been teaching dance for over 10 years to youth and adults in the styles of ballet, contemporary, jazz, modern, musical theatre and tap in various studios and schools. She is a dance instructor for both Conservatory and Center Stage at Spotlight Musical Theatre Academy and has been teaching for Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation for the last seven years. She directed the dance ensemble at Linfield College for four years where she taught courses in modern, ballet, tap, jazz, choreography and performance. Her choreography has been seen in many shows at Linfield and has been recognized with Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival for her choreography in their production of Cabaret. Her most recent work has been seen at Lakewood Theater in junior productions of Elf the Musical and Shrek. Aside from teaching, Eve has served as a staff volunteer for Portland’s Dance Wire and is active in the Portland dance community. With over twenty years of dance training and performance, she now focuses her passion for the arts on dance education, encouraging students to use dance to convey purpose and expression.

(She/Her) has been working as an actor and theater educator in the Portland area since graduating from PSU Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor's degree in Theater Arts. Her studies emphasized movement, acting, and voice. Acting has been Gabrielle's passion since she was young, and she has done several short films and professional productions since graduating. She was most recently seen as a Fairy in Theatre Berk’s Production of Midsummer Night’s Dream. She has been teaching after-school acting and musical theater through New Moon Productions at Llewelyn and Cottonwood schools. She teaches Theater, Musical Theater, Vocal Technique, Improvisation and Acting with ages 6-16 at The Music Box. She loves to dance and study movement, focusing on modern techniques and growing her classical skill. Gabrielle has worked two summers with Spotlight and is excited to continue!

(She/Her) is a proud graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in Flute Performance and Musical Theater. Performance credits include; Eponine in Les Miserables with Broadway Rose Theatre, Erzulie in Once on This Island with Stumptown Stages, Fantine in Les Miserables with Metropolitan Performing Arts Academy, Julie LaVerne in Showboat with Lakewood Theatre Company (OTAS Award for Best Supporting Musical Actress), Signora Naccarelli in Light in the Piazza. She has also performed with The Portland Opera, Artists Repertory Theatre, Portland Playhouse, Stumptown Stages, and Anonymous Theater. She won first place for the National Association of Teachers of Singing, National Music Theater Competition in 2011. As a flutist Laila has performed with the Oregon Symphony, Portland Opera, Broadway Across America, and continues to play in pit orchestras. She has been teaching voice, flute, and piano in the Greater Portland area for over 15 years and was Spotlight MTA's Center Stage Singing Teacher for 9 years.

Megan received her BFA in Theatre Performance with specialization in Musical Theatre from Central Washington University. She was a member of the Orchesis Dance Company in Ellensburg, WA and Ballet Northwest in Olympia, WA. She has taught dance, theatrical movement, and physical fitness classes for students of all ages throughout the Pacific Northwest including as one of Spotlight's Conservatory Dance Instructors and Choreographer for Summer Camp productions of Beetlejuice Jr and Mean Girls Jr. This will be Megan's fourth summer with Spotlight! Her choreography credits also include Cinderella (Broadway version), West Side Story, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Chicago, and excerpts from & Juliet, Hairspray, Matilda, The Prom, and Footloose. When she’s not choreographing or instructing classes Megan is spending time with her partner and cats - Finley, Sage, Wesley, and JP. She also enjoys adventuring outdoors, caring for her many plants, and taking every opportunity to indulge in creative pursuits - like re-learning how to sew! Megan is thrilled to be joining Spotlight again this summer and can’t wait to get started!

Shannon is a dancer, actor, choreographer, and teaching artist based out of the Vancouver/Portland area. An alumna of Western Washington University, she has a Bachelor of Arts in Theater (Acting) and Dance (Performance). She has trained heavily in tap, modern, musical theater, ballet, devising, viewpoints, Suzuki, and Stanislavski Technique. Currently, Shannon is the Kid’s Company director at Northwest Children’s Theater and teaching artist at Metropolitan Performing Arts in Vancouver, WA. Recent theater choreography credits include: Matilda (Metropolitan Performing Arts), Young Frankenstein (Western Washington University), The Fantasticks (Metropolitan Performing Arts), Annie Jr. (Riverdale Grade School), and Into the Woods (Metropolitan Performing Arts. Notable acting credits include Janet (Rocky Horror Show, Theatre of the Grove), Ophelia (Hamlet, Western Washington University) Johnna (August: Osage County, Bellingham Theater Guild), and Portia (Julius Caesar, Western Washington University).