Angelika Stegmann  - Director, Dance Instructor

Angelika Stegmann was born and raised in Cologne, Germany. From an early age on she performed with her singer/songwriter father and her two sisters, dancing, singing, and later acting. She got her dance education from several private ballet schools and the Dance Academy of Cologne, while receiving a comprehensive music education from the Music Highschool / Humboldt Gymnasium and Rheinische Musikschule Koeln, including lessons in piano, voice, and bassoon.
Angelika studied several years the theory and methodology of classical ballet after Vaganova with Ursula Borrmann, Germany/Leningrad and Valentina Zirbuljowa, Leningrad, as well as with Rita Prins, Netherlands/Moscow, who taught her character dance. Angelika's jazz dance teachers among others were Dick O'Swanborn, Netherlands, Gus Giordano, Chicago, and Bruce Stegmann, Chicago/Nashville. The most influential tap teachers were Thierry Godfrey, France, Victor Cunot, Switzerland, Lane Alexander, Chicago, and Bruce Stegmann, Chicago/Nashville. After she danced with several companies in Germany, she operated her own ballet school in Lechenich, Germany for over ten years.

Bruce Stegmann  -   Director, Dance Instructor

Bruce Stegmann started teaching and choreographing in Cincinnati, Ohio. Since then he has taught for the major dance organizations NADAA, PDTA, DMA, and CNADM across the United States, and has conducted master classes and performed throughout Europe and the U.S. He has taught regularly on the faculty of several tap festivals around the world, and has performed with many of the tap legends, including Jimmy Slyde, Dianne Walker, Brenda Buffalino, Robert Reed, Van Porter, Sam Weber, Gregory Hines, and Savion Glover, just to name a few. Apart from choreographing for television, theater, dance companies, and universities, Bruce has also choreographed for the U.S. Army Soldier Show, and for a U.S. Rhythmic Gymnastic champion. In addition, he worked in Musical Theater throughout the Mid-West. He is the founder of Especially Tap Chicago, which has won both national and international acclaim. Currently, Bruce creates shows for Celebrity and Norwegian Cruise Lines, which are some of the highest rated in the industry.

Tracy Ryan  - Dance instructor
Tracy Ryan began dancing at the age of 5. She primarily studied ballet and jazz in private studios in East Tennessee and the University of Tennessee, where she earned her Masters Degree in Business Education. In 1988, she joined the Appalachian Ballet Company. Mrs. Ryan performed in The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and several original contemporary works from award-winning choreographers. While in high school and college, Mrs. Ryan followed her dream and began to teach dance. She was accepted into the TN Governor’s School of the Arts and attended and performed at many South Eastern Regional Ballet Association (SERBA) Festivals as well as the Picollo-Spoleto Dance Festival in Charleston, SC. She was the yoga instructor for the 2002 SERBA Festival in Knoxville, which was attended by over 800 dancers.

Some of the teachers she has worked with include Marcus Alford, William Pizzuto, Helen Starr, and Doug Keller. While attending UT Knoxville, she became interested in and performed modern dance pieces choreographed by students majoring in dance. Tracy Ryan continued to dance, practice and teach yoga while also teaching business classes in high schools over the past 10 years.

Her passions lie in dance and teaching, and she is excited about sharing her joy of dance with her students.

Barbara Stone A.R.C.H.  - Music instructor

Barbara Stone received a scholarship to “The Royal College of Music” in London, England (equivalent to The Juilliard School in New York, NY) and graduated with an Associated Degree. Her teachers comprised of the best, among them Dr. Herbert Howells and Dr. Edwin Benbow. The college alumni were much-accomplished musicians such as Sir Thomas Beacham and Sir Malcolm Sargent. Mrs. Stone’s achievements include performing in various venues - Wigmore Hall, Culderone Hall, and many concert appearances accompanying Ken Grimball of the Metropolitan Opera. Upon graduating from college, Mrs. Stone taught at a boarding school for young ladies and teachers in Ascot, Berkshire, England for several years. Later on, she played for a BBC radio broadcast on a show with singer John Keston. After she moved with her family to New York, Mrs. Stone played for WLIX Radio Station in New York City. Living on Long Island, Mrs. Stone played for various churches and fundraisers while giving private lessons. In 2002, Barbara Stone recorded the CD “Christmas Reflections”.
She is associated with the Board Exams for Royal Schools of Music in Nashville (abrsm.org). Barbara always welcomes students who are willing to take the exams but it is up to the individual students how far they want to go with their music

Rebecca Wilson Locke - Music Instructor

Rebecca Locke was born in Virginia and raised in Virginia and North Carolina, where she attended Gardner-Webb College in Boiling Springs, NC. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education and continued to get her Master of Church Music at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY.

She went on to work as the Minister of Music for various Baptist Churches in Kentucky and Florida and directed choirs for adults and youth and supervised children’s choir programs. In addition, Rebecca Locke taught the standard skills for kindergarten using learning centers and was a team teacher for kindergarten music. In her volunteer work she led the training for the children’s choir leaders, directed the spring musical of various children’s choirs, and presently is the assistant director of the youth drama team of Forest Hills Baptist Church in Nashville, TN. Also, she is looking forward to be the new chorus teacher for Bellhaven Christian Academy this fall. She is a member of the Tennessee Music Educators Association (TMEA)

Mrs. Locke likes to utilize her training, experience, and passion, to teach and lead children and teenagers in learning music and vocals skills in order to express themselves and their passion for music.

Zach Nichols  - Music instructor

Zach Nichols picked up the guitar at age ten, inspired by his dad's love of music, and continued his studies with Kevin May of Roomful of Blues throughout his high school years. He went on to study Jazz guitar at Wichita State University and Commercial Music at South Plains College in Levelland, TX, of which alumni include Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks, Leann Womack, and Ron Block of Allison Krauss & Union Station. Zach began teaching private guitar in 1993 and went on to teach guitar and commercial music ensembles at South Plains College from 2000 to 2005. All along Zach has performed live and in the studios with many independent artists and bands. Today he continues to perform locally with his wife Joni Nichols and other musicians.

Michael Stanley  Music instructor

Michael Stanley has been the General Music teacher at Freedom Intermediate School in Franklin for 7 years. He has also been the director of the FIS String Ensemble during his tenure. He also teaches at three different elementary schools giving small group violin lessons. Mr. Stanley grew up in Xenia, OH. He attended Anderson University in Anderson, IN and received his degree in Music Education. He moved to Nashville with his wife who teaches at Heritage Elementary in Spring Hill, TN. They are now celebrating their first child.

Bryon Larrance  Music instructor 

Born and raised in Knoxville, TN Bryon began studying music at an early age. At 4, he began with violin and switched to drums at age 10. By 17, he played drums professionally, and in 1997 entered Belmont University, studying under Chester Thompson. He actively performed in various ensembles at Belmont, local showcases, and demo sessions. After completing his degree at Belmont, Bryon moved back to Knoxville to continue studies in the University of Tennessee's Jazz Studies program, studying under Keith Brown and Rusty Holloway. While in Knoxville, he landed a gig with Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame inductee Percy Sledge. At that time Bryon was awarded two Professional Artist Grants from the Tennessee Arts Commission. These grants allowed him to study with John Riley, Kenny Aronoff, Matt Wilson, and Bob Moses. Additionally, Bryon has been the Instructor of Percussion for Walters State Community College since 2001 and has taught over 7000 private lessons. In 2006, Bryon moved back to Nashville. Since then Bryon Larrance has emerged as one of Nashville's fastest rising and most sought after session and live drummers. He is currently the drummer for Allman Brother's Alum Jack Pearson. Bryon has also recorded or toured with Percy Sledge, Mike Gallaher, Rachel Kice, Marty Magehee, Ericka Dunlap, and Melissa Reaves. This past year Bryon has performed at the Austin City Limits Music Festival and GAC's Music City 4th of July Spectacular.

James Michael Johnston  Music instructor   Visit Website
James Michael Johnston studied classical piano under the direction of Grammy-nominated pianist, author and radio host of "The Romantic Hours", Mona Golabek and her sister, Renee Golabek-Kaye of Beverly Hills, California as well as internationally acclaimed pianist, GARIN BADER. He earned his B.A. in Music degree at Long Beach State University in Southern California.
James has performed pop, new age, classical, contemporary jazz and broadway standards at San Diego's finest hotels, resorts & golf clubs, including the Four Seasons Resort Aviara, La Costa Resort & Spa, Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines and L'Auberge Del Mar Resort & Spa, as well as for private events in Chicago and Los Angeles.
James was a featured pianist in the JANE SEYMOUR film, "Matters of the Heart".
He was part of the worship team at North Coast Calvary Chapel in Carlsbad, CA for many years before moving in 2006 to Franklin, Tennessee with his wife, Bardee and their three children.
He has had the privilege of teaching hundreds of students ages 5-65 over the last twenty years.

Joni Nichols  Music instructor 
Joni Nichols is an experienced singer-songwriter who has been writing and performing for over 15 years. Experienced in pop, folk, alternative, and country writing, and skilled on both piano and guitar, she has a natural ability and passion to help others develop their own voice and style and grow in their gifts wherever they are. She is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of The University of New Mexico with a bachelors degree in Literature and currently teaches American Literature at Franklin High School where she also teaches songwriting to Creative Writing Classes as a guest teacher each semester. She has co-written several songs with BMI staff hit songwriters Richie Brown ("Good Ride Cowboy," Garth Brooks) and Jim "Moose" Brown ("It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere," Alan Jackson) which are currently being pitched to country artists.