COREY SCHWARZ

OWNER & Executive DIRECTOR

The inception of Pacific Northwest Performing Arts and Little Stars Preschool has realized Corey’s longstanding dream, a vision that took root during her tenure as an educator in the Bellevue School District many years ago. Armed with a degree in Human and Child Development from Washington State University (GO COUGS!), Corey furthered her academic journey by earning a master’s degree in education at Western Washington University.

Having dedicated years to teaching in public schools, imparting knowledge to students from kindergarten through middle school, Corey later made the heartfelt decision to take on the role of a stay-at-home parent, nurturing and raising her four children. As her youngest child grew, Corey felt the unmistakable pull to return to her passion for working with children.

In 2011, the realization of this passion materialized in the form of Pacific Northwest Performing Arts, a venture born from a shared commitment to children’s arts education with her very close friend Kathy Gehrig. Beyond being a labor of love, this youth musical theatre and performing arts studio, and preschool stand as a source of immense pride for Corey—second only to the joy of raising her four children.

Eric Ankrim

Director of Community Classes & Studio Visionary

A quick message from our Creative Director:
I want everyone in the Snoqualmie area and beyond to know that Pacific Northwest Performing Arts is a place to learn and grow in all aspects of performance and storytelling, not only musical theatre. We help develop versatile, skilled young artists who will thrive in whatever environment they find themselves in later in life. From acting, to songwriting, instrumental lessons to music video editing… whatever passion our students have, we have a class to help grow and refine it into a professional level skillset! Plus, we are going to have a great time and make some incredible friendships along the way! We pride ourselves on helping our Pacific Northwest Performing Arts students become not only better artists, but better people as well! And if there’s something you’re passionate about that you don’t see on our current class list, let us know! We want to grow our studio to fit the needs of this incredible Snoqualmie area community!

Learn more about Eric’s experience & past projects >

Nell Engel

PIANO & VOICE INSTRUCTOR

EXPERT IN: PIANO & VOICE

Hometown: Fall City, WA

Most Memorable Gig: My life with music began about the age of 7. Singing in the elementary chorus, singing in the church choir and taking piano lessons. I was fortunate to have awesome music teachers all the way through my high school years, including band , chorus and accompanying the younger groups on piano. Every year was filled with competitions. All state, All county and northeast conferences. My education culminated in my graduation with honors from SUNY Fredonia. I had a major in voice and minor in piano.

My Journey to Teaching: After graduation, I taught middle school music in the state of NY. When I moved to the state of Washington, my music became part time. I gave piano lessons in my home and played on the weekend for the church in Snoqualmie. After my sons were grown and gone, I decided to try and do music full time again. I was walking along Center Blvd on the Ridge when I noticed Pacific Northwest Performing Arts. I went in to inquire about the program and they told me they were accepting new teachers! 31/2 years later, my afternoons are full with young piano students.

My Mission: I love to work with children, whether it be singing or playing piano. If they can grow up loving music as I do, my mission is accomplished.

Joe Eck

Drumset and Percussion Instructor

DRUMSET, VARIOUS PERCUSSION, MUSIC THEORY

Hometown: Seattle, WA

Most Memorable Gig: In 2018 I was very fortunate to perform at the Tanzcafe Arlberg Music Festival in Lech Zürs, Austria. What I didn’t know, was that I was going to be performing on the roof of a ski lodge, located at the top of one of the Austrian Alps. It was a very surreal and beautiful experience, and I sincerely hope that I never have to ride a ski lift to a gig ever again.

Career Highlights: Bachelor of Music Degree in Performance from Cornish College of the Arts, Frequent touring and recording around the United States and Europe.

My Journey to Teaching: I started teaching very shorty after I started playing drums. It started as kids at school asking for advice, and then quickly turned into parents contacting me to do proper lessons. Performing and teaching drums have been a huge part of my life for many years.

My Mission:To give students a strong foundation and understanding of the drumset, rhythm, and to gain self confidence through learning music.

Jessica Rellamas

INSTRUCTOR

I have cherished a lifelong passion for the stage, which began when I was just 5 years old during my debut ballet recital. From that moment, I eagerly pursued every opportunity to dance and perform on stage. Throughout my youth, I actively participated in dance and theatre summer camps, performed with my jazz trio, and ventured into multiple dance talent shows.

Julia Hart

Instructor

Julia Hart grew up training in musical theater & performed for over 10 years from childhood through young adulthood. For the past few years her focus has been in the Seattle dance community as the managing director of ZTHEORY, but she is so excited to return to her original passion at Pacific Northwest Performing Arts. As an instructor she believes in expression of authentic feeling, telling stories that inspire, & lifting students to new heights through their work. 

Danielle Koval

Finance Manager

Bio Coming Soon

Owen Yen

Guitar/Ukulele/Bass Instructor

Owen has been playing guitar professionally for over 30 years, covering various genre such as jazz, big band, rock, pop and classical. He studied guitar and theory at the Bloom School of Jazz in Chicago for 8+ years, and was the band leader for the jazz group “Q-Blue” which performed at various venues in Chicago. Since moving to Seattle in 2005, he has played guitar bass in rock bands such as “Full Vinyl Jacket” (class rock cover band), “Daisy Wrench” and “Boxcar Tourists” (original indie rock). He also has been both a regular as well as substitute player for local big bands including the MachOne Orchestra, Route 66 Big Band, Cascadia Big Band, Microsoft Big Band, Seattle Jazz Network, etc. Owen is very excited to have this opportunity to not only teach, but to share and inspire the joy and love of music to all of his students.

Kathryn Van Meter

Artistic Director

Kathryn Van Meter (she/her) is a theatre director, choreographer, producer, and arts leader whose work is rooted in the belief that we are our best selves when we create and gather in community. She serves as the Producing Artistic Director of the Pacific Northwest Theatre Festival, where she centers her work on championing young artists, fostering inclusive creative spaces, and expanding access to transformative theatrical experiences.

Kathryn brings leadership experience across the Pacific Northwest and nationally, including serving as Interim Artistic Director at Seattle Children’s Theatre, where she helped guide the organization through the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic while developing innovative artistic programming for young audiences. Her work spans producing, directing, choreography, performance, program development, and large-scale community collaboration, with projects at PNW institutions such as The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, ACT, Village Theatre, ArtsWest and Seattle Opera. Her practice also extends into youth-oriented television, where she served as series choreographer on the international Netflix hit 13 Reasons Why and as an intimacy coordinator on Outer Banks, bringing a trauma-informed, artist-centered approach to on-screen storytelling.

A passionate advocate for youth voice and artist development, Kathryn designs programs that invite young people to lead with curiosity, agency, and imagination. Through original program creation, interdisciplinary education initiatives, and international arts collaborations, her work encourages artists and audiences to engage more fully with one another and the world they share.
Kathryn holds a B.A. in Theatre from the College of William and Mary and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Society of Directors and Choreographers, AGMA, and the Choreographers Guild.

Kari Zimmerman

Voice and Piano Instructor

EXPERT IN: VOCAL ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY, PIANO AND VOICE, MUSICAL THEATER REPERTOIRE, CLASSICAL & JAZZ MUSIC, ACTING, AUDITION COACHING

Hometown: Maple Valley, WA

Most Memorable Gig: I once was competing in a Cabaret Showcase in NYC. The morning of the gig, I started passing a kidney stone, so a few hours prior to the competition I found myself in the ER with a morphine drip. But the show must go on! So, I zipped myself into my cabaret dress, grabbed a taxi across town while still ill (think very bad nausea!). Got to the venue with no warmup and no hair and makeup. My girlfriends fluffed my hair and whilst still VERY NAUSEOUS I stumbled onstage and sang my piece. Just for fun, there is actually video evidence of this drug-addled performance on youtube… I still won the competition!

Career Highlights: I was a performer on the North American Tour of “Evita” by Andrew Lloyd Weber. Our director was the original Broadway choreographer, Larry Fuller. Hal Prince, who was the original director of that show, sent us a memo for opening night, which I currently have hanging on my wall. The show, the cast, working with Larry and being a part of the legacy of that show, were all amazing!! I also did a NYC reading of a new play with Brian Dennehy and Kyra Sedwick. It was a fabulous experience and even though Brian Dennehy generally plays bad guys, he’s really one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. Although it was the start of my journey, I am very proud to have graduated from college with a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance. The degree was hard-fought, but I loved studying music and I’ve never regretted that choice. I actually had to do two full recitals of classical repertoire!

My Journey to Teaching: I started teaching during my undergrad years and fell quickly into mostly vocal coaching during and after college (I was really good at helping actors appear as if they could sing!) After moving to NYC I had a couple gigs musical directing children’s productions in the mid-90s. After a significant hiatus due mostly to a segue into Corporate America and the fact that I mostly just wanted to talk to people while teaching, I started teaching again in 2006. I started teaching vocal programs to at-risk kids in Manhattan and Jersey City, NJ, and really felt that was my calling. I loved it! While I originally did it to have a paying “gig” I found it to be a calling more than a gig. I also discovered that my ideal age group was middle school to teens. One of my former bosses told me this is because I’m too much like them, hahaha! I love teaching and coaching and have not stopped doing it since starting up again in 2006. In 2011 I relocated back to Seattle to be closer to family and joined Pacific Northwest Performing Arts shortly after they opened. I now commute from West Seattle because I a) love Pacific Northwest Performing Arts! b) love my students! and c) love you, their parents and families. I find I learn just as much, if not more, from the kids and their families that I am imparting to them. Helping kids succeed and gain confidence is THE best career highlight!

Shawna Avinger

Director of Music & Private Lessons

Shawna Avinger teaches voice, music directs, and performs around Seattle. She has degrees in Vocal Performance and Music History from UW, Opera Performance and Pedagogy from the Maryland Opera Studio, her doctoral work was in performance and music theory The Julliard School. She served as voice and theory instructor at Music Center of the NW for 8 years and as director of education for The Fisher Ensemble for 4 years. She is currently the education director for The Esoterics.

Shawna founded her non profit, Viva Vocalists, in 2009 as a place for her adult voice students to explore performance and take vocal risks in a safe place.

Favorite operatic roles include the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos, Nedda in I Pagliacci, Countess in Marriage of Figaro, Antonia in Tales of Hoffmann, Atalanta in Xerxes, Michaela in Carmen, and Vitellia in La Clemenza di Tito. Shawna has premiered roles in 15 new operas, performed the operatic works of Harry Partch, and appeared as a recitalist in Seattle, Santa Fe, Washington DC, Maryland, New York and Colorado. Voiceover credits include video games, commercials, and film. Favorite musical theater roles include Hunyak in Chicago, Helen in Fun Home, Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods, and Lily in The Secret Garden.

Shawna has music directed Les Mis, Urinetown, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, The Putnam County Spelling Bee, The End of the Affair, Matilda, Into the Woods, Rent, Little Women, Chicago, Cabaret, Guys and Dolls, Fiddler on the Roof, Hairspray,Gianni Schicci,  Suor Angelica, Cinderella, A Little Night Music, many Shakespeare plays, and much more!

Jimmy Shields

Instructor

Jimmy Shields is a Performing Artist and Theater Maker from PNW. His love for the Performing Arts started at a very young age and has taken him all over the US. As a dancer and choreographer, Jimmy has had the opportunity to work with Redd Williams, Emmy Award winning choreographers Tabitha and Napoleon D’umo (Nappytabs), Disney veteran Jon Jacobson, and famed Seattle Choreographer, Daniel Cruz, just to name a few. Though trained in a variety of styles of dance, he enjoys the freedom of Jazz and Hip Hop the most.

Jimmy is a performer at heart and has been performing in theatre and dance throughout the Pacific Northwest for 30 years. He has most recently held production leadership roles including Director, Associate Director, Choreographer, and Associate Choreographer with esteemed companies such as The 5th Avenue, Seattle Rep, Village Theatre, Taproot, Seattle Shakespeare Company, and Tacoma Arts Live.

KATHY GEHRIG

INSTRUCTOR

EXPERT IN: PERFORMANCE, ACTING and MUSICAL THEATER, CREATIVE DIRECTION
Hometown: Shawnee Mission, Kansas

Most Memorable Gig: It’s been an amazing journey – from doing summer stock on Cape Cod (7 full shows in 9 weeks) to the very first show in the Francis J. Gaudette Theater at Village Theatre in Issaquah (Contrary Mary in “Babes in Toyland”) to incredible dream roles like Little Red in “Into the Woods”, Petra in “A Little Night Music” and Rizzo in “Grease” to recording a full length CD with my first band “Fall City” to playing gigs with my current band “Tequila Mockingbird” to being the voice of the Wandering Witch in “Left 4 Dead 2” to launching Amazon Game Studios and this fantastic business with Corey Schwarz, I’ve been incredibly fortunate. But my Most Memorable Gig to date is, without question, being Mom to my two greatest achievements, my daughters, Marcella and Erin.

Career Highlights: I think you heard enough of that above.
My Journey to Teaching: I left my job with Valve Software to take a break and play Georgie in “The Full Monty” at Village Theatre. At the same time, my daughters’ dance studio was closing down. Corey and I realized this left a huge hole for arts in the Valley. So, we jumped off a cliff. I accepted a job making Halo 4 for with 343 Industries at the same time Corey and I signed the lease on our first space. Teaching became my escape from technology and my outlet to realize I had the opportunity to actually change the way kids in particular moved through their daily lives. It’s addicting.

My Mission: My passion for Pacific Northwest Performing Arts lies in my passion for PERFORMANCE. It is a skill that translates way outside the arts. It belongs in the workplace, in school, in any athletic endeavor, in social situations and even at home (sometimes much to the chagrin of all family members. . . . ). Being able to “put on a show”, empowers performers to step outside the boundaries of themselves and bring their audience along for the ride. Whether that means literally being on stage, in class, on the soccer field, at a party or negotiating dinner time, it’s all about PERFORMANCE.

KATAKA CORN

INSTRUCTOR

Kataka Corn is a Seattle-area performer, singer, and music teacher known for professional theater work, including roles in The Wiz at the 5th Avenue Theatre and Mamma Mia! And The Color Purple at Village Theatre, where they also grew up in the KIDSTAGE program. They are a trained opera singer who started at age 12 and have appeared in various productions at local Seattle theaters.

MICHAEL CROAN

TRUMPET INSTRUCTOR

Michael is a veteran trumpeter with deep experience across a variety of styles. He plays regularly in settings that span symphony orchestra, jazz big band and combo, R&B/soul band, British-style brass band, and Broadway-style pit orchestra. His performance resume reflects his versatility and includes such names as Seattle Philharmonic, pH Factor, Roadside Attraction, Bellevue College Big Band, Archie Bell, The O’Kaysions, The Soul Proprietors, Village Theatre’s KidStage, Madrona Children’s Theatre, Bainbridge Performing Arts, and Theatre UP.

Maintaining this versatility demands a strong fundamental approach to his instrument — something he emphasizes in his daily practice and in his teaching. Michael has enjoyed private instruction from world-renowned trumpeters including Terell Stafford, Jeremy Pelt, Jim Rotondi, Charley Butler, and Paul Baron, as well as some of the top players and teachers in the Pacific Northwest such as Jay Thomas, Jim Sisko, Jared Hall, and Greg Lyons.

Each of these masters is, in a sense, present at every lesson Michael teaches. As a private instructor, Michael’s approach is firmly rooted in two areas: sound and style. With that dual foundation, Michael’s students can develop into well-rounded players ready to make the most of any musical opportunity.