The Studio of Performing Arts - Arroyo Grande, California

OUR STAFF

Shannon Lowrie: Owner/Director

Shannon began her dance training in Santa Maria under the instruction of Thelma Cline and Nancy Ann Dance Studio. After numerous years on stage she became eager to explore as many ways possible to perform. As a child she would put on neighborhood musicals and spent most of her school years singing, writing, playing guitar, and choreographing. Shannon was very involved in her high school Advanced Choir and became the lead singer in a rock band her senior year of high school. She got back to her dance roots in college and began auditioning for as many shows as she could. Shannon performed with Pacific Light Opera Theater and Chameleon Productions spending as much time behind the scenes as on the stage. Soon enough she was assistant directing, building sets, costuming, and choreographing. Shannon was the original choreographer for P.L.O.T.’s children’s troupe, The Rising Stars. She went on to work a summer with The Great American Melodrama, Assistant Directed and choreographed for Chameleon Productions, and began teaching at The Studio of Performing Arts then owned by Zellda Markham. She always felt a connection to The Studio and knew that it had special potential. Although she had big dreams of Broadway, she decided to settle down in Arroyo Grande and help others create, enhance, and fulfill their dreams of the stage what ever that might be. Shannon bought The Studio from Zellda in 2000 and has produced many productions such as Cats, A Chorus Line, Jesus Christ Superstar, and many many more. She is the director and choreographer for The Studio’s company dancers as well as several other groups, and has placed first, second, and third in several dance competitions for her choreography. Shannon is married and has three children. Her entire family is involved in The Studio and she looks forward to watching them all grow up here and dedicates her life to making the most of The Studio of Performing Arts is an essential to every dancer. I have traveled nationally competing and performing and look forward to a new dance family at The Studio Of Performing Arts.

Marilyn Mather

My experience in the dance field has been my passion for many years. As a native Californian, my early dance training began in Hollywood, CA. Moving to NYC and American Ballet Theatre School for my performing arts education. Continuing with a successful career as

performing artist through the Opera Houses of Europe, the Middle East and Scandinavia. I returned home to the San Francisco Bay Area and continued dancing in San Francisco and opened my own school in Orinda CA. Marilyn Mather School of Ballet. Recently I have been teaching at various dance schools in the Bay Area. With the inspiration to capture on film the elusive world of dance, I began to study photography. I have photographed in performance, some of the leading dance companies and dancers in the Bay Area. My photography extends to Dance Schools, Weddings and Studio Portraiture. My son is an English High School teacher and Girls Cross Country Coach, in the Bay Area. My daughter and son in law are here in SLO, Both are employee’s at the Running Warehouse.

Nataly Plotner

Nataly has been studying and performing in the arts her entire life time. Taking her first gymnastics class at only the age of 2, she quickly learned she loved to be on stage! She grew up studying, performing and competing in multiple dance and music classes all along the coast of California but her fondest memories are performing for the SOPA as a teenager. The arts quickly became her ultimate love and joy in life. Graduating High-School in 2003 Nataly was honored to receive THE AMBER CARTER MEMORIAL DANCE Scholarship. She was even more excited to receive it once again the following year as a

continued scholarship to keep studying dance in College. In 2006 she graduated Allan Hancock College with a Certificate in DANCE. Studying Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Tap, Hip-Hop, Break-Dancing, Gymnastics/Acrobatics, Yoga, Pilates, Culture Dancing including African & Asian Dancing, Dance History & breaking down music and rhythm for dancers, plus many many more! Nataly is also a professional working musician playing for the record label "Harvest Road Music" working with platinum award winning producers Randy Rigby & Scott Nickoley. She released her first solo full -length CD in 2010. Nataly is a native Californian who adores the ocean and surfing as well but in the past years she has moved around quite a bit playing music and performing in Portland, Oregon & Denver, Colorado & even Alaska. She has taught and choreographed for 12 years now at many schools, colleges, dance companies & theatre programs. She is extremely excited to be teaching once again at her favorite studio to dance in when growing up, The Studio of Performing Arts.

Rachel Cloud

Rae, in her early years started as a competitive cheerleader and studied musical theater while living in LA County before moving to the San Luis Obispo area in 1991. Still continuing her studies in the arts, she minored in dance and received her Liberal Arts degree from Allan Hancock College. She has always dedicated her life to the love of dance and theater living vicariously through her two beautiful performing daughters, spent the last 10 years coordinating a variety of non-profit events and performance benefits that supported the arts, and appeared in many local productions throughout the North and South County area. Finally, after a long break, she returned to her true passion and began dancing, then teaching at the The Studio of Performing Arts in 2009. She lives by her quote, "There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them". She believes the heart and soul feed from our passsions in life and dancing is just one of the many ways to express it, anyone can dance, and she hopes to bring that joy and passion that dance gives to everyone she teaches.

Ben Reyes

Ben has been involved in dance at Allan Hancock College since 1983, first as a student and dancer, and later as a choreographer and currently an instructor on campus. He has participated in AHC Dance Ensemble since its beginnings, performed and choreographed for numerous dance concerts, and taught for the Youth Dance Company in the AHC College for Kids program. He has been a guest choreographer and dancer for Cal Poly's Orchesis dance productions 1995-2001. He has also been an instructor for Class Act Dance studio in Paso Robles, a guest choreographer for high school in and out of the area. He currently teaches tap/hip-hop dance at the Studio of Performing Arts.

Heather Massoni

Heather started dancing when she was 5 years old and early on she decided her passion was tap. She took classes all over the Bay Area to get as many different teachers perspectives as possible. She started teaching as an assistant to her mentor when she was 16 years old and then when she was 18 years old she taught her first classes by herself. She then moved to San Luis Obispo to go to Cal Poly and study Animal Science where she got her BS in December of ‘09. In San Luis Obispo she taught at a studio for three years and then took a four-year break to focus on school and work in the animal field. She is looking forward to getting back into dance and teaching tap once again!

+ Lori Pedego