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Steven Johnson
Theater Director | Founder of True Colors Dance Company
Steven teaches tap to our advanced tappers, and is the founding director of our True Colors Dance Company—a program close to his heart that celebrates inclusion, creativity, and connection through dance.
Darci Ricciardi
Director of Dance | Lyrical Instructor
Darci teaches Lyrical II & III and co-founded the dance production company DaSa with Miss Sarah. She's been with Imagine from the very beginning, and her creativity, calm presence, and connection with her students have become part of our foundation. Outside the studio, Darci channels her artistic energy into singing, writing, and releasing music, as well as producing award-winning dance shows. Her classes give kids space to grow—not just as dancers, but as people.
Classes: Lyrical II, Lyrical III, Nutcracker
Emerson Short
Arts Education Manager | Thespian Troupe 12686 Director | Imagine Next-Gen Players Director
Miss Emerson has been at our space since the doors opened as Penguin Point Productions back in 2019. For the past 6 years, she has seen it undergo so many wonderful changes and is so proud of the growth this place has seen as Imagine Performing Arts Center. She works throughout Central Florida as a contracted Stage Manager, Choreographer and Theater Technician, and brings all that experience back to Imagine to strengthen her classes. As Arts Education Manager, she assists Miss Sarah with enrollment, community events, private events, and overall flow of our educational department. She firmly believes that theater is a place where anyone and everyone can belong, whether you like to perform or be behind the scenes. That is at the core of every class that she teaches. She is the Troupe Director for our Homeschool Thespian Troupe (Troupe 12686) and helps coach performers and future technicians through pieces to get strong feedback on ways to improve. She is also involved with our Imagine Next Gen Players company where she is the director and choreographer of The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition as well as leads our Tech Academy.
Classes: Junior Thespians, Homeschool Theater, K-2 Theater, Theater I, Theater II, Tech Academy
Hannah Brito
Theater III Instructor
With a lifelong background in the performing arts, Miss Hannah is proud to have been a part of the Imagine family for the past three years. She finds great joy in sharing her love of theater and music with her students, encouraging them to explore their creativity while building confidence both on and off the stage. At Imagine PAC, she has directed productions including Almost, Maine, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, and Beetlejuice, Jr. In her classes, Miss Hannah emphasizes not only developing existing talents but also discovering new skills along the way. She looks forward to continuing to inspire and guide the next generation of performers for many years to come.
Classes: Theater III
Briana Falgiano
M.S.,CCC-SLP | Drumming and Musical Theater Instructor
I am a speech language pathologist with a desire to combine both of my passions: speech therapy and the dramatic arts. I love creating and designing classes that target skills our children most desperately need with all of the fun of the dramatic arts. I am a mom of two autistic boys myself and understand the needs of our community. I have been a professional performer in the Central Florida area for over 7 years and have experience working with Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort and beyond! Circus arts are my favorite form of self expression. In my free time, you can find me traveling with my family.
Classes: Drumming for Social Interaction, FUN-ctional Musical Theater
Kenna Higgerson
Drumming and Musical Theater Instructor
Hi! I am Kenna, a Speech-language Pathologist Assistant, beyond excited to join The Dramatic SLP team! I believe in the idea that everyone deserves a voice and seek to support individuals by enhancing their communication skills across many different areas. As a lifetime advocate for neurodiversity inclusion and the LGBTQIA+ community, I strive to ensure clients feel comfortable and accepted in all environments. In addition to speech and language therapy, I remain active as a singer and performer in the Orlando area and enjoy bringing music and performing arts into sessions.
Alena Garber
Front Desk Administrator | Board Programmer and Operator
I’ve been with Imagine for 2+ years and it just keeps getting better. Come by and see a show (you’ll probably recognize me behind a desk)!
Abby Bartelson
​Hip Hop Dance Instructor
Miss Abby teaches Advanced Hip Hop! This is her first year as one of our teachers, but we've known her since she was a tiny dancer. Her teaching style draws from her experience on an award-winning hip hop team. Abby brings leadership, energy, and a deep love for dance to every class she teaches.
Classes: Hip Hop I, Hip Hop II, Hip Hop III, Hip Hop IV
Lucy Smith
​Dance Instructor
Hi! I'm Lucy! I'm a tap, ballet, and ballet variations teacher here at Imagine! I absolutely love to dance and am so passionate about teaching others to dance. I also love singing, embroidering, art, music, and more! I can't wait for this year at Imagine to be the best one yet!
Classes: Tap, Ballet
Gabriel Garcia
Ensemble Company Artistic Director | Dance Instructor
Mr. Gabriel teaches jazz at Imagine—but that's just the beginning! He's also the Artistic Director of The Ensemble Company, an accomplished flamenco dancer and teacher, a trained actor, and a powerhouse vocalist. Whether he's choreographing, performing, or directing, Gabriel brings professionalism, creativity, and serious versatility to everything he does.
Bella Bencomo
Dance Instructor (Tap and Littles)
Hi I’m Bella Bencomo and I’m a senior in high school! I’ve been dancing since 3rd grade and teaching for the past 3 years. I love to read, bake and am always down to go get ice cream!
Classes: Creative Movement, Tap I
Angi Herrick
Teen Improv Teacher
I love improv because it fosters collaboration and critical thinking skills. Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to perform and teach improv comedy all over the country. I tell my students that when you do everything right in an improv game, the audience will applaud your efforts, but when you fail they will laugh; which is the point of comedy. It’s amazing what one can do when one no longer fears failure!
Chelsea Lane
Homeschool Dance | Musical Theater Dance
Miss Chelsea teaches Homeschool Dance, Hip-Hop, and Broadway Choreo—and she brings her whole heart to every minute of it. She brings a great mix of discipline and passion to her classes. She'll act like she's all business, but the truth is she's a total mush and one of the most loyal, thoughtful people you'll ever meet.
Crystal Perry
​Special Needs Dance Instructor
Miss Crystal teaches our Wednesday 4pm Special Needs class that will continue every week over the summer. She takes ballet with Miss Sarah and recently got her point shoes! To say that her students love her is an understatement!
Kylee Maier
Ballet and Jazz Instructor
Miss Kylee teaches Ballet/Jazz and Leaps, Turns & Tricks with grace and skill, and always with that signature sweet smile. We've known Kylee since she was just a toddler, so watching her grow into such a confident, capable leader has been incredibly special.
Sam Drenning
Improv Instructor
Sam 's Wednesday night Adult Improv classes are full of laughter, creativity, and connection—helping adults tap into their spontaneous side while building confidence in a supportive, judgment-free space. Sam is also a member of The Imaginary Friends, our resident improv troupe known for fast-aced fun and unpredictable brilliance on stage.
Jules Pacheco
Lyrical Instructor
Jules brings something totally unique to Imagine. They teach Lyrical I to our younger dancers and also leads our amazing Special Effects Makeup class, where their creativity truly shines. Jules has overcome significant health challenges with resilience and grace, and their work in the classroom and behind the scenes has been nothing short of incredible.
Maddison Palmieri
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Hi! I’m Maddison, and I’ve been at imagine for about 3 years now. I absolutely love theater and performing, especially here. I work front of house for Imagine, and it’s kind of like my second home. I spend most of my time reading, or spending time with my sister, Megan.