Cherrelyn Napue

Aug 1

Written By Loop Creative

**Executive Director**

Hailing from Denver, Colorado, Cherrelyn Napue brings Arts Together a wealth of experience in development, executive leadership and nonprofit management. Her background includes the arts, education and alumni relations at the university level. Prior to joining Arts Together, Cherrelyn served as Director of Alumni Engagement for Up with People, an international “gap year” touring performance program for young adults. She has also held previous roles at Up with People, including as a performer herself. In addition, Cherrelyn taught at Metropolitan State University of Denver as an affiliate professor in the nonprofit management program, school of professional studies. Known as an entrepreneurial leader and community advocate, she has received numerous acknowledgements and awards for her leadership, including Woman of the Millennium by the Colorado Black Round Table and the Salute to Black Women Award. Cherrelyn holds a BS in Nonprofit Organizational Administration from MSU Denver and a Masters of Nonprofit Management from Regis University. Passionate about social justice, she enjoys singing, traveling, serving the community, experimenting in the kitchen and spending time with her husband and teenage son.

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Kathryn Auman

Jul 1

Written By Loop Creative

Director of Dance and the Rainbow Dance Co.

Kathryn Auman’s love for dance began with a weekly dance class at the age of four taught by her first dance teacher, Lemma Mackie. By age eight she was performing with the Rainbow Dance Company. She danced with Rainbow for ten years before attending Virginia Commonwealth University, where she was the recipient of the Frances Wessels scholarship and received a BFA in dance. Kathryn was a co-founder and performing member of Even Exchange Dance Theater and Black Box Dance Theatre and performed with both companies for many years all over North Carolina as well as three provinces in China.

Currently, Kathryn is the Director of Dance and the Rainbow Dance Co. at Arts Together. She also teaches dance to all ages at Arts Together. A bright spot in Kathryn's week, is teaching dance to the students at Dynamic Opportunities with her co-teacher, Karen Warr. Kathryn is constantly inspired by the creativity and passion that all of her students and peers possess. She is grateful for the opportunity to move, create, and collaborate with such amazing humans!

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Jess Allen

Jun 1

Written By Loop Creative

Operations and Program Manager

Jess Allen has been in the performing arts industry for 20 years! She started as a dancer at the age of 2 and since then has had various roles in the performing arts. Jess attended Meredith College where she earned a B.A. in Dance Studies and a Minor in Music. While attending Meredith College, she was a Nu Delta Alpha member, a choreographer featured in the Danceworks gala, and a Meredith Dance Theatre dancer. Since then, she has served on the staff at various dance studios in the triangle. For the past 7 years, she has had arts administration experience with a focus on customer service, sales, operations, and business growth. She loves the arts and the transformative experience it brings to all. As the Operations and Program Manager, Jess oversees the day-to-day operations of our multi-arts programs and supports Arts Together’s mission and vision. She is excited to be apart of Arts Together and bring creativity, community, confidence, and collaboration in all we do. In her free time, Jess enjoys going to the beach and mountains with her husband and son, journaling and taking dance classes.

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Lauren Youngman

May 1

Written By Loop Creative

Director of Preschool and Summer Camps

Lauren grew up dancing every day in school while attending magnet programs in the Wake County Public School System. She was also the neighborhood babysitter. After graduating from Meredith College with a BS in Child Development, she began her nine-year career at Arts Together as Lead Preschool Teacher, Dance Teacher, Summer Site Coordinator and Volunteer Coordinator.
Lauren wanted to share her positive experience using arts integration strategies with other classroom teachers and students and was able to do so as a Teaching Artist. She helped pilot the *Grow Up Great with the Arts* program in collaboration with Carolina Ballet and the North Carolina Museum of Art. She continued to develop and instruct creative movement curriculum for Title 1 Pre-K, Special Education classrooms and the Read to Achieve Program. She was also a part of the Artists in Schools program through the United Arts Council of Wake County dancing with students from Pre- K to Highschool.
Lauren became an A+ Fellow of North Carolina and conducted professional development for A+ Schools. She has presented her work at various conferences for organizations such as ArtsR4Life, NCAEYC and Arts Access. Lauren feels so fortunate to circle back around to her favorite arts organization as the Director of Preschool and Summer Camps!

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Valeria Amadei

Aug 1

Written By Loop Creative

Visual Teaching Artist

Valeria Amadei joined the Arts Together family three years ago, she is now the Art Teacher for the preschool and the afternoon classes. Valeria is Italian, she studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, Italy. After her postgraduate degree in Art Education, she moved to London to work in art museums and galleries. She enjoyed walking the audience through the exhibitions, watching plays at the theatre, running along Hyde Park and mixing with the beautiful melting pot that London offers. Valeria believes the arts are a safe place where we can express ourselves, be curious and

where mistakes are opportunities. She moved to the USA in 2014 with her husband and her twin boys. Valeria loves making watercolors, drawing patterns, reading children’s books, cooking, and walking her dog Stella around the neighborhood.

preschool staff

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Mandy Beaudoin

Jul 1

Written By Loop Creative

Lead Preschool Teacher for the MOONS

Mandy Beaudoin is an artist, scientist, mother, and book enthusiast that has loved making art from as far back in childhood as she can remember. She feels the most invigorated when teaching and adores seeing children revel in wonder at the world around them when they create and learn. Mandy holds a PhD in Entomology and a BS in Geology from NC State University and has formal training as a facilitator.

preschool staff

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Marley Bost

Jun 1

Written By Loop Creative

Preschool Coordinator

Marley Bost is delighted to be starting her third year at Arts Together! Marley grew up in Raleigh and studied Art and Design at NCSU. She is a lifelong lover of the arts and discovered her passion for arts education while volunteering with the Raleigh Girls Club. As an artist herself, Marley recognizes the uniquely validating nature of arts education and is thrilled to be part of a team dedicated to nurturing children through an arts-based curriculum. She is inspired by the power arts education has to build self-confidence, a connection with one's community, and a lifelong passion for creative learning.

preschool staff

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Catherine Christopherson

May 1

Written By Loop Creative

Lead Preschool Teacher for the COMETS

Catherine has been working with children for over 25 years and has her NC teaching credentials both I and II in Early Childhood Education. She has one child, Ryan.

preschool staff

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Brynna Crew

Feb 15

Written By Loop Creative

**Lead Preschool Teacher for the Stars**

Brynna has been working in childcare for over nine years! She attended Meredith college where she received a degree in child development in 2015. She’s so excited to work at Arts Together especially since she has family ties –her grandmother is the founder!

preschool staff

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Isabel Levy

Jan 15

Written By Loop Creative

**Preschool Floater**

Isabel has been a part of the AT community since preschool and taken all sorts of dance and art classes, along with attending summer camps as a kid.
Throughout middle and high school, they were very involved in technical theatre. As a recent high school graduate from Enloe High School, Isabel is delighted to continue their work at Arts Together.

preschool staff

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Justin Johnta Perry

Jan 1

Written By Loop Creative

Afternoon Chill Facilitator

Justin Perry is an Multi Arts Instructor. His goal is to create safe and educational spaces for youth in areas of creative expression. He is a visual artist, spoken word poet, photographer and cosplayer. Justin has been active in local arts in North Carolina for more than a decade. His work has been displayed in galleries located in Durham, Raleigh and Roxboro NC.

preschool staff

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Sarah Rainbolt

Dec 1

Written By Loop Creative

Drama/Music Teaching Artist

This is Sarah’s 13th year teaching at AT! She comes from a varied background which includes both musical theatre and early childhood development. She has been an actor since forever and attended The University of Colorado where she became a member of Theatreworks. There she acted in shows and gained experience in travelling Shakespeare, costuming, improv, stage combat, song and dance, and miming. She has managed family fun parks, sung the National Anthem and Sinatra for the masses, and then moved here to NC to tread the boards for Raleigh Little Theatre and Theatre in the Park. Since then, she has developed a great love of teaching, and especially enjoys bringing her varied history into it with songs, puppetry, silliness, costuming, art, and storytelling. She is a mother to an incredible 18 year-old boy, whose journey on the spectrum has filled life with tenderness and purpose, and to a brilliant 6 year-old girl, whose energy and wonder are boundless. Sarah believes every child is an artist and feels so lucky to live her passion helping children to find their voice, have fun, grow, and live fiercely.

preschool staff

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Donneyshika “Ms. Dee” Thomas

Nov 15

Written By Loop Creative

Lead Teacher for the SUNS

Ms. Dee has been teaching preschoolers for 10 years now. She began teaching at Arts Together as the Lead Teacher for the Stars group and now enjoys teaching the youngest group, the Suns. Ms. Dee believes that working at Arts Together has been a huge blessing, because it incorporates all of the things that she loves and has a passion for- children, art, creativity, free expression, and dance. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys writing, reading, nature, dancing, and going for long walks on the trail.

preschool staff

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Karen Warr

Oct 1

Written By Loop Creative

Dance Teaching Artist

Karen Warr has been enjoying dance and nature since she was a preschooler in her small hometown of Murfreesboro NC. As a NC Governor’s School attendee, she was introduced to modern dance and has been passionate about it ever since. She attended Randolph Macon Woman’s College (now Randolph College), graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a major in Biology and a minor in Dance. Karen then obtained her Master of Science in Coastal Ecology from UNC-Wilmington and worked as a Coastal Ecologist and Wetlands Biologist in NC and Florida. Karen is a former member of Black Box Dance Company and a current member of the Rainbow Dance Company. She loves to connect with her interests of nature and ecology when she teaches dance. “Dance is an amazing tool for teaching anything. Kids love to learn by relating topics to their bodies and their own movement.” Karen has taught dance at Arts Together for about 19 years. Karen and her husband, Richard are the parents of two wonderful adults - Ian and Claire. In addition to dancing, Karen enjoys gardening, birdwatching, hiking and taking walks with Richard.

preschool staff

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Jess Allen

Aug 15

Written By Loop Creative

OPERATIONS AND PROGRAM MANAGER

Jess Allen has been in the performing arts industry for 20 years! She started as a dancer at the age of 2 and since then has had various roles in the performing arts. Jess attended Meredith College where she earned a B.A. in Dance Studies and a Minor in Music. While attending Meredith College, she was a Nu Delta Alpha member, a choreographer featured in the Danceworks gala, and a Meredith Dance Theatre dancer.

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Kathryn Auman

Aug 1

Written By Loop Creative

**DIRECTOR OF DANCE PROGRAMS**

Kathryn Auman’s love for dance began with a weekly dance class at the age of four taught by her first dance teacher, Lemma Mackie. By age eight she was performing with the Rainbow Dance Company. She danced with Rainbow for ten years before attending Virginia Commonwealth University, where she was the recipient of the Frances Wessels scholarship and received a BFA in dance.

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Dwayne Billingsley

Jul 1

Jul 1

Written By Loop Creative

From as far back as she can remember, the arts have had a special place in Nikki's heart, especially dance. She attended Arts Together as child, taking dance, music and art. Immediately, she fell in love with the organization, the teachers and the vision. When Wake County started their magnet program, she auditioned and was awarded a seat, where she continued studying dance. After high school, she attended Saint Augustine's College, receiving a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. She worked in the corporate sector for a few years, but longed to do something more fulfilling.
Since she was a child, she dreamed of becoming a dance teacher, she pursued that dream and in 2008, graduated from Meredith College, receiving her BA in Dance with a concentration in Private Studio Teaching. Nikki has performed with LD Burris/2 Near The Edge, Joan Nicholas Walker/Joan Nic Walk, Even Exchange Dance Theater and Black Box Dance Theater. She is a member of Rainbow Dance Co. and enjoys the collaborative process of creating movement. She also gets to collaborate during the day, teaching in the Arts Together Multi-arts Preschool.

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Cortney Vartanian

Jun 15

Written By Loop Creative

Cortney Vartanian (she/her) is a dance artist, choreographer, and educator. She holds a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography with K-12 Licensure from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. During her time there, Cortney had the opportunity to study closely under Janet Lilly, Clarice Young, Maurice Watson, and B.J. Sullivan. Throughout her dance career, Cortney has had the privilege to perform works by Francine Ott, Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane, Ronald K. Brown, Jimmy Locust, Kim Morgan Greene, Gus Giordano, and Tamisha A. Guy, amongst others. Cortney continues to develop in her craft through performances around the community and giving back through teaching young artists. Most recently, Cortney joined Black Box Dance Theatre under the direction of Michelle Pearson.

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Karen Warr

Jun 1

Written By Loop Creative

Karen Royce Warr has been passionate about dance since she was a little girl growing up in her small hometown of Murfreesboro, NC. When she attended the NC Governor’s School as a high school student, she fell in love with modern dance. She attended Randolph College, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a major in Biology and a minor in Dance. Karen obtained her Master of Science in Coastal Ecology from UNC-Wilmington and worked as a Coastal Ecologist and Wetlands Biologist in NC and Florida. She is a member of the Rainbow Dance Company and Black Box Dance Company.
She loves to connect with her interests of nature and ecology when she teaches dance. “Dance is an amazing tool for teaching anything. Kids love to learn by relating topics to their bodies and their own movement.” Karen is a 200 hour certifed yoga instructor and the owner of a small local business - Oak City Little Gardens. She has taught dance at Arts Together for 18 years and has been the Preschool dance teacher for 16 years. Karen, the mother of two, also loves traveling with her family, gardening, birdwatching, and taking walks with her husband, Richard.

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Gracyn Wright

May 1

Written By Loop Creative

By the time she was 5, Gracyn was in ballet, tap and jazz dance. She currently does Modern dance at Arts Together. In her pre-teen years, Gracyn began babysitting and discovered a calling to work with and care for children. She has held numerous nanny positions while also teaching preschool ballet, tap and art in Wake Forest. Gracyn says that “each child is different, and she loves getting to know them!”
She applies this knowledge to help children excel in new relationships and find confidence in themselves. Gracyn believes that “understanding their individual needs and what gets them excited is essential to helping children thrive in the classroom.”Gracyn often serenades her family at home with sounds of her Bass guitar.
She has done bookkeeping for multiple businesses including insurance and construction, while attending Technology classes at Wake Tech. Though she has tried many things, Gracyn’s heart is in early childhood care and development. This led to her employment at AT Preschool where Gracyn is thrilled to be able to interact with children daily!

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Arts Together Staff

Administrative & Program Staff

Preschool Staff

Art & Dance/ Movement Staff

Location

Contact

Awards

Cherrelyn Napue

Executive Director

Kathryn Auman

Director of Dance and the Rainbow Dance Co.

Jess Allen

Operations and Program Manager

Lauren Youngman

Director of Preschool and Summer Camps

Valeria Amadei

Mandy Beaudoin

Marley Bost

Catherine Christopherson

Brynna Crew

Isabel Levy

Justin Johnta Perry

Sarah Rainbolt

Donneyshika “Ms. Dee” Thomas

Karen Warr

Jess Allen

Kathryn Auman

Dwayne Billingsley

Payton Chopp

Carlesa Davis

Kate Gupton

Alexandra Himebaugh

Liz Holt

Jennifer Huggins

Frankie Lee

Glenda Mackie

Michelle Pearson

Justin Johnta Perry

Stacey Shumake

Nikki Turner

Cortney Vartanian

Karen Warr

Gracyn Wright