Two types of tuition waivers are offered by The Foundation of Arts for students and families in need of financial assistance.
What is a Scholarship?
The Foundation of Arts awards scholarships to individuals that meet very specific guidelines for the Tuition Waiver Program. Scholarships allow the recipient to take class free of charge for the full semester. Each scholarship recipient is expected to attend all classes and to participate in all activities. Scholarships will not be awarded to the same person every semester.
What is Work Study?
The Foundation of Arts offers a work-study program for students or parents of students who would like to trade hours of volunteer work in exchange for tuition fees. Work-study recipients (or their parents) are expected to work off their time each month by aiding the staff of The Foundation of Arts. For every hour that is worked, $10.00 will be deducted from the account. Work-study participants will receive a monthly statement in the mail to keep up with their hours. All accounts left with a balance at the end of the semester must be paid in full. In order for the staff to properly document hours worked, recipients must log their hours on cards provided to them, and return them to The Foundation of Arts.
The deadline to apply for Spring 2012 Tuition Waiver Application is January 5, 2012.
Please click on the white box to download an application.
Tuition Waiver Sp 2012.pdf
The Arts Center Dance Closert
328 South Main, downtown Jonesboro!
Now offering limited quantities of:
Bloch and Capezio Ballet Shoes
Bloch and Capezio Jazz Shoes
Capezio Tap Shoes
Tank and Camisole Leotards
Ballet Skirts for children
Tights
Jazz Pants
Gilda Marx, ABT, Bloch, and Capezio Leotards
Children's and Adult sizes available
935-2726
Hours 9-5 Mon-Fri (hours may vary sometimes)
Rob Spencer- Drama
Rob teaches Theatre and Acting classes at The Foundation of Arts. He is a graduate of Arkansas State University with a degree in Theatre Arts. He has written, directed, and acted in several plays and lives in Jonesboro with his wife Kara. He grew up in Leachville, AR and graduated from Buffalo Island Central High School.
Rob began acting in High School and continued that passion at the Foundation of Arts. He started writing plays while in college and several have been produced locally. Additionally, he has many acting and directing credits here in NEA. He loves teaching Theatre classes at The Arts Center and wants to encourage everyone to see all of the new things going on at The Foundation of Arts.
Amber Bond-Ferguson (Jazz 1-5, Stepping Stones Tap and Jazz, Tap 1-3, Dance Team Prep)
Amber has been a FOA instructor for eight years and has been dancing since age 4. She started dancing at Christy McNeil Dance Studio at age 6 and remained there until her graduation in 2002. Amber has won many dance competitions on local, regional and national levels, including competitions at Walt Disney World. Amber was the Nettleton High School dance team captain and was named a member of the Arkansas State A-Team. Amber enjoys teaching children how to dance, softball, music, and shopping during her spare time. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ultrasound) in December 2008.
LeeAnn Knierim
LeeAnn is a graduate of Jonesboro High School and had been dancing for 16 years. Her dance training began here in Jonesboro under the instruction of Katherine Kyle. Later, she studied under Heather Intres, Dr. Elizabeth Sales, and Stacey Alley at The Foundation of Arts. Training outside of Jonesboro includes, two workshops in Mississippi with Ballet Magnificat!, and a summer at the Cecchetti International Summer School in Hope, Michigan. The most recent training was a 2 month intensive studying under Daniel Duell, of the New York City Ballet, and Patricia Blair, at Ballet Chicago. LeeAnn has also completed the Teacher’s Assistant Program through The Foundation of Arts, under the guidance of Heather Intres. After completing the program, she went on to teach for The Foundation of Arts for 3 years. LeeAnn has taught several different dance styles including, lyrical, contemporary ballet, pointe and dance team technique. She has experience with children and adults of all ages. She has served as choreographer for The Nutcracker and Spring Showcase with the Foundation. During 2008 and 2009, LeeAnn served as Assistant Director for The Nutcracker Ballet, Director for 2010, and will serve as Director for 2011. She also served as choreographer for Jonesboro High School’s Fame and directed and choreographed 3 Spring Recitals for The Jonesboro Studio of Dance. Her performance rolls include Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Queen, choreography from Rodeo, Le Corsair, and original choreography by Heather Intres and Dr. Elizabeth Sales. During the summer of 2007 she also received an amazing opportunity to perform pieces from two of George Balanchine’s original ballets, Serenade and Stars and Stripes. LeeAnn now holds the position as Dance Instructor for Jonesboro’s Visual and Performing Arts School. In her spare time LeeAnn enjoys swimming, watching movies, and spending time with her family. She loves scrapbooking and arts and crafts. LeeAnn is thankful for her friends and family and for all the talented students that she hass and will have the opportunity instruct.
MICHELLE EILEEN EDWARDS
A native of Chicago, Michelle began her training in dance at the age of three and studied under Joyce Harley and at Stone & Cameron School of Ballet. She was selected to perform at the Illinois State Dance Festival as a teenager and after high school attended Abilene Christian University in Texas and earned a B.S. in Social Work. While in Texas Michelle was a contracted member of the Abilene Metropolitan Ballet Company under the direction of Marj Baucum. During her tenure with the company she was the Principal Dancer for four years
Co-Assistant Artistic Director for three years and recipient of the Senior Achievement Award. At the same time Michelle founded and directed Deo Gloriaa Christian Ballet Company that ministered across the Southwest. Michelle moved to Memphis where she was a member of Kingdom Dancea Christian Company that ministered in the Mid-South and across the U.S. She taught and choreographed extensively with the company until her move to Jonesboro in July 2006. She has enjoyed the honor of ministering in dance across the continents of North America Europe and Africa. Currently her husband Gary is an Associate Professor of History at Arkansas State University and Michelle enjoys teaching and choreographing for The Foundation of Arts.
Cara Sullivan
Cara teaches several classes such as Little Artists, Sculpture, Painting and many more
She was born in Bangor, Maine in 1977. She earned her B.F.A. at Arkansas State University, graduating with honors as the President's Scholar of the College of Fine Arts. Sullivan studied abroad at the University of Ulster College of Art and Design in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and earned her M.F.A. from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. She has been a recipient of the Phi Kappa Phi Graduate Fellowship, and has exhibited her work in Belfast, N.I.; Brooklyn, NY; New Brunswick, NJ; and Memphis, TN, among other locations. Her work is interdisciplinary, with a strong interest in drawing and painting.
Meagan Cremeens
Meagan is one of our Drama instructors here at the Foundation of Arts. She is currently a student at Arkansas State University studying communications. Meagan teaches the Broadway Bound/Musical Theatre courses among many others. Her acting experience includes Annie, Into the Woods, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, It’s a Wonderful Life and most recently appeared in The Little Mermaid, as well as many others. Meagan is a fantastic instructor who came to us last Spring. She has taught several camps and workshops this summer and will continue to do so in the future. Meagan says she absolutely loves the Foundation of Arts and the chance to teach such amazing students.
Navie Scales
Navie is starting her 2nd semester of teaching for the Foundation of Arts. She has been employed with the Jonesboro Public Schools for 12 years. She is currently working at Jonesboro Pre-K Center. Before her employment with Jonesboro Public Schools she was a Speech Therapist for 6 years for Crawfordsville and Earle Public Schools. Navie earned her BSE in Speech Therapy at Arkansas State University in 1987. She has 2 amazing children. Her son is a 2004 UCA graduate and her daughter is currently attending ASU. Recently, Navie was given the Opportunity to use her sewing and designing skills as the Costumer at the FOA for "Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat", "Frankenstein", "It's A Wonderful Life" and "Oklahoma". She has taught several workshops and the summer of 2011 was her first Fashion Design Summer Camp. She attends First Baptist Church on Kitchen St. In her spare time she enjoys reading inspirational books, sewing and spending time with her granddaughter. Navie loves sharing her sewing skills with her student at The Foundation for Arts.
Taura McDaniel- Ballet
Taura has been with the Foundation of Arts for a year as a ballet instructor. She started studying ballet when she was 5 years old and spent all of her childhood studying dance and theatre at the Edye Cook Skidmore School of Performing Arts located in Marion, Ohio. After her high school graduation, Taura attended Bowling Green State University and performed with the University’s Ballet Company. She has taught ballet for several years and is excited to be working with the Foundation of Arts. Taura is an attorney and works with the Arkansas Supreme Court’s attorney ad litem program.
Molly Parker
Alisa Mason
Alisa teaches ballet has been dancing for over 7 years at the FOA under the training of Heather Intres. She is a graduate of the T.A.P. Program at the Arts Center. She has attended the Ballet Magnificat! Summer intensive and has also choreographed several pieces for the Nutcracker Ballet. In her spare time, Alisa enjoys writing, cooking, and sewing.
Jonathan Stanley
Jonathan is the Assistant Technical Director for The Foundation of Arts in addition to
being one of our instructors in the Arts Center. He teaches Backstage Basics and Scenic Design classes. He has several years of experience working in all aspects of theatre and has been a part of many FOA productions. Jonathan has an extensive background in many areas of design such as
painting, drawing, and woodworking. In his role an instructor here at The Arts Center, he hopes to display a theatrical design aspect to students who want to see the FOA’s main stage productions from a backstage perspective.
Annie Andrews (Ballet 3)
Dance has been a major part of Annie's life for 10 years. She trained for 4 years under Ray Lynn and Heather Green at Paragould Dance Academy, studying ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, acrobatics, and modern dance, and participating in their competitive dance team for two years. She also participated in their teacher's assistant program for a year. Annie has taken classes at the Arts Center for 4 years, participating in the showcase performances of Rodeo, Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake. She has also performed in The Nutcracker Ballet for 3 years. This past summer, Annie attended Ballet Magnificat! Summer Dance Intensive. Annie is a graduate of the Arts Center's Teacher's Assistant Program and mentored under Heather Intres for three years. Annie feels that she has been richly blessed to have the opportunity to take dance lessons for so many years, and is thankful for the immense effort that all of her teachers have put into her training. Annie has benefited greatly from the instruction she has received in the Teacher's Assistant Program, and is grateful for the wonderful, supportive environment at the FOA.
Heather Underwood Stanley (Stepping Stones and Beginning Ballet, Tap, and Jazz)
Heather joined the FOA staff in Fall of 2009, after several semesters in the FOA teacher's assistant program. Heather has been a student with FOA for almost two years and before relocating to Jonesboro, AR in 2007, she danced with Dance Etc. in Wichita Falls, TX, studying Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical & Modern dance. Heather has performed in numerous community theatre productions, some of which include 'High School Musical', 'Footloose' and 'Charlie & The Chocolate Factory'. She is also a member of the highly unconventional performing arts troupe, The U.F.O's. When Heather is not dancing, working or finishing school assignments, she likes to dabble in photography, keep up with friends on Facebook and attend church at First United Methodist of Jonesboro.
Sydney Driscoll
Sydney currently attends Jonesboro High School and is a student and teacher at the FOA. She has performed in Nutcracker for the past 7 years and has performed pieces from Rodeo, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Cinderella, and Triomphe de la Lumiere. This past summer, Sydney attended Ballet Chicago’s five week summer intensive where she studied under Mr. Dan Duell, of the New York City Ballet, and Mrs. Patricia Blair. She has also studied under Mrs. Heather Intres for eight years.. Sydney is a graduate of the FOA T.A.P. (Teacher Assistant Program).
Savannah Strickland
Savannah teaches ballet has been dancing at the Foundation of Arts for 9 years, and is currently still taking classes. She has performed in the Nutcracker Ballet for all of these years. She attended to the Ballet Chicago 5 week summer intensive for the summers of 2010 and 2011. She graduated from the T.A.P. program under the direction of Heather Intres. In her free time she likes to have fun with friends and hang out with her youth group.
Hannah Mason
Hannah teaches ballet and has been dancing at the FOA for over 7 years under the director of Heather Intres. She is a graduate of the T.A.P. program at the Arts Center and has been teaching for 3 years. She has attended a summer intensive at Ballet Magnificat! And has choreographed several pieces for the Nutcracker Ballet. In her spare time, Hannah enjoys playing guitar and spending time with family and friends.
Maranda Nichols - Drama
Maranda has always had a passion for the theatre. Throughout her youth she danced with the Southern All-star Cloggers, participated in church drama and musical programs, and a few productions with the Foundation of Arts from 1997-1999, as well as productions with the Nettleton High School drama department. In 2002, she began working for Walt Disney World in various roles as a lifeguard, merchandise hostess, and finally as a performer in various shows and parades. She graduated with a BS in Biology from the University of Central Arkansas in 2006. Shortly after she moved back to Jonesboro and became involved, once again, with the Foundation of Arts. Recent productions include Disneys High School Musical as Martha Cox, Disneys Beauty and the Beast as Belle, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow as Grandmother. Maranda recently completed her Masters of Public Health and works at the NEA Clinic in the Clinical Research Department. She is looking forward to working with students and sharing with them her favorite part of theatre, characterization!
Grace Andrews
Grace is a graduate of the Teacher's Assistant Program. She has taking ballet for ten years, including Ballet Magnificiat! Summer Dance Intensive 2009. Grace has performed in The Nutcracker Ballet for many years, as well as the Foundation of Arts excerpts from Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and Rodeo. She is an eleventh grade home school student. When she's not dancing, she enjoys playing piano and reading.
Rebecca Mixon
Art
Ceola Dockery- Photography
Ceola has been shooting photos since the age of seven and has been loving it ever since. Being able to pass on what she knows about photography to others is a joy. She graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where she received her Bachelors in Studio Art, emphasis in Photography in 2007. Ceola also attended the University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL in 2003. She taught Photography at the UALR's Community School of the Arts for the last 3 years. She was Vice President of UALR's Art Student Association. In 2007, she won honorable mention at UALR's student competitive exhibition. Spring 2008, she was featured in UALR's Alumni Newsletter.
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