Education & Community Engagement > Overview

AileyCamp

AileyCamp provides a free program for selected youth ages 11 – 14 using the power of dance and personal development to support in developing a heightened awareness of their full potential, self-confidence, critical thinking skills and decision-making skills to navigate difficult challenges. Learn more here.

Art Sessions

STG offers ongoing art class sessions that are free and open to educators, students, families, community groups, artists, and beyond. View our recorded art class sessions here.

Broadway Programs

STG’s Broadway Programs include a variety of events, residencies, and experiences that include an intersection of educational and community engagement opportunities in relation to Broadway shows, artists, and themes. Learn more about current digital Broadway programming here.

Broadway Inclusion Program

STG’s Broadway Inclusion Program provides theatre arts programming to neurodivergent and/or disabled community members and their families and caregivers. Participants tend to be between 8-50 years old, but all ages and abilities are welcome! Learn more here.

Dance for Parkinsons

STG Dance for PD® offers weekly, free livestream dance classes for people with Parkinson’s disease and their care partners. Learn more here.

DANCE This – Performance

STG’s signature dance program, DANCE This, brings together youth and adult performers from diverse communities for collaboration and to share their culture through the art of dance. Local choreographers and nationally known guest artists work with this region’s vibrant talent in a lively performance for all ages. Learn more here.

DANCE This – Camp

STG's DANCE This Camp at Centrum is an opportunity for young dancers at all levels to study dance for one week in beautiful Port Townsend, WA. Students will participate in a variety of dance styles and genres with local and national educators. Learn more here.

DANCE This – Spring Workshop

The DANCE This Spring Workshop is an opportunity for students ages 13-19 at all levels and be immersed in dance. Students will be exposed to a wide range of dance styles and techniques in a supportive, yet challenging atmosphere. Learn more here.

Disney Musicals in Schools

Disney Musicals In Schools is a free program where STG Teaching Artists partner with educators and staff members in selected Title I elementary schools to produce Disney KIDS musicals and create sustainable theatre programs at their schools. Learn more here.

For Educators

STG presents and produces several daytime matinees each season for school and community groups at the historic Paramount, Moore, and Neptune Theatres. Learn more here.

Community Advisory Groups

Seattle Theatre Group's Community Advisory Group (CAG) creates and holds space for the greater Puget Sound BIPOC, LGBTQ+, Disabled and/or Neurodivergent Communities to gather and converse; empowering individuals to participate, share knowledge and support the art they want to experience; thereby making STG venues and programs safe and accessible for all. Learn more.

ELEVATE

ELEVATE is a showcase of Black and Brown voices uplifting one another through the art of spoken word. Learn more here.

Global Party

Global Party is a high energy performance of cultural and contemporary dance and music. The performance features talented youth and adult performers celebrating rich cultural traditions from around the world. Learn more here.

More Music @ The Moore

More Music @ The Moore features exceptional young musicians mixing up diverse music styles. Each year, artists are mentored by Seattle-area based professionals as well as a world-renowned Music Director. Learn more here.

RE:DEFINITION

Tariqa Waters, owner and curator of Martyr Sauce, and the late Jonathan Moore founded the RE:DEFINITION gallery at the Paramount Theatre bar in 2015, a partnership with Seattle Theatre Group (STG) to redefine historic cultural space. The goal of the space was always to elevate underrepresented artists and issues of equity in our community. Learn more here.

Season Engagements

STG’s Season Engagements include a variety of events, discussions, classes, and experiences that include an intersection of educational and community engagement opportunities in relation to the Performing Arts Season shows, artists, and themes. Learn more here.

Sensory-Friendly Performances

Sensory-friendly and inclusive performances are designed to provide a supportive and judgment-free environment for people affected by sensory processing challenges so they may enjoy the shared experience of live theatre. Learn more about upcoming sensory-friendly or inclusive performances, and read about past programs and performances here. Learn more here.

Up Next

Songwriters Lab and More Music @ The Moore alumni musicians will be previewing their music on Starbucks' and STG's social media platforms and on the STG Up Next web page.

Young Ambassadors

STG Young Ambassadors is a group of artistic individuals ages 15-20 who represent STG in the Seattle arts community and get a behind-the-scenes experience in preparation for careers in the arts. The mission of this program is to diversify the pool of applicants for arts industry jobs by providing equitable access to work experience. Learn more here.

Marisol Sánchez-Best, Director of Education & Community Engagement

Marisol Sánchez-Best (Mixtec, She/Her) was born in Oaxaca, Mexico. Her work and passion is focused on theatre access initiatives and providing platforms for historically underrepresented communities. Prior to STG, she worked at La Jolla Playhouse as the Associate Director of Education. She has worked in the US and México as a theatre educator, actor, and teaching artist trainer. Marisol received her undergraduate degree from San Diego State University with a double major in Theatre Performance and Spanish and and M.F.A in Performance from the University of Florida. Her biggest pride is elevating and sharing the beauty of her Oaxacan culture.

Marisol Sánchez-Best (Mixteca, ella) nació en Oaxaca, México. Su trabajo y pasión se enfoca en iniciativas accesibles para comunidades históricamente marginalizadas. Antes de STG, ella trabajó para La Jolla Playhouse, como la Asociada de Educación. Su trabajo expande desde Estados Unidos y México como educadora, actriz y entrenadora para maestros docentes de teatro. Marisol recibió su licenciatura en teatro y Español de San Diego State University y su Maestría en actuación de la Universidad de Florida. Su orgullo es elevar y compartir la belleza de su cultura Oaxaqueña.

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Rex Kinney, Associate Director of Education

Rex Kinney (he/him) is the Associate Director of Education overseeing education initiatives and productions at Seattle Theatre Group. He is a dance educator, producer, choreographer and teaching artist. His goals are to be able to highlight the vibrant stories of our artists and provide a space that all learners can discover an environment that is surrounded by community, imagination and creativity. Prior to STG, Rex spent 20 years as the Head Coach and Director of the Shorecrest High School Hip Hop Team. During this time, he helped the team to 15 consecutive Washington State District 1 titles, 10 WIAA State Dance/Drill Championships, and 5 National titles. He was honored by the Washington State Dance/Drill Coaches Association as “Coach of the Year” in 2011 and inducted into the Coaches Hall of Fame in 2017. Rex has taught and choreographed for several groups, studios, companies and organizations all over the Northwest. The arts have made a huge impact in his life and career but is most proud of being a husband and dad to four amazing children.

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Sarah Strasbaugh, Associate Director of Community Programs

Sarah Strasbaugh (she/her) is an arts producer and community liaison working within the Greater Seattle area for the last 20+ years. Currently Sarah’s work at Seattle Theatre Group involves producing large scale performances as well as intimate workshops, community events and everything in between. From music and arts festivals to film to theatre, Sarah’s work has been centered in the community. Her balance of logistics, artist relations, event production, and a passion for inspiring art experiences are at the heart of her career.

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Adriana Wright, Education Partnership Manager

Adriana Wright (she/her) was born in Southern California and grew up in Tijuana, Mexico. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Cornish College of the Arts with a BFA in Dance in 2013. She has performed in various works by artists in Seattle, San Diego, and Mexico. Her choreographic work has been presented through Seattle International Dance Festival, On the Boards NorthWest New Works, Velocity Dance Center's Bridge Project, Cornish College of the Arts and Southwestern Community College. Currently, Adriana works as a Teaching Artist for various Community Education Programs in the greater Seattle area where she teaches creative movement and adaptive dance in public schools, early childhood centers and enrichment programs. She researches and experiments with movement through choreography, literature, and teaching choreography and creative movement.

Adriana Wright (ella) nació en San Diego, CA y creció en Tijuana, México. Se graduó con honores de Cornish College of the Arts con una Licenciatura en Artes Finas en Danza. Se ha presentado en varios proyectos con artistas en Seattle, San Diego, y México. Su coreografía ha sido presentada a través del Seattle International Dance Festival, On the Boards NorthWest New Works, Velocity Dance Center's Bridge Project, Cornish College of the Arts y Southwestern Community College.  Actualmente, Adriana trabaja como Artista-Docente para varios Programas de Educación para la Comunidad alrededor de Seattle donde da clases de movimiento creativo y danza adaptada en escuelas públicas, centros de educación de infancia, y programas de enriquecimiento. Adriana investiga y experimenta con movimiento usando medios de coreografía, literatura, y dando clases de coreografía y movimiento creativo.

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Mary Kibala, Education Coordinator

My name is Mary Kibala (she/her) and I am the new Education Coordinator with STG! I am in my last year of school at the University of Washington Bothell, graduating in the spring with a bachelor's in Community Psychology and Society, Ethics, and Human Behavior. Outside of work and school, I like to stay involved in the Seattle dance community. I grew up mainly taking classes and doing performances through Westlake Dance Center and am currently a member of the ZTheory performance company. As someone who has greatly benefited from the community that has come with dance, I am passionate about work that uplifts communities. I look forward to this opportunity to work with STG and am excited to be part of the team!

Rachel McKinney, Community Engagement Coordinator and AileyCamp Administrator

Rachel McKinney (she/her) is a Seattle native and a graduate of Green River College, with an associate degree in Fine Arts. At Green River College she studied photography, which led to her interest in videography and editing. In 2021 Rachel collaborated with Seattle Theatre Group (STG), in the inaugural ELEVATE program as a videographer and editor. Her STG credits include, STG’s AileyCamp, Disney Musicals in Schools (DMIS) and Broadway Inclusion Program (BIP). Rachel has been dancing for twenty years and has taught tap for Northwest Tap Connection and Spectrum Dance Theater in Seattle, Washington. She has performed at Floripa Tap Festival in Brazil, Cross Cultural Exchange trip in Barbados, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and STG’s DANCE This and Global Dance Party for over 10 years. She has also been a member of Youth Tap Ensemble and Color Lines Dance Ensemble along with performing in the Groovement. She proudly joins the STG team to continue sharing her passion for the arts and administrative skills.

Andrea Freed, DANCE This and Dance for PD Administrator

Andrea Freed, born and raised in the greater Seattle area in Washington state, started dancing ballet at the age of four and fell in love with it. In 2017, Andrea earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree, magna cum laude from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, where she studied primarily ballet and modern dance. While at Cornish, Andrea performed in works by Kyle Abraham, Iyun Harrison, Pat Hon, Veronica Lee-Baik, and Gerard Theoret. Andrea has been teaching ballet since 2012 and has taught at the Academy of Russian Classical Ballet, Woodinville Dance Academy, and Gotta Dance. She also has a passion for dance administration and started working with Seattle Theatre Group (STG) in 2017. She now works with STG on their DANCE This program and more recently their Dance for Parkinson’s program. She believes that dance is for everyone and enjoys sharing that message in these programs and in the classes she teaches.