Stephen Cota
Theatre Jazz
Stephen is the Founder and Artistic Director of In the Wings. He is incredibly passionate about teaching, both while educating young aspiring artists and leading industry professionals; In the Wings was born out of his intention to continue that education through the pandemic and beyond. Stephen first caught the performance bug in high school, and immediately landed his first job at the age of 18, dancing and sailing around the world on cruise ships. As soon as he landed on solid ground, he started laying the ground work to become a musical theatre professional. Steve worked professionally onstage for over 20 years before transitioning to choreographing and educating.
Some of his credits include: Choreographer; Romeo and Juliet, The Madwoman of Chaillot, The Hypochondriac, Cynthia Dale in Concert: Outside Looking In (Stratford Festival), Mary Poppins (The Grand). Assistant director: Chicago, Little Shop of Horrors, The Rocky Horror Show. Associate choreographer: Here’s What it Takes, Billy Elliot, Little Shop of Horrors, The Music Man, The Rocky Horror Show, Guys and Dolls. Assistant choreographer: A Chorus Line, The Sound of Music (Stratford Festival), West Side Story (Vancouver Opera). Crazy for You, Man of La Mancha, Tommy, Fiddler on the Roof (2013, 2000), 42nd Street, The Pirates of Penzance, Kiss Me, Kate, Evita, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, West Side Story, The Music Man, Moby Dick, Oklahoma!, My One and Only, Oliver!, South Pacific (Stratford Festival), White Christmas, Annie (Drayton); Mel Brooks’s The Producers (Mirvish/Canon Theatre). Looking forward to seeing you all in class!
David Cox
Tap
David Cox has been dancing since the age of 2, as he was brought into this world by a musical family. His father a Motown artist and his mother a dance teacher. At 13 he made his first trip to NYC on scholarship and that would change his life forever. Studying with some of the best dancers in the world he began to realize that tap dance was his passion not forgetting his extensive training in jazz, ballet and modern.
Since becoming a professional he has gone on to perform for and at the following: YTV Achievement Award Winner 1999 Dance Category, ‘Bojangles’ the Showtime movie starring Gregory Hines, the international sensation ‘STOMP’, Juno Awards, Toronto International Film Festival, Vancouver Jazz Festival, The Duke Ellington Society, Save The Last Dance pt2, talked Tap and Tapped with Shelagh Rogers (Sounds Like Canada CBC Radio 1) , Bravo Fact ‘The Hoofers Club’, Dance Arts Vancouver & Judith Marcuse Projects (ICE: Beyond Cool, FIRE… Where There’s Smoke, and EARTH=HOME), ADIDAS, Pro Arte Danza’s The Jazz Cracker, Ballet Creole’s Soulful Messiah, Ruckus Co Prod’s Ricochet, LKTYP’s “i think i can”, Hoofers House Harlem NYC.
Numerous corporate functions include former T.O Mayor David Miller’s Inaugural Ball, Coca Cola, Hit N Run Productions and has performed for the speaker of the house, and His Majesty Prince Charles to name a few. He has been on MTV Canada as a choreographer and dancer for “MTV Live: Dancing with the Hosts” and Much Music’s Black History Month. David has shared his passion with the world as a featured performer in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies and is a sought after adjudicator and teacher across North America. He is also proud to be a member of a band called Theatre Crisp where he taps as added percussion.
He is regular faculty at the Tap Dance Centre in Mississauga among other surrounding area studios. His happy go lucky and energetic attitude is contagious to those around him, and urges others to pick up a tap and discover the music they can make. Here’s to the 2nd Balcony…Keep it Copasetic!
Lily McEvenue
Ballet
Lily’s professional career began shortly after high school, when she started dancing for the renowned Canadian baroque opera company, Opera Atelier. In her three seasons with the company,she danced in international tours to the Royal Opera House of Versailles, and the Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown, NY. She danced in operas such as The Magic Flute, Orpheus and Eurydice,and Armide.
Lily’s most notable stage credit was playing Victoria in the 2013 production of CATS, in Toronto. Later she went on to perform with The Charlottetown Festival, playing Ruby Gillis in Anne of Green Gables, and appearing in Canada Rocks!. Other favourite credits include working with Drayton Entertainment (Anne of Green Gables), and the Stratford Festival (Guys andDolls, HMS Pinafore, The Music Man). Film/TV credits include dancing in episodes of Reign (CW network), and Mary Kills People (Global TV). Most recently, Lily played an ensemble dancer on Netflix’s upcoming show Tiny Pretty Things.
Lily has not only served the arts community as a professional dancer, and performer, but also as a teacher in both ballet and the Pilates method. She has been influential in helping performers pursue their careers at the highest level.
Jason Sermonia
Jazz
Raised in Mississauga, Ontario and has called Stratford, Ontario home for the last 10 years. At a young age, Jason trained extensively at the Canadian Dance Company (Mississauga) and the Performing Dance Arts (Woodbridge) specializing in jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary, acrobatics, musical theatre and hip-hop.
At age 18, he made his theatrical debut in the Toronto production of The Lion King. Other selected credits include: Dirty Dancing, We Will Rock You (Mirvish Productions); Billy Elliot, Little Shop of Horrors, Music Man, Rocky Horror Show, A Chorus Line, Crazy For You, Sound of Music, Carousel, Guys & Dolls, Anything Goes (Stratford Festival), West Side Story (Citadel/Theatre Calgary), Mary Poppins (Drayton Entertainment); The Lion King (Disney Theatrical-Las Vegas); We Will Rock You (1st US National Tour); Jesus Christ Superstar (Stratford/La Jolla/Broadway Revival); Miss Saigon (Broadway Revival).
Jason also appeared in the hip-hop dancing movie “Honey” starring Jessica Alba and Oscar award winning for best picture “Chicago” starring Richard Gere, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger. He also performed on the 66th and 71st Annual Tony Awards, 37th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, Live With Regis & Kelly Show and Dancing With The Stars.
Awards: Derek F. Mitchell Artistic Director’s Guthrie Award (Stratford Festival-2016); Brian Macdonald Choreographer Guthrie Award (Stratford Festival-2018)
Eric Charbonneau
Vocal
Eric Charbonneau was in his fourth season with the Stratford Festival as associate conductor for Chicago. Previously he was associate conductor for their productions of The Music Man and Billy Elliot. Eric graduated with a Master’s degree in Collaborative Piano from Western University under Dr. John Hess in 2013. Since then, Eric has been working as a freelance vocal coach, collaborative pianist and teaching artist. As a music director, Eric has worked with many Canadian theatre companies: Peck Productions, LINK theatre, The London Community Players, Music Theatre on the Thames, Musical Theatre Productions, Original Kids Theatre Company, Halifax Summer Opera Festival amongst others.
Rick Kish
Acting
Rick is currently the artistic director of LINK theatre. Usually, each November and December finds Rick touring the province with his, “A really Retro CROONER Christmas”, last seen at Drayton Festival Theatre, Huron Country Playhouse and Meaford Performing Arts. When not on stage Rick coaches performers in both the craft of acting and singing. Rick served as Artistic Director at Bluewater Summer Playhouse and Port Stanley Festival Theatre.
