Arizona Musical Theatre Academy's February 2026 Classes!

 

FEBRUARY is right around the corner which means GROUP CLASSES are open for REGISTRATION!!

We are excited to have TWO GUEST INSTRUCTORS this month!! JOHN CUOZZO (The Addams Family Nat'l Tour and ABT's 42nd Street) will be offering a one week only MUSICAL THEATER DANCE WORKSHOP, and MARK STODDARD (A Christmas Story Nat'l Tour) will be returning to teach 2 weeks of ACTING CLASSES!!

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TO REGISTER PLEASE EMAIL:

-Students Name

-Classes they wish to attend

DATES: 

FEB 1st, 15th and 22nd

LOCATION

PHOENIX DANCE STUDIOS

24850 N 19th Ave 

#103

Phoenix, AZ 85085

TIMES

BALLET TECHNIQUE

ages 7-11: 5pm-6pm

ages 12+: 6pm-7pm

TAP FUNDAMENTALS

ages 7-11: 6pm-7pm

ages 12+: 5pm-6pm

MUSICAL THEATER DANCE WORKSHOP  (FEBRUARY 1st ONLY)

All Ages

7:15-8:45pm

ACTING CLASS (FEBRUARY 15th and 22nd ONLY)

Ages 7-12: 7:00pm-8pm

Ages 13+: 8pm-9pm

COST

Ballet: $15 per class

Tap: $15 per class

Musical Theater Dance Workshop: $25 (1.5 hours)

Acting Class: $30 per class

ABOUT OUR CLASSES

BALLET TECHNIQUE: This class is geared toward students who are looking to improve their ballet vocabulary and focus on their technique  and ballet skills. Ballet is the BASE of any other dance practice and imparitive in the Musical Theater world. Class will include a group warmup, ballet bar, across the floor and center practice. 

Instructor: Laurie 

TAP FUNDAMENTALS: Students will grow their tap vocabulary and focus on the clarity of their sounds and technique. Learning the popular steps found in musical theater choreography. Class will include a warmup, technique work and a short tap combo.

Instructor: Shonn

MUSICAL THEATER DANCE WORKSHOP With JOHN CUOZZO

We love the opportunity for our students to work with industry professionals, and John is certainly is one, fresh off of the National Tour of the Addams Family, and now currently performing  in ABT's Production of 42nd Street, John is no stranger to the world of Dance in Musical Theater, it is one of the most IMPORTANT aspects of musical theater and we are always so happy to offer our students the opportunity to continue to learn and grow in the field.

Class will consist of a warm-up, technique work, and Musical Theater Dance combination.

Instructor: John 

ACTING CLASSES WITH MARK STODDARD

'Creative Characters' (AGES- 7-12)

Students will enjoy creating characters through voice, movement and imagination in this 2-session class. We will explore beginning and intermediate pathways to acting through scripted scenes, character development, storytelling, improvisation, voice & movement, and much more. All concepts are reinforced by fun and immersive theater exercises that foster collaboration and creativity. 

'An Actor Prepares - Truth in Acting' (AGES 13+)

This fun and challenging 2-part class will introduce students to the 'Stanislavski System' of actor training and character development. Stanislavski's renowned training method creates a foundation for actors to access emotional memory, the 'magic if', and understand motives, given circumstances, objectives, subtext and more. Through fun and immersive exercises, actors will explore comedic and dramatic characters, voice & movement methods, improvisation, monologue preparation, scene partner work and more. 

ABOUT OUR INSTRUCTORS

JOHN CUOZZO (MUSICAL THEATER)

Originally from Bucks County, PA, he is a recent graduate of Wright State University with a B.F.A. in Acting, John has been dancing since the age of 10, and was most recently seen onstage in the 2025 National Tour of The Addams Family (Swing, Asst. Dance Captain). He is currently performing in ABT's production of 42nd Street. Other favorite credits include Frozen (Ensemble), Legally Blonde (u/s Emmett), Into The Woods (Rapunzels’ Prince), Love’s Labor’s Lost (Berowne), Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo(Jerry), and On the Town (Ozzie). 

Mark Stoddard  (ACTING) is an award-winning theater director, actor, playwright, arts educator, (and jingle singer!) and acting coach with a MA in Educational Theater from NYU. Find out more at: stoddard5creative.com. 

Upcoming projects: He will be directing ‘Cabaret’ (SCC 2026) and ‘Ragtime’ for AZ Musicfest featuring a 30 piece orchestra, and cast of Broadway stars and top local professional talent (April 2026).

Mark’s creative work has been seen in 49 US states and numerous foreign countries – in theaters, classrooms, churches, theme parks, arenas, DOD military bases, Veterans hospitals, and devised environmental spaces.  He performs regularly in professional valley theater productions and some of his favorite roles include: Adam in Children of Eden & Pharaoh in Joseph…Dreamcoat (Phoenix Theater), Fredrik in A Little Night Music (Arizona Opera), Capt Von Trapp in Sound of Music (Desert Stages), George Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life (MVP Theater), Jethro in Prince of Egypt (TheaterWorks).

He has directed over 300 musicals, plays and original works, including: ‘Carousel’ and ‘Ragtime’ [2026] (AZ Musicfest), ‘Hunchback of Notre Dame’, ‘Addams Family’ and ‘Peter and the StarCatcher’ (Valley Youth Theatre), ‘Matilda’ (Xavier/Brophy), ‘Into the Woods’, ‘Urinetown’, ‘The Crucible’ and ‘Music Man’ (PVCC), ‘Beauty and the Beast, ‘Little Mermaid’, Mary Poppins’ and ‘Celebration of Christmas’ (Dream City Arts), ‘The Telephone’ (AZ Opera).

Mark has a passion for theater education/acting coaching, and helping performers discover their strengths through various principles from Stanislavski, Meisner, Spolin, Hagen, Viewpoints and other foundational acting techniques.

RYAN ARDELT: (TAP)

Ryan Ardelt is a Grand Canyon University graduate with a BA in Theatre and a dance minor. He is Phoenix native and has been performing as a local musical theatre artist for several years. Some of his credits include: Don Lockwood Understudy/ Ensemble in Singing in the Rain, Rolf in The Sound of Music, Mike in A Chorus Line (The Phoenix Theatre Company) Older Patrick in Mame (Arizona Broadway Theatre), and Sammy Splitsole in Tappy the Elf (Tap 24.7). Along with performing, Ryan has choreographed many productions around the valley, including Mary Poppins at GCU in which he was nominated for an AriZoni award. He is passionate about tap dance and is a part of the professional Phoenix tap company Tap 24.7 where he writes, composes, and performs original productions in collaboration with the company members. Ryan is passionate about teaching and has taught dance, musical theatre, and masterclasses at award winning youth theatres and dance studios in the Phoenix metropolitan area including The Dance Project, Dynamic Motion Dance Academy, Actor’s Youth Theatre, Valley Youth Theatre, Christian Youth Theatre, and more. 

LAURIE TRYGG: (BALLET)

Laurie studied ballet in Buffalo, NY, where she danced professionally with the Empire State Ballet Company.  After moving to Arizona she became a member of the Tempe Dance Company performing and competing throughout the U.S. Currently Laurie teaches private dance lessons and also performs in musical theater. Some of her favorite regional theater credits include: Chicago (Annie), Pippin(Aerialist/Player), A Christmas Carol (Ghost of Christmas Future), Cats (Cassandra), Legally Blonde (Elle’s Mom/Judge), A Chorus Line(Sheila), Avenue Q (Bad Idea Bear/Mrs T), The Odd Couple (Gwendolyn Pigeon), An American in Paris, Elf: The Musical, and Billy Elliot.