Theatre & Academy
OUR MISSION
To enrich the human experience by producing classic American musicals and plays. To educate, prepare and promote exceptional talent to achieve their fullest as artists, leaders, and global citizens.
OUR VISION
To be an arts education and performance center where art and artists of all disciplines are WELCOMED and CELEBRATED and NURTURED.
IMPACT
2021-2023
97 Performances
207 Jobs Created
195 Class & Camps
100% Creatives Paid
1,238 Enrollments
7,757 Patrons
1 Academy
1 Black Box Theatre
The 2021 - 2022 fiscal year was our first year back to 100% in-person learning and performances. We were happy to not only bring Lake Travis residents together, but also attract a significant number of visitors throughout Texas and the nation to share in live events that may be touching, educational, thought-provoking, amusing or simply entertaining. Over 70% of our patrons attend shows from outside of Lakeway (27% visit from outside the Austin MSA). We project that we create ~$400,000 positive impact for the Lakeway hospitality industry each year.
TexARTS attracts theater goers from across the country and even Canada! Our patronage represents 2 countries, 18 states and 192 unique zip codes. 70% of our attendees are from outside of Lakeway and 27% from outside the Austin MSA.
TexARTS also attracts talent from around the country and central Texas. Over the last two years we employed 207 creatives to instruct the students in the academy, direct shows, build shows, design lights and market the shows, just to name a few roles. We partner with local universities and high schools to give early in career artists an opportunity to work alongside professionals, creating experiences and connections to help them progress in their careers. TexARTS deliberately brings in Directors and Choreographers from New York to mount our professional series to deliver high quality productions and create connections to the New York scene. We were also fortunate to have 2 grammy award winners take our stage in the last 2 years. The best part of the story is that many that have worked with TexARTS seek to return.
OUR HISTORY
TexARTS Association for the visual and performing arts was founded in 2005 by 12-year veteran of the Broadway Stage Robin Lewis and former director of the world-renowned Martha Graham Dance Company & School Todd Dellinger. From the inception, TexARTS produced professional productions such as: Carousel, Damn Yankees, Always Patsy Cline, and I’ll Be Seeing You to name a few. For several years, the organization rented the Paramount Theater as a performance venue for their professional productions, while providing theatre arts education to young aspiring artists in the Lohman's Crossing Shopping Center in Lakeway, Texas.
Since then, TexARTS has had the pleasure of serving the Lake Travis region for the last 17 years. We pride ourselves in educating the youth through technique classes in voice, acting and dance as well as musical theatre performance opportunities and summer camps. Each academy year we fully produce and costume at least 2 youth musicals, 1 teen musical and the Nutcracker Ballet. These productions are very expensive to mount, but they give each student an opportunity to experience various elements of theatre. It is our tenet to teach our students at an early age how to be a professional performer.
During our tenure, we have served 1000s of students. Some of our original students have graduated from college arts programs and are working in the field. You can see them working on Broadway, with international touring companies, in TV, commercials & Film productions, and at prestigious education institutions as artists, designers and crew. Many of these young performers started out in our summer camps and musicals, progressed to technique classes and ultimately found their calling.
TexARTS also produces a Professional theatre season in our very own Black Box Theatre. We are in our thirteenth season having fully produced musicals and plays such as Guys and Dolls, Honky Tonk Laundry, and Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. We have produced just over 100 shows during our tenure, employing 100s of creatives each season including musicians, actors, carpenters, lighting designers, sound designers, costume designers, stage managers, directors, choreographers, and administrative personnel to support the shows. We are proud to create paying jobs for artists of all kinds.
Meet the Staff
OUR Board of Directors
_Page_1_Image_0001.jpg)
.jpg)
OUR Advisory Board
Mike Doherty
Thomas C. Hilbert
TEACHING ARTISTS
George Bohn
Tap
George Bohn started performing in California at an early age with Vernon Russell who set the foundation for much of his dance career. By age 13, George had performed on television and at the San Francisco Opera House with the Kirov ballet. After earning an English degree from St. Mary’s College, he toured throughout the Northwest United States and internationally before moving to New York City. George’s New York credits include Gypsy with Angela Lansbury, The American Dance Machine, and Not So New Faces where he originated the “Flipper Dance” with choreographer Terry Rieser,
While in New York, George joined DancEllington, a concert tap company founded by Gregory and Maurice Hines and led by Mercedes Ellington, Duke Ellington’s granddaughter. In addition to performing and touring with the company, George made his New York choreographic debut creating the Russian and Sugarplum Fairy dances in DancEllington’s premier of Cracker Jazz—Peter and the Duke, to Ellington’s famous arrangement of the Nutcracker Suite, as well as assisting Ms. Ellington in choreographing for Andre Heller’s Body and Soul which opened at the Munich Opera House and toured in Germany and Austria. George also created and performed A Simple Song with his long time friend, Broadway actor Bob Fitch for the group Dancers Over Forty before closing a 30 year chapter on his New York career and moving to Austin to be closer to family.
His current projects in Austin include teaching classes of all levels at TexARTS, maintaining his YouTube channel, and originating the Austin Rhythm Incubator; an online performance salon.
Ben Borgia
Acting
From Sydney, Australia, Ben has been performing since before he was born. After graduating from a selective performing arts high school, Ben attended the prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Australia, under some of the most renowned teachers in the industry where he studied acting, receiving a bachelors degree.
Ben has performed in numerous stage productions at some of the biggest and best theaters
‘Down Under’ with performances at ‘The Sydney Opera House’ and for the ‘Sydney Theatre
Company’ (STC). Ben has also worked extensively in commercial television and appeared in TV
shows and films over the years. Ben has worked hundreds of times as a voice actor, and has
leant his voice to countless characters in animation, video games and commercials. If you need a laugh or just miss the sound of his voice call any Outback Steakhouse and you will be greeted by an ‘even more Australian’ version of your drama teacher!
Ben moved to Austin 10 years ago to marry a Texan. He has previously worked for the
‘kidsActing Foundation’ and ‘Variety: The Children’s Charity of Texas’. Both are Austin-area
nonprofit arts organizations giving youth and teens of ALL abilities the chance to lead, learn,
thrive, and grow through the magic of performing arts.
Cassie Eckerman
Jazz
Cassie Eckerman was born into a jazz class in San Antonio, TX. After attending the North East School of the Arts in San Antonio she received her BFA in Modern Dance Performance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. While there, she performed with a number of Philadelphia area dance artists including Bessie Award nominee Jaamil Kosoko, Georgian Court University’s director of dance Silvana Cardell, Nora Gibson of Nora Gibson Performance Project, and Melanie Stewart Dance Theatre. Cassie also served as an intern and assistant administrator for the nEW Festival, performed in the Live Arts Festival, Philadelphia PRIDE, and choreographed work for the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Cassie returned to Texas after teaching internationally and is thrilled to have served as TexARTS' Education Manager since 2019.
While at TexARTS she has worn many hats, including choreographer, director, and costumer for numerous youth productions. Annie, Jr., Into the Woods, Jr., Willy Wonka, Jr., and James and the Giant Peach, Jr. are some of her favorites. She also regularly appears beside TexARTS tap teacher George Bohn in the recently retired TexARTS holiday cabaret A Cool Yule, directs TexARTS' annual production of The Nutcracker, and dances professionally in the Austin area. While not at work, Ms. Cassie can be found hoarding plants and books, much to the chagrin of her loving husband.
Dora Lukacevic
Voice
Marissa Ramirez
Twinkle Stars and Hip Hop
Marissa Ramirez was born and raised in Laredo, Texas where she was trained in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Modern, and Hip hop. She started dancing at the age of eight and was on a competitive dance team by the age of 12. Her teaching career started as an assistant at 16 years old and developed her skills into a full time instructor. Marissa is always looking for ways to expand her dance education, so as a competitive dancer, she took part in many dance conventions and competitions around the country earning awards with Youth America Grand Prix, Break The Floor Productions, Artists Simply Human, Monsters of Dance, NYCDA, and others. She discovered her passion for choreographing when she was unable to afford to hire a solo choreographer one year; so, she took matters into her own hands and earned her first choreography award at 16. Marissa attended The University of Texas at Austin where she was able to work within the dance program including with artists Rennie Harris, Millie Heckler, Dorothy O’Shea Overbey, Jeremy Arnold, Erica Saucedo, and Lisa Thompson. Marissa also had the privilege of directing her dance company during her senior year. Her passion for dance shows in the studio where she encourages her dancers to be both confident and creative.
Hannah West
Ballet
Hannah West is a recent graduate of Elon University, from which she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance Performance and Choreography. Born and raised in St. Augustine, Florida, Hannah began dancing at the age of three at a local dance studio, and was involved in St. Johns County Center for the Arts throughout middle and high school. Now living in Austin, TX, Hannah is teaching dance and Pilates, as well as pursuing a professional performance career.
CONTACT US
