PAGE 3
News
HOLIDAY 2014
Old Acquaintances not Forgot
Jack Murphy &
Emma Seely-Katz
Staff Writers
This year, teachers
Brooke Baxter, Cristoph Brown, Brenda
Rodriguez, and Joy
Shannon did not return. The former staff
members have gone
overseas, embarked
on new career paths,
and collaborated with
previous colleagues.
“Since leaving
OCSA, I have been
very busy. I performed
in Macau, and I have
been building my
Pilates program at
Elevation Studios,”
said former dance
teacher Brooke Baxter,
who worked at OCSA
for three years. “I am
getting ready to go
to Australia where I
will be co-directing a
show at the Sydney
Opera House.”
Ms. Baxter went into
dance education
because she suffered
a knee injury. She left
because she “felt like
it was time. I loved
[OCSA], but I wanted
to try new things.”
Fellow former dance
teacher Brenda Rodriguez has performed
and choreographed
in a new musical and
traveled to India.
“I started teaching there so young, I
Senior Dominque Bowden(VA) portrays teacher Joy Shannon. Turn to page10 for a feature
on Bowden’s pumpkin artwork.
grew up right along
with my students,” she
said. Ms. Rodriguez,
who was on staff for
11 years, was inspired
to teach by her high
school dance teacher. She left to take an
administration position and continue to
teach elsewhere.
Joy Shannon taught
at OCSA for about
10 years. She wasn’t
initially planning to
become a teacher
but was recruited to
teach a printmaking
class by her friend and
Visual Arts Conservatory Director Paige
Ogden.
Ms. Shannon has
long been lauded as
a role model, confidante, and mentor
by OCSA students of
years past, and she
returns the sentiment,
saying “My students
really shaped me in
some pivotal ways.
They taught me so
much about myself
and my place in the
world.”
As of right now, Ms.
Shannon has found
a place in Genova,
Italy, getting the “real
Italian experience.
The buil