Kelly Willis
​Artistic Director / Teacher

Kelly has been teaching Acting, Voice, Dance, and Musical Theatre for more than 25 years.  She received her BA in Theatre and Dance from the University of Missouri, and her Graduate work was in Acting and Directing at SIU in Carbondale Illinois where she taught Voice and Diction for the Stage, Stage Dialect, Movement for the Actor, Stage Combat, and served as Assistant Choreographer for all the main stage musicals. 

​As a professional, Ms. Willis has performed extensively on the East Coast, in the Midwest, and toured nationally.  Locally, she has performed with the Fifth Avenue Theatre, Village Theatre, Eastside Musical Theatre, and Leavenworth Summer Music Theatre.  In addition to performing, Ms. Willis was the Artistic Director of the Musical Theatre Department at the Washington Academy of Performing Arts for seven years.  She has directed and choreographed productions at Redmond High School, Redmond Jr. High, Evergreen Jr. High, Civic Light Opera in Seattle, as well as SecondStory Repertory in Redmond. 

"Theatre has always been an integral part of my life. I have been educating and directing young people in theatre for more than 25 years.  I love what I do and love to share that joy with my students.  My favorite part of teaching and directing is watching young people find out more about themselves, and gain a new personal confidence as they experience the magic of theatre." 
​~ Kelly Willis

Lyndee White
​Academy Music Director

Lyndee received her Bachelor of Music from Illinois Wesleyan University and her Master of Music at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati. Professional Lyndee has performed with organizations that include The Minnesota Opera, Berkshire Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and Opera Theatre of Lucca, Italy. As featured soloist and recitalist, she has sung with Minnesota Orchestra and Chautauqua Symphony, as well as recital venues such as Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and Celle dei Puccini in the Roggio Valley of Italy. 

​Lyndee has music directed for Bellevue Youth Theatre, Broadway Bound Children’s Theatre, Second Story Repertory, Evergreen and Redmond Junior Highs. Currently, Lyndee operates a private voice studio in Fall City, Washington, and is the proud mommy of Marybella. She is overjoyed to be reunited with Kelly Willis!

Sarah Bordenet Engeln
​Academy Music Director / Teacher

Sarah is an alumna of Point Park University's Conservatory of Performing Arts, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Musical Theatre. Sarah has worked as an Actor, Theatre and Dance Instructor and Vocal/Music Director in the Seattle Area at Village Theatre, Renton Civic Theatre, Redmond Academy of Theatre Arts, Village KIDSTAGE, and The Dance School of Everett. She has worked in the Chicago area with Quest Theatre Ensemble as both an Actor and Music Director for world premier musicals.

Sarah is currently on staff at both Redmond Academy and Cascade Dance Academy, and is thrilled to be working with one of her long-time mentors, Kelly Willis.​

Bethanie Willis
Academy Teacher / Choreographer

Bethanie ​is a graduate from Northwestern University where she earned a double major in Psychology and Neurobiology. Bethanie has taught for many different performing arts organizations such as The Redmond Academy of Theatre Arts, Village Theatre’s Kidstage, SecondStory Repertory, and Broadway Bound in Seattle.

​Additionally, she has been the Choreographer or Assistant Choreographer for shows such as Oliver!, Mulan Jr., Footloose, and A Chorus Line. Recent credits: Porgy and Bess at the Seattle Opera (Featured Chorus), Crowns at Taproot Theatre (Yolanda), and SHOWTUNES' The Bridges of Madison County at ACT Theatre (Carolyn). Favorite Village Theatre Mainstage credits: "Dreamgirls," “Aida”, and “Show Boat." Previous readings: 5th Avenue Theatre's Pump Up The Volume and Village Theatre's My Heart Is The Drum.

Madison Willis
​Academy Teacher / Choreographer

Madison has been choreographing for the past four years in productions at her school (Skyline High School) for shows such as Pippin and Mary Poppins. In 2014, Madison was awarded the 5th Avenue Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance in Pippin as the Leading Player. Madison has also received a nomination for her choreography at the 5th Avenue Theatre Awards in 2015 for her work on Mary Poppins. 
 
Madison has been teaching at The Redmond Academy of Theatre Arts for 4 years as well as other organizations. She has choreographed two Redmond Academy productions: “High School Musical” and “Willy Wonka Jr.” Madison is a graduating senior and this Fall will be attending Pacific Lutheran University working towards a degree in communications and a minor in Musical Theatre. 

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Niki Flynn
Academy Teacher (Acting)

​Niki is thrilled to be teaching several of the Acting classes for Redmond Academy. Her love of theatre began as a freshman in high school, where she immediately connected with concepts, theory, and performance. With strong support from her drama coach, she competed in WA State theatrical competitions, earning high marks and awards. From there she was awarded several college acting scholarships and earned a minor in Drama from Seattle Pacific University. Niki spent nearly a decade coaching her son as a young actor and introduced him to the RATA program. Being able to teach young people there now is exactly what Niki loves. She feels it is so rewarding to watch kids find their voice in a creative outlet like theatre and enjoys watching them grow. Niki is an advocate for children finding their own path with gentle guidance and encourages them to try new things. Niki truly gains so much joy from watching kids find an activity they love, and she wants to make acting fun! She hopes to have the same positive impact on her Academy students that her acting coach once had on her, as it kindled a lifelong passion for acting.

When not teaching, Niki is a local actor on the Eastside, performing with SecondStory Repertory and Woodinville Repertory. She is also creating and starring in an online comedy series, is pursuing screen work, and plans to help Redmond Academy complete its Black Box performance space and perform there as well. Niki performed in the first professional show ever opened there, Chapter Two, this past March 2020. 

 Caitlin Sarwono
​Academy Teacher (Music)

Caitlin Sarwono is currently working towards her degree in Music Education and is thrilled to be teaching Elementary Voice and the Young Ones Musical Theatre class at the Redmond Academy of Theatre Arts.

Caitlin is a former RATA student and throughout the years she has performed in 16 of RATA’s full scale productions, some favorites include: The Little Mermaid (Ariel), Children of Eden (Eve), and Beauty and the Beast (Belle). Caitlin has also assistant music directed for multiple RATA shows as well as at Redmond High School and Ballyhoo Theatre. 

Along with teaching at RATA, Caitlin is currently music directing Ballyhoo Theatre’s fall musical, Heathers the Musical. She is also a teacher at Ellipsis Academy where she teaches 2nd and 3rd grade math classes along with private tutoring sessions.
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The Redmond Academy of Theatre Arts has been a home to Caitlin since she was 11 years old, and she’s so happy she gets to return as a teacher this fall.

Becky Gil
​Academy Teacher (Acting/Foundations)

Becky is so excited to be joining the RATA team this spring! She was introduced to RATA through her work with the Woodinville Repertory Theater where she worked as a stage manager on their two most recent productions. 

She has a Bachelor of Arts from Western Washington University with minors in both Theater and Linguistics. Becky has always had a passion for Theater and Performance. In High School,  she traveled to Scotland to perform in the International Festival Fringe. Recently, she has been in a number of historical performances including Shakespeare and Commedia del Arte. 
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Her favorite things to teach are diction and physicality as well as stage makeup. 
She will be working with our Foundations classes teaching acting and beginning dance (but she also has a passion for singing!).

Annabelle Ellis
​Academy Staff

Annabelle Ellis is currently a full-time Running Start student at Lake Washington Institute of Technology, participating in the Redmond High School Theatre program.

Annabelle is a current RATA student and so far she has been a part of 14 of their productions, including Singin' in the Rain (Cosmo Brown), Legally Blonde Jr. (Brooke Wyndham), and Pippin (Leading Player). She has also dance captained for multiple RATA shows as well as at Redmond High School. 

She is thrilled to be working at this academy and you'll see her at reception, checking people into classes and answering phone calls! 

Rebecca Cort
Academy Teacher/Staff

Rebecca graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in acting and public relations/videography experience, including being the publicity officer for Student Theatre Productions for two years. She has acting training in Linklater, Grotowski, Stanislavsky, Shakespeare, Suzuki, Meisner, viewpoints, Checkov/period, Commedia Dell'arte, comic combat, and devising, alongside studying dance, singing, and puppetry. Previously, she has assistant taught several WWU classes, including Grotowski and the Commedia Dell'arte summer intensive, as well as puppetry workshops for RATA during Little Shop of Horrors. She also does all of the promotional videos and was in RATA's first production, A Chorus Line, along with 13! the Musical, two facts that age her considerably.

Rebecca is an actor in the Seattle area and has worked with several local theatres including with Café Nordo, Harlequin Productions, SecondStory Repertory, and Sound Theatre Company, where she received a 2019 Gregory with her cast for Outstanding Ensemble in Citizen: An American Lyric. She is also a proud member of the Tweenland trio for Naomi Morgan Entertainment as well as Singing for Seniors cabarets. She is represented by The Actor's Group.

Kinsey Folkers
​Academy Teacher (Ballet/Lyrical)

Kinsey graduated Cum Laude with her BFA in Dance from Belhaven University. She has 20 years of performance experience and 8 years of teaching a range of ages from 2 years old to 23 years old. Her dance training began at a young age and over the past years, she has studied from such notable dancers as David Keery, Catherine Batcheller, Stephanie Saland, Vera Altunina and more. Kinsey has had the privilege of performing with the Radost Folk Ensemble, International Ballet Theatre and managing Snowflake Lane's Jingle Bells. She is excited to be teaching ballet with RATA and is looking forward to sharing her love for dance while cultivating a sense of community and empowerment.

Carter Smalling
​Academy Teacher (Ballet/Lyrical)

Carter is a full-time Running Start Student at Bellevue College and is enrolled with scholarship at the Academy of Russian Classical Ballet where he is instructed following the Vaganova technique and has danced principle roles in winter and spring productions. Last summer Carter attended a summer intensive at Indiana Ballet Conservatory, and is looking forward to training at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in the coming summer. 
Carter has performed in a variety of shows produced by RATA, most recently The Drowsy Chaperone and Mary Poppins Jr. 
He is so grateful to have the opportunity to teach Ballet and Lyrical classes at the Redmond Academy of Theatre Arts.

Liza Vaughn
Academy Staff/Stage Manager

Liza Vaughn has been stage managing in the Seattle area for 6 years, and has been RATA's Resident Stage Manager since September 2018. Past shows include Office Hour and Heathers with ArtsWest, Visiting Cezanne with Red Rover Theatre Company, Macbett with Ghost Light Theatricals, and The Lost Girls at Annex Theatre. Past RATA Stage Management credits include Annie, Anything Goes, Children of Eden, The Happy Elf Jr., Beauty and the Beast Jr., Shrek, Oz!, Mary Poppins, Singin' in the Rain, Aladdin Jr., and Frozen Jr. You can also find Liza behind the front desk at RATA answering phone calls and returning emails.  ​