Forefront Arts is a collective of Teaching Artists, Directors and Choreographers who are passionate about arts education! Many of our associate teaching artists fluctuate throughout the year based on their performing schedules, contract lengths with various Forefront Arts partnerships, and the seasonality of the school year and summer camp season. See below for information about many of our current and recurring team members.
ELIZABETH BLAKEMORE
Miss Elizabeth is the Founder and Artistic Director of Forefront Arts. Prior to founding Forefront Arts she taught Theatre and Acting classes and directed shows for a number of programs including Master's Academy, Portfolio Academy, Artios, Renaissance International School of Performing Arts (RISPA), the Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, Sunrise Baptist Church, Victory World Church, WOW Talent and CYT.
As a private acting coach, she has helped students prepare auditions for colleges, professional theatre companies, Disney, commercials, and agent representation. Claim to fame: one of her students toured with "Hamilton" for 2 years and several students work professionally on Broadway! Elizabeth also guest-directs or consults with schools and other theater companies (most recently directing youth productions on the Emory campus) and produces creative live events for schools, churches, and local cities and arts organizations (Christmas programs, Easter services, VBS, school concerts, local arts festivals, etc).
She has worked as a Director, Music Director, or Producer on over 200 productions for children and teens over the past 20 years. Favorite directing projects include "The Pirates of Penzance", "Little Women", "Bugsy Malone Jr.", "The Wizard of Oz", "Moby Dick the Musical", "Schoolhouse Rock", "Shrek the Musical", "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown", and "Thoroughly Modern Millie". Most recently she directed “Godspell”, “Finding Nemo”, and “Peter Pan”.
Elizabeth founded Forefront Arts in 2010, which now serves more than 1200 students each year through its various programs. Under Elizabeth's vision and leadership over the past 16 years thousands of children and teens have experienced the transformative power of live theatre and performing arts education through the organization's classes, workshops, summer drama camps, and full-scale productions. She was honored to speak at the 2023 National Theatre for Youth conference in Tempe, AZ with a presentation entitled “Mobile Theatre Programs ~ a Model for Sustainability and Inclusion”. Recently Forefront Arts was named one of the Top 5 Performing Arts Studios in Atlanta by Atlanta Parent Magazine 2 years in a row and Elizabeth was also recognized as a 40 Under 40 Arts Entrepreneur!
She owns several other arts-related businesses which keep her busy each day using her administrative & creative skill sets. Elizabeth graduated magna cum laude from Concordia University-Chicago with a B.A. in Theatre and a B.S. in Business. In addition to her teaching, directing, producing, and consulting work, Elizabeth occasionally performs around Atlanta at various theaters when she can squeeze in a special acting project but her most important role is as wife and mom to her young family. She and her husband are raising three young men and a little girl and like every mom, every day is crazy but every day is a gift!
MISS LORI
Education Director ~ Teaching Artist ~ MainStage Director
Miss Lori began her journey of dance and entertaining at the wee age of two and a half in her native Iowa. She is an alumna of Catawba College in North Carolina, where she graduated with a B.A. in Musical Theater and a Minor in Dance.
She was so blessed to travel the world performing for many years, starting with a National Tour of "42nd Street". Lori sang and danced her way through many professional theaters nationwide, playing such roles as Laurie in "OKLAHOMA!", and Patsy in "Crazy for You".
Her professional life went international when she starred in “The Holland America Cruise Lines' "Music and Dance Reviews" throughout Europe, the Caribbean, and South America.
For many years, Lori continued to follow her passion and expanded her craft producing and directing large events, including the award winning "North Atlanta Christmas Festival". She also loves to share her passion by teaching our next generation of up and rising stars. In the 2024-2025 season at Forefront Miss Lori taught Acting, Dance, and Vocal classes at both Conservatory locations as well as private vocal lessons, and directed the MainStage productions of “Moana”, “The SpongeBob Musical”, “Hadestown” and “Disney’s Dare to Dream”.
She considers her loving family, her husband Tom and their two sons Jackson and Colin, her greatest success.
During the 2025-2026 season Miss Lori will be serving as the Forefront Arts Education Director, overseeing all curriculum, instructors, and productions, as well as directing the MainStage Performance Company for ‘The Wizard of Oz”.
MISS MAHALIA
Director of Music & Voice ~ Teaching Artist ~ Private Voice & Acting Instructor
Miss Mahalia is an actor, singer, musician, host/mc, public speaker, coach, and teaching artist from Lithonia. Georgia. She holds a BFA in Theatre, from Florida A&M University, where she minored in vocal & piano music, and also completed an education certification in theatre/dance/speech & debate.
Mahalia has headlined her own holiday show at Atlanta’s Stone Mountain Park, toured both nationally and internationally with numerous productions, including “The Buddy Holly Show”, “Walk On: The Rosa Parks Story”, and with Almost Elton John, as a background /production singer. A classically-trained musician, she has served as musical director and keyboardist for numerous productions (“Once On This Island”, “The Colored Museum”, “Moby Dick: The Musical”, “The Woman I AM Today”, “Schoolhouse Rock”, “Dear Edwina”, “The Wizard of Oz” to name a few), and drama & musical theatre teacher in various school districts and arts programs across metro Atlanta, Georgia at-large, and beyond.
A few of her many theatre credits include “Hairspray” “Ain’t Misbehavin”’, “Smokey Joe’s Café”, “Once On This Island”, “The Color Purple”, “Newsies”, “Three Little Birds”, “The Wiz”, “Mahalia, A Gospel Musical”, and “Moonlight & Magnolias”, and “Come From Away”, to name a few. Her TV credits include House of Payne, and Let’s Stay Together.
She has served as a director, musical director, vocal captain, consultant, composer/lyricist, production/audition pianist, music, drama, acting, & musical theatre instructor, and show creator for several theatre companies, organizations, drama programs & camps, and educational theatre programs across the country.
She has worked at Walt Disney World as a stage manager for “Beauty and The Beast”, “The Little Mermaid”, “Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, all live theatre shows in the parks. While nurturing her career in the performing arts, Mahalia also served as a proud homeschooling mom to three of her four children, while enhancing her life with hobbies including cooking, shopping, reading, sewing, furniture flipping, crafting, and travelling.
She credits her success to her strong faith in God, the love and support of her husband Carl, her four children and godchild, the wise counsel of her mother the encouragement of her two best friends, and the love, support, and dedication of her Chihuahua, Miss Pumpkin the DivaChi.
During Fall 2025 Miss Mahalia will be serving as Director of Music & Voice at Forefront Arts, teaching group Vocal Performance classes and private lessons at both Conservatory locations, and special ed Theatre classes through an in-school partnership.
MISS SYDNI
Teaching Artist ~ Private Dance Instructor
Introducing Miss Sydni, a passionate and highly skilled dance instructor with over 15 years of experience in teaching various styles such as Ballet, Jazz, Hip hop and Modern.
Sydni brings a strong technical foundation to her students, having trained at the Metropolitan Ballet Theatre under the guidance of Prima Ballerina Maniya Barredo and several Broadway veterans. A native of Marietta, GA, she is a proud graduate of the Wagner College Theatre Program in New York.
She believes in creating an inclusive and supportive environment where students of all levels can explore their creativity, develop their technique, and express themselves through the art of dance.
Previous regional and local credits include Tessie in White Christmas (City Springs Theatre Company), Dynamite in Hairspray (Laguna Playhouse; Surflight Theatre), Big City Dreams (Strand Theatre), and Dead Man’s Party (Six Flags Over Georgia).
Miss Sydni will be overseeing the Forefront Dance department at both Conservatory locations, as well as leading In-School dance classes at several partner schools.
MISS SAVANNAH
Acting & Musical Theatre Instructor ~ MainStage Director
Miss Savannah was born and raised in Orlando Florida. She has been performing since she was a child doing community theatre. After graduating high school Miss Savannah got her BFA in Performing Arts at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) with a major in Performing Arts and a minor in Casting. During her time at SCAD she performed weekly improv shows and was improv club president at the university.
Since graduation from SCAD Miss Savannah has worked in the entertainment in Orlando theme parks and now recently moved to Atlanta. She has taught theatre and improv to all ages and loves to see the growth in every student. Miss Savannah loves Halloween and yearly works in haunted houses/mazes and has been acting in them for years.
She also loves her cat Minnie who is a bit of a diva but is severely loved. Miss Savannah was the assistant director for Forefront’s Summer Show “Disney’s Dare to Dream” last summer and she is excited to direct her first ever MainStage show with Forefront this year with the Cherokee cast of “The Wizard of Oz” Miss Savannah is excited to inspire, create and teach here at Forefront Arts!
Miss Kate has been involved in musical theatre for as long as she can remember beginning with her days in the Knoxville Children’s Show Choir where she performed at the inauguration of President Clinton and sang with John Denver in concert. Kate moved on to the University of Tennessee choir before being accepted into the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York (AMDA) and earning a bachelors degree in Musical Theatre with a minor in Music Theory.
MISS ASIA
Teaching Artist ~ MainStage Director ~ Private Acting Instructor
Classically trained, Miss Asia received her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Performance from Florida State University. She spent a semester in London studying musical theatre where she obtained world class training from notable West End vocal coaches such as Claire Underwood.
Asia spent summer 2024 and summer 2025 directing Forefront Arts drama camps where she produced short form musicals, plays, and taught introductory playwriting.
During the school year she teaches Acting, Dance, and Vocal classes for Forefront's Conservatory program, directs musical theatre productions at several in-school partnerships with Forefront, and oversees various Mini Musical workshops.
She will be directing the Mini MainStage Performance Company (K-2nd) for their Spring 2026 production, as well as assisting with “Wizard of Oz”. In addition to her work teaching and directing with Forefront Arts Miss Asia is actively pursuing her professional acting career in both theatre and film.
MISS CHRISTINA
Teaching Artist ~ MainStage Director ~ Private Acting and Voice Instructor
Miss Christina is a passionate and dynamic teaching artist with over a decade of professional experience in acting, directing, and arts education. With a Bachelor's in Special Education and performance and a Masters in Media Design, she has learned to infuse her love of acting into her world of teaching. She has performed on national tours and worked with renowned theater companies including Missoula Children’s Theatre and Georgia Ensemble Theatre. Christina specializes in creating inclusive and engaging learning environments where students are empowered to express themselves through acting, storytelling, and devised theater.
With a background in both classical and contemporary performance, Christina brings a well-rounded, hands-on approach to her teaching. She has directed and designed curriculum for youth theatre programs across the Southeast, encouraging students to develop confidence, discipline, and joy through the creative process.
In every class, Christina infuses her lessons with humor, heart, and a deep belief that the arts are a powerful tool for communication and transformation. Her mission as a teaching artist is simple: to help the next generation find their voice, trust their instincts, and thrive through storytelling.
MISS TABITHA
Teaching Artist ~ Private Voice and Acting Instructor
Miss Tabitha, or Miss Tabby to the kiddos, is originally from Chattanooga, TN, but now is a happy Atlanta transplant! She attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City receiving her BFA in Musical Theatre. Miss Tabby is a professional actress and singer that has appeared all over Atlanta in Sunday in the park With George, Bright Star, STEAM Team, A Wrinkle In Time, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Six Flags Over Georgia,recently closing the world premier musical Trick, andt starting her own cabaret series and theatre ! Miss Tabby has also been seen in Cabaret, An Evening At The Jewel Lounge, and The Wizard of Oz in New York City, and was recently a performer at Dollywood!
When not on the stage, Miss Tabby is directing, choreographing, and teaching all over the country, but most recently found a home at Georgia Ensemble Theatre. She is their education manager, and has been a teaching artist for over 8 years! Miss Tabby is committed to bringing joy, dedication, and a passion for theatre everywhere she goes, and instilling that same love into your kiddos! It is an honor and gift to be apart of something as special as their education, and something she is profoundly grateful for!
MISS KRISTINA
Teaching Artist ~ Choreographer
Kristina is a puppeteer, performer, and choreographer who is thrilled to be joining the Forefront Arts teaching team! She holds an MA in Advanced Theatre Practice with a focus in Puppetry from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England. She began taking ballet and tap with the great Mary Slater when she was just two years old, and she currently trains at the Georgia Dance Conservatory.
You may have seen her in Sesame Street the Musical or in Jurassic World the Exhibition! Other past favorite puppetry roles include Kate Monster in Avenue Q, Yente in Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, Stepmother in Cinderella, and Witch Wartsmith in Witch Wartsmith’s Halloween Spooktacular. She also helped create and develop the Bixby the Cat series at the Puppet Co in Glen Echo, MD. Other favorite non-puppetry roles include Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, Cinderella in Into the Woods, Paulette in Legally Blonde, and the female swing in Ordinary Days. She also won a MD Theatre Guide Audience Choice Award for her performance as Fantine in Les Misérables.
As a teaching artist, she has directed and choreographed a number of showcases and recitals, and has choreographed shows like The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Moana. Kristina enjoys sharing a strong dramaturgical perspective with her students. She believes in creating a strong foundation and understanding of the work that goes into making theatre, and inspiring students to think deeper about the work they are doing. She also believes in creating a strong ensemble environment that promotes teamwork and collaboration.