Elizabeth Blakemore
Owner/Artistic Director

Elizabeth graduated magna cum laude from Concordia University-Chicago with degrees in Theatre and Business at the age of 19. 
Since moving to Atlanta in 2006 she has taught theatre and acting classes and directed shows for a number of programs including Master's Academy, Portfolio Academy, Artios Academy, Renaissance International School of Performing Arts (RISPA), the Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, Sunrise Baptist Church, Victory World Church, and WOW Talent.  She has also assisted with casting for CYT.  As a private acting coach, she has helped students prepare auditions for colleges, professional theatre companies, Disney, commercials, and agent representation. In addition to teaching and directing, Elizabeth occasionally performs around Atlanta at various theatres. Past acting roles include Catherine in "Proof", Laura in "The Glass Menagerie", Betty in "The Foreigner", Mistress Page in "The Merry Wives of Windsor", Dr. Vivian Bearing in "Wit".  She also owns a private piano studio through which she teaches private in-home music lessons each week.  

She has worked on over 100 productions for children and youth as a Director, Music Director, or Producer.  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".

Elizabeth founded Forefront Arts in 2010.  Since then thousands of children and teens have experienced the transformative power of live children's theatre through our classes, workshops, summer drama camps, and productions.  Elizabeth founded Forefront Arts so that she could fulfill her love of performing and directing shows, have one-on-one relationships with the students she teaches, and strive for a healthy work/life balance for her young family.  She and her husband have two young boys and like every mom, every day is crazy and hectic, but every day is a gift!  


 

Haley Benefield
Teaching Artist / Young Actors Ensemble director / Admin Assistant
Haley is excited to take on her first year with Forefront Arts! A senior in college, Haley is majoring in English Education. She has been working as an after school theatre teacher for four years and has been involved in theatre for ten years. While Haley enjoyed her most recent roles as Tracy in “Hairspray,” Julia in “The Wedding Singer,” and Matron Mama Morton in “Chicago,” she has recently moved towards becoming a full-time theatre teacher and vocal coach. Haley currently teaches 40 vocal students (2 vocal groups and 13 individual students) when she is not with Forefront Arts. In addition, Haley is the vocal director of her church youth worship band. Haley looks forward to adding many more shows to her repertoire! 

 

 

 

Hallie Bradley
Teaching Artist / Production Assistant

Hallie is a New York trained Actor who moved to Georgia three years ago. She has been interested for many years about teaching children the magic of the theatrical arts and how it can help them in any situation in life. Having acted for close to twenty years, she has been in many shows over the years, her favorites being “Miss Nelson is Missing”, “Oliver” and “Grimmwood” and made her feature film debut in the SXSW award winning film, “68 Kill”. She is so happy the blessing of Forefront Arts came into her life and so thankful to Elizabeth for all her wisdom and help. Hallie hopes every child that walks into her class leaves feeling confident, proud of themselves and they are capable of so many things. 

 

 

 

Jonathan Bryant 
Choreographer

Jonathan Bryant is dancer/choreographer/instructor who has worked in the booming entertainment industry in Atlanta for over a decade. He has worked with many celebrities including Ne-Yo, Trina Braxton, Tichina Arnold, Nivea, Queen Latifah and more. He has been in numerous musical productions in the Atlanta area, recently AIDA(Atlanta Lyric Theatre) and MAMMA MIA! (Aurora Theatre). He has worked in the booming television/movie industry in Atlanta including The Originals and Step Up: Highwater and movies like Bessie, Billy Lynn Long Halftime Walk directed by Oscar-winning director Ang Lee. He will make his acting debut as “Bubba Knight” in the docu-series American Soul premiering on BET in February. Jonathan owns his own lifestyle brand Jaybsmoovethebrand that focuses on MOVEMENT, STYLE, and PERSONALITY. Jonathan Bryant has only begun to exude the talent and success of his career and much more is to be achieved. 

 

 

Sara Burris
Teaching Artist

As a graduate of Samford University, Sara has had years of experience working with children and teaching theatre! Throughout her time at Samford as a college student, she taught drama classes in the city of Birmingham and saw the power of arts education in the children she worked with. After graduating, she spent a year teaching drama for Red Mountain Theatre Company in Birmingham, Alabama, a Tony Award winning regional theatre! Since then, she has joined staff with Forefront Arts, directing Frozen Jr. at Parkside Elementary School! Just as well, she is creating a drama ministry with Wellspring Living to serve underage girls who have been rescued from human trafficking. Sara is a firm believer that acting is transformative and theatre education is beneficial to everyone. She currently continues to take acting classes at Drama Inc. studios in Grant Park, and is pursuing acting for film and television here in Atlanta. She would love to work one on one with your child to provide individualized acting training!

 

 

T'Shauna Henry
Teaching Artist

T’Shauna Henry is a Georgia Native having danced since she was three. She took classes at both Grayson and Lilburn Schools of Ballet and then later became a member of the pre-professional Northeast Atlanta Ballet company and faculty member. Her love for theatre began to bloom in high school and went on throughout college. In addition to dance training at Valdosta State University, she went onto becoming a member of Dance Ensemble and the GSU Players at Georgia State University including teaching and choreographing musical theatre summer drama camps at Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA. She has also interned with Synchronicity Theatre and Horizon Theatre Company. As a recent graduate from Georgia State, where she received her Bachelor’s of the Arts degree in Film & Media, she is continuing her journey as an emerging artist in Atlanta in many multitudes including performing through dancing and acting, photography and videography. This summer she recently starred in three productions: “Shrek the Musical” with the Smyrna Village Players, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with the City of Grayson, and two workshop stage readings of Morgan K. Parks’s “The Tragedy of the Dolls.”

 

Reeve Hunt
Teaching Artist

Reeve is thrilled to be teaching with Forefront Arts this year! She is a recent high school graduate and plans to get a degree in acting. Reeve was a Forefront student way back in 2011, and began her summer internship in 2016. She has also taught theatre at The Academy, Atlanta and directed their spring show, “Complaint Dept. and Lemonade.” A stage actor since 2006, she has trained at The Second City, The Alliance Theatre, and of course Forefront Arts! Reeve has appeared in recent productions such as “A Different Agender: A Musical Cabaret” and “Murder at The Roadside Diner.”

 

 

 

Aaron Lenhart
Teaching Artist

Aaron Lenhart has been teaching voice and acting for over 12 years in public schools and private studios in New York City, New Jersey, Los Angeles, and now Atlanta. He has taught musical theater performance and audition technique at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts at Hamilton High School as well as CHAMPS Charter High School for the Arts in Los Angeles, and completed his student teaching at the famed Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School for the Arts in New York. He holds a master's degree from NYU as well as a bachelor's in musical theater from Westminster Conservatory for the Arts. As an actor he has toured and performed in regional houses throughout the US. Notable credits include  Barefoot in the Park (New London Barn Playhouse); South Pacific (Arts Center of Coastal Carolina); Fairytale (NYMF,45th St Theater, NYC); 12 Irish Tenors (Sprit Productions, UK); White Christmas (Cohoes Music Hall) and more. His students have gone on to work in national touring productions such as Gypsy and gained acceptance to some of the best college programs in the US such as: NYU, Julliard, Rutgers, Marymount Manhattan, AMDA, Boston Conservatory among others. He teaches classical and musical theater technique based on strengthening the vocal instrument while reducing tension.

 

Katie Miesner 
Teaching Artist

Katie Miesner is a recent Atlanta transplant who is ecstatic to join the Forefront Arts team. She received her BA in Theatre Studies from the University of Central Florida and was trained through the Royal Academy of Ballet’s examination syllabus. While in Florida she taught and choreographed at numerous performing arts programs and schools in both the Tampa and Orlando areas. In addition to teaching and choreographing, she also is a performer and has performed regionally with Orlando Repertory Theatre, St Petersburg Opera, Jobsite Theater, Legoland Florida Resort, Seaworld Orlando and Universal Studios Orlando Resort.