Faculty

Shannon joined the faculty in 2015, creating and teaching the Dance for Actors in the MFA program.  She currently teaches in the BFA and MFA programs.  Her primary area of focus is acting, devising, and movement for actors.  Before moving to New York to attend the New School for Drama as an MFA Acting Candidate, Shannon was very active in the San Francisco Bay Area theater scene. As an actor, Shannon appeared has appeared in many productions.  Some favorite roles include Medea (Medea), Nora (A Doll’s House), Gwendolyn (The Importance of Being Earnest), Pegeen Mike (Playboy of the Western World), two stints as a Kit Kat Girl in Cabaret and most recently in In the Bleak Midwinter written by and starring Dorothy Lyman and Law & Order SVU.    In New York, Shannon has choreographed for Wizard Oil Productions, Ego Actus, Theatre Uzume, Off-Broadway for Masterworks Theatre Company and for her own dance theatre company, New Dance Theatre.  New Dance Theatre made their Off-Off-Broadway debut with ASYLUM and received three nominations from the New York Innovative Theatre Awards:  Outstanding Performance Art Piece, Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Choreography/Movement.  At the New School, She served as choreographer and assistant director for the Classics Studio productions at the New School from 2011-2017.  She is also on faculty at the American Academy of Dramatic Art where she teaches Movement for Actors.    

Shannon is a certified Holistic Health and Wellness Counselor, personal trainer, group fitness instructor.  She was the Group Fitness Manager for TMPL Gyms here in NYC and currently teaches a variety of classes at various locations.  A certified yoga and meditation instructor, Shannon’s focus is on restorative practices and mobility training.  She created and teaches the Reslient Body class for the College of Performing Arts.  She also created her own fitness platform, Triple Sweat Fit.    

Shannon received a certificate from the Yale Professional Directors Training Program and is a proud member of AEA, SAG/AFTRA, and ATME (The Association of Theatre Movement Educators).  Recent training includes completing courses in Embodied Activism and work with Frantic Assembly.    

Shannon has her MFA in Acting from the New School, MA in Drama from San Francisco State, BA in Theatre Arts and Psychology (double major) from Westmont College.  

MFA, Acting - New School for Drama

MA, Drama - San Francisco State

BA Theatre Arts/Psychology (double major) - Westmont College