Our Team
Dance
Christina Weinzetl
-Artistic Director
-Dance Dept. Head
-Dance Instructor
Christina Weinzetl began dancing at the age of 4. Upon moving to Cartersville, Ga at the age of 11, she began training with Steps of Faith Dance Company until the age of 18. Alongside her dance training, she was a part of ACT I since their first production of Fiddler on the Roof in 2002.
Christina studied dance at Belhaven University and has a degree in Anthropology in which she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Lee University. Her training includes tap, classical ballet, contemporary, modern, musical theatre, and hip hop. She trained with such programs as The American Ballet Theatre, The Radio City Rockettes, and The Georgia Ballet. Professionally, Christina has spent the past 20 years teaching and choreographing for companies such as Dramatic Truth Ballet Theatre, International Dance Festival Ireland, Unity Dance Troupe, Mississippi Baptist Fine Arts Conference, and Cleveland Academy of the Arts. She has also danced professionally in London, England with Elevate Dance Company and The Rebirth Network. She was also a soloist dancer with Unity Dance Company where she portrayed such characters as Satan in their production of "The Veil" and Reuben in "Dreamer". Locally, she has performed with the Atlanta Pops Orchestra and also at the Fox Theatre with Dance Canvas. In addition to Christina's dance training, she has also studied both acting and voice. She has portrayed roles such as Cathy Seldon in "Singin' in the Rain", Sally Brown in "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown", Miss Skillion in "See How they Run", and was featured in such TV shows as "The So and So Show". Christina held the position of the Company and Missions Director of the Steps of Faith Dance Company for 6 years. She is currently the resident choreographer for the ACT I Community Theatre and The Grand Theatre here in Cartersville, Ga. Christina and her husband Austin are very passionate about their community and using the arts as a form of outreach where the arts are not accessible. They have taken dancers to places locally such as Appalachia Kentucky, and abroad such as Kenya, Africa. They are beyond thrilled to be the directors of the ACT I Academy and are thankful to the Lord for opening up this opportunity.
Katy Sue Marfil
-Dance Instructor
Katy Sue Marfil, born in El Paso, Texas, is excited to be teaching classical ballet and pointe with ACT I Academy in Cartersville, Georgia. Katy Sue earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Honors Fellow cum laude at Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi. She is a graduate of the Nutmeg Conservatory Pre-professional program and was a member of New Jersey Ballet's Junior Company for six years. While earning her degree at BU she has had the opportunity to perform works such as David Bintley's Galantries, Mikhail Folkine's Les Sylphides, Martha Graham's historic ballet, Panorama and the role of "Russian Girl" in George Balanchine's Serenade. In the years previous to her college career, Katy Sue received private coaching from Nina Sorokina, Elena Chegleva, Eleanor D'Antuono, Natasha Girshov, Kirk Peterson, and Edward Villella. At age 15, under the direction of Nina Sorokina at GITIS (Russian Academy Theatre Arts School), Katy Sue performed the "Princess Florine" solo variation from Sleeping Beauty at a venue in Siergev Pasad, Russia for the Russian Minister of Culture alongside prima ballerinas from the Bolshoi and the Russian National Ballet. While at GITIS, Katy Sue was also instructed by world-renowned Character Dance instructor Elena Chegleva. Katy Sue has appeared on several Russian television spots, including Russia Today and the Kulture channel. Katy Sue is also known for her rare coaching in Character Dance as well as her unique choreography of ballets such as Courage (a short ballet based on the Battle of the Alamo), Stars and Stripes, excerpts from The Nutcracker, as well as an entirely new production of an original ballet entitled The Magic of the Lamp to music by Rimsky-Korsakov and Khachaturian, and a re-staging of the classic ballet Coppélia.
Kara Sutherland
-Dance Instructor
Kara began her dancing at the age of 2. She grew up training at Van Metre school of dance in Maryville, Tennessee. She was a senior company member with the Appalachian Ballet Company, and attended summer intensives with the Cincinnati Ballet and FASA (Fine Arts Summer Academy) as well as attending and performing at multiple SERBA conventions. Kara attended Lee University and majored in Special Education and currently works as a special education teacher. Since 2015, Kara has trained and taught at Unity Dance Studios in Cleveland, Tennessee. She has been on multiple international tours with Unity to dance in both South America and Europe. She has performed roles such as Eve in "The Veil" and The Ghost of Christmas Past in Unity's production of "Scrooge". Kara is excited to be teaching classical ballet, pointe, and tap here at the ACT I Academy.
Precious Luna
-Dance Instructor
Miss Luna began her passion for dancing at age five at Steps of Faith Dance Studio. A few years before graduation, she got involved with ACT I as a featured dancer for such shows as "Singin in the Rain". She continued her training in Steps of Faiths Company until her graduation from the program in the Spring of 2018, where she was a featured performer. She portrayed such characters as Mary, the angel Gabriel, and the Holy Spirit in Steps of Faith's original production of "The Nativity Ballet". As well, she was a consistent participant in the Youth American Grand Prix competition for both classic ballet and contemporary. During her senior year at Steps of Faith, she interned in the office where she had the opportunity to learn office management skills as well as dance classroom teaching techniques. Precious is a very skilled dance instructor in contemporary, ballet, tap, hip hop, musical theatre as well as a special needs instructor with students who thrive in her classroom. Miss Luna also held the position of assistant choreographer for the Grand Theatre’s production of "Grease" and lead choreographer for ACT I's production of "Big Fish". Currently, Precious is continuing her higher education with college alongside her dance teaching.
Precious loves helping others such as going on mission trips where she has had the pleasure of teaching dance camps to children of all ages, as well as helping in the youth ministry as a leader at her church. As a Steps of Faith alumni, she hopes to continue her passion for worshiping our amazing God through dance, and to share and teach that passion with others at the ACT I Academy.
Abby Baron
-Dance Instructor
Abby started dance at the age of 13. She has trained at Impact Dance of Atlanta in Kennesaw and the spirt of dance. Abby is trained in jazz, ballet, pointe, hip hop, tap, lyrical, contemporary, and musical theater. She started teaching her senior year at The Spirt of Dance. Her favorite styles are jazz, lyrical, and hip hop. If she’s not teaching dance or dancing, she’s at the lake, paddle boarding.
Hailey Sutter
-Dance Acrobatics Instructor
Hailey got her start in dance and gymnastics at the age of 3. She grew up training as a gymnast- taking ballet classes as well. She decided to go all in on dance in middle school and never looked back. Hailey was able to fuse her love of gymnastics and dance with the discovery of Acro for Dance. She created and led an Acro program for over 3 years previously and is so honored to be able to continue giving back to the community through teaching again! Watching students find their confidence and grow is one of her favorite "wins" to experience. Some notable dance experiences for Hailey include; attending two national dance competitions, attending dance conventions including RADIX, KAR, and Pulse, attending teacher training offered by RADIX, and competing against the Dance Moms cast(yes, you can see her for half a second!). Hailey is ecstatic to be beginning Act 1 Academy's program and cannot wait to see where it leads!
Music
Grace Barker
-Vocal Instructor
- Piano Instructor
Grace Barker's love for music and the arts started at a young age. She has been in various musicals, choral projects, orchestral groups, and theatre productions. Grace received a B. A. in Psychology from Ohio University in 2011 and a B.M. in Vocal Performance from Miami of Ohio in 2015. She has had the privilege to study with Baritone Kenneth Shaw (Cincinnati Conservatory of Music), Soprano Alison Accord (Miami of Ohio), and other various professors and conductors. Including her studies at the American Institute of Music, in Graz Austria, where she focused on German Lieder. Also, she has had the privilege of participating in the University of Houston's Texas Musical Festival, where she focused on, Bel Canto repertoire under the direction of Mezzo Melanie Sonnenberg. After graduation, her first teaching job was at St. Mary's Catholic school in Rushville, Indiana where she was the music teacher and director of music for the children's Mass services. During her time in Indiana, she also helped coach and accompany on piano, local students, and choirs. Since her move to Georgia, she has just started getting back into the music community with her performance in the Grand's production of Beauty and the Beast. Grace is excited to get back into the music community and feels extremely blessed to have this teaching opportunity at ACT I Academy.
Lin Harrison
-Vocal Instructor
Lin Harrison is a servant-artist who believes musical expression (especially singing) can be a catalyst for transformation in the lives of individuals and communities.
The creative arts played a pivotal role in his life beginning in high school through participation in band, chorus and drama. He went on to receive college degrees in vocal performance and music education leading to his first job as choral director at his high school alma mater.
Years of studying voice under multiple voice professors fueled his passion for the art of singing and guiding others on how to discover and nurture their unique one-of-a kind voice. Forty-five years of experience coaching vocalists in the choral, classical, worship, musical theatre and operatic genres has instilled in Lin an understanding on how to care for the Singer as well as how to share the concepts of Singing.
Performing Highlights include the musicals You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, The Fantasticks, and the operas The Devil and Daniel Webster, The Marriage of Figaro and Falstaff. Directing highlights include the musicals Oklahoma!, Guys and Dolls, Pippin, Godspell, The Fantasticks; and the operas Amahl and the Night Visitors and The Pirates of Penzance.
Lin and his wife Nancy live in Acworth and are the proud parents of 4 children - Austin, age 35; Aaron, age 32; Zachary, age 30; Anna Claire, age 27. Nancy is a retired special education specialist. They have three grandkids - ages 6, 5 and 2 years. Lin likes to get away by hiking and backpacking.
Hayley Zavada Coughlin
-Vocal Instructor
Hayley Zavada Coughlin is so excited to be teaching voice at Act I Academy! She hails from Vilonia, Arkansas where her love for music began at a young age, participating in her high school band, choir, and musical theater programs. Hayley received her Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Arkansas at Monticello, her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Central Arkansas, and her Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Vocal Performance, Pedagogy, and Literature from James Madison University.
Her most notable opera credits include Gretel (Hansel und Gretel), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Erste Dame (Die Zauberflöte), Marguerite (Faust), Sister Rose (Dead Man Walking), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), Suor Genoveffa (Suor Angelica), and Countess (Le Nozze di Figaro). Hayley has also been in numerous musical theater productions, portraying roles such as Lucy (You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown), Elizabeth Benning (Young Frankenstein), The Radio (Caroline, or Change), Cinderella (Cinderella) and Laurie (Oklahoma!). She has performed as a soloist in many concert works such as Haydn’s Creation, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb and A Ceremony of Carols and has presented new works and lecture-recitals on contemporary American women composers Libby Larsen, Valerie Saalbach, and Juliana Hall. Previously, Hayley served as the adjunct instructor of voice and diction at Washington and Lee University, James Madison University, and Sweet Briar College. Most recently, Hayley made her international debut as the role of Gretel in Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel und Gretel at the Trentino Music Festival in Fiera di Primiero, Italy under the direction of Detlef Soelter (Opera Berlin) and Maestro David Jackson (The Metropolitan Opera).
Hayley is excited to become part of the Act I Academy team and looks forward to sharing her love and knowledge for music with the next generation of musicians!
Acting
Kristy Montgomery
-Acting Coach
Miss Kristy is the Program Director at the Grand Theatre and the president of ACT I, Inc. Until now, she has worked primarily with the ACT I theatre company, so she’s excited to be working more closely with the ACT I Academy! She is very involved in the arts community in Cartersville; she has served on the board of the Cultural Arts Alliance for many years. A longtime theatre educator and director, she loves working with acting students of all ages to help them grow in their talents. Theatre is more than playing pretend, and Miss Kristy loves to help students dive deep into their auditions and their roles in order to create the best performances possible. In addition to her work in theatre, Miss Kristy is also an educator with a BS in Secondary English Education and an MA in English, which she currently uses to teach college students at Georgia Highlands when she isn’t at the Grand or at ACT I working with the theatre company.