Five new instructors will teach acting, voice and technical theatre courses
With an eye on student futures and a firm commitment to its tradition of artistic excellence, the Yavapai College Performing Arts Department has recruited five new faculty members. This ensemble of impressively qualified newcomers and gifted local talent will join the College Faculty this January, teaching programs that range from a variety of acting styles to vocal music performance to technical theatre.
Mezzo soprano Danielle Corella will teach both Private Voice (MUS 101A) and Applied Voice (MUS 151A) courses. An Arizona Opera veteran, Danielle sang the role of Gertrude in AzO’s Roméo et Juliette and Belle in their OperaTunity production of Beauty and the Beast. She holds a Master of Music Degree from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Music from Westminster Choir College. She currently conducts YC’s Community Chorale.
Prescott Valley residents may know Ben Naasz from The Movement Studio, which he operates with his wife, Sasha. A talented actor, director, scenic designer and producer, Ben will draw from his 30-year theatrical career to teach Stagecraft (THR 141) and Lighting for the Stage and Media (THR 160). He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Technology (with an emphasis on Scenic Design) from the University of Arizona, and a BFA in Musical Theatre from Shenandoah Conservatory in Virginia.
With her Masters in Classical Acting from Brandeis University, where she taught movement and voice, Heather Scott earned her Meisner certificate from New York City’s Neighborhood Playhouse and is a certified theatrical combatant. Her professional credits include As The World Turns and multiple regional commercials as well as work with Disney Regional Entertainment. The co-director of the Yavapai College musicals It’s A Wonderful Life and Hello, Dolly!, Heather is also the J&LLPAC’s Director of Operations. She will teach the College’s Acting I (THR 131) and Acting II (THR 132) courses.
A dedicated educator and veteran actor, director, stage manager and producer, Layla Tenney is thrilled to bring her 20 years of theatrical experience to YC. She has been a prominent figure in the local arts community, teaching theatre at Prescott and Chino Valley high schools, where she directed numerous productions that inspired students and audiences alike. She has also been a creative force at the Prescott Center for the Arts since 2009, creating programs that support young artists. Layla has her Master of Arts in Theatre Education from the University of Northern Colorado, and her bachelor’s from the University of Arizona and will teach THR 231, Acting the One-Act Play.
Prescott-based baritone William Vallandigham is regularly featured on opera and concert stages in Arizona, Southern California and the greater Chicago area. In 2023-24, William sang Brahms and Mahler with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and appeared in Arizona Opera’s productions of Il barberie de Siviglia and Mozart’s Don Giovanni. He performed extensively with Opera Santa Barbara, with roles in The Crucible, Cosi fan Tutte, Carmen and the title role in Eugene Onegin. William’s career highlights range from Phillip Glass’s Kepler at the Spoleto Festival to orchestrated music from video game legend Nobuo Uematsu. William earned his master’s in music from Westminster Choir College, and his Bachelor of Music from Baldwin Wallace University. He will teach Musical Theatre I (THR 133) and Musical Theatre II (THR 134).
Registration is already open for Yavapai College’s Spring 2025 Semester, which begins on January 18. For more information on YC’s Performing Arts Department, please visit www.yc.edu
or call (928) 776-2045. For general information on Yavapai College, including registration questions and scholarship opportunities, please call (928) 717-7777.
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Yavapai College operates six campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers over 100 degrees and certificates, two baccalaureate degrees, student and community services, and cultural events and activities. To learn more about YC, visit www.yc.edu.