Transcendence Theatre Co Arts EDU

The Transcendence Theatre Company EDU Team is composed of professional performers and teaching artists from NYC, LA and Sonoma, CA- all here to serve one mission: to provide equitable arts access so that every child can experience their individual transcendence. We believe arts education gives us the tools to go beyond our usual limits. Our Teaching Team designs a variety of experiences including standards based in-school curriculum, bi-lingual workshops, engaging self identity workshops for underserved youth, juvenile hall rap workshops and so on. In collaboration with Pulse Arts and Sonoma Valley Unified School District we have created this Arts Integrated Curriculum for English Language Development Courses of Study. Arts education gives our young people the tools to transcend their circumstance and create a more inclusive and empathetic culture. We believe arts education is a RIGHT for all students and it’s our mission to design education engagement opportunities for ALL diverse communities.

The TTC Education team’s teaching style is very physical and fun! We strive to encourage every student by engaging their body and vocal confidence through activities centered around communication, self expression, and creative thinking. Let’s get out of our chairs and tell stories!

WINNER of CHAMPION FOR CHILDREN: 4C’s of Sonoma County | WINNER of THEATRE OF THE YEAR: Broadway World San Francisco | WINNER of BEST THEATRE COMPANY: The Press Democrat

You did it! You have found TTC EDU’s Arts Integrated Curriculum! Here you can find educational inspiration whether you “learn @ home” or in the classroom. We are here to help you and your students come alive with the power of Arts Education! These activities encourage you to jump out of your seat and engage your students in entertaining and informative lessons. Our mission is to provide equitable access to arts education and inspire the youth to go beyond their usual limits and these lessons will help guide you in how to easily do just that!

Project Lead Bio’s | Nikko Kimzin | Transcendence Theatre Company Director of Community Engagement & Theater Education, oversees, implements and evaluates our In-School Arts Integrated Curriculum. He is also Producing Director at Epoch Creative NYC, a company dedicated to producing work of artists of color. Prior to joining TTC, in 2015, Kimzin was awarded the Broadway World Award for Best Performance of a Leading Male as Bernardo in West Side Story. He served as the 2016 Fred Coe Artist in Residence at Vanderbilt University. Kimzin earned his Bachelor’s in Theater from the University of Arizona. He has devoted his career to a more inclusive and diverse theater world, particularly providing visibility to Latinx performance making. www.nikkokimzin.com | Allison Frenzel | Pulse Arts’ Executive Director, attended the Evergreen State College in Olympia Washington in 1998 and graduated from Sonoma State University in 2004 with a degree in American Multicultural Studies. She holds four teaching credentials: Multiple Subject, Single Subject (English, Dance, Physical Education) and Designated subjects for the Arts, Media, and Entertainment industry sector . She completed a Masters Degree in Educational Technology at CSUF in 2017 where she received the Elwin Carr Fellow for excellence in educational leadership. Allison began her career in education as a district intern with Windsor Unified School District where she has worked for 15 years. She founded and directs Windsor High School's Dance Program, and the Nueva School for the Arts, a California Partnership Academy and demonstration site for the California Department of Education. In addition to teaching, she currently works as Career Technical Education coordinator, is a member of the WUSD arts strategic planning and LCAP committees, and works closely with the California Department of Education on the state advisory board for the Arts Media and Entertainment industry sector. She is on the California Dance Education Association greater board and also works as an education consultant . Allison was selected as the Region 1 Educator of the Year for 2017 by the California League of High School Educators and is a founding member of Pulse Arts. | AJ Ackleson is a Transcendence Teaching Associate. Ackleson earned his bachelor’s degree in Music Theatre Performance at Shenandoah University. After graduation, Ackleson performed in live theater and film, including credits in Staring in the Sun (2017), Show Me A Hero (2015), and Seasons of Love (2014). Today, Ackleson works in performing arts education, providing theater arts training to low-income, high-risk youth in school settings. A vocalist and dancer, Ackleson performed in the national tour of Peter Pan 360 and is a resident at The Palace Theater in Manchester, New Hampshire. He has been performing with Transcendence Theatre Company since 2017. | Erika Conaway is a Transcendence Teaching Associate. Conaway earned her bachelor’s degree in Music Theatre Performance from Shenandoah University. Conaway is a dance instructor and substitute teacher. She has performed in the national tours for Memphis! and A Chorus Line. In 2019, she played the role of Maggie Winslow in Transcendence Theatre Company’s award-winning performance of A Chorus Line.