Music Dance Theatre

What is MDT?

Musical Dance Theatre (MDT) is an immersive program designed to develop and refine the “triple threat” skills of singing, dancing, and acting—all at the same time. Students will build their talents in singing for the actor, acting for musical theater, and theatrical dance, with additional focus on musical history, student choreography, and directing.  Through in-class practice and performance opportunities, students will explore challenging vocal styles, diverse dance techniques, and the art of storytelling through musical theater. They will also learn to collaborate with peers, partner in both vocals and dance, and bring stories to life through this powerful and inspiring art form.  Our program provides a variety of performance opportunities, including:  One all-school musical, a high school musical, a junior high musical, fall and spring showcases, and an elementary performance. MDT is more than a class—it’s a stage where students can develop their artistic passions, push their creative boundaries, and grow as performers and individuals

MDT Logo

Meet The Director

Kristin Christensen

Director

Director of the MDT Program and Artistic Director of ALA Show Choirs   Performing has been a lifelong passion for Kristin, who began performing at the age of 3. Her talents have taken her across Utah, Texas, Oregon, California, Wyoming, and Nevada, and she has competed in numerous vocal/theater competitions at both local and national levels..    Kristin’s love for musical theater began at the age of 8 when able to perform with the Missoula Children’s Theatre. It lite a passion and  went on to participate in various school and community productions, eventually pursuing her studies in musical theater and dance at Western Wyoming.  Her professional journey includes serving as a private vocal coach and theater chair for the Juab Fine Arts Council, where she founded and directed a children’s theater summer camp for seven years. Kristin also worked as co-drama coach at Juab High School for five years before taking on her current roles as the Director of the Musical Dance Theater (MDT) Program and Artistic Director for the Show Choirs at American Leadership Academy (ALA). Although she has stepped back from performing to support her daughter’s artistic pursuits on the state, national, and international stage, Kristin’s passion for the arts continues to shine through her work as a director. Her love for directing began during a summer program in college, where she discovered the joy of inspiring and teaching others to share their talents. Kristin believes in the transformative power of the arts, quoting, “Love the art in yourself, not yourself in the art.”-Stanislavski She sees the arts as a vital avenue for teaching life’s most important lessons and is committed to sharing that gift with her students.

Larry Blackburn

Music Director

Larry Blackburn teaches piano, AP music theory, UVU CE (Intro to Music) and music theater classes at the American Leadership Academy in Spanish Fork, UT. He plays for the choral concerts, show choir, and directs the music and a co-producer for the award winning musicals.

 

He has been the organist at First Presbyterian Church in SLC for 24 years. Larry has a Bachelors degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and a Masters degree in organ performance from Brigham Young University. He has performed several hundred recitals on the historic Tabernacle on Temple Square as a Guest Organist for over 25 years. 

 

Important Dates

Performances

• February 21,22 & 24 - Hadestown 

• April 18th & 19th - Alice in Wonderland Jr. 

Events

• TBA

Auditons

 

Spring 2025 TBA 

 

 

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