Faculty
CONNIE BURLESON, piano and organ instructor, is a graduate of Meredith College. She has a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and a degree in Early Childhood Education. She is a former Music Specialist for the Rowan-Salisbury schools. Mrs. Burleson currently serves as organist and choir accompanist at First Presbyterian Church in Lexington, NC. She has served as an accompanist for both the Choral Society of Lexington and Rowan-Salisbury Choral Society. She is very excited about the organization of The Arts Academy at Grace Episcopal Church.
Donna Caulder,
art instructor, a native of Davidson County, has a Bachelor degree in
Art Education from High Point University. She is a retired art educator from the
Davidson County school system, yet continues teaching art to the high school
students at Stoner -Thomas School. She has taught art classes for the Central
Carolina Home Educators for the past two years and through a United Arts Grant
has taught classes to high school students at American Children's Home.
She has taught her mosaic techniques through Davidson County Community College
classes as well as at her private studio, Southern Earth. Donna has directed
summer art camps at Southern Earth Studio and Arts United for the past four
years. Presently she is teaching youth classes at Arts United.
Although she enjoys working in many mediums, her special interest is in hand
built clay and mosaic creations. Many of her pieces incorporate clay, stones,
stained glass, mirrors and other found objects.
FABRICE
DHARAMRAJ, violin
instructor,
was born in Chartres, France and started playing the violin at
the age of 5. He now holds a B.M. from the North Carolina School of the Arts,
(NCSA) where he studied with the late Elaine Richey. He continued his studies at
the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) receiving an M.M. with Linda Cerone and
has also pursued Doctoral studies at the University of North Carolina at
Greensboro (UNCG) with Dr. John Fadial.
Fabrice has performed throughout the
United States and Europe but is a particularly active performer and teacher in
North Carolina. Performing engagements include Associate Concertmaster of the
Greensboro Symphony, Principal Second of the Winston-Salem Symphony and many
other ensembles in the region including the North Carolina Symphony.
As a teacher, Fabrice has taught as a Graduate Assistant at (UNCG), a teacher in
the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Public Schools, Salisbury Symphony/Rowan County
After-School Strings program, Salem College Community Music School, (NCSA)
Community Music School and has been on the faculty at Appalachian State
University and Elon University. He now currently teaches at Wake Forest
University and St. Mary’s Music Academy in High Point, NC. Previously he had a
private Suzuki studio in Lexington, NC. He is looking forward to teaching at the
new Arts Academy at Grace, in Lexington, NC starting in the Fall of 2008.
Fabrice currently resides in Winston Salem, NC with his wife and violinist Ewa
Gondek Dharamraj, and his cat Ziggy.
KELLY GREATHOUSE, yoga and dance instructor, is a native of Lexington, NC. While in high school she was accepted to Governor's School of North Carolina in dance and she also attended North Carolina School of the Arts in Contemporary Dance. She is a graduate of Goucher College where she received a BA in dance with concentrations in Performance and Choreography, and in Dance Education and Arts Administration. Along with gaining knowledge in ballet, modern, and jazz, she studied the Pilates method of Body Conditioning and traveled to the West Coast of Africa to study African Drum and Dance. In 2002 she was a guest artist in residence with the Carolina Performing Arts Center in Greensboro. Most recently, in the summer of 2008, she received certification from the Asheville Yoga Center to teach yoga to children. Kelly is the owner of Sheets Dance Academy in Lexington where she teaches a variety of dance classes. Kelly has been the dance instructor in the Arts Discovery Camps in Lexington/Davidson County since 2007.
KATHY JOHNSON, art instructor, received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Studio Art with a Minor in Art History from Salem College in 2005. Printmaking and oil painting are her mediums of choice as well as quilting. She was a volunteer assistant at the Summer Art Camp for children at SECCA (Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art) in 2003 and 2004. Kathy has taught art to 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders during the Arts Discovery Camps sponsored by Communities in Schools of Lexington/Davidson County and member churches of its Communities of Faith Committee for the last three years. Kathy joined the Board of Arts United of Davidson County in 2006 and has served as Secretary for the Board the last two years. Recently Kathy served as Interim Co- Executive Director of Arts United for Davidson County.
JUDY KING, art instructor, teaches polymer clay classes for both adults and children in the areas of jewelry design and sculpture. The jewelry classes focus on different techniques used to create unique beads and pendants that become wearable art. The children’s classes cover three dimensional shapes and use of color. Judy has taught children’s art classes in the Art’s Discovery Camp program for the past three summers. Her sculptures of saints, angels and nativities are found in churches throughout the United States and in private collections internationally. Recently, her sculpture The Adoration of the Magi was placed in the permanent collection of the Marian Library at the University of Dayton. Her artwork is represented here in North Carolina at Grovewood Gallery, Asheville and Southern Spirit Gallery, Denton.
LUKE PAYNE, guitar instructor, began formal study of the guitar while a student at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. He went on earn a Master’s degree in classical guitar performance at The North Carolina School of the Arts, where he studied under Joseph Pecoraro and was employed as the graduate assistant to the guitar program. Luke has also studied and been certified in the Suzuki teaching method.
Luke is a passionate and talented teacher who’s resume includes teaching positions at The North Carolina School of the Arts, Winston Salem State University, The Salem College Academy of Music, The Suzuki School of the Arts in Hickory, The Community School of Music in Winston Salem, Forsyth Country Day School Music School and maintaining a private studio in Winston Salem. He is also active as a performer in various ensembles and as a soloist. His playing and teaching encompasses a wide range of styles, including classical, jazz, rock and bluegrass.
MARILYN WRIGHT, art instructor, teaches private art classes for the Arts Academy. Marilyn currently serves as the art teacher at Lexington Middle School where she was selected as Teacher of the Year in 2008. In 1998, she earned a B.A. in Integrative Arts at Pennsylvania State University and graduated with honors. The Integrative Arts program provided an opportunity to combine hands-on experience in painting, drawing, sculpture, metal arts, and ceramics while allowing study in other areas of interest such as, art education, art history, psychology, anthropology and the study of other cultures. She taught in the Arts Discovery Camp at Welcome School in the summer of 2008.