Consultant – Barry Stewart-Mann, MFA

Barry Stewart-Mann, MFA
ArtsNOW Theater Consultant
Barry is a professional actor, storyteller and arts educator based in Atlanta. A graduate of Harvard University with an M.F.A. in Theatre from the University of San Diego, Barry is also on the faculty of Lesley University’s M.Ed. Program in Integrated Teaching through the Arts. Barry has performed at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre, the Florida Shakespeare Festival, Arkansas Rep, and Studio Theatre in D.C., as well on such local stages as Theatrical Outfit, Theatre Emory, Horizon Theatre, and the Atlanta Shakespeare Theatre. Barry is a performer and teaching artist with the Alliance Theatre, Georgia Wolf Trap, Georgia Council for the Arts, Fulton County's Teaching Museum, and Atlanta Partnership for Arts in Learning. He also teaches workshops in drama integration at numerous colleges and universities.

Consultant – Julie Galle Baggenstoss

Julie Galle Baggenstoss
ArtsNOW Dance Consultant

Julie Galle Baggenstoss is a full-time teaching artist who uses dance as a vehicle to explore the world. She has spent over 20 years working nationally as a flamenco artist in K-12 schools and is a published scholar. Julie is an adjunct lecturer in the dance program at Emory University and a collaborator with Mathematics in Motion, which presents math-inspired choreographies. She is a former instructor at the Atlanta Ballet. She has choreographed and performed for clients, such as Georgia State University School of Music, the Atlanta Opera, the Rialto Center for the Arts in Atlanta, The Flame Foundation in Dallas, Coves Darden P.R.E., Coca-Cola, and Visa.

Consultant – Laurin Dunleavy

Laurin Dunleavy
ArtsNOW Dance Consultant

Laurin is a movement integration specialist with over ten years of in-classroom teaching experience and is focused on K-12 Teacher Professional Development and Teaching-Artistry in the classroom. Laurin is passionate about using movement to motivate and teach across all curriculums and was recently appointed the project manager for Georgia's Department of Education's Dance Standard revisions for K-12. Laurin holds a BFA in dance performance from Brenau University. She was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and when she’s not dancing, you can find her spending time with family and collecting rare plants.

Consultant – Melissa Dittmar Joy

Melissa Dittmar Joy
ArtsNOW Dance Consultant

Melissa is a Dance Education Consultant and choreographer and works with Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education, Brenau University’s dance department, and other arts organizations in the southeast. As a dance educator, she has taught in the public schools of North Carolina and Georgia, Atlanta Ballet, Brenau University, co-authored the Gwinnett County Public Schools dance curriculum, and served on the team to review the Georgia dance standards. Melissa received her BS in Dance Education and minor in Theatre from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Melissa has won numerous awards for her choreography and she presents at conferences and professional development workshops sharing her love for dance and its place in every classroom.