Comprehensive Training refers to the total and complete spectrum of performing arts instruction offered at Kinsella Magnet School. Students actively learn and demonstrate the processes of creating, performing and responding. Students are taught by certified drama, dance, stage craft, instrumental and vocal arts educators! Everyday students work with experienced teaching artists and professionals from Hartford Stage, Hartford City Ballet, the Hartford Symphony, Albano Ballet, the Judy Dworin Performance Project, Tom Lee, Dana Pomfret and the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts.

Kinsella annually features twenty productions and events totaling an anticipated 67 shows in the 2010/11 school year. Students rehearse during the school day and extended day. Typically the season includes, but is not limited to: two main stage musicals, one drama, two original dance concerts, two instrumental concerts, one vocal concert, one piano recital, one interdistrict band concert, two residency shows, a multimedia showcase, one play from Shakespeare’s canon and residency productions directed by one of our community partners such as Hartford Stage and the Judy Dworin Performance Project.


Eddie Duran, Artistic Director Durae001@hartfordschools.org
Eddie Duran came to Kinsella Magnet School from Hartford Stage where he worked for seven years. During his tenure with Hartford Stage, Mr. Duran was in such productions as Macbeth, A Christmas Carol, the Tennessee Williams Marathon and Write On! As the Hartford Stage Education Director, he expanded programming to reach over ten thousand students annually and developed Connections, an innovative theatre-literacy residency focusing on reading and critical thinking and emotional intelligence, EQ. Mr. Duran originated the critically acclaimed, Breakdancing Shakespeare program and produced two full productions of Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As a registered artist with the Connecticut Commission of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Duran is listed as a multitalented theatre artist specializing in making relevant connections from life to text and from text to performance. He has led workshops and residencies in Shakespeare, breakdancing, oral history explorations, multi-media performance art and social-issue theatre. Mr. Duran has over eighteen years experience working in theatre education and holds a B.A. in Drama from Hofstra University and a M.F.A. in Acting/Performance from Purdue University. Mr. Duran’s goal for the 2010/11 school year is to further develop Kinsella’s robust performance program and fully integrate the performing arts into all areas of the curricula. Click to see Eddie Duran’s listing with the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism

Jenifer Nario, Drama NariJ001@hartfordschools.org
Ms. Nario is a graduate of NYU’s Steinhardt School with a degree in Educational Theatre. She began her studies at Northeastern University in Boston where she studied Elementary/Early Childhood Education, Theatre Performance and Latino, Latin American and Caribbean Studies. She has had the privilege of working as a producer, director, actor and teaching artist throughout Boston, New York and Hartford involving a variety of arts organizations including Boston Theatre Works, New York Stage and Film, The New Victory Theater, Society of the Educational Arts/Sociedad Educativa de las Artes, the Theatre Development Fund and Hartford Stage. Ms. Nario has had the pleasure of presenting her work in various conferences such as the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute in Chicago, Ethnotheatre/Theatre for Social Justice and Drama Across the Curriculum Forums in NYC, Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed Conference in NC, the American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE) conferences in both Vancouver and Atlanta and the CT Thespian Society. She also currently teaches workshops at CCSU on theater of the oppressed and teaching through theater.

Emily Waniewski- Drama Wanie001@hartfordschools.org
Emily Waniewski is the middle school co-drama teacher and arts integration teacher for grades three through eight. She joined the Kinsella family after teaching theatre at Repertory Company High School for Theatre Arts in Manhattan. Emily has collaborated with other New York theatre organizations such as Roundabout Theater Company, The New Victory Theater, and she also sits on the teacher advisory board with American Place Theater. She loves having the opportunity to create theatre curriculum and team-teach with her colleague Ms. Nario, but she is most passionate about giving young people a voice through theatre. Ms. Waniewski earned her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance from Northeastern University in Boston and her Master of Arts in Educational Theater from New York University.

Ingrid Rogelstad-Howe– Dance Rogei001@hartfordschools.org
Miss Howe received her Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Elementary Education from Central Connecticut State University. She began her career in the performing arts early in life starting with gymnastics and then figure skating, including competing in National figure skating championships. During her coaching career, she has implemented both on and off-ice training that includes ballet, jazz, hip-hop, and Pilates to further train her students. Her dance career started at CCSU, where she now teaches as well, under the direction of Catherine Fellows. Ingrid has studied with Joseph Albano and Julia Fredrick and practices the Albano Method as well as dances in the Annual Albano Ballet’s Nutcracker performance held at CCSU and Mohegan Sun.

Deanna Mariarose Russo, Dance Russd002@hartfordschools.org
Mrs. Russo began dancing at the age of a year and a half-she studied tap, jazz, and ballet for the first sixteen years, and then continued her Dance education through the Dance Program offered at Naugatuck Valley Community College with Professor Elena Rusnak. Mrs. Russo attended Central Connecticut State University where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in English with a Minor in Psychology. She then continued her education at the University of Bridgeport where she obtained her Master’s Degree and Certification in Elementary Education. Mrs. Russo has worked and performed with masters such as Lori May, Jim May, Jim Clark (Bob Fosse extraordinaire), Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance, Pilobolous, and Alvin Ailey’s Repertoire Dance Ensemble.

Renee Tavares, Stage Craft Wiszr001@hartfordschools.org
Renee Tavares is a graduate of CCSU where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Art Education. She has taught in Hartford for nine years of which five have been at Kinsella. Mrs. Tavares works across all the areas of design and instruction including costuming, props, scenic painting and hair & make-up. She received a Leadership Award from Artsonia, a special recognition awarded to only ten teachers in the United States. Mrs. Tavares also has a strong background in visual art, including painting, drawing, crafts, printmaking, photography, ceramics, and design. She is a recent graduate of the Graduate Institute earning a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts. Mrs. Tavares posts student art work on a website entitled www.artsonia.com. Check it out!

Erica Iris, Stage Craft irise001@hartfordschools.org
Erica Iris received her Bachelor's Degree in Graphic Design and Illustration from Central Connecticut State University. Though new to performing arts, art has always been an integral part of Mrs. Iris's life. Not only can she draw, paint, sew, sculpt and knit, she's been known to pick up her guitar and sing a song too. She worked in advertising as an Art Director and a freelance designer for five years before returning to CCSU to earn her Art Education degree. She exhibits her own artwork locally as much as she can. Art has always been her passion, and teaching it has always been her dream… now, come true!

Susan Hanjian, Brass and Percussion Hanjs001@hartfordschools.org
Ms. Hanjian is elementary band director for Kinsella School and brass specialist. She has been teaching for 28 years, and has experience at all levels, including college undergraduate band and music classes. Susan has developed award-winning bands at the middle school and elementary levels in three New England states, and has helped dozens of Hartford students receive fund-for-access scholarships to study privately at the University of Hartford, Hartt School of Music. Susan’s main instrument is French horn. Sue Hanjian holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from the Hartt School of Music, University of Hartford, and a Master’s degree in performance and conducting from the University of Massachusetts.

Alma Kroqi, Woodwind Kroqa001@hartfordschools.org
Mrs. Kroqi studied and received her Bachelors Degree in Music at the Academy of Fine Arts in Tirana, Albania. She earned her Masters Degree in Education from the University of Bridgeport. For more than ten years, Mrs. Kroqi taught flute at the “Jakov Xoxa” Music High School in Fier and the “Preng Jacova” Music High School in Shkoder, both in Albania. She has also performed in a number of orchestras and chamber groups in Albania and Austria. Since coming to the United States, she was the instrumental teacher at Doolittle School and Dood Middle School in Cheshire, CT. For five years she has been teaching band at Kinsella Magnet School of the Performing Arts in Hartford. In addition to teaching privately, she coaches woodwind students who are members of the Greater Waterbury Youth Symphony.

Gail Lumpkin, Piano Lumpg001@hartfordschools.org
GAIL LUMPKIN is a graduate of Hartt School of Music with a Bachelor in Music Education and has achieved a Masters + 90 in the areas of Elementary and Bilingual Education. She has taught in the Hartford Public Schools for over 30 years and presently is a consultant at the R.J. Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts. She is past president of M.E.T.A. (Music Education Technologists’ Association) and has been a clinician for inservice workshops for the Hartford Public Schools, and convention sessions for CMEA (Connecticut Music Educators Conference) and MENC (Music Educators National Conference). In 2006 she was named Teacher of the Year in Hartford and New Haven 20 Symphony’s Elementary Music Teacher of the Year. She performs throughout New England with the band “Celebrity”.

Christopher Vece, Choral/Vocal Vecec001@hartfordschools.org
Christopher Vece teaches Vocal Music for grades PK-8 at R.J. Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts. He holds a bachelor's degree in music education from the Hartt School of Music, where he played trumpet in the wind ensemble, symphony band, and pep band. While studying trumpet in college, Mr. Vece also performed in several singing groups, including touring Italy with the world music ensemble Village Harmony. Mr. Vece currently sings and plays tin whistle in the Irish folk band The Jolly Beggars, which has performed throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Diane Fredrickson, Strings FredD001@hartfordschool.org
One of the developers of the Hartford School’s Early Violin Program, Diane Fredrickson contributed in the creation of the curriculum. Ms. Fredrickson has been teaching in Hartford Schools as a certified teacher since 1997. She has taught at Batchelder and Noah Webster Schools as well as the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts as part of the SEAL Program (Strategies for the Encouragement of Arts Literacy). Ms. Fredrickson graduated from the Hartt School and currently plays with the Hartford Symphony. She has played with the Simsbury Light Opera, Farmington Valley Chorale, the Connecticut Opera and was especially honored to play in Orquesta Sinfonica de Veracruz in Mexico.

Dr. Laurel Thurman, Early Strings Thurl001@hartfordschools.org
Laurel Thurman received her Bachelor and Master’s degrees from the University of Memphis, and was awarded a Doctor of Musical Arts in violin performance from the University of Arizona. Her research in string pedagogy has taken her to England and Japan, where she studied with Sheila Nelson and Shinichi Suzuki. Active as a performing musician, Ms. Thurman has been a member of the Hartford, Memphis, Tucson, and Rockford, Illinois Symphony Orchestras, and the Ravinia Festival Orchestra in Chicago. She has taught in public schools in Arizona and Connecticut, and at Northern Illinois University and the University of Connecticut. Currently, Dr. Thurman teaches in the Early Violin Program of the Hartford Schools and for the UCONN Community School of the Arts.

Roberta Kaproski, Media rkaproski@hartfordschools.org
Bobbi Kasproski is the Library Media Specialist at Kinsella. As well as being Media Specialist, Ms. Kasproski previously taught 3rd, 4th and 5th grades and middle school math for a total of 28 years, both in Connecticut and in Florida. She has also been published in a professional mathematical journal. Ms. Kasproski received her undergraduate Bachelor’s degree from Ohio University where she majored in elementary education and minored in math. She received her master’s degree from Southern Connecticut State University in Library Science. Also, she has begun to work on a law degree which she plans to continue in her life after teaching.

Dana Pomfret, Multimedia Resident Teaching Artist www.danapomfret.com
Dana Pomfret is a singer-songwriter, recording artist and fine artist from NYC, now living in New England. She has recorded her original music for Elektra, SBK and Warner Bros. Records, and is signed to a publishing deal with Jean Davoust/Paris. Her music is used commercially, and in film production, throughout Europe. Dana's multimedia programs currently include instruction in songwriting, Garage Band recording technology, fine art, Adobe Photoshop, iMovie, digital photography and creative writing. Dana travels with her own laptops, headphones, digital and video cameras, setting up recording/design studios onsite. Students collaborate to create/produce their own CDs and DVDs, as well as multimedia art installations incorporating visual art, film, songs/soundtracks, and written/spoken word pieces.

Nick D’Angelo, Theatre Technician danen001@hartfordschools.org
Nick D’Angelo has been involved with the performing arts since the age of 14. Previously the Technical Director and Production designer for Miami Stage Company and their sister company Miami Children’s Theatre, Mr. D’Angelo found his way up to Connecticut and has worked for Hartford Stage Company and Hartford Children’s Theatre as a master carpenter and Technical Director. In addition to his technical work, Mr. D’Angelo has taught theatre to children ages 5-14 at multiple schools in Connecticut and enjoys performing in shows in his spare time.

At its core, the history and story of Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts is the story of The Little Engine that Could.  Every student has their own distinctive talent.  All Kinsella students must have their moment to be heard, seen, appreciated and noted for their talents.  Kinsella’s comprehensive training program provides traditions of performance and a robust production schedule where every student performs in at least one, or contributes backstage, to one or more shows annually.

 The collective efforts of many have formed the single history we share. ~ Eddie Duran, Artistic Director

2011/12~ The Year of Voice
Fifth Annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony: Voices of Who We Are
Fifth Annual Cultural Heritage Celebration; Identifying Similarities Celebrating Differences
Bye, Bye, Birdie
The Polar Express Dance Concert (final year of a three-year development campaign)
Premier of the Winter Vocal Concert
House on Mango Street (original devised script)
The PK to 2nd Grade Showcase!
Fifth Annual Talent Show!
Fifth Annual Kinsella/Morley Interdistrict Band Concert
Third Annual Multimedia Showcase
Fifth Annual Spring Band and Orchestra Concert
Beauty and the Beast Dance Concert (original choreography by the dance department)
Voices In this School in partnership with the Judy Dworin Performance Project (original script)
Fiddler on the Roof

2010/11~ The Year of Character
* honored by Magnet Schools of America and recognized with the School of Excellence Award
Fourth Annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony: Character & Community
Fourth Annual Cultural Heritage Celebration; Living our Diversity
CT 375! Something to Sing About! (Debut musical celebrating CT’s 375 birthday)
James and the Giant Peach
The Polar Express Dance Concert (2nd year)
Fourth Annual Winter Instrumental Concert
The Diary of Anne Frank (adapted script with devised student contributions)
Fourth Annual Talent Show
Fourth Annual Kinsella/Morley Interdistrict Band Concert
The PK to 2nd Grade Showcase
Nell the Dreamer (premier production written by John Bendezu)
Second Annual Piano Recital
Second Annual Multimedia Showcase
Aladdin, Jr.
Antony and Cleopatra: Breakdancing Shakespeare in partnership with Hartford Stage
Fourth Annual Spring Band and Orchestra Concert
In this School, in partnership with the Judy Dworin Performance Project (original script)
Beatles Love Dance Concert (original story and choreography by Ms. Russo and Ms. Howe)

2009/10~ The Year of Story
* honored by Magnet Schools of America and recognized with the School of Distinction Award
Third Annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony: A New Community Home
09 Ribbon Cutting Celebration (honoring the new building at 65 Van Block Avenue)
Third Annual Cultural Heritage Celebration; Telling the Story of our Customs and Traditions
The Witches
The Polar Express Dance Concert in partnership with Pilobolus (first year of a three-year development campaign)
Third Annual Winter Music Concert
Anne Jr.
The PK to 2nd Grade Showcase!
Third Annual Talent Show
Third Annual Kinsella/Morley Interdistrict Band Concert
Lion King Dance Concert (original choreography by Ms. Russo and Ms. Howe)
First Annual Multimedia Showcase
Into the Woods Jr.
Comedy of Errors: Breakdancing Shakespeare in partnership with Hartford Stage
Third Annual Spring Music Concert
Dreamings! in partnership with the Judy Dworin Performance Project (original script)
Spring Vocal and Piano Concert

2008/09~ The Year of Journey
* honored by Magnet Schools of America and recognized with the Emerging School of Distinction Award
Second Annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony: A Year Stronger
Second Annual Cultural Heritage Celebration; Diversity in Performance
Once on this Island Jr.
Second Annual Winter Music Concert
Second Annual MLK Citizenship Performance
Second Annual Winter Dance Concert
Digital Story Telling Showcase
3rd and 4th Grade Showcase!
PK-2nd Grade Showcase!
Second Annual Talent Show
The Yellow Boat
Second Annual Spring Dance Concert
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Breakdancing Shakespeare in partnership with Hartford Stage
Second Annual Spring Music Concert

2008/07~ The First Year of Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts
First Annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony: A New Beginning
First Annual Cultural Heritage Celebration: What does Cultural Heritage mean?
Winter Music and Dance Concert
2008 MLK Citizenship Performance
Amazing Grace
PK to 4th Grade Showcase!
First Annual Kinsella/Morley Interdistrict Band Concert
Romeo and Juliet: Breakdancing Shakespeare in partnership with Hartford Stage
First Annual Spring Dance Concert
First Annual Spring Music Concert