Resident Choreographer

Anna has 30 years of tap, ballet and jazz training and performance. She is a 6th grade teacher in the Howard-Suamico School District. She also choreographs for schools in the area. Anna very much enjoys spending time with her family.

Studio Director, Manager of Move on Broadway, Director/Choreographer, Yoga/Vocal/Theatre/Dance Instructor

Ana has been with Birder Studio since the very beginning. She graduated St. Norbert College with a B.A. in Vocal Performance and Communication Media Studies. Ana has danced her entire life and will continue to do so for as long as possible. Her favorite genres include lyrical, modern, jazz, tap and musical theatre. Ana has performed in a countless number of musicals, but some highlights include SHREK THE MUSICAL (Fiona), SOMETHING ROTTEN (Portia), CHICAGO (Velma), Mamma Mia! (Sophie), PIPPIN (Showgirl/Catherine), and CATS (Demeter). 

Ana is an E-RYT500 (Registered Yoga Teacher). Practicing yoga for over a decade, she has been teaching since 2015. She has studied with CorePower, Alanna Kaivalya, Danni Pomplun & Leslie St. John.

Move on Broadway Instructor

Annie (E-RYT-200) is a certified and Yoga Alliance registered experienced yoga teacher, YA continuing education provider, and reiki master practitioner. Yoga first came into Annie’s life during her freshman year of college at St. Norbert College. Annie loves how the yoga practice offered her peace and calm in her mind while challenging her body with strength, flexibility, and
balance. Annie felt a call to share this ancient and beautiful practice that had so positively benefited her in body, mind, and spirit with others, so she decided to become a yoga instructor
and obtained her RYT-200 in 2018 through “Nomaste Yoga.” As a practitioner who enjoys doing all types of yoga, Annie also enjoys teaching all types of yoga: from hot and sweaty power flows, to gentle and relaxing restorative yoga. A firm believer that yoga is for everybody and every body, Annie brings love, acceptance, and body positivity to each and every class she teaches. With a strong background in meditation, reiki healing, and alignment, Annie’s classes are known for her verbal cueing and relaxing voice, alignment focus in poses, and ability to offer modifications and amplifications for every yogi, all while incorporating and facilitating an atmospheric energy of love, peace, and
acceptance in her classes. Come and check out a class with Annie!

Resident Director

Kirt Graves helmed Birder Players’ production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and returns to direct Xanadu in Summer 2022. He appeared as Barfeé in that production, as well as Brother Jeremiah in Something Rotten! Originally from Sheboygan, Kirt has volunteered for and performed onstage with Sheboygan Theatre Company, Theatre for Young Audiences, Victorian Village, Maximillian's, and Mill Street Guild. As a full-time audiobook narrator, he has voiced over 125 audiobooks spanning contemporary romance, sci-fi, urban fantasy, young adult, and non-fiction. His passion is for telling queer stories, the types of stories he wishes he had while growing up. In addition to his work, Kirt is a graphic artist, a podcast host, and an award-winning speech coach. He lives in Green Bay with his husband Jonathon (also a Birder Players’ performer) and two adorable pups. You can learn more about Kirt at www.kirtreads.com.

Ballet Instructor

Ms. Gungor has been teaching for 26 years and has dedicated herself to pedagogical studies in the Russian Method. This method, as founded by the great Russian teacher Agrippina Y. Vaganova , is a proven method of training dancers in ballet using a highly detailed and specific graded system that, when followed appropriately, provides injury free training. Ms. Gungor has studied Russian method pedagogy with master teacher Mr. John White and is certified with his Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet Society completing all 6 years of syllabus study. In addition to studies in Pennsylvania, she has had the opportunity to learn from various artists of the Kirov and Bolshoi schools while participating at the Ballet Intensive of Moscow held outside of Chicago. Leslie was accepted as a private student of professor Peggy Willis- Aarnio where she had received one-on-one instruction from this notable instructor of classical dance. As a result of the close relationship to Mrs. Aarnio, Leslie has had multiple opportunities for her students to work with the Willis Ballet sister company Saint Petersburg Classic Ballet Theatre of Marina Medvetskaya. Leslie was also invited to choreograph various ballets for her students as part of the St. Petersburg Ballet performances. Leslie studied in St Petersburg, Russia with Mr Oleg Vinogradov’s International Ballet Tour where she was able to learn from many great artists/teachers.

Production Manager

Jensen has a BA in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in stage management from UW Oshkosh. She has worked for various theatre companies and schools across Wisconsin including The Palace Theater, Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, Attic Chamber Theatre, Riverside Players, UW Oshkosh Theatre, Fox Theatre, St. Mary Catholic Schools, Appleton East High School, and Kenosha Creative Space.

Resident Accompanist

Mrs. Elaine Moss is instructor of piano and staff accompanist at St. Norbert College. She has pursued extended studies with Jeanne Kirstein at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Paul Reed at Wichita State University, Judit Jaimes, Katja Philabaum and Jeffry Peterson at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, as well as a summer abroad at the Universite de Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg, France. She enjoys a varied career collaborating and concertizing with guest artists and numerous singers and instrumentalists.

Move on Broadway Instructor

Val has a strong passion for health and fitness and is a full time fitness professional. She is a 200 hour certified yoga instructor, group exercise instructor, certified personal trainer, certified nutrition coach, certified barre instructor, trained in kids yoga and distance runner. She started teaching fitness in 2006 and was hooked.

Her mission statement is helping people get excited about their health and fitness journey & helping them complete their fitness goals.

Val she enjoys running, training for full and half marathons, and being outdoors.

Val is a strong believer that everyone should practice yoga at their level, and can use modifications to make every pose attainable.

If you are looking for a high energy all levels class, try one of her classes today.

Voice/Dance/Musical Theatre Instructor, Director

Jenna enjoys being a part of the creative team at Birder Studio after being a student there herself. She recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a minor in Music Studies. In her free time, she loves being with her family and friends. Jenna enjoys sharing her passion for music and theatre with students.

Voice/Dance/Musical Theatre Instructor

Jesse could not be more thrilled and honored to start teaching at Birder Studio. He teaches private voice and troupe classes while attending UWGB to receive his bachelors degree in fine arts with a major in music and a minor in education. Jesse is a proud member of the Birder Players, having performed in MAMMA MIA!, A Christmas Carol, The Musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Shrek The Musical. Jesse is so excited to share his passion of music with the students at Birder Studio!

Resident Music Director, Resident Director

Brandon M. Rockstroh, first and foremost, is the proud father of Avaya and Oscar. In his 12 years as Director of Choirs at Southwest High School in Green Bay, WI, he has witnessed the choir program grow by 240%. He is honored to have been named a “Teacher of Distinction” in 2012 (Green Bay Chamber of Commerce), a “Golden Apple Award” Winner in 2016 (Green Bay Chamber of Commerce), “Outstanding Young Choral Director” in 2017 (Wisconsin Choral Directors Association), and a Kohl Fellowship Recipient in 2020 (Herb Kohl Educational Foundation). Brandon’s choirs have been selected to perform at three state music educator conventions and one national educator convention. Outside of the classroom, Brandon co-led a $250k renovation of his school’s auditorium, has supervised 8 student-teachers, and has performed professionally in New York City.  His original musical, The Book of Empty Pages, premiered in 2017 to critical acclaim (thebookofemptypages.com).  “The purpose of our existence as teachers is to reveal to students that their existence has purpose.”

Move on Broadway Instructor

Annie is a lover all things health and wellness! She loves being outside and learning how to optimize our human experience through connection to others and to ourselves. Annie became hooked on yoga when she was in college, and was amazed at how much yoga had the ability to connect mind, body, spirit, and breath. Because we live in a world filled with constant external stressors (media, fast-paced living, technology, etc.), Annie believes it is incredibly important to listen to your body & God-given intuition to move in a way that honors and serves your body, not burdens it with additional stress. In her class, Annie hopes that you give yourself the freedom to slow-down, breathe with intention, strengthen your mind & body and just move with love and appreciation for all that you are.

Dance Instructor

Becky has been involved in dance since an early age. While attending a dance studio, she took tap, jazz, hip-hop, and contemporary classes. In high school, she was involved in the dance team and musicals. While attending St. Olaf College she took dance classes, choreographed musicals for the middle school, and ran the dance studio Dance-N-Fitness. She taught jazz, hip hop, and contemporary classes to ages 4 - adult. After college, she earned her teaching license and taught high school Spanish and elementary English as a Second Language. She also built up two dance team programs and choreographed for the show choirs. Currently, she is teaching high school Spanish at Menasha High School. With her husband, she has two children and enjoys spending time with them. She is thrilled to continue dancing and share her passion with the students at Birder Studio!