PAT HORNSBY CROCHET
THEATRE INSTRUCTOR // p.crochet@solacenter.org
Recently retired from the Terrebonne Parish School District after almost thirty years of teaching, Mrs. Crochet holds a Masters degree in theatre from Flordia State University and an undergraduate degree in Speech and English Education from Nicholls State University. Mrs. Crochet taught students who were identified as talented in theatre, and has directed over sixty plays in different venues including community theatre in Houma, Thibodaux, educational theatre and youth theatre. A member of the Le Petit Theatre de Terrebonne Board of Directors, Mrs. Crochet regularly directs plays and occasionally acts in the productions of that group.
JILLIAN VEDROS ROWAN
THEATRE INSTRUCTOR // j.rowan@solacenter.org
Jillian Vedros-Rowan holds a BA in Theatre with a concentration in Performance from Louisiana State University. After her tenure at LSU, she moved to Los Angeles where she attempted to break into the “biz” as well as worked as a production assistant in casting for the game show, Deal or No Deal. She began teaching at SoLa shortly after her return to Louisiana from Los Angeles. She currently serves as the Talented Theatre teacher for the Terrebonne Parish School System, and performs regularly at the Le Petit Theatre de Terrebonne.
ANDREW ELLIOTT
THEATRE INSTRUCTOR //
MFA Directing - University of Southern Mississippi, BA English, Nicholls, Producing Artistic Director for Ensemble Arts in New Orleans, worked for American Family Theatre in Philadelphia, THe Alliance Theater in Atlanta, the Alley in Houston, Southern Arena Theater among others. Produced and directed award winning documentaries on life on Bayou Lafourche and Terrebonne.
BECKY PLAISANCE
VIOLIN / VIOLA / CELLO INSTRUCTOR // b.plaisance@solacenter.org
Ms. Plaisance studied violin in the Lafourche Parish Schools Strings Program from 1971 to 1977. She has played with the New Orleans Community Orchestra and is a violin section leader in the South Louisiana Community Orchestra. She has taught violin for over eleven years and has been a teacher at SoLa for seven years!
LYDIA CHAMPAGNE
A Louisiana artist, Lydia Champagne captures on canvas the part of the world she knows best, the beauty of the south. She began painting in 1968, and her versatility in techniques, media, color, style, and subject matter makes each work unique and exciting. Lydia has been sharing her talent in classes with senior citizens for the past fifteen years, and she has inspired many to become good artists. She is presently a member of the Terrebonne Fine Arts Guild, the New Orleans Art Association, and a small group called Different Strokes.
Lydia has studied under well-known artists, including Doug Walton, Morris Shubon, Barbara Neches, Rhea Gary, and Judi Betts. She attended Pensacola Junior College and LSU in Ruston, Louisiana. She is presently showing some of her art at Downtown Gallery at 630 Belanger Street, Houma, Louisiana.
EMILY CHANCEY
VOICE INSTRUCTOR // e.chancey@solacenter.org
Emily Chancey has been taking voice lessons since the age of 5. She has studied Vocal Music with professors at Nicholls State University and has had instruction in Music Theory, Diction, and Sight singing. She has been teaching voice lessons for 5 years in Cut Off and 2 years in Houma. In Cut Off, Emily conducted the Sacred Heart Children’s Choir and was a soloist for mass. Emily has also taken part in Nicholls State University Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, and has performed with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. At SoLa, she has taught “Around the World in 6 Weeks” summer camp and participated in the music segment of Drama Jr. Emily also taught private lessons at SoLa, along with the “Glee” choir group. Emily has worked with the Drama students in SoLa’s production of “High School Musical” and look forward to working with them again this spring on “The Pied Piper.”
MATTHEW CHAUVIN
PIANO AND GUITAR INSTRUCTOR // m.chauvin@solacenter.org
APRIL LEONARD
DRAWING AND PAINTING INSTRUCTOR // a.leonard@solacenter.org
April E. Leonard will be awarded her Bachelors in Fine Arts with a concentration in Photography and a minor in Art History in May of 2010 from NSU. She plans to continue her education at LSU in the fall, working towards a Masters in Art History. April currently teaches art to children and teens ages 4-16 part-time in Thibodaux. By not only teaching methods and techniques for the creation of studio art, but also introducing vocabulary relevant to the projects, she strives to teach across the curriculum. April believes that art in early education is highly valuable because it is proven that expanding children’s knowledge of art and art history early in development facilitates a higher cognitive ability later in their lives.
JAMIE CHAISSON
FINE ARTS INSTRUCTOR // j.chaisson@solacenter.org
After high school Mr. Chaisson worked as a carpenter and learned a sense of craftsmanship that influenced me to walk the sculptor’s path. He began paying his way through school to gain a BA in Fine Art from Nicholls State University. Under the guidance of many talented, accomplished, and insightful art professors like Jean Donegan, Michael Howes, and Ross Jahnke he received comprehensive training in the development of composition, substance and form in art and practiced many disciplines such as printmaking, photography, and ceramics to name a few. Concentrating in sculpture Mr. Chaisson became familiar with a broad range of forms and materials. In the day time Mr. Chassion provides customer service at the Antique Brick Company while figuring material take offs and directing personnel and deliveries. Art is a passion of his and in sharing his experience, Mr. Chaisson means to provide developing artists with the tools to talk about their art and a choice of the many different avenues of form that their art may take while helping them to refine their craftsmanship and work ethic.