Private Teaching Artists

Voice & Piano

Alex is the co-founder of Spindrift School of Performing Arts (SSPA) and is an accomplished musician and educator dedicated to advancing piano and voice instruction. With a B.A. in Piano Performance and an M.A. in Musicology from the University of California, he trained under esteemed teacher Dusi Mura.

In 1994, Alex and his late wife Martha founded SSPA, a community pillar for artistic education. Beyond SSPA, Alex leads the jazz quartet Nucleus, showcasing his musical versatility.

Believing in the transformative power of music, Alex sees the arts as integral to personal growth. Through teaching, he empowers students to discover their authentic voices. With decades of experience, Alex Bootzin inspires aspiring musicians of all ages to embark on transformative journeys of growth and success.

Dance

Sierra is a choreographer, director, and educator established on the West Coast. Her choreography integrates acrobatics, contemporary, and modern dance, while her teaching practice emphasizes athletic conditioning, collaborative creation, somatic healing, and artist agency.

Sierra’s training began as a competitive gymnast before transitioning into musical theatre and ultimately focusing on dance with an emphasis on modern floorwork. She earned her MFA in Choreography and Teaching Pedagogy from Mills College in Oakland, CA, after completing her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts/Dance and a minor in Child Development at California State University, Fresno. Following her academic training, Sierra obtained a professional training certificate as an apprentice with the Limón Dance Company, along with numerous accolades in the field of acrobatics, floorwork, and mindful movement.

She has trained with and performed works by pioneering choreographers and companies, including Robert Moses’ Kin, James Wilton, Trisha Brown Dance Company, and CONTRA-TIEMPO, among others. Sierra also gained over three years of training in Afro-Latin techniques and Orisha dances, including Maracatu, through immersive study in Brazil and in Los Angeles with CONTRA-TIEMPO.

Professionally, Sierra has served as Professor of Jazz and Contemporary Dance at Hussian College of Art & Design, Director of High School Programs at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), and Acrobatic Competition Lead for Heartbeat Dance Academy. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge, mentoring emerging artists, and contributing to vibrant creative communities.

Piano

Christina is thrilled to be joining Spindrift School of Performing Arts where she will be serving as Musical Theatre and Dance teacher.  Her training began at the age of 2 in piano, dance, voice, and acting and she has performed throughout her life in companies including Coastal Repertory Theatre, Pacifica Spindrift Players, Young People's Teen Musical Theatre Company (YPTMTC), and at St. Ignatius College Preparatory HS. She has served as a Performing Arts Teacher in an Private Independent school in San Francisco and has 20 years serving as an educator in San Francisco and Pacifica.  

Guitar

Ava is a classical guitarist based out of San Francisco. She has her Bachelor’s of Music in Classical Guitar Performance from San Francisco State University. While she was there, she studied with Lawrence Ferrara and Jon Mendle. Some of her favorite repertoire includes selections from the Castles of Spain, Capricho Arabe and J.S. Bach. She teaches privately at Spindrift School of Performing Arts in Pacifica. She hopes to continue teaching, performing and someday pursue her Master’s of Music.

Voice and Piano

Tony is a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and a dedicated pianist, composer, and music director. Originally from Seattle, he grew up performing at Seattle Children’s Theater and later trained as a music director through the 5th Avenue Theatre’s Rising Star Project, where he co-led West Side Story and composed a series of original five-minute musicals. While at the Conservatory, Tony premiered several original works and recently music directed On a Clear Day You Can See Forever for Seattle’s Ballyhoo Theater. He’s thrilled to bring his energy and creativity to the Spindrift team.

Piano

Hans has studied piano and voice at the Spindrift School of Performing Arts for the past five years with founder Alex Bootzin. His teaching emphasizes solid technical foundations, musicality, and expressive playing, and he enjoys helping students develop effective and thoughtful practice habits. He teaches beginner and intermediate piano students.

In addition to his musical studies, Hans studied math in school and works full-time as a machine learning engineer and engineering manager, specializing in high-performance systems and large-scale algorithms. He enjoys bringing the same curiosity, discipline, and attention to detail from his technical work into his approach to music and teaching.

Voice & Piano

Shauna trained in piano and voice at the University of Southern California’s School of Music and attended summer intensives at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. She teaches a daily practice methodology developed by her mentor, Lisa Spector (Juilliard; International Chopin Competition), helping pianists of all levels overcome challenges and experience joy in their music sooner. Shauna’s musical journey spans western classical traditions, the folk music of the Celtic isles where she directs the Peninsula Scottish Fiddlers, and performing live piano accompaniment for silent films. She has directed choirs across Northern and Southern California, performs in chamber ensembles, and is also an active composer and arranger. She is delighted to share her passion and expertise with the Spindrift community. .

Voice 

With almost twenty years of experience as a performing artist, Kate has done it all: from Chamber

Choir to Musical Theatre, from Ballet to Shakespeare, from Jazz to Opera. Kate has a Bachelor of

Music Degree in Vocal Performance and is currently pursuing her Master’s. She trained in acting

at The Meisner Technique Studio in San Francisco, and has performed with Opera San Luis

Obispo, Arete Singers, WePlayers, and more! Kate specializes in Bel Canto style singing, as well as

Musical Theatre and Acting. Utilizing the culmination of her training in all areas of performance,

Kate has developed a unique and highly effective method of Vocal and Performance Training,

helping her students to be confident and successful, both in the rehearsal room and on the stage.