About Lights Up

Hilary is originally from London, UK where she worked as a singer in Musical Theatre for over 10 years, Hilary is passionate about providing theatre opportunities to children that contribute to their growth not only in performance skills but in all areas of their lives. Running theatre programs in Vancouver since moving here on 2006, Hilary has unique experience and skills to help each student find their inner star. Hilary has produced shows for our students in some of Vancouver’s finest theatres including the Queen Elizabeth and The Orpheum.

Mike is our office superstar and spends a lot of his time keeping everything running smoothly across our programs. Originally from the UK, he moved to Canada in the mid 2000’s and started Lights Up with his wife Hilary. He also paints some beautiful sets and is prop master extraordinaire! Mike thoroughly enjoys working with children and is proud to be involved with providing these great experiences to our youth.

At the age of 5, Lisa sat in the audience of the Jubilee Theatre in Calgary, mesmerised by the production of “Cats!” playing out in front of her, and instantly knew where she wanted to be. Eventually, Lisa graduated from the Studio 58 Theatre Program at Langara College, and acted on the professional stage. Favourite roles have been in shows for young audiences; Interacting with children after the shows, she experienced first hand the power of theatre to create moments for learning and connection.

Lisa holds a B.Ed. from SFU. She has led Professional Development workshops for BC school districts, and has teamed up with teachers throughout the province to create core curricular units that incorporate drama. She is a multi-Gold Medalist RCM Speech Arts and Drama teacher. At Lights Up, Lisa leads a team of teachers in sharing our passion for the performing arts with kids all over the Lower Mainland.

Billie heads up our after school program division as well as running our Vancouver Westside schools (amongst a million other things!). She believes that students should be themselves and, when it comes to performing, always remember that the audience wants them to succeed. In high school, Billie sang for the Queen of England during one of her royal visits. If she were to randomly sing any song out loud it would be “I’m Still Standing”, by Elton John.

Billie trained in New York before returning to Vancouver to share her passion for musical theatre with young people.

Originally from Liverpool England, Rebecca grew up enjoying Musical Theatre from the age of 2 and was fortunate to study at many distinguished schools including Dolphin Dance Studios and the Elliot Clarke School of Excellence, one of the oldest schools in the world. After high school she went on to receive her National Diploma in Drama at Liverpool Community College followed by a Bachelor of Arts at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Rebecca’s favourite performance opportunity was singing in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s & Sir Tim Rice’s Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat at the Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

After meeting her husband while traveling the world working on cruise ships Rebecca came to Vancouver and knew she wanted to share her passion for the arts by working with children. She furthered her education by obtaining her early childhood education certificate which gave her the opportunity to work with kids aged 1 – 12 years. Since joining Lights Up Rebecca has taught Starlights, Spotlights, camps and after school clubs and is the school director for our North Vancouver and Vancouver West locations.

Rebecca loves changing the colour of her hair to keep all the kids on their toes, what colour will it be next?? …

Karyn is very active in Vancouver and beyond as a singer, director, adjudicator and music instructor. She teaches voice and piano at her home studio, Vocalis Music and recently directed/music directed Shrek, Jr and Dear Edwina, Jr. At the University of British Columbia, Karyn earned a Bachelor of Music Degree in Voice Performance and a Master of Music in Opera. She also earned Diplomas in Musical Theatre from Grant MacEwan College and the Banff School of Fine Arts. Karyn is a proud member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and is an advanced Royal Conservatory of Music Teacher. Karyn is delighted to be a part of the Lights Up team!!

Julia is a Vancouver-based performer and educator. She received her diploma in Musical Theatre from Capilano University in 2013, and later went on to gain her Bachelor of Education from UBC. She has taught theatre for multiple community programs across the Lower Mainland as well as for Surrey, North Vancouver, and Vancouver School Districts. For Lights Up, she has taught nearly every class and discipline they offer before stepping into a managerial role. As a performer, she has taken on the iconic roles of Maria in The Sound of Music (CTF) and Elle in Legally Blonde (Align), and Katherine in Newsies! (TUTS).

Two time Leo award nominee and Vancouver based actor, producer and artistic director, Lindsay Drummond has worked in theatre, film and television for over 15 years. 

Lindsay graduated from The School Of Contemporary Arts at Simon Fraser University with a BFA in Performance and also earned a Diploma in Theatre at Capilano University. She is Co-founder and Co-Artistic director of TigerMilk Collective Theatre and is an executive producer with East Van Entertainment Inc. 

As an actor Lindsay can be seen in several commercials, television and independent films projects but some of her career favourites are Jessie nominated “Greenland” by Nicholas Billon produced by TigerMilk Collective, “Literally” the series produced by Boldly Creative Agency and the Leo award winning series “The Drive” produced by East Van Entertainment. 

Lindsay has worked for Lights Up Musical Theatre since 2010. She is always amazed at its creative growth and is looking forward to seeing what the future holds for the company. Lindsay continues to develop her career as a producer, writer and actor. 

Diana has been teaching Drama at Lights Up for a number of years. She is also a local film/ television/ voice over/ theatre actor. In 2014 she graduated from the Acting for Stage and Screen program at Capilano University. Since then, she has performed in a number of plays and commercials. From 2017 to 2019, she started a short film production company called: Pancake Laundry Monday and two of her films made it into film festivals in the U.S.!  While working at Lights Up, Diana enjoys getting the kids to share as many ideas as possible to enhance the scene or story. She also enjoys adding the odd Buffy or Friends reference wherever it fits.

Diana works extensively teaching at our after schools programs, she also is the School Director at our Vancouver Eastside location.

Jennifer is a highly motivated, enthusiastic, and diligent educator whose love for the performing arts and English has inspired her to utilize her skillset as an actor, singer and dancer to guide the development of children and teens. Originally from Toronto, Jennifer moved to Hong Kong when she was 5, and is happy to call the city home. Her dedication to the arts inspired her to pursue her career in the performing arts, ultimately driving her to the United Kingdom, where she trained classically at Guildford School of Acting and continued her career as an actor and drama teacher. With a decade of experience as a drama educator, Jennifer is thrilled to be stepping into a managerial position with Lights Up. Her experience living abroad has instilled in her a drive to succeed at whatever she pursues, and she would be thrilled to share this mindset with young future performers.

Originally from Alberta, Vanessa has been involved in theatre all her life and has always had a passion for both performing and teaching. Growing up in a community-based theatre, she fell in love with the arts from a very early age and her passion has only grown. Vanessa is a Capilano University graduate with a diploma in Musical Theatre and also works leading theatre classes in preschools. When not performing or teaching, Vanessa loves to partake in anything creativity-related including photography, writing, and art. She is very passionate about the potential that the arts has to facilitate change and growth in our world and is always inspired by the passion from the students at Lights Up!

Beth has been involved in musical theatre since they were 8 years old, and has had the pleasure of sharing their love of song and dance with young artists for several years.

They are a graduate of Capilano University’s Musical Theatre Program, and hope to eventually earn their Masters in performing arts. Beth loves teaching all ages, and is especially passionate about helping disabled and neurodivergent kids feel safe and supported in order to have fun and explore the art of theatre! Outside of class you might find Beth tap dancing, roller skating by the beach, or tucked at home watching cartoons!

Kirsten is a singer/songwriter, dancer and actor from Vancouver, BC. She holds a bachelors degree in music theatre performance from Sheridan College in Oakville Ontario, and is a passionate and enthusiastic musical theatre educator!

Some fun facts about Kirsten is that she worked as a children’s princess
entertainer for 7 years, she has released three singles and she is also a registered fitness instructor! She believes in musical theatre education building confidence, joy and empathy in her students and she stands for a supportive, encouraging and fun environment in her classes!

Ellie is a grade 11 student at Van Tech in the flex humanities program.

Ellie was previously a student at Lights Up from age 11 and is now in the arts Umbrella pre-professional theatre troupe.

During their time at Lights Up, Ellie was part of our summer intensive program and played roles including Carmen in Fame, Bird Lady in Mary Poppins and Cinderella in Into the Woods.

Most recently Ellie played Patchy in Sponge Bob the Musical at the Jack and Darlene Pool Theatre.

Ellie is a talented singer and was member of the Vancouver Children’s choir and is now a returning alumni. Ellie is involved in several music programs at Van Tech and has also provided vocals for Hallmark Christmas movies.

Ellie is thrilled to be returning to Lights Up as a member of the teaching team working alongside their former teachers.

Stefie Gomez is an AMDA (The American Musical and Dramatic Academy-NYC) graduate, she has a Bachelor in Contemporary Music Composition from University of Music Fermatta in Mexico City, and holds a Level 4 Diploma in Performing Arts and Performing Arts Teaching by Performing Arts Awards (Rock School of London). Some of her other studies include Royal Academy of Dance vocational graded examinations and Shakespeare studies with John Basil.

As a performer, Stefie has been part of the cast of We Will Rock You (TUTS), Verdi Ritrovato by director Phillip Von Reutter (Italy and Mexico), Air of Paris directed by Oscar Bonfiglio and  The Meeting by Hugo Luna. As a teacher, Stefie has imparted voice, musical theatre, acting and dancing lessons for more than ten years. She is the founder of Fidartes and has directed multiple shows with the company, such as Little Women the Musical, Seussical the Musical and A Midsummer’s Night Dream.

Stefie is thrilled to be part of the Lights Up family and is committed to help every student in reaching their full potential with love, passion and discipline.

Forrest had been with Lights Up since he was a kid, as a student, assistant teacher and teacher. With lights up he’s been a part of many performances and performed in some well known musicals like Fame, Thoroughly Modern Millie and West Side Story.

Forrest is a versatile performer with a dance background in Jazz and ballet, a theatre background in Shakespeare and he is a circus teacher and performer outside of lights up. Forrest is also a dancer for the local group Geekenders which puts on a variety of nerdy shows throughout the year.

Lily was born in Bulgaria and moved to the North Shore when
she was 5. Lily is an assistant teacher at Lights Up North
Vancouver. She first began working with Lights Up during the
summer of 2019 where she enjoyed teaching arts, crafts and
games to the students. We are now lucky to have Lily work
with us every Saturday, you can find her in all of our
classrooms helping to keep the students happy and safe and
backstage during performances helping with costume changes
and props.

Lily is very artistic and studied Metal work and now works
making creative signs at ‘Innovative signage’.

Lily loves painting and her favourite food is Mac and Cheese.

Angie McLeod discovered her love of performance arts at the ripe old age of 5, when she played Baby Jesus in her kindergarten’s Nativity play. When she grew up, she learned the art of Acting for Stage and Screen at Capilano University and embarked on a life of piracy on the high seas – I mean, of sharing her love of theatre with the world! You may recognize her from The World Famous Lumberjack Show at Grouse Mountain, or the Christmas Pantomimes at Deep Cove Stage, or when your ship was attacked by pirates. Pirates? No, I never said pirates, you made that up. Angie loves the energy and creativity that children have and it is her favourite thing in the world to help them flourish on the stage.

Justin is a multidisciplinary artist in theatre and film working primarily as an actor. He also instructs students at Vancouver Film School, Richmond Arts Center and private coaching/classes. While continuing his own study of acting by attending classes himself, Justin produces, writes, directs and acts in his own projects with accolades.

What Justin aspires for his Lights Up students to take from his classes is understanding how to meet the expectations of being a performer while being inspired creatively by how fun acting is. His favorite musical is West Side Story, is a huge fan of the Christmas season, and keeps a Power Ranger toy collection from when he was younger in a display case… well, mostly from when he was younger. www.Justin-Anthony.com

Sarah grew up in Delta and had a passion for singing and performing from a young age. One of our Lights Up alumni, she has taught singing and Starlight for the past three years.  She is currently in fourth year studying psychology. Sarah loves to sing (good news!), as well as getting her groove on at Zumba, and baking. Helping students to come out of their shell and find their own voice is what brings her to class every week. She loves tapping into her own experiences as a Lights Up student as a way to connect with students and help them on their performance journey.

Zara was born in D.C and lived in all over South East Asia before moving to Vancouver at age 8. Shortly after moving to Vancouver, she joined Lights Up and has never looked back! In addition to teaching Lights Up, she is a certified Gymnastics and Circus coach having taught at Phoenix Gymnastics and Circus West. She has a dog named Avi who keeps her very busy in her spare time, taking her on forest adventures. Zara has a special knack for making even the shyest student feel welcome and able to participate in class. She loves seeing these students gain confidence and enjoy their time in class. 

Tristan started her musical theater journey at age 12 when, once upon a time, she was a Lights Up student. She has since received professional training in multiple theatrical disciplines and triumphantly returned as an instructor.

She is a proud member of Capilano University’s Acting for Stage and Screen program, where she continues to perform, write, and play. Tristan’s goal as a teacher is to help her students embrace their creativity and inner artists, fostering a place for safe, creative expression and fun! When not in a studio or classroom, Tristan can be found hiking through a forest, lost in a book, or baking cupcakes. 

Amelia was a student at Lights Up for 6 years and is glad to continue being part of the Lights Up community as an Assistant! Over the years she has performed in many shows with Lights Up, some of her most memorable ones being Beauty and the Beast, the Wizard of Oz and Newsies. She looks back on these shows as some of her fondest memories that helped shape her to be the performer she is today. A grade 11 student at Semiahmoo Secondary School, Amelia runs her school’s Drama and Improv clubs where she works to help build the school’s drama community and promote theatre to her peers. Amelia is also a part of community theater, performing with Fraser Valley Musical Theater. Amelia has training in dance, choir, drama and has taken private voice lessons. Amelia loved being a student at Lights Up and is happy to be able to pass on her passions and help inspire children interested in performing arts.

Violet was a student at Lights Up for 6 years, and is so excited to be back as part of the team! As a student in Lights Up, she performed in shows that shaped her as an actor, including “The Wicked Witch of the West” in The Wizard of Oz and “Veruca Salt” in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Not only did Lights Up help her gain confidence, but she made lifelong friends and memories there. Now, Violet attends Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary as a grade 10 student and is in both the school’s theatre company and senior improv team. In both school and Lights Up, her goal is to bring the theatre community together and spark a love of the art! 

Celine has been dancing since the age of four. She started her training at Centre Stage Dance in Maple Ridge, BC., focusing on jazz and tap. When Celine moved out to White Rock at the age of nine, she joined Joy of Movement Dance Studio in Crescent Beach BC. She was a part of Visions Dance Company where she trained 40+ hours a week in Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Tap, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, Pointe, Contemporary, and Lyrical. Celine was also a part of the school tours program at JOM. 

Celine has competed in many local competitions such as Surrey Arts Festival and PACWEST and has traveled to Portland to compete at I Love Dance Competition and Los Angeles to compete at Dance Excellence as well. 

Currently, Celine is still training and teaching under Amy Hamilton at Amy Hamilton’s Dance Arts / BEZ Arts Hub in Langley BC. 

Anna is a dancer, actor, and singer who was born and raised in Vancouver! She discovered her love for the stage when she performed in her first musical, Grease, at 10 years old! She is also a recent graduate of Capilano University, holding a diploma in Musical Theatre.

Anna is incredibly grateful to the teachers in her life who saw her potential and fostered her passion, and she hopes to do the same for her students!

Jamie is a former Lights Up student who’s been with us for over 10 years. They joined us in Starlight, performing all the way through our Spotlight and Company programs. Also joining in on some intensive camps such as Beauty and the Beast, Singing in the Rain, and Mary Poppins. Jamie has a passion for teaching and supporting kids, especially with the arts. Before they started working here, they volunteered with summer camps. Jamie wants to help nurture blossoming young artists and help guide kids as they learn and grow. They can’t wait to assist your child on their musical journey!

Originally from Alberta, Katie has been immersed in the performing arts for over 20 years. Starting dance at 2 years old she has trained in various styles including Musical Theater, Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Hiphop, Tap, Heels and more! 

Katie feels lucky to have the arts in her life as it has taken her to many places where she has met so many wonderful people. She graduated from Randolph College for the Performing Arts in Toronto, Ontario and went on to complete a pre-professional training program called The Bridge Movement in New Jersey. She currently trains at a Harbour Dance Center program in Vancouver. 

Katie strongly believes that the performing arts are an important means for people to express themselves and connect with others and that this is particularly true for children.  She is very excited to join the Lights Up Team and share her love of dance with young artists.

Valeria is a Peruvian-Italian multidisciplinary artist, educator, and administrator born in Lima, Peru. A graduate of Capilano University, she has collaborated with theatre companies like Electric Company Theatre, rice&beans theatre, Rumble Theatre, Bard on the Beach, Axis Theatre Company, Carousel Theatre for Young People, and Western Canada Theatre while simultaneously working in film and TV. Valeria is a theatre teacher for companies and schools, holds a TEFL-PP certificate, and frequently tours as a Teaching Artist in Italy. 

Vanessa Schaefer is an Irish/German actor, writer and director. She studied acting and theatre at the Lir Academy, graduating in 2017. Following that, she was cast in various short films, theatre pieces and feature films in Ireland. Her most prolific role was playing the lead character, Tara, in the feature film “Dive”, released in 2018 and found on Amazon Prime. She is also a writer and this year, completed an MA in screenwriting, while having a short story published in “Chicken Soup for the Soul” and most recently, entering into a publishing contract for her children’s book “The Magic of Mna”. She has directed two of her short scripts, “The Masterplan” and “Capable.” Vanessa has been teaching Drama and Acting since 2021 and is looking forward to continuing this in Vancouver!

Sean is a Vancouver based Actor working mostly in TV/Film. He started singing at a young age and loves to share and create a space for anyone to freely express their craft through song, dance and acting! Sean graduated from Capilano University’s Musical Theatre Program and has trained in various styles of dance including Ballet, Jazz and Tap! Sean loves to teach and wishes to inspire his students so that they can have the confidence to dream anything!

Jess is in her last year of highschool and is the grad council president at her school. She attended Lights Up for 10 years and played Shrek for her final show with Lights Up as a student at the summer internsive 2023! She continues to do both film and musical theatre. She always loved to sing since a young age and when her sister started Lights Up she quickly joined and fell in love with theatre.

Natalie is an actor, creator and comedian who has returned to Vancouver after receiving her BFA in Drama at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Since graduating she has continued her passion for theatre, having performed in a variety of plays both in Vancouver and in New York City. Natalie co-founded the stand up comedy troupe Woman Stand Up in NYC, and continues to write comedy shorts. Natalie remembers when she was first introduced to the wonders of theatre at a very young age, and since then, had always dreamed of being a performer. She hopes she can recreate that same wonderment in her students, and inspire them to reach their goals and dreams!

Katie is a dancer from Ireland, she studied dance in Dublin where she became a qualified ballet& modern teacher. She is trained in many styles like ballet, modern, musical theatre, hip hop and has performed for many years while also being a full time dance teacher. She has been teaching in Vancouver since she moved early this year& loves her job!

Bailey is a senior high school student hoping to pursue a career in the performing arts. She has been apart of the Lights Up community since she was only eight years old, where she sparked her love for musical theatre. Since then she has been involved and has trained with other companies such as Theatre Under the Stars and Arts Umbrella, and has been in musical productions such as The Little Mermaid, Mean Girls, Guys and Dolls, and Into the Woods. Bailey’s experience goes beyond just things on stage, she has also directed, choreographed and written a handful of shows at her high school. She hopes to study musical theatre abroad post-secondary and later go into education to become a drama teacher.

Sari is a Vancouver based performer who graduated from the Capilano Musical Theatre program in 2017. She is also a trained aerialist and performs at fun events across the city. When she’s not singing or hanging upside down, she enjoys sewing, snuggles with her cats, and video games.

Samantha fell in love with the stage at the age of five and never looked back! She is now a  theatre artist and works primarily as a performer, director, writer and arts educator. Born and  raised in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal), Samantha is now based in so-called Vancouver. She has taught  for several organizations, including Arts Club Education, Théâtre La Seizième, and Presentation  House Theatre (Firefly Project). Samantha was nominated for a 2022 Jessie Richardson Award  for Outstanding Performance in a Theatre for Young Audiences piece for her work on Le  merveilleux voyage d’Inès de l’Ouest (Emilie Leclerc, Théâtre La Seizième). You may have also  seen her in the East Van Panto: Alice In Wonderland (Roe / Elliott / Testini, Theatre  Replacement), Metamorphoses (Daniela Atiencia, Studio 58), or in the most recent iteration of  her solo show, Wrecked (Raugi Yu, Vancouver Fringe Festival). She is a recent graduate from the  Acting program at Studio 58.

Valeh Ashraf has a Bachelor of Music, Jazz Studies and an Advanced Diploma in Vocal Jazz from Thompson Rivers University and Humber College respectively. She has over 6 years of experience with plays and musical theatre at the Kelowna Actor’s Studio and is currently repped by Principal’s Talent for Film/TvV and Commercials. She loves Musicals and finds music is the way to build bridges that words can’t. She’s so excited to work with all the kids this term and hopes you enjoy the show!

Kiara began training at age 3 in both RAD and ISTD ballet and continuing into jazz, tap, lyrical, contemporary and Musical Theatre at a competitive level provincially and has received numerous awards for her dancing and choreography. Continuing her post secondary training in San Diego, Ca. Kiara majored in Musical Theatre. 

She has been blessed to perform throughout Canada and the U.S. on both stage and screen in countless lead rolls. Select credits include: BYE BYE BIRDIE with Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams and choreographed by the legend… Miss Ann Reinking, Ermengarde in HELLO DOLLY San Diego Civic Theatre, Luisa THE FANTASTIKS Old Town Theatre San Diego, Anytime Annie 42nd Street Moonlight Theatre San Diego , Consuela WEST SIDE STORY Arts Club Theatre, Rosie CABARET Arts Club Theatre, MY FAIR LADY Arts Club Theatre, Jolene DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS Vancouver Playhouse, Marty GREASE TUTS, Lily St Regis ANNIE TUTS, VI FOOTLOSE TUTS.

Kiara continues to adjudicate, choreograph and educate, teaching in several styles at dance studios throughout the Lower Mainland where she can continue to create, inspire and encourage dancers in their unique callings. She is so excited to continue her pursuit of sparking creativity and greatness in every precious, little individual that crosses her path.