Clark University Theatre Summer Intensive (CUTSI)

Audra Carabetta is a respected dance educator and choreographer with an MFA in Dance from Smith College and a BFA in Dance from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Currently, she serves as a dedicated faculty member at Clark University, Bridgewater State University, and The College of the Holy Cross, where she specializes in a diverse range of dance genres. In addition to her teaching, Audra is a certified yoga and barre instructor, blending elements of mindfulness and fitness into her dance practice.

Her extensive teaching background includes faculty positions at esteemed institutions such as Amherst College, Smith College, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Tufts University, Dean College, Acton School of Ballet, and Annemarie’s Dance Center. As a performer, Audra has collaborated with notable choreographers and companies, including Across The Ages Dance Project, Brian Crabtree and Dancers, Lorraine Chapman The Company, Daniel McCusker Dance Project, Marcus Schulkind, Weber Dance, the Ken Pierce Baroque Dance Company, and The Boston Early Music Festival.

In her role as an independent choreographer, Audra is actively engaged in the Greater Boston area, where her innovative work has garnered recognition through various awards and grants. Her contributions to the dance community reflect her commitment to excellence and her passion for the art form on both national and international platforms.

Baritone Nicholas Tocci has become one of the most sought-after artists in New England, with appearances in every state in the region. A New Hampshire native, Mr. Tocci is currently based in Vermont.

Mr. Tocci can be seen performing with many production companies based in the New England area, performing a variety of roles. Some of the most notable include: Schaunard in Puccini’s la Bohème, Germont in Verdi’s La Traviata, Don Pasquale in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, Guglielmo in Mozart’s Così fan tutte, King Melchior in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Father in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen, Creonte in Cherubini’s Medea, and William in Phillip Glass’ Fall of the House of Usher.

In addition to his work on the lyric stage, Mr. Tocci can be seen performing as the bass soloist in several concert and oratorio works. He has performed as a soloist in productions of Handel’s Messiah, Carmina Burana, Mozart Requiem, L’enfance du Christ as Joseph, Bernstein’s Mass, Robert Aldridge’s Parables: An Interfaith Oratorio. Additional performances include Faure’s Requiem, Bach’s Cantata 140, Magnificat, and Mozart’s Coronation Mass, among others.

Not only a stage performer, Mr. Tocci is also involved in the creation of opera from an administrative perspective. He is currently the Associate Director of BARN Opera in Brandon, VT, where he has both directed (Barber of Seville, Don Pasquale), assisted directed, and constructed their main theatre, the BARN Opera House. In addition to his work as a producer, Mr. Tocci is also an educator. Currently a Professor of Voice at Clark University in Worcester, MA. He is also on staff of Castellopera, a three week summer program providing developmental skills to opera singers of all ages, as well as cultural enrichment for students and community members on the Adriatic coastal town of Cesenatico.

J’Quan Oliver originally learned dance off the streets of Boston, and trained in multiple Martial Arts since he was six. Since then, he’s had extensive training in hip-hop, break-dancing, tricking & parkour. Eventually, he expanded his training into tap and contemporary. As J’Quan progressed, he traveled to look into different genres of art and dance from different cultures to further expand his knowledge and understanding in order to then develop his own unique style.

J’Quan attended Becker College in Worcester, Massachusetts for Game Design with a minor in Psychology. During this time, he helped create the Becker College Dance Program as Captain for the team and President for their club. He also joined Dance Company Worcester as a guest choreographer/dancer for 4 years, was a part of one of the most influential crews for hiphop in Boston known as “Phunk Phenomenon,” was a Director/Choreographer for Urbanity, and helped create their adult dance crew called “Prizmatic”. He won Prelude NY with Phunk, hosted Prelude Boston and competed at World of Dance. He worked with music artists such as Joyner Lucas, Rodney Hazard, Maverick, World Premiere Band, and local other artists in the Worcester & Boston areas. He has also hosted events for the community to exchange in art and culture.

In dance, he combines Musicality and storytelling combined with the fast, intricate movements of a martial artist and acrobatics in his work. “It’s not always about the movement of your body, but the movement of your mind. Your mind is unlimited so you must keep it creative, unapologetic, and free.”