Jackie James
Jackie James brings a wealth of experience, passion, and heart to The Performers’ Workshop. With a lifelong love for education and the arts, Jackie has spent over 20 years as a teacher and arts educator, inspiring creativity in learners of all ages.
Raised in a musical family and educated at St Cuthbert’s College, Jackie’s journey naturally led her to combine her two greatest passions. For the past 11 years, she founded and ran Rātā Studios, based at Scots College in Wellington, building it into a vibrant centre for performing arts education.
Now, Jackie brings her vision, leadership, and deep commitment to nurturing talent to The Performers’ Workshop – creating a space where people can learn, grow, and connect through the magic of Acting, Film, Music, and Dance.
Expert Instructors
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Elena Stejko
Acting Coach
Award-winning, Ukrainian-born actor, teacher, and director with 33 years of international experience, has left an indelible mark on the industry. Her extensive career spans various roles, including casting director for over a decade in New Zealand, where she’s worked on local and international dramas, TV series, and commercials. As a director, she has lent her talents to productions in Ukraine, Brazil, and New Zealand. Elena’s influence extends to her role as a contractor and teacher of the M. Chekhov acting technique at esteemed institutions like Toi Whakaari, Unitec Performing Arts, TAP, and South Seas School of Film and TV. Notably, she has directed annual productions with graduating students at Unitec since 2011, guiding them through acclaimed performances in classics such as Three Sisters, Romeo and Juliet and The Merchant of Venice.
Elena’s acting credits include leading and supporting roles in productions like Sweet Tooth and What We Do in the Shadows, earning her nominations and awards for her performances. On stage, she has showcased her talent in productions like Romeo and Juliet and Midnight in Moscow, receiving accolades such as the Chapman Trip Award for Best Actress for her role in Roger Hall’s Shortcut to Happiness.
Megan Adams
Dance Instructor
Megan is a choreographer, movement director, rehearsal director intimacy director/coordinator and teacher with 30 years of experience in the performing arts/screen industry and brings her extensive and intricate knowledge of movement, dance and the body to all aspects of her work.
Megan trained in contemporary dance and ballet at The New Zealand School of Dance. She has worked with the most prestigious and esteemed choreographers and dance companies of New Zealand, is the choreographic executor of the Douglas Wright Estate and restages his preeminent choreographic works both in New Zealand and internationally.
Megan works as a movement director/coach, assistant theatre director and intimacy director/coordinator in theatre, ballet, opera, circus, film and TV. She has worked with NZ Opera, Auckland Theatre Company, Taki Rua, The Royal New Zealand Ballet, The Dust Palace and The Pop Up Globe. Recent Intimacy/movement screen credits include East of Eden (Netflix), M3GAN 2, Chief of War (TV Series) and the Feature Film, Nude Tuesday.
Megan is a passionate and transformational educator. She has taught movement and dance classes in professional companies, tertiary institutions, schools and on community programmes for over 20 years. Megan regularly works with children and teenagers and has taught movement on the Rātā Studios screen acting teen intensive since 2021 with Miranda Harcourt.
Megan holds current certificates in First Aid, Mental Health First Aid and Safe Guarding Children. Megan is a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher.
Jenny B
Vocal Coach
Jenny B is a multi-genre vocalist and award-winning Italian recording artist with over three decades of experience in the international music industry. Known for her powerful and expressive voice, she has worked across Eurodance, soul, jazz, R&B, and sacred music, consistently pushing creative boundaries and connecting deeply with diverse audiences.
Jenny first rose to prominence in 1993 as the voice behind the global Eurodance hit The Rhythm of the Night by Corona—a track that became a genre-defining anthem and topped charts across Europe. Her breakthrough established her as one of the most influential vocalists of the Eurodance movement.
In 2000, Jenny made a landmark appearance at the Sanremo Music Festival, where she won both the Newcomers category and the Mia Martini Critics Award with her song Semplice Sai— an unprecedented double win that marked a turning point in her solo career. Fun fact: During the show, Opera singer Luciano Pavarotti went on stage after her performance and publicly congratulated her.
Since then, Jenny has continued to evolve artistically. Her debut solo album Come un sogno (2000) introduced a more intimate and soulful sound. She has collaborated with renowned artists and explored genres ranging from jazz (Jenny B in Concert, 2007) to Sacred Latin fusion (Esta soy yo, 2011), recorded in Rome and Havana, Cuba.
In 2023, Jenny B reached a new global audience through her featured vocals on the Black Eyed Peas’ hit RITMO (Blockbuster movie Bad Boys for Life), the lead single from the film’s soundtrack. The track has since surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube, reaffirming her enduring vocal power and relevance in contemporary music.
In New Zealand, Jenny B has collaborated with Dame Miranda Harcourt at Rātā Studios in Wellington as a stage presence coach.
She has performed as a guest artist in various music events including Christmas in the Park with Auckland Symphony Orchestra and more intimate venues like the Powerhouse with String quartet Arcus.
Jenny was part of many Synthony concerts, in NZ and Australia. The most recent being the one in the Domain in 2022 with the ASO directed by the fantastic conductor Sarah-Grace Williams. Jenny taught the Jazz students at the NZ School of Music at Victoria University of Wellington and currently teaches vocals and stage presence both privately, and at various Auckland secondary schools.
As a Stage Presence tutor, Jenny B brings not only extensive professional experience but also a passion for vocal development, artistic exploration, and cultural exchange. Her sessions are grounded in real-world insight and a commitment to nurturing authentic expression.
Hayden Tee
Music Director
Hayden is a world renown musical theatre performer and has played lead roles on the West End and Broadway. He is a Maori (Ngati Kahungunu, Ngati Tūwharetoa) New Zealander and trained at NIDA- Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Arts. His most notable roles were Javert (Broadway, West End, Dubai, Australia, USA, 2014-2022) and Marius (West End, 2005-2006), from Les Miserables.
Lance in & Juliet (Broadway, Australia, Singapore, 2023-2025), Miss Trunchbull in Matilda (West End, Manila, 2017-2020) and numerous roles in numerous musicals around the world.
He was Director of the Australian professional premier of Jekyll and Hyde (Hayes Theatre, 2022) and Next to Normal (Court Theatre, Christchurch 2023).
Hayden has 3 solo albums all available online and is the co-founder of RUB cosmetics an environmentally conscious customizable cosmetics brand inspired by global indigenous ingredients rubcosmetics.com @haydentee @rub.cosmetics
Alexander Holloway
Stage Management Instructor
With over a decade of experience in stage combat, performance, and stunt work, Alexander Holloway has built a diverse career across theatre and screen. He trained at East 15 Acting School in the UK, graduating with a degree in Acting and Stage Combat, and earned top distinctions in every weapon system. He began his career in the west end working with companies including the prestigious Royal Opera House, secret cinema and more.
After moving to New Zealand, Alexander became Head of Stage Combat and Special Effects at the Pop-up Globe, where he choreographed all fight scenes and oversaw live effects for multiple seasons of the Shakespearean productions including Sydney Melbourne and Perth.
As a stunt performer/action actor, he has appeared in international productions including The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Amazon) and Vikings: Valhalla (Netflix), Sweet Tooth (Netflix) and more recently a villain in Spartacus. bringing both his acting and stunt skills to his roles.
Alexander founded and runs the New Zealand Stage and Screen Combat School (www.NZSSCS.com), where he teaches stage combat, stunts, and physical theatre to performers of all levels. His work is grounded in precision, storytelling, and a deep commitment to performer safety and training.
Kacie Stetson
Theatre Director
Kacie Stetson is the founder of the Kacie Stetson Studio and the creator of the cutting edge Acting From the Core technique.
Kacie trained at RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts) in London and Boston University School of the Arts where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts. She holds a Masters degree in spiritual psychology from the University of Santa Monica.
Kacie has worked extensively in both the Hollywood and Auckland markets. She has over thirty years’ experience in film, television and theatre, with comprehensive credits in directing, acting and writing.
Kacie is gifted in facilitating actors to reach both their highest professional goals and deepest emotional truths. The actors that Kacie has trained have gone on to work extensively in film and television. Their credits include: Pearl, Empire, Orange is the New Black, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, Castle, Glee, General Hospital, True Blood, ER, 90210, House, The Tomorrow People, Dark Blue, Criminal Minds, How To Get Away With Murder, all CSI’s and NCIS’s, as well as feature films such as The Hunger Games and Wetlands.
She has trained many New Zealand actors, who have appeared on such shows as Step Dave, Hilary, Go Girls, Spartacus, Shortland Street as well as several feature films.
In addition to coaching, Kacie is an award-winning writer, screenwriter and director. In 2019, she was staffed on the Warner Brothers NZ series Bethany. Currently, she is staffed on the WB NZ series Snowman. Kacie’s screenplay The Hidden was a finalist in the 2017 Page International Screenwriting Awards, beating out thousands of scripts from all over the world.
Stetson’s first film, Upside Down, which she wrote, directed, and produced, won Best Narrative Film at the 2018 Top Shorts and LA Film Awards. Her second film The Reading, was selected by many international film festivals and won Best Original Story at 2022 Top Shorts. Kacie’s prose has been published in Next and Express magazines. Her novel Nganga won honorable mention at the Saints and Sinners contest in the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival.
Tim Carlsen
Choreographer
Tim Carlsen is a graduate of Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School (2007–2009) and an experienced actor, theatre maker, and casting director with Lighthouse Casting.
He has worked extensively in theatre with companies such as Auckland Theatre Company, Silo Theatre, Nightsong Productions Taki Rua, and A Slightly Isolated Dog.
His solo show One Day Moko was nominated for three Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards, winning Most Promising Male Newcomer, and has toured Auckland, Wellington, Sydney, and the Edinburgh Fringe, where The Guardian named it a festival highlight.
Other notable theatre projects include Sydney Bridge Upside Down (Taki Rua) and Don Juan (A Slightly Isolated Dog) and I Love You Bro (Silo).
Tim’s screen career spans television and film, with credits in Dirty Laundry, A War Story, Westside, Roman Empire, Field Punishment No. 1, The Brokenwood Mysteries, Cowboy Bebop, and Raised by Refugees, among others.
Molly Curnow
Drama Instructor
Molly Curnow is an actor and musician hailing from the beaches of Northland. Molly grew up immersed in theatre and has spent the last few years working as an actor in film, television and stage productions.
She is a graduate of The Actor’s Program (2021). In 2024, she appeared on NZ screens as a supporting lead in TVNZ’s Testify, and will be appearing internationally in Taika Waititi’s next film Klara & the Sun.
She has also been enjoying teaching drama & singing to tamariki all around Auckland. She teaches itinerant speech & drama lessons at Diocesan School for Girls and runs junior drama and singing classes with Point Chevalier Drama Club.
Molly cultivates a joyful, supportive environment in her classes that encourages students to be themselves, work collaboratively and grow confidence. When she isn’t teaching or acting professionally, Molly spends her time getting crafty with crochet, noodling around on the guitar or lying in the sun with her cat.