Metro School of the Arts Announces New Co-Executive Directors

Metropolitan School of the Arts (MSA) in Alexandria, Va. announced its new co-executive directors, Michelle Collier of Fairfax Station, Va. and Sara Hart of Fairfax, Va. Collier and Hart not only provide lead advisory roles in the school’s administration and operations, but Collier remains director of the MSA Academy and Hart will continue artistic direction and supervision of MSA’s studio division. Go to www.metropolitanarts.org for more information.

“Michelle and Sara have tremendous teaching experience, and will be instrumental in leading MSA,” said Melissa Dobbs, founder of Metropolitan School of the Arts in Alexandria, Va.

Collier has been in education for more than 16 years, and helped open the MSA Academy. She’s worked with secondary students in non-traditional school settings in Washington, D.C. and Fairfax County, Va. Collier has supported classroom instruction for a variety of academic curriculum at multiple grade levels, created and revitalized county and private programs, provided curriculum and resource development, trained teachers, and led educational and administrative teams. Collier earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a master’s degree in secondary education from George Mason University.

Hart graduated from New York University with a bachelor’s degree in music and continued her career in NYC for several years. She is a member of Actors Equity and last performed at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Conn., where she was the assistant director as well as a member of the ensemble in High Button Shoes. Other regional performing credits include: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (assistant director, dance captain, Martha) at Goodspeed Opera House, The Wizard of Oz (assistant director, dance captain and ensemble at North Carolina Theatre, and Mame (ensemble) at Northshore Music Theatre. At Metropolitan School of the Arts, she has directed and choreographed the following shows: Wizard of Oz, Annie, Beauty & the Beast, Grease, Hook, Mirror Mirror, Footloose, Toy Story, Alice in Wonderland, Enchanted, Wonka, and Wreck It! She has also been the artistic director for iMpulse jazz company, MSA's non-profit youth pre-professional jazz company. Her students have been accepted to some of the top performing arts schools in the U.S.

The Academy at Metropolitan School of the Arts is a college preparatory performing arts school for emerging young artists, grades 7 to 12 and high school graduates seeking performing arts gap year programs, who are dedicated to a rigorous academic experience in a pre-professional performing arts conservatory environment. Their cross-curricular approach to arts training fills each young artist’s toolbox with the dance, music and acting skills necessary to be a triple threat in the arts world. Metropolitan School of the Arts approach to education is designed to develop independent, self-motivated and skilled learners. The school offers a post-high school graduate program as well, for those students who desire an extra year to prepare for admittance into a performing arts university.

ABOUT METROPOLITAN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS (MSA) Alexandria, Va.-based, Metropolitan School of the Arts (MSA), a 501 (c) 3 organization, is the first Washington, D.C. area, private, secondary performing arts school, founded in 2013 by Melissa Dobbs. The MSA performing arts studios in Alexandria, Va. have taught dance, music and theater to more than 10,000 students since 2001. Noted for its world-class instructors, MSA offers high quality performing arts training in a ground breaking, holistic learning environment that cultivates creativity, builds community and empowers students. The organization was featured in Dance Teacher magazine, FOX 5 Morning News, WUSA9 Great Day Washington, ABC-7 Good Morning Washington, Northern Virginia Magazine, Washington Business Journal, Washington Post Weekend and Washington Families magazine. Many students from MSA studios go on to perform in prestigious arenas including Broadway, National Tours, The Julliard School, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Washington Ballet, The American Academy of Ballet, Universal Ballet Academy, The Kirov Ballet, The Hartt School, Marymount University (New York), Ford’s Theater and Mark Morris Dance Company. MSA offers a performing arts academy, a performing arts studio, a youth tap ensemble, a youth ballet, a jazz company, and a theatre program, as well as adult fitness and dance. Call 703.339.0444 or visit www.metropolitanarts.org, Facebook or Twitter.