Meet Our Instructors
And discover the amazing talents they bring to Metropolitan Performing Arts!
Jeffrey Puukka acting Jeffrey Puukka is curious and passionate about actor training, and joined Metropolitan Performing Arts Academy to teach Acting Fundamentals in 2017. Additionally, Jeffrey teaches the highly popular and successful Monday Night Acting Lab at Mt. Hood Community College, and is also a mentor and adjudicator for high school competitive speakers. Jeffrey has directed thirty-something theatre productions in the Portland metro area over the past 15 years. Favorites include “Women of Troy” which he adapted from Euripides and directed in 2015, “Elective Affinities” (Portland, the Edinburgh Fringe, and Cambodia), and “Dracula” (Portland, 2004). 
Shannon Jung dance Shannon is a dancer, actor, choreographer, and arts educator based out of the Vancouver/Portland area. An alumna of Western Washington University, she is a double major in Theater (acting) and Dance (performance). She has trained heavily in tap, modern, musical theater, ballet, devising, Suzuki, viewpointing, and Stanislavski Technique. Since 2013, Shannon has been choreographing and teaching tap technique, as well as various workshops. Recent MPA choreography credits include: Matilda (2019), Willy Wonka (2018), The Fantasticks (2017), and Aladdin (2017). Other choreography credits include: Young Frankenstein (2018), 1776 (2017), Peter and the Star Catchers (2016), and Twisted (2015). 
Willow Swanson DANCE Beginning with classical jazz, and soon expanding to a variety of styles including tap, hip hop, and contemporary, Willow Swanson fell in love with dance early on. Fascinated by other types of movement, as well as how to apply them to dance, she has also trained in Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Yoga, and Acrobatics, and rock climbs as another way to train. She has collaborated with a number of Portland locals such as DarVejon Jones, Alicia Cutaia, Jamuna Chiarini, Beth Whelan, Amelia Unsicker, and Katie Burkes, and her performance experiences include dancing with Portland companies Polaris Dance Theatre, Agneizska Laska Dancers, and Tongue Dance Project, as well as the Vancouver-based company Horizon3 Dance. Credits also include performing with Victoria Perez at the Young Choreographer's Festival 2019 in New York City, showing and performing her own work at Chapel Theatre earlier the same year, and several small film roles. She currently teaches a diverse range of dance classes at studios across Vancouver and Portland, and continues to work with dance companies and independent artists on several projects, including live shows, film and photography, and dance outreach. 
Pip Kennedy makeup design ACTING Pip Kennedy is an actor, director, vocalist, and dramaturg based in Portland, Or. Classically trained in Meisner Technique & Victorian Period Dramaturgy, he has over 8 years of study in these areas plus, stage direction, script analysis, new play development, musical theatre & Shakespeare. His professional training started at Concordia University, then to Portland State University & also NYU. He's traveled the country & Eastern Europe performing for various companies. He's been professionally working as an actor & director for about 20 years. 
JIMMIE HERROD MUSIC Jimmie is a musician and actor currently residing in New York City. Jimmie is a vocalist with locally beloved international superstars Pink Martini, for the Grammy-nominated ODESZA for their national television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and recently debut his second solo album. After graduating Cornish with a degree in composition and performance, Herrod pursued a Master of Music in jazz studies from Portland State University and made a name for himself as a theater artist in Seattle. Authoritative Broadway World deemed his 2015, gender-bending performance as Tunny’s Extraordinary Girl in American Idiot by Seattle’s ArtsWest “a performance for the ages.” Jimmie has served as an adjunct professor of voice for the PSU jazz program and performed with the Oregon Symphony, 5th Avenue theater Seattle, NWCT, Staged!, Portland Opera and Seattle Rock Orchestra. 
Jeanna Reed CHOREOGRAPHER Jeanna Reed is excited for the opportunity to share her love of dance and musical theater with MPA! Jeanna has over 20 years of experience as a dance instructor and choreographer. She finds joy in working with beginners on up to professionals. Jeanna is the owner of "Jeanna's Forever Dance, LLC" Her local musical theater work includes choreography and performance in: Mary Poppins, Charlie Brown, Shrek, The Mikado, and tap choreography for Thoroughly Modern Millie. She also enjoys choreographing for youth productions, and some of her favorite credits include Singing; in the Rain, Aladdin, Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka Jr., and Disney’s 101 Dalmatians KIDS. Choreography credits also include two original musicals written and directed by Steve Taylor with Theater Under the Stars in Lake Chelan. One of Jeanna's greatest thrills was performing in the opening dance for The New York Radio City Rockettes. In addition to her passion for dance and theater, Jeanna has her teaching degree from Whitworth University. Jeanna taught first grade and middle school before becoming a mom of her four sons. 
Kristen Mun Violence choreographer stage combat Kristen Mun has worked as a violence choreographer for over half a dozen theatre companies in the Portland area. She is the recent recipient of the Leslie O. Fulton fellowship has won Drammy’s for her work on Danny in the Deep Blue Sea, Oedipus El Rey, and Henry IV Part 1. Outside of Portland she has worked at Utah Shakespeare Festival, Idaho Repertory Theatre, and was the assistant fight choreographer at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for 2 seasons (09-10). She is an officer and a recognized fight instructor with Dueling Arts International. |
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