Staff and Guest Artists

Ryan Durfee has a degree in Piano Performance from Northwestern College in St. Paul, MN.  He joined the DSA staff in the Fall of 2014 as Accompanist and Vocal Coach for the Vocal Music & Theater Departments.  In 1999, he won the NWC Concerto/Aria competition by playing Liszt Piano Concerto #1.  In addition to performing solo piano, he has been involved as a music director or accompanist in numerous musicals and productions including Thoroughly Modern Millie (2010), Godspell, The Pajama Game (2011), Broadway Comes to Denver, 42nd Street (2012), Beauty and the Beast (2013), Hairspray (2014), Spring Awakening (2015/2016), The Lion King Jr (2017), 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2017/2018), and Cabaret (2019).  In the summer of 2018, Ryan was the MD for DSA's performance of 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the International Thespian Society's 55th Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Christina Caplan is thrilled to be choreographing for the amazing vocal students of DSA! Christina loves working in Denver, and has been teaching and choreographing for the dance and vocal departments for the past seven years. She recently taught Broadway Jazz for Denver University's theatre department as well. She is currently choreographing Cabaret for Ovation West Performing Arts Theater and so grateful to have also choreographed A Chorus Line, The Spelling Bee and Sleeping Beauty at the Elaine Wolf Theatre in Denver.  She taught for Rocky Mountain Theatre for Kids for five years and choreographed The Wiz for them as well.  Prior to moving to Denver, she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre from Penn State University. She has also choreographed and performed for a decade with regional theaters all over the country, and with several national touring companies.   In addition to performing and choreographing, Christina also had the pleasure of running a performing arts school in Oahu, Hawaii. Some of her favorite performing roles include Val in A Chorus Line, The "Shimmy Girl" in the national tour of Smokey Joes Cafe, starring Gladys Knight, as well as performing as a Swing dancer and Andrew Sister in the international tour of In the Mood.