CFA FACULTY AND STAFF 2023-2024
Specialty Center Director: Dr. Stephanie Poxon
Office Assistant: Sarah Sluss
Production Assistant: Michael Jones
Dance Faculty
Paul Dandridge, Lead Dance Instructor (Levels I, II & IV)
Hailey Clevenger, part-time Dance Instructor (Level III)
Musical Theatre Faculty
William (Billy) Dye, Lead Musical Theatre Instructor (Levels I, II & IV)
Morgan Day (Level III; CFA Show Choir, Company 302)
Tracy Moody (Dance)
Kim Fox (MT Accompanist)
Theatre Faculty
Todd Ritter, Lead Theatre Instructor (Level I, IV & Stage Craft)
Joshua Mullins, Theatre Instructor (Levels II & III)
Visual Arts Faculty
Genevieve Dowdy (Level II & III)
Megan Mattax (Level I)
Stu Harnsberger (Level I, II & IV)
Faculty Bios and Headshots
Stephanie Poxon, Ph.D. – Director
Dr. Stephanie Poxon has served as the Director of the Center for the Arts (CFA) at Henrico High School (HHS) since 2009. Prior to that, she was an instructor of AP Music Theory and CFA Musical Theatre as well as the pianist for HHS and CFA. Dr. Poxon also held the rank of Adjunct Professor on the music faculties of the University of Central Florida, Virginia Commonwealth University, Randolph-Macon College; and was a Senior Music Specialist in the Music Division at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., where she was detailed to the Office of the Librarian and Office of Educational Outreach for the 2005-2006 “Song of America” tour featuring renowned baritone Thomas Hampson. An expert in the field of twentieth-century American opera, she holds a Ph.D. in Musicology (with a minor in Music Theory) from The Catholic University of America, with a dissertation entitled “From Sketches to Stage: The Genesis of Samuel Barber’s Vanessa” (2005). She earned her Master of Music (emphasis in Musicology) from the University of Florida in 1998 and a Bachelor of Music Education (summa cum laude) from the University of Central Florida in 1995.
Dr. Poxon has served as the Book Review Editor for American Music (University of Illinois Press) as well as Program Annotator for the Richmond Philharmonic Orchestra, and has presented papers at conferences of the American Musicological Society, the College Music Society, the National Council for the Social Studies, the Society for American Archivists, the Society for American Music, and the Library of Congress Treasure Talks Series. She is a contributor to the Encyclopedia of the Blues (Routledge, 2005) and her work has been published in The Society for American Music Bulletin, The Library of Congress Information Bulletin, The Opera Journal, The Journal of Film Music, Social Education, the Song of America Website (www.songofamerica.net), and the Library of Congress Website (www.loc.gov). Dr. Poxon sings in the soprano section of the Richmond Symphony Chorus (since 2007) and is a pianist for many schools, organizations and theatre companies in the greater Richmond area, including Virginia Repertory Theatre’s annual RTCC Awards Ceremony. Dr. Poxon was nominated for the 2016 Excellence in Education Award (sponsored by the Henrico Federal Credit Union and NBC12) and was honored as one of Henrico County’s “Top Teachers” by the Henrico Citizen in 2017. Dr. Poxon was also a finalist for the 2017 WorldStrides Teacher of the Year Award.
DANCE
Paul Dandridge – Lead Dance Teacher (Levels I, II & IV)
Paul Dandridge is a native of the Richmond area and began his dance training with the Community Engagement Program, Minds In Motion, through Richmond Ballet. As a High School student, he simultaneously graduated from St. Christopher’s School and completed the School of Richmond Ballet’s pre-professional Trainee Program, gaining valuable experience performing with the full-professional company and learning from dance educators like Arnott Mader, Jasmine Grace, Malcolm Burn, and Judy Jacob. Postponing a professional career in lieu of collegiate opportunity, Paul Dandridge attended the Jacob’s School of Music’s Indiana University Ballet Theatre on full scholarship as a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholar. While in University, he was honored to have leading roles in classical ballets by George Balanchine, Fredrick Ashton, Mikahil Fokin, Agnes de Mille, and Marius Petipa. Notable modern and contemporary works by Paul Taylor and Twyla Tharp as well as new choreography by Matthew Neenan, Violette Verdy, and Michael Vernon.
After graduating from Indiana University, Paul Dandridge rejoined Richmond Ballet as a Company Apprentice and as a Teaching Artist with the Minds In Motion program. He found his passion was teaching youth and began teaching with Richmond Ballet and MIM full-time, creating new work, writing, and directing shows as well as expanding his dance vocabulary outside of ballet. Paul Dandridge has also engaged in local theatre productions, performing, choreographing, and collaborating with Virginia Repertory Theatre, Cadence Theatre, Jewish Family Theatre, and the Dogwood Dell, among many others.
Hailey Clevenger – Dance Teacher (Level III)
Hailey Clevenger, a Richmond native, grew up training in local dance studios and with Dogwood Dance Project. She recently graduated from James Madison University where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance as well as her licensure in K-12 Dance Education. While at JMU, she had the privilege of being in student dance concerts, mainstage productions and presenting many of her own choreographic works. Her sophomore year she attended the American College Dance Association where she performed a piece choreographed by Gregory Dolbashian. During her junior and senior year she was a member of the Virginia Repertory Dance Company – JMU’s upperclassmen pre-professional company. Throughout her undergraduate education she performed works by Kyle Abraham, Gregory Dolbashian, Ruben Graciani, Ryan Corristion, Emily Cargill, Jess Burgess, and many more. During her senior year she was one of the Student Co-Directors for the Associate Dance Ensemble, a company composed of all first year dance majors. Through this experience she taught weekly technique classes, as well as co-choreographed two works for the company.
This past March Hailey was recognized as a Teacher of Promise where she had the opportunity to learn from the top educators across Virginia in a virtual conference. Clevenger also co-created 2329 Collective, a project based entity of four JMU alum where she created a dance film and received an undergraduate research grant from the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Most recently, she was the Education and Community Engagement Intern for the Colorado Ballet where she worked directly with their education department.
MUSICAL THEATRE
Billy Dye – Lead Musical Theatre Teacher (Levels I, II & IV)
Billy Dye earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Shenandoah Conservatory of Music (now Shenandoah University) and an MM from Virginia Commonwealth University. He served as Vocal Supervisor at Williamsburg VA’s Busch Gardens for numerous years. While there he coached, wrote and directed a variety of shows and vocal styles. Billy was the music coordinator for the National Red Cross Convention, which included conducting a 1,000-voice chorus and orchestra; the music advisor for former Governor Gilmore’s Inaugural Prayer Breakfast; and the guest conductor for the Richmond City All-Elementary School Choir. Not limited to Virginia, Billy’s artistic influence can be heard as far as Branson, Missouri. Billy’s varied background and experiences in the arts are said to make an unquestionable contribution to the growth and development of young, well-rounded performers and musicians. As a result of this contribution, while under his artistic direction, The Richmond Boys Choir was a recipient of the Theresa Pollack Award for Excellence in the Arts and a “Coming Up Taller” award granted by the National Endowment for the Arts as a noteworthy youth focused after-school program. Under Billy’s direction the ensemble proudly performed at the White House award ceremony.
Mr. Dye leads an active music, theatre, film and TV performance career; credits include a small role in the film The Contender, the PBS documentary Nat Turner…a Troublesome Property, a national Kmart commercial featuring gospel artist Cece Winan and numerous local plays, commercials, and radio voice-overs. His theatre performance credits include recent roles in Virginia Repertory Theatre’s award-winning productions of The Color Purple and Dreamgirls and AARTs productions of Crowns and Mahalia. Other performance credits include U of R’s production of Company as Paul, productions of Smokey Joes Café and Ain’t Misbehavin’, Schroeder in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Papa Ge in Once On This Island, Pish-Tush in The Mikado, Marshall in the world premiere of Four Part Harmony and Eubie Blake in Barksdale’s world premiere of Charles Strouse’s Bojangles. Other favorites include Balthazar in Romeo and Juliet, Marcellus in The Music Man, and Rev. Moore in VCU’s I Am a Man. Billy also maintains an active direction, choreography and musical direction schedule including work on professional productions of Blues in the Night, The Taffetas, Beehive and Dreamgirls.
He is presently on the faculty of SPARCs-Live Art, a groundbreaking inclusive arts education program for students with and without disabilities where he conducts the Singing Hands Choir, a singing and signing (ASL) vocal ensemble.
Morgan Day – Musical Theatre Teacher (Level III; CFA Show Choir, Company 302 and Henrico High Choral Director)
Morgan Day has been the Director of Choral Activities since fall of 2007 and teaches the Level III Musical Theatre class. Mr. Day was selected by Richmond Magazine’s 2017 “Best and Worst” edition as the Best Choral Director in Richmond, VA. Mr. Day was also honored as Henrico County’s Music Educator of the Year during the 2020-2021 school year. In addition to teaching at Henrico High and the Center for the Arts, Mr. Day is a music director and mentor for CharacterWorks Theater and the Minister of Music at North Run Baptist Church. He and his wife hail from Missouri and have three grown children and two grandchildren. His favorite quote is “Nothing will work unless you do.” – Mayo Angelou
THEATRE
Todd Ritter – Lead Theatre Teacher (Levels I, IV & Stage Craft)
Todd Ritter has been the Lead Theatre teacher for the Center for the Arts since 2000. He holds an MFA from the University of Minnesota and a BA from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Mr. Ritter was a 2019 recipient of the Community Foundation’s R.E.B. Award for Teaching Excellence, winning a grant that allowed him to further his theatre education and study mask making in Italy. Mr. Ritter was awarded 2012 Henrico High School Teacher of the Year. He was also the recipient of a 2010 University of Richmond School of Continuing Studies Partners in the Arts grant which facilitated a campus wide look at tolerance and funded a production of The Diary of Anne Frank. As the Henrico High School Lead Drama club sponsor, he is proud of his students’ many accomplishments, including becoming the Virginia Theatre Association’s State Champion in 2005 and 2008. Outside of school, Mr. Ritter has served as a director for CharacterWorks as well as for SPARC’s New Voices for the Theatre. Mr. Ritter is a proud husband and father of two incredible kids. He is a devoted Steelers fan who enjoys traveling, eating chocolate, drinking coffee and attempting to play golf.
Joshua Mullins – Theatre Teacher (Levels II & III)
Joshua Mullins graduated from Radford University with a B.A. in Theatre and a Minor in Mathematics. Since graduating, he has been in numerous shows including The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [abridged] and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead with Quill Theatre, Thumbelina and Hugs & Kisses with Virginia Repertory Theatre- on Tour, and The Unexpected Guest with Chamberlayne Actors Theatre. Mr. Mullins has also served as a Drama Theater for the local youth theatre company, CharacterWorks, where he has taught subjects like acting, improv, and stage combat. In his free time he enjoys watching classic movies, reading books and drinking coffee.
VISUAL ARTS
Genevieve Dowdy – Lead Visual Arts Teacher, Levels II & III
Genevieve Dowdy is a graduate of VCU Arts school with a BFA in Arts Education and a graduate of University of Richmond with an MLA in Interdisciplinary Humanities. She has been teaching high school art since 1999, and CFA Studio courses and AP Art History at the CFA since 2006. She is co-chair of the Henrico High School Advanced Placement teacher committee as well Professional Development Coordinator for CFA’s Arts-Infused Academic Programs. She was recipient of the Secondary Art Teacher of the Year for the Central Region of Virginia in 2011 and the AP Fellows Scholarship in 2015. When she is not working as a mixed media artist in her home studio or traveling to AP and Humanities conferences, she enjoys hiking, biking and traveling with her husband Jeff, son Kylan and rescue dogs Josie and Ross.
Megan Mattax – Visual Arts Teacher, Level I
Megan Mattax was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas and received her BA in Art Education with a minor in Fibers from the University of Arkansas in 2004. Megan moved to Richmond in 2005 when she accepted a board sub position at Henrico High School. In 2006 she became a member of the Henrico High School art team. She received her Masters of Interdiciplinary Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2010. Megan is a local artist known for her mixed media works on paper as well as fiber art installations and sculptures. Her work has been shown throughout the greater Richmond area as well as around the country. In her down time, she loves playing in the yard with her daughter Evalea as well as camping and exploring the James River. Megan is very excited to be joining the CFA visual Arts team.
Stu Harnsberger – Visual Arts Teacher, Levels I, II & IV
Stuart Harnsberger taught Visual Arts at Thomas Jefferson High School prior to joining the CFA Visual Arts faculty. In addition to teaching, Mr. Harnsberger is also a practicing artist and is in a phase where he is deeply engrossed in still life paintings, trying to find unlikely relationships between items which hold personal significance and items that could be considered trash or unsightly objects. He enjoys playing with a balance of representation, dreams, and impressionism as he negotiates the value of these works. He had his first show this past December in his garage and is hoping to have another show in June. His wife Amy teaches Art at Glen Allen High School and their daughter Hazel just turned 4 and is a strong-willed wild child. Mr. Harnsberger also loves cooking, and he spent many years working in restaurants before teaching. In the past few years he has developed a compulsion for long distance running, and is currently training for the Chicago marathon in October.
SUPPORT STAFF
Michael Jones – Production Assistant
Michael Jones is an accomplished musician, performer, graphic designer, writer, director and an Alumnus for the Center for The Arts. He has taught for Richmond’s CharacterWorks Theater and has assisted in several productions. Michaels has also performed in Richmond’s production of CATS and is currently the pianist for OEDIPUS, A GOSPEL MYTH running at the Firehouse Theater.
Mrs. Sarah Sluss – CFA Office Assistant
