ISTAGE - Key Persons
Dania Gu graduated from New York University in 2002 with a B.A. in Performing Arts. Dania has directed many theatrical works in New Zealand, Taipei and Shanghai. Dania is a script writer for television shows and online films. She has directed many product launches, car shows, and fashion shows.
Dania is the founder and creative director of the theater group "Redbox," the first professional immersive cabaret group in Shanghai. Dania has also been a professional English Drama instructor for over 20 years. She has taught primary levels up to university.
Dania was born in Taipei, Taiwan. She lived overseas for more than 10 years in New Zealand, New York and London. Dania is currently a resident of Shanghai, where she has been based since 2013.
Edgar Cardoso is a pianist/musical theatre performer/enthusiastic and passionate teacher from Porto, Portugal. He studied classical music in Germany, Portugal, UK and USA (BMus, MEd, MMus, ArtDip) and became a world-touring concert pianist with 50 prizes in international competitions. His solo album Nuances was released in 2015 under Spanish label KNS Classical.
Eventually he shifted his focus towards musical theatre and has been an active music director and performer in the UK and all over USA, Favorite credits: Million Dollar Quartet, Little Shop of Horrors, Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cinderella, Title of Show, Chicago, Bye Bye Birdie, Music Man, Hair, Sweeney Todd, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Silence of the Lambs.
He has worked at Trinity Laban Conservatoire (London) and Azusa Pacific University (Los Angeles) as a vocal coach and collaborative pianist in both Opera and Musical Theatre programs. He first came to Shanghai in 2019, working in projects in several international schools, and has been a member of iStage Academy faculty since 2021.
Karina Bes works as a director, coach and performer in Musical Theatre. She is proud to be currently working as the Director of Performing Arts at iStage Academy, Shanghai!
Ms. Zoe holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Queensland. She focuses on developing of early years' performing arts curriculum, teaching, and performance directing. After receiving her Music Teacher Certificate in 2014, Zoe began teaching students from pre-school to primary school, also engag ed with the choir program's rehearsal and vocal coach as part of the Queensland Music Festival in Australia.
Ms. Zoe has many years of curriculum research and developing experience, including Early Childhood Music Learning Curriculum Investigation (University of Queensland, Brisbane), Educational Dialogue Analysis T-SEDA (University of Cambridge, MOOC), Drama-based pedagogy in pupils' motivation on the second language learning ( University of Michigan). Her research outputs have been published in several qualified international plateforms, including the 12 th Asia-Pacific Symposium for Music Education Research; Annual Conference of Chinese Education Research (2021), 18th Annual Kaleidoscope Conference, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, International Journal of Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research.
Zoe's vocal projects cover multiple styles of original folk, classical, and musical theatre. Her performing projects include recording and performing with her vocal group, in cooperation with the Chinese local government. She won awards at the Hong Kong International Vocal Competition in 2016 and the TVB Global Chinese Rookie Singing Contest (Brisbane Selection) in 2017. She served as an Alto for the University of Queensland Choral Program s, Musical Theatre Choir Programs, performed with the University of Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Queensland Youth Symphony Orchestra in the Queensland Performing Arts Center (QPAC), Municipal Art Museum, Municipal Church, and Shanghai Culture square. She was also involved in the sound design and operation of the "Stop Kiss" theatre program.
Maria Miao, graduated in the College of William and Mary, is an enthusiastic teaching artist who teaches acting, dance and storytelling. She majors in World Performing Arts and Cultures and concentrates in direction.
She is interested in a variety of traditional performance forms and can always approach the show in a global perspective. She also focuses on how the stories should be told among different cultures.
She is very good at customizing her teaching content to every student s need, level and preferences. She mostly utilizes interactive and experiential learning method in her teaching.
Ms. Phoebe Huang is a highly accomplished and professional musician, dancer and performer who holds a Master's Degree in Music from the University of Queensland in Australia. She sings, dances, and acts, and has composed her own musical productions. Ms. Huang is a multi-instrumentalist who can play the pipa, piano, guitar, ukulele and drums. As a musician, she participated in various performances and activities in China and Australia, and held two individual solo concerts. She won first place in China's Seventh National Artworks Exhibition composing competition (2015), and first place in the strings category of Nord Anglia Education's Virtual Musician of the Year staff competition in 2022.
Ms. Huang has led cross-cultural initiatives both in China and in Australia by performing on stage and presenting to people from a variety of countries and ethnic backgrounds. During her stay in Australia, she collaborated with local artists on various programs as a teaching mentor, and represented Chinese cultural group instructors in performing Chinese dances. She also starred in short videos and plays, such as ‘Sound Across Ocean - Creative Fusion' (2019); ‘Cross-Cultural Improvisation Teaching Project' (2019) ; and ‘The Love INN' at the BrisAsia Festival (2020).
As a teacher, Ms. Huang has worked as a language and performing arts teacher overseas and in international schools in China, gaining experience in teaching students ranging in age from primary school to adult. She is fluent in English and Mandarin, and has taught in both languages. She likes to approach education with an open-minded and international perspective, and aims to integrate this perspective into her teaching so that students receive a unique, well-rounded, artistic experience that explores many musical cultures.
Ching is a highly accomplished professional in the field of musical theater. With a background in Education and Drama Performance, she has excelled as an actress, director, and dance choreographer with an expertise in Broadway musical directing, teaching students of all ages and skill levels. Ching has directed numerous musical productions, including "Cats," "Matilda," "Hairspray," and "Mulan," showcasing her ability to bring out the best in performers and create captivating experiences on stage.
Her contributions to Dramatic arts and performance were both on stage and in film. She wrote, produced, acted in, and directed the critically acclaimed film "Inside Love," which has received awards at esteemed film festivals including Cannes, London, and Japan.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Ching is deeply committed to guiding and supporting students interested in musical theater. She has helped many aspiring individuals prepare for their musical theater journeys, assisting them with musical theater exams and portfolio preparation for overseas studies. Notably, Ching's guidance has led to a 100% success rate among her students, ensuring their entry into professional realms of musical theater and drama.
Her ability to inspire and mentor aspiring talent has paved the way for numerous individuals to pursue their dreams and flourish in the world of performing arts.
Ms. Phoebe Huang is a highly accomplished and professional musician, dancer and performer who holds a Master's Degree in Music from the University of Queensland in Australia. She sings, dances, and acts, and has composed her own musical productions. Ms. Huang is a multi-instrumentalist who can play the pipa, piano, guitar, ukulele and drums. As a musician, she participated in various performances and activities in China and Australia, and held two individual solo concerts. She won first place in China's Seventh National Artworks Exhibition composing competition (2015), and first place in the strings category of Nord Anglia Education's Virtual Musician of the Year staff competition in 2022.
Ms. Huang has led cross-cultural initiatives both in China and in Australia by performing on stage and presenting to people from a variety of countries and ethnic backgrounds. During her stay in Australia, she collaborated with local artists on various programs as a teaching mentor, and represented Chinese cultural group instructors in performing Chinese dances. She also starred in short videos and plays, such as ‘Sound Across Ocean - Creative Fusion' (2019); ‘Cross-Cultural Improvisation Teaching Project' (2019) ; and ‘The Love INN' at the BrisAsia Festival (2020).
As a teacher, Ms. Huang has worked as a language and performing arts teacher overseas and in international schools in China, gaining experience in teaching students ranging in age from primary school to adult. She is fluent in English and Mandarin, and has taught in both languages. She likes to approach education with an open-minded and international perspective, and aims to integrate this perspective into her teaching so that students receive a unique, well-rounded, artistic experience that explores many musical cultures.