Classes

Emily Couch has been dancing her whole life. She was a competitive dancer for five years and got the opportunity to help choreograph Mamma Mia at Livermore High School, as well as Hadestown: Teen Edition at Livermore High School. Emily was also a member of the Livermore High School Varsity dance team. She loves dance and is so excited to be working with Royal Theater Academy!

Makena Mueller has worked as a Teaching Artist in both the Bay Area and New York City for over six years. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and performs regularly in productions throughout Northern California. After recovering from a multi-year vocal injury sustained during her college years, no one knows better than her how much vocal and physical health, stamina, and training can change how a performer both creates their art, and maintains their strength. She has experience vocal directing, choreographing, and directing youth productions, as well as teaching private voice. She is thrilled to be joining the RTA team this spring!

Nicole is thrilled to join the RTA team as an instructor for the Mommy & Me and Pre-K classes. As a longtime member of the RTA community, she has spent several years assisting Coach Trent in numerous productions, which makes RTA truly feel like home. Nicole’s connection to the local performing arts community runs deep, as she is also an alumna of the former Grand Performing Arts (GPA) company under Miss Kristi’s direction.

With over 20 years of performance experience, Nicole is a seasoned performer throughout the Bay Area. Her recent notable roles at Royal Theater Academy include Nancy in “Oliver,” Miss Honey in “Matilda,” and Pearl in “SpongeBob.” During her time with GPA, she delivered memorable performances as the Witch in “Into the Woods” and the titular role in “Mary Poppins.” Her talents have also been showcased in numerous other productions, where she has portrayed beloved characters such as Ariel in “The Little Mermaid,” Elle in “Legally Blonde,” and Belle in “Beauty and the Beast.” In recognition of her exceptional talent, Nicole was nominated for Best Actress on Broadway World Sacramento 2017 for her portrayal of Lucy in “Jekyll and Hyde.”

Nicole’s teaching journey began a decade ago, starting at Gymboree and progressing through School of Rock, while also maintaining a private vocal teaching practice. Working with aspiring artists of all ages has been her lifelong dream, and she’s excited to continue this passion at RTA. When not in the theater, Nicole is a devoted wife and mother to two boys who serve as her daily inspiration. Music and performance have always been fundamental parts of her life, and she looks forward to sharing her love and enthusiasm for the arts with the RTA community.

Ryanne Biernat is an actor based in the Bay Area and a teaching artist. She is a recent graduate from Saint Mary’s College of California with a Bachelors in Theatre Performing Arts and Studies. She is committed to bringing a fun and charismatic atmosphere to the acting world. She is classically trained with special focuses on physical comedy, Shakespeare and environmental theatre. She has been trained to be a teaching artist for the next generation of young artists to show methods of acting such as Chekhov, Stella Adler, Meisner and Stanislavski. She was recently a Director for PlayCV Productions for 101 Dalmatians The Musical! Ryanne believes that everyone should be able to explore the imagination and uncover that there are no boundaries. Ryanne believes that theatre is a way of life and explores the most important lesson of all, how we find ourselves.

Mathew Glynn (he/him) is an actor, costumer, director, and teaching artist with over 13 years of experience! He is a graduate of Cal State University East Bay with a Theater Arts BA, and is excited to be a part of the community RTA has created! In addition to private voice, he is also the director of the PYTC High School Cabaret program with the City of Pleasanton, directing and coaching musical theater for high school students. Directing credits include Into the Woods Jr. (Assistant Director, TMC Arts), Xanadu Jr., Aladdin KIDS, Frozen KIDS, and Winnie the Pooh KIDS (Pleasanton Youth Theater Company). Favorite onstage credits include Baker in Into the Woods (GPA), Chuck Biggs in She Kills Monsters (Plethos Productions), Aldolpho in The Drowsy Chaperone (Landmark Musical Theater), Jud Fry in Oklahoma! (TMC Arts) and Charlie Brown in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (TMC Arts). Mathew is passionate about letting artists grow and express themselves how they see fit, and letting storytelling guide all aspects of Musical Theater performance! He looks forward to working with you!

Ria Patel (she/her) is a vibrant musician, educator, and proponent of the arts. She graduated from the University of the Pacific’s Conservatory of Music with a B.M. in Vocal Performance and a minor in Spanish. 

At Pacific, she performed leading roles in musical theater, opera, vocal jazz, choir, and chamber ensembles. Now an avid performer in the Bay Area, she sings with the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Choral Audacity, Livermore Valley Opera, and more.

Ria is a music director at Pleasanton Youth Theater Company and a private voice instructor at San Ramon Academy of Music. She is thrilled to be joining the RTA community and expanding the group of incredible people she gets to work with!

She always strives to create a space for students to be their most authentic selves and express their unique identity through music!