Artists
Carla Canales
Singing, Advocacy & Entrepreneurship Facilitator
Carla Canales has won acclaim on leading stages around the world as a performer while also being recognized as an educator, advocate, and entrepreneur. This summer, she joins the faculty at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of Tufts University, where she will serve as Professor of Practice and lead a program on cultural diplomacy. In addition, Carla is a Social Innovation and Change Initiative Fellow at the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard’s Kennedy School.
Carla has served as a U.S. State Department Arts Envoy since 2005. Missions in 2020 include creating new arts programs for the U.S. Embassies in Honduras, Peru, Montenegro, and Kazakhstan. Carla is also the founder of The Canales Project, a non-profit arts and advocacy organization. In 2021, Carla became the youngest ever Advanced Leadership Institute Fellow at Harvard University.
As a classical singer, Carla has been in demand for her portrayal of Bizet’s Carmen, a role she has performed over eighty times in twelve countries. Her performance was praised by Opera News as “a well-practiced, sexy Carmen, [Carla] dominated the show.” Other roles in her repertoire include Dalilah in Samson et Dalilah (Sinfonica de Yucatan), Eboli in Don Carlo (Opera Royal de Wallonie), Maddalena in Rigoletto (Opera Royal de Wallonie, Michigan Opera Theater), Giulietta in Les Contes d'Hoffmann (National Centre for the Performing Arts Beijing), Adalgisa in Norma (Portland SummerFest), Fenena in Nabucco (Michigan Opera Theater) and Preziosilla in La Forza del Destino (Opera Royal de Wallonie). As a concert soloist, she has sung Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall and Handel’s Messiah at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. She has also performed as a soloist with the Qingdao Symphony Orchestra, Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, and appeared multiple times with the China National Symphony Orchestra.
Andrea Burns
Acting Facilitator
Andréa is a professional Broadway actor who originated the role of “Daniela” on Broadway in Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights. She is also best known for her portrayal as Carmen alongside Nathan Lane in Douglas Carter Beane's The Nance and as Mrs. Spamboni in The Electric Company. Andréa began her career touring the opera houses of Europe as Maria in West Side Story when she was 18 years old. In her illustrious career, she has performed in various Broadway and off-broadway productions such as Beauty and the Beast, The Full Monty, The RItz, Sunday in the Park with George, Parade, Evita, Songs for a New World, among others. Her television credit includes a recurring role on the new “Electric Company” on PBS, “Law & Order: SVU”, “Rescue Me,” as well as the animated series “Wonderpets.” Andrea is also on the original cast recordings of In The Heights, Songs for A New World, Saturday Night, It’s Only Life, and Dear Edwina.
A diversified artist, Andréa made a splash on the dance music charts in 2006 with “100 Stories”- a single she co-wrote with her brother, Mike Burns. Her debut solo album “A Deeper Shade of Red” has thrilled her fans as well as Stephen Suskind of Playbill.com, who describes it as “superb on all counts.”
Gabi Stapula
Dancing Facilitator
Gabi is a performer, choreographer, producer, and educator. Her work as a choreographer can be seen in major TV shows, including The View, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Saturday Night Live, and countless live corporate events and theaters. She is the Resident Choreographer and Kids Troupe Director/Choreographer of The Muny in St. Louis, MO. Gabi has taught at theaters, schools, and studios throughout the country. Including Goodspeed Opera, Joffrey Ballet, Pace University, Houston’s Theater Under the Stars, and many more. Gabi is a proud member of AEA and Pace Alumni.