Teaching Staff 2024

Janet Carr-Campbell,

Christina Walters,

and Jack Klauschie

Janet Carr-Campbell, Music Machine Director, Arranger, Choreographer

Cofounder and Artistic Director of The Music Machine, Janet has performed around the U.S. in shows and solo piano recitals. A graduate of Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Janet won the first prize in the Liberace Keyboard Entertainer Search in 1980. She spends her winter months doing Artist in Schools residencies at local elementary schools. Janet cues the surtitles for Anchorage Opera productions, is the Organist and Children’s Music Director at the First United Methodist Church, and is the accompanist for the Anchorage Concert Chorus, University Singers and many vocalists and instrumentalists. Janet works with the Anchorage Concert Association helping to select and train the local children who join the cast of touring Broadway shows. (Sound of Music in 2019, Peter Pan in 2016, Les Miserables in 2014,Wizard of Oz in 2010, and Sound of Music in 2019). In 2011, Janet was honored as a BP-YWCA Woman of Achievement. For 43 years, Janet has loved sharing her joy of music with the kids of Anchorage.

Jack Klauschie, Choreographer

Music Machine Co-Director

Jack received a degree in drama from San Diego State University, with a double emphasis in Musical Theatre and Stage Direction. More recently he completed a Masters Degree in Secondary Education Techniques. He has taught at many schools in Anchorage, and is currently at Highland Academy. He has run the Drama departments at Bartlett High and Polaris K-12, as well as serving as Artistic Director for The Character Workshop for many years. He directs, choreographs, designs, and writes plays, and occasionally performs. This is Jack’s 24th season with The Music Machine, and his 21st with The Dance Machine.

Carly Flake, Mini Music Machine Director

Dance Machine Director

Carly is a great addition to our staff. She began studying music and dance in 2008 when she joined the Music Machine! Interested in dance since her early childhood, she has focused on ballet, jazz, and musical theater. With a passion for working with children, she has volunteered in kindergarten classrooms, and is currently teaching preschool plus beginning ballet at Anchorage Music and Dance Center. She is pursuing her bachelor's degree in accounting and finance at UAA. Having grown up performing in the Music Machine, she is especially excited to now be on our teaching staff!

GUEST INSTRUCTORS

We are thankful that various guest instructors fit us into their busy schedules. This year we look forward to having Carly Campbell, Jessie Embley and Stephen Grantier among our guest instructors.

Carly Campbell

For eight years, our well-loved Dance Machine Director has been Carly Campbell, a graduate from the University of Alaska Anchorage. She has studied dance since childhood, focusing primarily on modern, jazz, and hip hop. Carly enjoys sharing her love of dance and music with children. She studied voice with Kate Egan and taught Music Fun Time at Anchorage Music & Dance Center from 2013-16.

She married, lived and taught-dance in Scotland, and now lives on the Isle of Jersey, off the coast of France. She has returned four times from overseas to direct The Dance Machine. Although she cannot be director this year, we are glad that she is planning to assist and may direct one number for Dance Machine Group 3.

Jessie Embley began her training at Anchorage’s Dance Spectrum School of Dance and became a company member, teacher, and choreographer for jazz and tap. After many years of participating as a student in the Music and Dance Machine, Jessie served as our Dance Machine director. She has choreographed and taught with the Anchorage School District, the Dance Together Alaska Festival, Broadway Kids, and many other local organizations. Jessie is currently a member, performer, choreographer, and one of the founding members of Momentum Dance Collective.

She is ecstatic that her girls have also participated in the Music Machine programs, the programs that kick-started her own interest in a career as a performer.

Stephen Grantier is in his 18th year with the Underground Dance Company (UDC), where he works as an instructor and dances on the professional Hardcore team. He has been choreographing special Dance Machine numbers for 14 years. He appreciates the enthusiasm that the kids show in learning his hip-hop routines.