Christian Arts Academy
Meet Our Staff
At Circle, our philosophy is that every person has been created by God with special purpose and has been endowed with gifts. Therefore, it is our desire to help each student develop and excel in reaching their goals. We are blessed to have a great group of teachers that have the same heart and are dedicated to facilitating each child’s dream.
Randy Estelle
Cofounder / Director
Piano & Vocal Instruction
Randy Estelle studied on a full scholarship at Carnegie Mellon University under world class concert artist, Mr. Harry Franklin. Mr. Estelle tours internationally, is an accomplished arranger and author, and has produced numerous projects, including his own 14 CDs.
He has many years of teaching experience with many of his students receiving scholarships to major universities. Mr. Estelle serves as President of Courtyard Media Ministries which is the parent ministry of Circle.
Lisa Estelle
Cofounder / Director
Lisa Estelle has been involved with the training of young people for over three decades. Her credits involve developing a curriculum for a children's ministry of over 100 children, developing Promise People (a traveling puppet ministry), and serving as creative director of numerous live, video and CD productions. Lisa has also co-written and produced a large volume of songs and several musicals with her husband, Randy. Along with Randy, Lisa has worked with numerous teens in the production of video shorts. She is the author of Jellybean Junction, an animated short film for children, which was aired on national television in Central America. Mrs. Estelle also serves on the board of Courtyard Media Ministries.
Celeste Hutson
Movement & Dance
Raina Case
Celeste Hutson began dancing at the age of 4 in Pennsylvania. Upon moving to Florida, she enrolled in the Seibert School of Dance and studied the Cecchetti Method of Ballet under the direction of Ms. Betty Seibert, who is the current Chair of Cecchetti International Classical Ballet, serving the 7 Cecchetti organizations worldwide. Ms Hutson also trained in the Vaganova (Russian) method of ballet and studied jazz and tap. She has appeared onstage in numerous productions including the Nutcracker. Ms Hutson also toured with the Seibert Dancers.
Raina's bio is coming soon. Thank you.
Danielle Sheffield
Arts Foundations
Danielle Sheffield obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from the University of South Florida in 2011. From 2006-2008 she was the leader of a group called TEAMKids in which she taught dance and drama to children. From 1999-2005 she was a part of a ministry company in which she traveled all over the world to minister in dance and drama as well as teach people of all ages. She is married to Micah Sheffield and together have a son named Alexander and a daughter, Savannah.
Cecily Estelle
Dance & Acting
Performing became a part of Cecily's world when she made her stage debut with Randy Estelle before she was one year old. During her elementary years, Cecily studied ballet under Ms. Tracy Vida. She soon moved on to Sarasota Ballet Academy, and eventually joined Circle Academy in its first year. A few of her accomplishments include major acting roles, performing with the Resurgent Dance Collective, and dancing at multiple youth conventions. Throughout her many years under the direction of Circle Academy’s phenomenal staff, her talents have been honed and sharpened and she is now thrilled to pass that instruction on to her pupils.
Lauren Mueller
Piano & Vocal Instruction
Lauren Mueller has a passion for music and studied piano and vocal under Randy Estelle. She has performed on stage numerous times, including with Randy Estelle and Le Voci. She was awarded highest honors in the FSMTA competitions, and currently teaches piano at Circle and CCS. Along with her many other musical endeavors, including composing for film, work on music videos, etc, Lauren absolutely loves sharing the joy of learning & mastering music with her students.
Chris Case
Acting
Chris Case received his Bachelors in Secondary Education from USF. He has worked with Circle as Stage Manager for each Showcase and production for the last nine years. Chris not only has stage acting experience, but has also done film and voice-over work. He has three wonderful children who are all active in Circle and his amazing wife, Jessica, teaches several classes as well. Chris loves to study history, read and spend time with his family. He hopes to inspire and encourage the students to follow their dreams.
Jessica Case
Photography,
Pottery & Acro
On her 10th birthday, Jessica’s passion for photography ignited when she was given a camera. From that moment through high school, she took pictures of everything! During her study of photography in college, her passion deepened, technique flourished and creativity blossomed. After years of shooting professional promo sessions for bands and artistic creations for herself, she opened her own studio - Jessica Case Photography - in Bradenton, Florida. Running the business with the help of her husband, she stays busy capturing moments for her clients ranging from gorgeous wedding photos to precious new born portraits.
Nate Estelle
Film & Animation
Following college, Nate discovered a passion for creative design & lyrical writing. After several years working in graphic & web design, he segued into video production to direct & animate a children’s pilot. At the same time, he directed lighting and set design for numerous live productions. In 2010, he was brought on as director/editor for season 1 of Dry Creek: America's First Frontier (a nationally televised series). Since then, Nate has gone on to direct and edit numerous short films, music videos, commercials and promo spots. Currently, he runs Rocketship Red (his production company) with his wife and children and is working on his first feature film.
Sean Hutson
Drums
Sean Hutson has been playing drums for over 30 years. He was in marching band in high school and had the opportunity to play in DCI’s Magic of Orlando. Sean has played and recorded with many artists and was one of the founding members of the band Anberlin. Sean’s teaching style focuses on the method of learning rudiments as a foundation to build on for a life of fulfilling percussion playing.
Rod Demers
Guitar & Bass Instruction
Rod Demers entered the artistic world as a child. That gift and love of music sparked a career in music that has taken him from garage bands to local bands to national tours, big stage events, festivals, showcases, and recording projects.He is a gifted and accomplished singer songwriter, studio musician, arranger and producer. Groups such as The Yardbirds, The Temptations, The Platters, The Shirelles, BB King, The Allman Brothers and Kenny Loggins are some of the artists that he has backed in concert bands. His unique guitar sound can be found on the recordings of some of his favorite artists: Randy Estelle and Jimmie Black. Rod and his wife Debbie have worked with their own children, grandchildren, and many others including TEAMkids, a group they began to further their strong desire to see children trained up with excellence.