Daniel Johannesson is a native of Helsingborg, Sweden and has degrees in Music and Dance from Academy of Music and Drama at Gothenburg University. While in school, he attended Gothenburg’s Ballet Academy and also had extensive training in voice by vocal coach, Ensio Fernado, for many years where the focus was on classical and technique. Following school, Daniel moved to New York City and performed with various Broadway theatre companies. He also performed in various Broadway productions at Naples Theatre in Florida for a couple of years. Some of the musicals he performed in while visiting the states are Jesus Christ Superstar, Footloose, Rent, A Chorus Line, Carousel and many more. Daniel later returned to Sweden where he continued to tour Europe for a few years with various acts from musicals and show reviews in bands of different music genres. Daniel also had the opportunity to Director and Choreograph for some famous artists and a modeling agency while in Sweden. Daniel has sang, played guitar, bass, piano, and drums on various albums or compositions of other artists and has played a large role in helping students write original music in our Artist Development Program. He and his wife have enjoyed writing and performing music of various genres together, and have had the opportunity to be a part of many projects and events. In 2013, Daniel and Katie decided to start Passion Academy. They both shared a strong passion for developing young students to help them find their love for the performing arts. Daniel has a clear and simple vision for students attending Passion Academy and that is to help students develop a strong foundation in everything related to the arts. He believes that faith and character are built by participating in the arts and are essential key factors in people’s growth and education.

Katie Johannesson has a B.A. in Theatre from Shenandoah Conservatory. She also received training in classical, jazz, and contemporary vocal styles from a member of the Washington Opera. While in college, Katie performed in a variety of productions ranging from very dramatic to comedic roles. Some of her favorites were Evita, Spoon River Anthology, Extremities, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Wiley and The Hairy Man, Jack and The Beanstalk ( The Clown Version), and various one act plays. She especially enjoyed the productions with a group called Showmakers ( Children’s Theatre) which toured throughout the Shenandoah Valley. Following graduation, Katie worked as the lead drama and music teacher of preschool and elementary aged students at Child Development Center of Wyndham for nearly a decade and continued performing at different venues as a singer/ dancer/ actress. She has also helped lead Worship at various churches across Richmond for over 10 years with her husband. Katie has enjoyed teaching classes, directing productions, and writing music for many camps and productions at Passion Academy. She feels extremely blessed to have the opportunity to use her gifts to help students grow in their passions for the arts and looks forward to the continuing opportunities she has to create art with a purpose.

Sarah Ruppel Bullis is originally from Annapolis, MD where she began her dance studies at the age of four with Ballet Theatre of Maryland, under the direction of Edward Stewart. Before graduating high school she continued her training in Washington D.C. at the Kirov Academy and later at the Washington School of Ballet, under the direction of Mary Day. She spent her summers attending ballet training programs at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and American Ballet Theatre in New York City. After graduating high school, she studied in the B.F.A program of the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati for one year and then was invited to move to New York City to train professionally with Edward Ellison. In 2006 Sarah joined the Richmond Ballet as a trainee and later continued to enjoy a professional career with the Sarasota Ballet of Florida, under the direction of Iain Webb. Sarah’s classical ballet repertoire includes a variety of roles performed in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Anna Karenina, Checkmate, Cinderella, Coppelia, Don Quixote, Facade, The Nutcracker, Les Patineurs, Paquita, Pineapple Poll, Serenade, The Sleeping Beauty, Les Sylphides, Two Pigeons, Who Cares? and Valse Fantasy.

For more than 20 years Sarah has enjoyed sharing her love for dance as a teacher. At a young age she began independently teaching children’s summer ballet camps in her hometown of Annapolis. Upon transitioning from her professional dance career to a teaching career, she joined the Richmond Ballet faculty in 2010 as well as started teaching as an independent ballet and creative movement teacher with the Weinstein Jewish Community Center and the Goddard School of Short Pump. She received her barre fitness certification with The Barre Boutique in 2012 and delights in helping both children and adult students condition their bodies for dance and/or a healthy lifestyle by teaching conditioning classes that combine a mixture of therapeutic strengthening, pilates, and yoga exercises. In 2015 Sarah began to develop her own dance academy training program with Passion Academy. As the Dance Program Director she oversees all of the classes as well as puts together and choreographs two annual story productions. Her recent productions include The Nutcracker Revisited, Neverland, Inside Out, The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland, and Wizard of Oz. She is excited to continue to grow the program and share her passion and knowledge with all dance students that come her way!