Founder & CEO

As Co-founder and director of The Culture House, Jeremiah Enna has set in motion an arts center model to produce art and art programs that reflect imaginative, moral concepts for society to grow healthy by. Since its inception The Culture House has produced such recognized programs as the acclaimed Störling Dance Theater, the STAR Program for At-Risk and incarcerated children and youth, and The Culture Academy of the Performing Arts. Jeremiah Enna received his BFA in Theater from UCLA where he performed in such productions as Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, and A Chorus Line. He played "Z" in the television production "Good News/Bad News" and received the Carol Burnett Award for his work in musical theater.

Vibeke Muasya ( Caane Award winning film maker ) heard about Mr. Enna while she and her dance theater company were touring in Paris and called him to join their artist community. He moved to Sweden and became dance soloist and music composer for the company. Mr. Enna became Asst. Director for Eternia Dans Theater and eventually artistic director in 1994 while Mrs. Muasya was on sabbatical. His composition "Sacrifice" ( the production was based on the painting "White Crucifixion" by Marc Chagal) was sponsored by the Swedish National Board of Culture and received accolades from the French Institute. Jeremiah originated the lead character in "We Want To Live!", a production exploring the Jewish identity that toured throughout Europe for 5 years. "We Want To Live!" was sponsored by the Swedish gov't. to tour Scandinavia to combat an uprising of Neo-Nazism in the early 90's. They were especially thankful for the attention that was given to the production by survivors of the Holocaust whom they were fortunate to perform for on many occasions. The group was invited by then Israeli Ambassador, Moshe Yeagar to tour Israel with the production. Jeremiah traveled to Israel meeting with leaders in the Kinneset, Kibutzes, and at the Holocaust Memorial to organize the tour. The group was honored by the Holocaust Museum as they lifted their ban on dancing on location in order to enable "We Want To Live!" to be presented. The tour never actualized, but Jeremiah did meet his wife, Mona while on this trip.

In 1996, Jeremiah and his wife, choreographer Mona Enna, moved to Kansas City in the United States and established The Culture House, an arts organization promoting new and innovative works of art.. They have established Störling Dance Theater, Change Agent (music group and composers ensemble), The Culture House Chat Night (lecture series together with the Francis Schaeffer Institute), and now The Culture House Academy of the Performing Arts ( a premium arts education facility). They have produced such stage productions as "Butterfly", and "The Prodigal Daughter". "The Prodigal Daughter" was chosen by the Kansas City Star as one of the top 15 performances for 2003. In 2008, Underground was touted by the Kansas City Star as "the best dance theater ever to grace a Kansas City stage…". Their most recent production, "Underground" choreographed together with Störling Assistant Artistic Director, Tobin James, was just chosen as one of the Top 10 performances in Kansas City for the Decade by renowned critic, Paul Horsley.

The Culture House Academy of the Arts has grown to over 850 students in dance, theater, and music with over 1200 attending summer arts camps. The STAR Program, focused on at risk and incarcerated youth, serves over 150 students a week throughout Kansas City.

Jeremiah is married to Mona Störling-Enna and they have four children. They reside in Merriam, KS, the center of the artistic world.

As Co-founder of The Culture House and Artistic Director for Störling Dance Theater, Mona Enna has choreographed such productions as "Between Earth & Sky", "Sower", "Parables & Prayers", and, "The Prodigal Daughter". "The Prodigal Daughter" was chosen by the Kansas City Star as one of the top 15 performances for 2003. Of Mona the K.C.Star wrote,"Mona Störling-Enna's choreographic invention seems to have no limit." Mona has gone on to choreograph and design new work including "butterfly", "Suspended Grace", and the latest, "Underground" a powerful telling of the history and heroics of the Underground Railroad. "Underground" was Mona's first major collaboration together with choreographer, Tobin James.

Mona Enna began her classical dance training at the Ostrobotningen Dance Academy in Kokkola, Finland and went on to train under Jill Miller at Dansivintti in Helsinki. She supplemented her training under the Paris Opera and Finnish National Ballet as she formed her first dance company in Helsinki, "Kadosh" together with Titta Tunkkari.

Mona received the Finnish Young Choreographers award in Helsinki for her work "In The Storm". Mrs. Enna toured with Kadosh throughout Europe until she joined Eternia Dance Theater in 1992 as a soloist. She became ballet mistress as well as costume designer for Eternia's production "Sacrifice". Mona's choreography for "A Prayer For Bosnia" was requested for the vigil concert in the Blue Hall in Stockholm (where the Nobel Peace Prize is given), to perform together with the top upcoming conductors and orchestra musicians in honor of the needs in Bosnia at the time.

Mona is married to American, Jeremiah Enna, and together they have four children, Niko, Iris, Noelle, and Richard Ellis.

School of Dance Director

Ms. Bourman is very pleased and excited to be directing the School of Dance this season. With over twenty-five years of experience in the field of dance, Ms. Bourman wishes to share her joy and passion for the art form with the students of The Culture House as well as passing on the knowledge attained through working with some of the most renowned teachers and choreographers in the dance industry.

As a dance educator, Ms. Bourman has trained dancers of all levels throughout the country, some of whom have pursued professional dance careers of their own. She has been privileged to be on the faculty of the 2004 Regional Dance America Mid-States Festival, Kansas City Ballet's Reach Out And Dance (ROAD) program, the American Academy for Dance and the Kindred Arts, the School of Ballet Omaha, and the 1998 Louisiana Dance Festival. She was an instructor for ten years at the American Dance Center and has taught the upper level ballet classes for the School of Dance and the Artist Development Program since coming to The Culture House in 2005. She has also conducted master classes and workshops around the country.

Ms. Bourman's formal dance training began in Kansas City with Kathy and Dennis Landsman followed by two years of scholarship study and graduation from the San Francisco Ballet School. She has been a performer with Storling Dance Theater since 2005. Her previous company affiliations include the Kansas City Ballet, Ballet Omaha, Kansas Regional Ballet, and Tulsa Ballet Theatre where she attained the status of premiere soloist. She has been sought out by choreographers for her versatility and artistry. With a performing career that has spanned more than two decades, Ms. Bourman has an extremely varied repertoire, dancing principal roles in works by George Balanchine, Agnes de Mille, Anthony Tudor, Leonide Massine, Frederic Franklin, Lew Christensen, John Butler, Arthur Mitchell, Todd Bolender, Andre Prokovsky and others.

Ms. Bourman has been the recipient of four awards for choreography including the Monticello College Foundation Award for Best Female Emerging Choreographer in 2000 and the Regional Dance America Choreographic Plan Award in 2002 and 2009. She was pleased to receive the Choreographic Plan Award at RDA's National Festival in 2007 for her piece entitled Tribute which was created in memory of the victims of September eleventh. In April 2010, she was honored to have this piece performed in New York City's Times Square.

In addition to her work onstage, Ms. Bourman directs Infinity Dance Company, a pre-professional company in-residence at The Culture House. She is also the very proud mother of her two children, Aiden and Isabella.

School of Theater Director

Kelley studied at Emporia State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Theater and a Bachelor of Science in Education in Speech and Theater. After college, Kelley toured with Missoula Children's Theater, one of the largest traveling children's theaters in the world, as a tour actor/director where she worked with over a thousand children throughout the United States. She loved seeing the nation and investing in young lives through the arts.

Kelley has been invited to Costa Rica on two occasions as a guest Artist in Residence where she performed and taught classes at the Centro Nacional de la Cultura in San Jose. She taught theater at Gardner-Edgerton High School for two years where she directed and designed many shows including "Beauty and the Beast", "Peter Pan", "Oklahoma", "Arsenic and Old Lace" and "The Diary of Anne Frank" among others. Kelley was a cabin leader for three summers at Youthfront Camp South. Here she mentored many students and saw God work in amazing ways during her time at Youthfront.

After joining the TCH Staff she has directed "Peter Pan", "Aladdin Jr." and "Once Upon a Mattress" with many more to come! In addition to her directing work, Kelley is an instructor for the school of theater, has been seen in Störling Dance Theater's "The Little Match Girl", The Culture House Summer Family Theater production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and runs the summer theater camps. She is thankful to The Culture House for many reasons, but most importantly it is where she met her husband Kyle for the first time! She is excited to have opportunities to perform with him and can't wait to see what the future holds next!

School of Music Director

Jay received his classical training at the UMKC Conservatory by concert artist Richard Cass, where in 1996 he met singer/songwriter Don Chaffer, who soon added Jay to his new band Waterdeep.

Jay continued to perform and record with Waterdeep until 1998 and has been featured on 4 of the band's albums. Since his departure from Waterdeep, Jay has split his time between teaching in Overland Park, KS, recording as a session musician on a number of albums, performing with local jazz bands, and composing and arranging music for dance, musical theater, and independent albums.

Jay now serves as the Director of the Culture House School of Music in Olathe, KS and an assistant to the Worship Director at The United Methodist Church of The Resurrection in Leawood.

TCH General Manager

Amy grew up in Topeka and had her acting debut at age six. After that, she was hooked on "showbiz" and spent her youth and early adult life performing in theatrical and dance productions. During high school, Amy discovered she had a strong passion for working with youth and began teaching dance and directing a summer theatrical program.

After 17 years of training and teaching, Amy became the founder and director of a youth performing troupe, Topeka Youth Players (for ages 9-13). Within 10 years, Amy had worked with hundreds of youth, directed over 20 productions, choreographed and music directed more than 10, and also served as set, lighting and costume designer for almost all of the shows. After moving to the KC area in 2009, Amy began teaching and directing at TCH. So far, her favorite experience was being able to direct the amazing (and very large!) cast of "Alice in Wonderland".

In addition to her degree in theatre, Amy also has a degree in Public Relations/Journalism/Mass Media. She has spent the past 20 years at various companies working as a director of Marketing, Communications, Volunteers, Fund Raising or Events. Her background spreads from non-profit to health insurance to financial planning to performing arts and even to zoos. Her vast experiences have allowed her to gain knowledge of all types of successful management and marketing. She is THRILLED to now be on staff full-time at TCH, fulfilling her lifelong dream of working full-time in the performing arts, while also being able to utilize the skills she has obtained at previous positions.

Amy currently resides in Olathe and also works as a freelance graphic designer and active member of the school PTO. Amy's true "role of a lifetime" is her role as a wife and mother of two ... "it is the most rewarding and challenging role I have ever played. I am beyond blessed!"

Bookkeeping

Director of Artist Development Program

Administration and Receptionist

Administration