Our Faculty
PopRock Academy's instructors are working professionals — performers, recording artists, composers, choreographers, and educators, many conservatory-trained — who bring real industry experience into the studio.
Founder
Paul Kwo
Founder
Paul Kwo is the founder of PopRock Academy and a veteran actor. On screen, he is known for his recurring role as Martin Yip in the God's Not Dead franchise, and has appeared in Fresh Off The Boat and Scrubs. His voice-over credits include Everything Everywhere All At Once, Shang-Chi, Black Panther, Crazy Rich Asians, Call of Duty, Resident Evil, and Red Dead Redemption 2. His national commercial credits include voice-over campaigns for Toyota, Honda, and McDonald's; both voice-over and on-camera work for Verizon; and on-camera work for Marshalls. He is also a composer, pianist, and the author of the children's book Nervous Nelly's First Recital, about a young girl who, with her teacher's help, learns to embrace her nerves and perform her heart out at her first recital. He studied at the University of Southern California and California State University, Northridge.
Dance Faculty
Bryan Rone
Director of Dance
Director of Dance at PopRock Academy. Writer, choreographer, and producer with 25+ years in production, entertainment, and music. Credits include work with Ricky Martin, Chris Brown, Mary J. Blige, Christina Aguilera, and Rihanna, and contributions to major productions including Eurovision and The Voice. Also teaches dance at UCLA.
Audrey H.
Hip Hop & Break Dancing
Audrey H. is a dedicated dancer with a love for movement and expression, and a member of Ohana Dance's performance and competitive company. Audrey trains in the dance department at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) and was accepted into Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's Teen Create 2026 Summer Intensive, a selective program expanding their commercial dance training. Audrey's training has been shaped by teachers, choreographers, and mentors including Jack Virga Hall, Bryan Rone, Khilea (Douglass) Jessup, Patrick Cook, Nathan Trasoras, and breaking legend Frankie Nunez. At PopRock Academy, Audrey teaches Hip Hop and Break Dancing.
George Sy
Dance
George Sy is a dance instructor at PopRock Academy.
Imani Wilson
Dance
Imani Wilson is a dance instructor at PopRock Academy.
Music Faculty
Daren Burns
Bass, Composition & Conducting
Bassist, composer, conductor, and educator with three decades of performance, recording, and teaching across the US and China. BFA in Jazz Performance and MFA in African-American Improvisational Studies from California Institute of the Arts. Bandleader of the Daren Burns Quartet and Onibaba (LA County Arts Commission Band Roster), with collaborations including Wadada Leo Smith, Mike Keneally, and John "Drumbo" French. Musical direction credits include The Addams Family, Guys and Dolls, and Grease. Former Assistant Professor of Music at Imperial Valley College and Head of Performing Arts at the British School of Beijing. MEd in Educational Technology. Member of ASCAP.
Misuzu Kitazumi Burns
Piano
Music educator and pianist with two decades leading K-12 programs at international schools in China, India, and the US across IB, British, and Cambridge frameworks. BFA in Piano from California Institute of the Arts; MM in Piano Performance from the University of Redlands; MEd in Educational/Instructional Technology from Moreland University; IB, Cambridge, and Juilliard Creative Classroom certifications. Winner of the Antelope Valley Bach Competition.
Stefanie K.
Piano & Composition
Pianist and composer. Attended Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship studying Piano Performance and Film Scoring. Has written and arranged music for the Academy Awards ceremony, contributed to feature films including Final Destination, and composed for the Call of Duty franchise. Won a national competition in South Korea and performed with the Korean Philharmonic Orchestra at age 11.
Chris Chen
Guitar, Voice, Audio Production & Songwriting
Musician and sound designer based in Los Angeles. BA in Jazz Studies from San Jose State University. Nearly a decade performing in the San Francisco Bay Area and working in post-production audio for independent film. Now works in game audio and interactive media, including sound design for the video game The Dragon Prince: Xadia. Teaching emphasizes technical foundations, ear training, rhythm, and musical fluency.
Nathaniel Evans
Voice, Guitar, Songwriting & Production
Nathaniel Evans is a music instructor teaching voice, guitar, songwriting, and production.
Sujoy Halder
Voice & Guitar
Sujoy Halder is a music instructor teaching voice and guitar.
John Lainer
Piano & Composition
John Lainer is a piano and composition instructor.
Acting & Voice Faculty
Osbaldo "Oz" Alvarado Beltran
Acting & Musical Theatre
Performer, director, and educator with 11+ years teaching and directing youth in musical theatre and acting. Performance credits include A Christmas Story: The Musical (Santa Claus), Urinetown (Officer Lockstock), Hair (Hubert), The Fantasticks (Bellomy), and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Jacob/Potiphar) at venues including the Covina Center for the Performing Arts, Lewis Family Playhouse, and The Grove Theater Upland. Directing credits include Guys and Dolls Jr., A Christmas Story: The Musical, Once Upon a Pandora's Box, and I Never Saw Another Butterfly. AA in Performing Arts, Citrus College.
Alec Anderson-Carrasco
Acting & Audition Coaching
Actor and director based in Los Angeles. MFA in Acting from California Institute of the Arts; BA in Theatre from the University of North Texas. Stage and screen credits include Christopher Wren in The Mousetrap, Damis in The Metromaniacs, Mike in Ghostlight, and Nate in What Lies in Silence, along with national commercials.
Ally Dixon
Voice-Over
Voice-over instructor and SAG-AFTRA voice actor known for The Croods: Family Tree (Eep), Thelma the Unicorn (Nikki Narwhal), Firebuds, Call of Duty: Mobile, Cookie Run: Kingdom, and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind.
Kimbra West
Voice, Musical Theatre & Acting
Kimbra West is a voice, musical theatre, and acting instructor.