STAFF
Noelle Poulsen
Drama
I was born and raised in NYC by dancer parents and moved out to Utah to pursue a degree in Acting at Brigham Young University. While at school, I began teaching at the SCERA Center for the Arts for their Youth Theatre program and realized that although I love performing, I love teaching even more. This year will be my sixth year teaching at Lincoln Academy and every day I want to pinch myself because it is my dream job! I am so lucky to be able to work with such awesome faculty, staff, students, and parents.
While getting my BFA in Acting, I worked on as many shows and films as I could. Through these experiences (as well as my formal classwork) I learned how acting can help you to be a better human: how to empathize, be vulnerable, and really truly listen with all the 5 senses AND the heart. It was those lessons that made me realize that acting training is not just about winning awards or even just about having an income: there are SO many life lessons and skills that come along for the ride. Skills like learning how to act confident and poised even if you’re quaking in your boots. Learning how to relax your walls to truly connect with others, how to listen, and how to be alive in the present moment. Skills that help anyone and everyone do anything and everything that a human does, regardless of whether they step on a stage or not.
I hope my students will leave my classrooms having learned important life lessons like I did. In Drama we learn how to trust ourselves and have confidence. In Stage Craft we learn how to research and problem solve in out of the box ways. In Film we learn how to lead as well as work on a team to collaborate and create projects from the ground up. My students will also leave with a working knowledge of terms, best practices, and expectations in the respective fields I cover. It is my hope that the industry specific skills they learn will at the very least lead to an appreciation for the work that goes into the entertainment we consume – and at the very most be a launching point to a career that will bring them joy for the rest of their lives.
Other fun stuff about Mrs. Poulsen: I am an avid gum chewer, lover of dark and white chocolate, have a tall husband, and name all of my indoor plants.