Olsen dances her way to new role as HCA director
Shannon Olsen was recently tabbed as the new director at Holmes Center for the Arts. Olsen has plenty of experience, having taught at the organization for several years.
As a youngster, Shannon Olsen always favored the activities of dance.
Olsen said she was one who would be standing on her head and dancing in the halls at school, so it isn’t surprising dance came into her life and has been embedded there ever since.
That passion for dance has led her right to where she feels she should be today.
As a dance instructor, Olsen is very familiar with everything going on at Holmes Center for the Arts.
Olsen is now taking on a whole new set of responsibilities as the new executive director, taking over for longtime Director Holley Johnson, who has recently taken on a new role as executive director of the Holmes County Education & Community Foundation.
Olsen, who is currently teaching at Berlin Elementary, is assuming the role on a part-time basis until June, when she will assume full-time duties as executive director.
In the meantime she is learning everything there is to know about her new role with great anticipation.
“This has been a total God thing,” Olsen said. “I teach a lot of little kids here, the beginning movement and tap classes, but I just always felt there was something more. I was completely surprised when (Johnson) called to ask if I’d be interested in interviewing for the position. I knew right away it was an opportunity.”
Olsen said she loves teaching at Berlin Elementary, but this felt like an ideal step in her career.
That she has been so heavily involved with the HCA should benefit her greatly in assuming the executive director role because she understands all the nuances, schedules and goals of the organization.
“Holly is an amazing person, and the board here has been amazing, and there are a lot of things for me to learn,” Olsen said. “I have some big shoes to fill, but I promise I will do my best.”
She said having worked closely with Johnson helped prepare her, getting to watch Johnson not only work with her daughter, but also seeing Johnson’s willingness and joy in working with all her students.
“Seeing how she interacts with her students is priceless,” Olsen said. “She’s not just here to educate. She really does care about the students, so I hope to continue that.”
Olsen met Johnson in spring 2014, and the two immediately felt a connection through their passion for the arts.
Olsen began teaching dance and later became a teacher at Berlin Elementary. Now in her sixth year of teaching, Olsen will complete this school year before taking on the role of executive director at HCA full-time in the summer.
Prior to moving to Ohio with her husband Brad, who is the lead pastor at Berlin Christian Fellowship, Olsen became invested in dance in middle school, and in high school, she poured herself into the program in Florida, where she said she also dabbled in musical theater, drama and choir.
After attending Milligan College in Eastern Tennessee and majoring in early childhood education, she started the art and dance studio Take a Bow Studio in Georgia, which presented plenty of opportunity to prepare her for this new role at HCA.
“It was a lot of fun,” Olsen said.
The entire Olsen family is currently steeped in the arts. Husband Brad is involved with the praise and worship team at BCF, her son Dylan teaches cartooning classes at HCA, her other son Dawson is a drummer and her daughter Dakota is a dancer — learning under the tutelage of Johnson — with ambitions of exploring that as she prepares for college next year.
Even the Olsen’s young adopted daughter Danielle has taken up a passion for the drums.
“We have a family full of artists,” Olsen said.
As for the growth of the HCA, Olsen said they have all been blessed by the community’s commitment and support.
“The community has given so much to the building of this program and this building, and I want this to reflect the values of this community,” Olsen said.
With much of the heavy lifting done, Olsen said her goal is simply to maintain what has been started and continue to help it grow into something that blesses those who invest in the many programs.
She said having such a talented group of educators working alongside her is invaluable, and continuing to build and develop strong relationships will be important as she grows into her new role.
Holmes Center for the Arts is located at 5200 state Route 39 in Berlin. For more information visit www.holmescenterforthearts.org.