About
Mission
Premier Performance is focused on creating Powerful People while creating Powerful Performances.. Our mission is to instill in our students valuable life-skills like confidence, leadership, and responsibility, so they can change their world. By providing a respected, high-quality performing arts education, and superior performance opportunities to our community, we believe it is possible to foster extraordinary future leaders and innovators. Premier Performance exists as an artistic haven for the community, with the hope that we will continue to blaze a rail in performing arts education while providing outstanding, professional-quality theater performances to the public.
Premier Performance has been wonderful to work with. Their diverse and professional instructors provide piano lessons for our two daughters and son. Our girls have also loved their experiences in Premier’s musical theater for kids (Broadway Bootcamp). It’s an enriching programmer for kids to get their feet west in the musical arts in addition to encouraging self-confidence and practicing valuable life skills such as responsibility, time management and dedication.
Staff
Daniel Evan Castro
Owner
Daniel Evan Castro is a member of Actor’s Equity. He is a graduate of Columbia College of Chicago in Music Theater. He is a passionate performer and has been featured in shows at various professional regional theaters in the area; his favorite roles include Theatre at the Center’s Jesus Christ Superstar (Simon the Zealot), 4th Street Theater’s Light in the Piazza (Fabrizio), and Theatre at the Center’s Footloose (Re/Willard, US). Having grown up in Portage, Daniels is a Northwest Indiana native. He is passionate about bringing top-notch, quality performance training and opportunities to the area. He founded Premier Performance with his wife, Keri, in 2012 to fulfill that goal. When not onstage in professional theater, Daniel enjoys performing with Keri at various churches, designing websites, hanging with his cats, and inspiring his students in the studio one song at a time.
Keri Burman Castro
Owner
Keri Burman Castro has been featured in numerous productions throughout the United States such as Peter Pan (Mrs. Darling) at Windy City Music Theatre in Chicago, Les Miserables (Cosette) at New Bedford Festival Theater in Massachusetts, Barnum (Jenny Lind) at Cape Fear Playhouse in North Carolina and at St. Michael’s Playhouse in Vermont, just to name a few. Keri is a member of Actor’s Equity and is the recipient of various performance awards including the Northwest Indiana Excellence in Theater Foundation Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Keri holds her Master’s Degree in Theatre Directing from Roosevelt University in downtown Chicago. Additionally, she holds music & theater degrees from Oklahoma Baptist University, as well as The American Musical & Dramatic Academy. Keri is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, and is also the founder of Yadah Praise Productions, a touring Christian theater company. She believes that music and theater can be transformational in a student’s life by challenging them to become powerful people both on & off the stage.
Alex Fine
Guitar & Bass
Alex Fine is a local performing and recording artist and teacher who has taught and played in the northwest Indiana jam band scene starting in 2021, and has been learning and creating music since 2011. Alex seeks to create a patient and welcoming environment so any student will feel comfortable. With beginnings in concert band, orchestra, blues, and rock, he hopes to blend fundamentals taught in band class with the freedom to be artistic in the students own way, and to begin or guide a lifelong passion for music.
Jessica Cretors
Voice & Piano
Jessica Cretors is a recent graduate of Valparaiso University. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree as a Double Major in Vocal Performance and Theatre in May of 2022. Jessica has performed in various theatre productions throughout Northwest Indiana, including VU. Some of her recent roles include Lady Windermere in “Lady Windermere’s Fan” and Ginnie in “Admissions.” Jessica has also directed theatre at VU, as well as at Premier Performance. Additionally, she was the most recent president of VU’s chapter of Alpha Psi Omega, the National Theatre Honor Society. Beyond her accomplishments in the theatre, Jessica is an outstanding musician who not only sings, but plays piano and trumpet.