Teddi Rollins became the choreography director for Bloomingdale High School in November 2025. An upcoming May graduate of University of Tampa, she found out about the position from her University of Tampa (UT) professor. After meeting with Bloomingdale’s theater director, Dr. Chad Cornwell, about his vision for the program, she took on the role focusing on their April production of Once Upon a Mattress.
Cornwell said having Teddi part of the program has brought it to the next level.
“Students from UT add a level of professionalism to our program, building a strong foundation of dance and movement, and basic skills and vocabulary that take BSHS students to the next level,” Cornwell said.
Rollins brings a refined skill set and passion to the program. She danced competitively for years and teaches the competitive theater classes at the Arts Conservatory for Teens, a not-for-profit organization that provides arts education to students in at-risk communities.
For the Once Upon a Mattress shows on Friday and Saturday, April 10 and 11, Rollins’ role is everything show-related — including conducting, makeup, costumes, dancing, singing, acting and directing choreography.
“She demands a lot but nothing that is out of reach for our students. And the students are responding. They understand and use vocabulary correctly when they talk and physically, they accept challenges optimistically. And I think they are really excited to show what they have been learning,” Cornwell said.
Rollins said she has enjoyed getting to know her students and challenging them. She has been teaching them the Solfège breakdown, which is new to many of the students who have not been in choir. Rollins said she likes to see her students blossom.
“We have this one number called Spanish Panic. It’s a R&B hip hop number. They were like, ‘You’re kidding. We are not doing this on stage.’ I told them, ‘We absolutely are.’ And now it’s all of their favorite number. You can see the light in their eyes when they do it. It’s so fun to watch,” Rollins said.
Rollins will graduate in May from the University of Tampa with a degree in musical theater, a minor in professional education and a concentration in African studies.
For more information about Bloomingdale Theater, visit www.bloomingdaletheatre.org/. For more information about the University of Tampa’s Department of Music, visit www.ut.edu/academics/college-of-arts-and-letters/department-of-music.
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