Reif Theater Offers Growth and Positive Personal Enrichment

Katie E. Smith is a native of Grand Rapids with a love of working with children and a lifelong passion for the arts. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre from the University of Minnesota Duluth, with a minor in Dance.

A veteran director, performer, choreographer, and supporter of the Grand Rapids arts community, Katie has been involved in local theatre and dance for decades. Audiences may remember her from the stage in roles including Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia!, Marian Paroo in The Music Man, Delilah Strict in Zombie Prom, Velma Kelly in Chicago, and Ado Annie in Oklahoma!

Katie began choreographing in 1995 and has staged dances for dozens of musicals and dance productions. She has served as Dance Director at The Reif several times over the past eighteen years, directing productions such as Aladdin and The Wizard of Oz, as well as creating original works including Sadie of the South Sea and Life Is an Open Book. She also co-founded the Grand Rapids Players Summer Children’s Theatre Camp, where she directed several of her original plays.

Her experience extends beyond Grand Rapids. Katie spent two years in Houghton, Michigan, where she served as Artistic Director of the Michigan Tech Dance Company and owned a private dance studio. Most recently, she founded Young at Art, where she spent two years nurturing a love of theatre and dance among the youth of the community.

Katie’s passion for the arts has also taken her around the world. She has lived and studied in a variety of places and cultures, including Maui, where she studied hula; Colorado, where she studied fencing and martial arts; London, where she earned her TEFL certification; and Turkey, where she taught English.

Katie believes there is always something new to learn, and she is excited to bring her experience, curiosity, and love of the arts back home to The Reif.