Kathy Wayne, Director, graduated from Point Park University with a B.A. in dance. Her professional credits include Tokyo Disneyland, Caesar’s Atlantic City and the Pittsburgh Playhouse.
Christa Cummings is from Tampa, Florida and began training in dance at a young age. She
started dancing at a local studio called New Tampa Dance Theatre (NTDT), where she trained in
ballet, jazz, modern and tap. Christa has also attended numerous summer intensives such as
Joffrey Ballet School in New York City, Chautauqua Institution, Nutmeg Conservatory for the
Arts, Florida State University and Tulsa Ballet. Christa continued her training at Point Park
University receiving her BFA in Dance, concentrating in jazz. Throughout the summers, she
would dance at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay where she performed their new show “Fiesta
Festa”. Shortly after graduating, she made her professional debut through RWS Entertainment
Group by dancing with Azamara. Azamara is a luxury boutique cruise line that travels the
world. On her second contract, Christa had the pleasure to be promoted to the Dance Captain
and the Company Manager. Recently, Christa had the honor to go back home and choreograph
for her home studio, NTDT, and work at J&R Summer Camp as the Dance Specialist. Now,
Christa is thrilled to be a faculty member at the JCC School of Dance teaching the next
generation of dancers.
Anya Epstein is a Pittsburgh native who recently graduated from Muhlenberg College with a Bachelors in both Theatre and Dance. During her time in college, she worked with many choreographers such as Earl Mosley, Megan Flynn, and Randall Smith, performing in premiere works and learning from these artists. Anya was also fortunate enough to choreograph two new works for the stage, one alongside her co choreographer Arianna Cacioppo, as well as work on her solo performance, How would one go about performing herself (part one, part two). She spent this past summer in Durham, North Carolina at the American Dance Festival, where she performed with Monica Bill Barnes & Company, and was a part of a new work by George Staib. Anya has also studied anatomy and dance science, with research in injury avoidance and safe dancing practices. As a teacher she works to create a positive environment of learning with a mix of play and collaboration to get her students thinking on their feet. She is excited to be a part of the dance program here at the JCC!
Mara Greer is a performer, teacher, and director/choreographer. She performed on Broadway in A Christmas Story, The Musical as well as the 1st National Tour of Shrek the Musical. As a director/choreographer, she has worked at Paper Mill Playhouse, Seattle 5th Ave, the Fulton Theatre, North Shore Music Theatre, Gateway Playhouse, Music Theatre Wichita, Broadway at Music Circus, The Cape Rep, Front Porch Theatricals, Palm Beach Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Tuacahn, and Pittsburgh CLO. She has taught for studios across the country as well as Beyond the Stars Dance Convention, Company Dance, and Thrive Dance Experience. Mara received her BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan.
Meghan Phillips began her dance training at South Dayton Dance Theater, an RDA affiliated pre-professional company in Dayton, Ohio. She later earned her BFA from the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance graduating Summa Cum Laude. There she performed works by George Balanchine, Merce Cunningham, Michelle Thompson Ulerich, Stuart Loungway, Brian Enos, and Taryn Kaschock-Russel. She was also selected to study at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts for a semester where she performed choreography by Kim McCarthy and Graeme Murphy.
Meghan joined Confluence Ballet last season after spending three years at Ballet Quad Cities. She has had the pleasure of performing featured roles such as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Mina in Dracula, Alice in Alice in Wonderland, Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, and Firebird in The Firebird. She has also originated lead roles in contemporary works by Julia Erickson, Courtney Lyon, and Emily Kate Long.
As a choreographer, Confluence commissioned Meghan to choreograph a new work, New Ground, which premiered in June of 2022. Meghan has created several works and notably was chosen to present On The Night Plain at the 2018 American Dance Guild Festival in NYC. She is also a passionate teacher who enjoys sharing her knowledge and encouraging future generations.
Marina Wright is a Pittsburgh-based interdisciplinary movement specialist. She grew up dancing at Longwood Performing Arts in Kennett Square, PA. While in high school, she performed with Longwood Dance Company and served on the studio’s faculty. Marina graduated from James Madison University in 2017 with a B.A. in Theatre & Dance and a B.S. in Kinesiology. As an undergraduate, she performed with the Associate and Contemporary Dance Ensembles, working with choreographers including Doug Varone, Maurice Fraga, faculty members, and her peers. She also served as the dance program’s Student Technical Director, a role encompassing lighting design, stage management, and stage electrics. Marina has attended summer intensives with the Rockettes, George Mason SummerDance, Pushing Progress, Transform Arts, and the José Limón Company. Since moving to Pittsburgh, she’s been involved in the local theatre and dance scene as a student, a volunteer, an instructor, an electrician, and an enthusiastic audience member. Marina is currently on faculty at Albright Dance Stars in Monroeville and the JCC in Squirrel Hill, as well as a theatre technician with Bob Steinbeck & Associates. In addition to her artistic pursuits, Marina is a second-year graduate student in the University of Pittsburgh’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
