Dance Instructors
Jessica Marino
Dance Faculty
Jessica Marino, native of Zionsville, Pa, current resident of Pittsburgh, Pa; is an advocate for the development and growth of the Pittsburgh and Lehigh Valley Dance Community. A graduate of Point Park’s Universities Conservatory of Dance, Jessica has had the opportunity to perform and collaborate with several choreographers including, Shana Simmons, Michael Walsh, Evolve Productions/Continuum Dance Theater, Michele Van Doeren, POOF, Alyce Finwall, Kathleen Bibalo, and Sarah Carlson.
Through her work, Miss Marino looks to embrace local dance communities, education, collaboration, and the creation of performance opportunity for new works and aspiring choreographers. Jessica continues to perform actively, and is committed to using her experiences in the field as tools to share with her students. Jessica is thrilled to be a new addition to the family of Center for Theater Arts.
Erica Walstra
Erica’s love for theatre arts originated within her family of musicians. She attended the Pittsburgh High School for Creative and Performing Arts as a Dance major. She had a sister with special needs, and growing up by her side, Erica gained exceptional insight into how theatre arts may make a difference in the lives of a people with varying abilities. She is honored to provide her students at CTA with an original ‘life-based’ versus ‘stage-based’ approach to dance, as she has now done for her four children at home. Her ability to think ‘outside of the box’ makes her classes full of surprises with an ultimate goal to instill the life-long love for movement and dance in her students as she has enjoyed in her life.
Marianne Irwin
Dance Faculty (Tap – Jack Stanley, Jazz – Luigi, Ballet – Francois LeFevre)
Marianne has toured the US and Canada as a featured dancer for theater night clubs, and concerts, She has been featured in performances with Dean Martin, The McGuire Sisters and Joey Bishop. Marianne has over 25 years teaching experience in the Pittsburgh area.
Alivia Vereb Owen
Dance Faculty (B.A. Point Park University)
Mrs. Owen received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Point Park University. She has been teaching dance, musical theater and gymnastics since 2001. For the past seven years, she has been the choreographer for South Fayette High School musicals. Alivia has performed throughout the Pittsburgh area for the Civic Light Opera, Pittsburgh Musical Theater, The Pittsburgh Playhouse and West Virginia Public Theater. In New York City, she has performed with the Vissi Dance Theater. In addition, she was a member of the University of Pittsburgh’s Dance Team and competed nationally with the Pitt cheerleading squad. Alivia loves sharing her passion of the arts with students of all ages.
Michele Utzig-Philage, Dance Faculty
Michele has shuffled from Buffalo to New York City and now Pittsburgh. She holds a B.A. in Dance Performance and was a member of the Zodiaque Dance Company. She has teaching experience throughout the Tri-State area. Professionally, she performed on the national tours of Peter Pan, Crazy for You and Barry Manilow’s Copacabana. Locally she has performed with WVPT and Mountain Playhouse, acting as associate choreographer and dance captain for many of the productions. Film credits include The Stepford Wives and The Producers, movie musical.