GET TO KNOW US
Meet the Performing & Fine Arts Team
Our Performing and Fine Arts programs are led by talented and experienced professionals whose passion it is to inspire and nurture the next generation of growing creative artists.
Danielle Reinstein Marra
Director of Operations, Performing Arts
direct tel: 203.487.0937
dmarra@stamfordjcc.org
Learn more about Danielle
Bio coming soon.
Megan Cavell
Associate, Performing Arts
Learn more about Megan
Megan is originally from Poughquag, New York where she took her first dance class at the age of 3 at her hometown studio. It was there where she studied Tap, Jazz, Ballet and Modern. Throughout school she was an active member in her school’s theatre productions. She was a featured dancer in their productions of Beauty and the Beast, Oklahoma!, as well as 42nd Street. She attended SUNY Oneonta where she graduated with her B.S. in Mass Communications and a minor in Business/Marketing. While in college she was a member of the Terpsichorean Dance Company where she further educated herself in Hip Hop, Contemporary, Lyrical, Pom, Ballroom and Latin Style. Meg previously worked as a one-to-one paraprofessional and substitute teacher at her school district in New York and later worked solely as a one-to-one when she moved to Connecticut. Meg worked directly with students to assist in providing them with a valuable learning experience, as well as giving them an outlet to be safe and challenged.
Meghan Meehan
Head Instructor of Ballet and Contemporary, Performing Arts
direct tel: 203.487.0970
mmeehan@stamfordjcc.org
Learn more about Meghan
Meghan brings 20 + years of Dance and Arts teaching experience to The Stamford JCC. Primarily teaching Ballet, Modern, Jazz, and Contemporary dance forms, Meghan has experience in various dance techniques as well as in the theatrical and Fine Arts. She has taught and coached all ages, nursery school to adult. In her youth, Meghan was trained in classical ballet at the Acton School of Ballet in Massachusetts. In her teen years, Meghan danced for a pre-professional ballet company, Commonwealth Ballet, where she was involved in numerous productions of classical and original Ballets such as The Nutcracker, Beauty and the Beast, and The Nightingale in which she danced the titular role. She attended many dance and art institutions over the years such as Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Chautauqua Institution, Kirov Academy of Ballet, and the Accademia dell’Arte in Tuscany, where she was immersed in Italian folk and contemporary dance. Meghan holds a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from Sarah Lawrence College and is a graduate of Muhlenberg College.
Alyssa Vartuli
Head Instructor of Hip Hop, Tap and Jazz, Performing Arts
direct tel: 203.914.1363
avartuli@stamfordjcc.org
Learn more about Alyssa
Alyssa was born and raised in Stamford where she started dancing at the age of 3. Throughout her years of dancing, she trained in ballet, contemporary, jazz, and tap. Alyssa then attended the University of Hartford, where she was selected for their Division I Dance Team. During her undergraduate years, she learned various versions of hip-hop, pom, and jazz styles which broadened her dance training. Alyssa is also the newest member of the Meeting and Events Team here at the Stamford JCC. In this role, she utilizes her creative background by providing dance-themed activities for dance-related birthday parties.
Sarah King
Gallery & Fine Arts Coordinator, Performing Arts
Learn more about Sarah
Sarah King is a multi-disciplinary artist, who lives and works in Stamford CT. She has been teaching for ten years and has worked with students of all ages, birth to 90 years +, both as a private instructor and a visiting artist. She holds two master’s degrees, a Master of Arts from Hollins University with a concentration in Illustration and an MFA from the New York Studio School. She has been an artist-in-residence nationally and internationally, including the Vermont Studio Center, and the Cite-Des-Arts in Paris. Most recently she completed a fellowship at the Norwalk Art Space, for their 2022-23 year. Sarah King’s work has shown locally and internationally, including her most recent shows at the Norwalk Art Space, SONO COLLECTION, Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Stamford Mayor’s Gallery, and the Stamford JCC where her Noah’s Ark Mural was completed.
Jillian Hetherman
Theater Creative Director & Production Associate, Performing Arts
Learn more about Jillian
Jillian Hetherman is a musical theatre writer, director-choreographer, and educator based in Connecticut. She graduated from the Marlboro Institute at Emerson College, earning her BA in Interdisciplinary Studies, with concentrations in Writing Musical Theatre and Film, and a minor in History.
As an educator, Jillian believes in giving students the tools and encouragement to grow a little bit more than they think they can. As a professor once told her, there is no "right" or "wrong" in theater, there is only "interesting." This philosophy encapsulates Jillian's commitment to fostering innovation, experimentation, and a comfortable space for young performers to find their voices.
Theater is about connection and examining the human experience. In our classes, students will learn to connect with one another, create new worlds and characters, and expand their skillsets. They will learn to work together as an ensemble, while forging the courage to become independent performers. Jillian believes in cultivating joy, collaboration, and passion in the rehearsal room, and translates in her performers onstage. Welcoming a newcomer into theater is one of her favorite parts of the creative process, and she is excited to meet the young stars of the Stamford JCC!
Mike Oehmen
Music Instructor, Performing Arts
Learn more about Mike
A professional touring musician for nearly two decades, Mike has devoted his career to spreading positivity through music. His passion for performance carries over into his teaching, where he strives to inspire the same energy and joy in his students.
For Mike, teaching music isn't just about mastering an instrument or learning theory—it's about fostering a lifelong love of learning, creativity, and collaboration. Now based in Stamford, Mike is excited to connect with the local community through the JCC and looks forward to sharing his love of music with new students.
Katie Czyr
Dance Instructor, Performing Arts
Learn more about Katie
Katie is from Connecticut, where she trained under instructor Peter O’Brien. She graduated cum laude from Marymount Manhattan College earning a B.F.A. in dance where she received both dance and academic scholarships. Katie is a freelance dancer, performing with numerous companies, as well as a member of Dzul Dance in New York and Mexico. She teaches many styles of dance from Parent & Me classes for the youngest dancers all the way to seniors in high school/adult classes at many studios across Connecticut and New York. In addition, she is the founder and director of Royal Czyr Dance Company, a contemporary-based dance company.