Meet the Team

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

As a dedicated alumna and lifelong patron of the arts, Christine is thrilled to be working with Confluence Ballet in their mission to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the realm of dance and far beyond. Her involvement in the arts community ranges from a decade of dance to a lifetime of vocal and musical performance here in Pittsburgh and abroad. Christine has spent the greater part of her career working locally and internationally in youth development and advocacy, specifically with survivors of domestic violence, trauma and displacement. After obtaining her master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA), she conducted postgraduate research focused on Education in Emergencies (EiE) in Greece’s largest refugee camp. In her current role as Program & Community Engagement Coordinator with Strong Women, Strong Girls, Christine works tirelessly to build community partnerships and create opportunities for our city’s youth. Her service to the community includes services and ongoing support to the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Girl Scouts of Western PA and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) initiatives. Christine continues to dedicate herself to exploring solutions for and improving equitable access to advocacy, education and opportunity for all.

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, BALLET MISTRESS

Léa was born in São Paulo, Brazil, and became a professional dancer at age of 14, pursuing an international career as a soloist, which spanned some of the world’s finest dance companies in America and Europe, such as, Ballet da Cidade de Sao Paulo, Boston Ballet, Berlin Opera House Ballet, Grand Theatre de Genève Ballet, and Zurich Opera House Ballet. Léa worked with some of the greatest choreographers, amongst others, Rudolf Nureyev, Jiri Kylian, Mats Ek, Ohad Naharin, Oscar Araiz, and danced most of the classical repertoire.

Léa retired from dancing, after 27 years of a successful career, and became an opera house director, stage manager and later touring manager. An experienced ballet teacher, Léa taught in several ballet schools and colleges, including Texas Tech University, Leeds Contemporary School of Dance, and Northern Ballet School. Léa also taught professional companies internationally, having worked with Cisne Negro Dance Co., Ballet de Sao Paulo, The Geneva Ballet, and Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, amongst others. She is currently a staff member at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School Community Division.

Léa is a certified Pilates instructor. She specializes in linking Pilates techniques to ballet, making sure participants have correct alignment and making use of Core to help with their dance proficiency.

Languages are another of Léa’s passion. She speaks fluent English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, German and Hungarian.

INCOMING ACTING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Jennifer Pyle is a classically trained ballet dancer, actress, and film producer who is passionate about making an impact through all art forms. She spent her youth as a principal and soloist with two ballet companies in Virginia and trained at Joffrey Ballet School and North Carolina School of the Arts. After an injury sidelined her dance career, Jennifer went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Virginia, and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the College of William and Mary. Jennifer is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt and operational efficiency expert with experience improving business process performance and quality in several Fortune 100 companies. Additionally, she is a skilled team facilitator and change management professional who enjoys helping groups achieve their goals. Prior to her tenure in process quality, Jennifer held a variety of positions in the Financial Industry where she specialized in Financial Analysis, Product Management and Strategic Planning. Currently, Jennifer is focused on acting pursuits and has performed lead and supporting roles in many television and film productions. Most recently, she is part of a trio who formed a film production company with a mission of telling stories that help empower those who feel disenfranchised and overlooked. Her vision is to use film, dance, and other art forms in a collaborative way to support a message of inclusion and inspire change.

ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, BALLET MISTRESS

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 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.

She is delighted to join Confluence Ballet as Associate Artistic Director and support their mission, values, and vision for the future.

CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FINANCIAL MANAGER

As a Colorado native, Jessica trained and performed with Denver Ballet Theatre Academy. Seeking to further her artistic education Jessica attended Butler University in Indianapolis where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Pedagogy. While studying in university, Jessica started up a small business selling her hand crafted ballet skirts. As a business woman she quickly became well versed with spreadsheets and numbers both for her business and her penny pinching personal life as an artist. With Jessica’s financial mindset, stepping into the role as financial manager for Confluence Ballet Co. was a natural progression.

MARKETING EXPERT

Kinsey Love has had a passion for marketing for as long as she can remember. Kinsey loves to put her creative mind to the test by directing promotional photoshoots, creating and designing posters and advertisements for CBC’s upcoming performances, and creating content for CBC’s social media accounts.

Kinsey feels so lucky and blessed she gets to combine her two passions of dancing and creativity at Confluence Ballet Company.

MARKETING COORDINATOR

Leah Mrozek is from New Castle, PA, and has been dancing for over twenty years. She recently graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and earned degrees in marketing, supply chain management, and dance. During her senior year, Leah also served as the Artistic Vice President of the Ballet Club at Pitt. She is grateful to have this opportunity to combine her passion for dance with her marketing skill set.

COSTUME DESIGNER/ MANAGER

Kassi Tiedjens is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and began her dance education at the age of 4 with the Milwaukee Ballet School and Academy, where she danced for 14 years. She completed a BFA in Dance Performance and a BA in Psychology at Butler University. In Butler Ballet, Kassi has had the honor of dancing in corps de ballet, demi-soloist, and soloist roles in large-scale productions of The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Midwinter Dances, as well as student choreography works. During her time at Butler University, Kassi studied costume construction and design under Kathleen Egan and worked in the Butler Ballet costume shop crafting garments for over 100 dancers. Kassi has three years of costume design experience and enjoys seeing her work come to life on stage!