Director Biographies

Yara Perry
Co-Director, Dance Fusion: Yara Perry is the Director of Dance Fusion. Yara holds her MA in Digital Arts from the Maryland College Institute of Art, and is also a candidate for her MA in Teaching at Mount St. Mary’s University. In 2005 she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Muhlenberg College, where she completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in both Dance and Art, received honors in art, and earned membership to the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Yara has trained with Tiffany Mills, Nicholas Leichter, Robert LaFosse, Charles O. Anderson, Shelley Oliver, Karen Dearborn, Jennifer Kayle, and Pat Catterson. Her performance credits include 365, MTF Mainstage, Step Aside Tap Company, the Muhlenberg JazzTap Ensemble, and Copasetic Rhythms, for which she was the director. Her choreography has been showcased at the MD Council for Dance Artist Gala Concert and the Joy of Motion Choreography Showcase, and she was selected for an internship with the Tiffany Mills Company in NYC. She runs a small photography business and website photographybyyara.com. Yara has been teaching in and out of the Frederick community for twelve years; she currently teaches for 24/7 Dance Studio. Yara wants to thank her husband Chris for being supportive of her involvement in the arts, and they are thrilled to welcome their daughter Anika, born this past May!

Rebecca Wivell
Co- Director, Dance Fusion: Ms. Wivell has a BA degree from Salisbury University, with a major in Interpersonal Communication and minor in Dance. Presently, she is studying for her Masters of Arts in the Mount St. Mary’s University Teaching Program. Her dancing background is in jazz, ballet, lyrical, modern, and hip-hop. She has studied under master dance instructors.

Gina Korrell
Theater Manager, Dance Fusion & Young Professionals Theatre Group:
Acting Director, Young Professionals Theatre Group: The Theatre Manager is a 24/7 Board of Directors chairperson position. Ms. Korrell is the former director of Dance Fusion and has taught dance and musical theatre for 23 years. She owns and maintains the 24/7 Dance Studios in Frederick and Hagerstown.

Megan Simmons
Assistant Director, Young Professionals: Ms. Simmons has a BA in Theatre Arts from McDaniel College, where she received an Irene Ryan nomination and competed in KCACTF (Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival). Ms. Simmons was contracted by the Maryland Renaissance Festival for two seasons as a thespian in The Company of the Rose. In addition to Ms. Simmons's theatrical endeavors she has a Master of Arts in Teaching from Mount St. Mary's University. She has Maryland certification for Secondary English, Theatre Arts and Special Education. She specializes in classical and modern acting styles such as the Greeks, Shakespeare, Comedy of Manners, Theatre of the Absurd and Theatre of the Oppressed as well as theatre history, theory and make-up design. Her favorite musical is Peter Pan.