The Team - Perry-Mansfield

Executive Director

Deena M Selko

Executive Director

deenas@perry-mansfield.org

Executive Director

Deena M Selko

Executive Director

deenas@perry-mansfield.org

Deena M Selko

Executive Director

deenas@perry-mansfield.org

Deena Marcum Selko is a multidisciplinary artist, director, and arts leader with over 25 years of experience spanning dance, theatre, and circus arts, including more than two decades in arts education. Known for her visionary leadership and collaborative approach, she brings a dynamic blend of creative direction, organizational strategy, and community engagement to her work.

She is the founder of her own production company, through which she has developed and led artists in large-scale, immersive performance experiences presented both nationally and internationally. Her work blends movement, storytelling, and visual design, and reflects a commitment to pushing the boundaries of interdisciplinary performance.

Over the past five years in Steamboat Springs, Selko has been deeply engaged in the local arts and education landscape, building programs and partnerships that expand access to the performing arts and support the next generation of artists. Her leadership emphasizes inclusivity, collaboration, and the belief that the arts are a powerful force for personal and collective transformation.

Deena is also a proud mom of two daughters—one pursuing a musical theatre career in New York City, and the other fully embracing all that the Steamboat Springs community has to offer in both the arts and athletics.

With strong ties to both local and global arts communities, Selko continues to champion bold artistic work while building meaningful bridges between artists, audiences, and communities.

Staff

Zachary Hadaway

Campus Manager

zach@perry-mansfield.org

Zachary Hadaway

Campus Manager

Director of Camp Operations
zachary@perry-mansfield.org

Hayden Johnson

Facilities Director

Hayden Johnson

Facilities Director

Office and Engagement Manager/Dance Program Instructor ebanyr@perry-mansfield.org

Kirsten Delaney

Office Manager

kirstend@perry-mansfiel.org

Kirsten Delaney

Office Manager

Office and Engagement Manager/Dance Program Instructor ebanyr@perry-mansfield.org

Tori Cook

Office and Engagement Manager/Dance Program Instructor ebanyr@perry-mansfield.org

Yoshi Yonekawa

Operations Director

yoshi@perry-mansfield.org

Yoshi Yonekawa

Operations Director

Director of Camp Operations
zachary@perry-mansfield.org

Xavier Sanchez

Junior Ensemble Teaching Artist

Xavier Sanchez

Junior Ensemble Teaching Artist

Office and Engagement Manager/Dance Program Instructor ebanyr@perry-mansfield.org

Katie Wackowski

Senior Ensemble Teaching Artist

katie_wackowski@hotmail.com

Katie Wackowski

Senior Ensemble Teaching Artist

Office and Engagement Manager/Dance Program Instructor ebanyr@perry-mansfield.org

Samantha Lee

Marketing Manager

samantha@perry-mansfield.org

Samantha Lee

Marketing Manager

Office and Engagement Manager/Dance Program Instructor ebanyr@perry-mansfield.org

Directors

Tamara Dyke-Compton

Associate Artistic Director of Summer Programming

tammy@perry-mansfield.org

Tamara Dyke-Compton

Associate Artistic Director of Summer Programming

Tamara Dyke-Compton is an Assistant Professor at The University of Arizona School of Dance in Tucson, Arizona. She teaches jazz technique, modern technique, choreography and dance ensemble. In addition she also teaches a section of Dance History and Teaching Methods. She earned her MFA in dance with an emphasis in choreography and performance from the University of Arizona in 2013. In 2003, she earned her BFA from the Juilliard School, under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy and Lawrence Rhodes. Tamara has been on faculty at many dance schools, community colleges and dance conventions across the U.S. and Canada. She has been on faculty for Dance Masters of America, Domain Forget in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and The Dance Project in Toronto,Ontario, Canada. Tamara has also subbed for David Marquez at Broadway Dance Center in NYC, and The Alvin Ailey School in NYC. During the summers Tamara is the co-director of dance with her husband Chirstopher Compton at Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School & Camp in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Tamara has performed principal roles for Twyla Tharp, in her Broadway first national tour of “Movin’ Out,” from 2003-2008, and toured with the first national Broadway tour of “Fame” the musical from 1998-2000. She has appeared in various industrials, music videos, commercials and benefits performing with stars such as Paula Abdul, Patti LaBelle, Mary Kate and Ashley Olson and Ted Danson and working for choreographers such as Michael Rooney, Marguerite Derricks, Jimmy Locust and Joe Lanteri. Tamara has been a company member with NOVA Ballet and Convergence Ballet in Phoenix, Arizona. Dancing with The Juilliard Dance Ensemble, Tamara was proud to perform the works of choreographers such as Robert Battle, Aszure Barton, Peter Chu, Darrell Grand Moultrie and Jose Limón. She was one of Aszure Barton’s first company members with Aszure Barton and Artists, at the Joyce Soho in NYC, Tamara also performed with Robert Battle’s Battleworks at City Center Studios in NYC. Her choreography has been seen at The Clark Studio Theatre in Lincoln Center, The Juilliard Theatre, Ballet Jazz De Montreal, Jazz World Congress, Tokyo Japan, Perry Mansfield Performing Arts Camp, Domain Forget Performing Arts Camp, The Stevie Eller Theatre, Scottsdale Community College, Glendale Community College and many dance schools across the USA and Canada. Her choreography was chosen to be performed at The Benjamin Harkarvy Memorial at The Juilliard Theatre in 2002. During Tamara’s education at the University of Arizona she was able to choreograph the musicals “Nine” and “Batboy” the for University of Arizona School of Theatre Film and Television. Also, during her graduate degree she served as an adjudicator for The Arizona Jazz Dance Showcase. In 2013, Tamara was the recipient of The Ralphie Spirit Award from The University of Arizona School of Dance.Tammy is a proud Perry Mansfield alumnus!

Naomi Barker

Director of Equestrian

naomi@perry-mansfield.org

Naomi Barker

Director of Equestrian

Naomi Barker was raised in rural Routt County and has enjoyed a love of horses her whole life. She learned classical horsemanship and both english and western riding in United States Pony Club and 4-H, and has competed locally and regionally in many horse shows, gymkhanas, 3-day events and rodeos. With a degree in Elementary Education and Sustainability Studies, Naomi now focuses on passing her experience to young riders. She has been on faculty at Perry-Mansfield since 2005.

Christopher Compton

Director of Dance

chris@perry-mansfield.org

Christopher Compton

Director of Dance

Christopher Compton is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Arizona School of Dance in Tucson, Arizona. He teaches Ballet Technique, Ballet Repertory, Partnering, Men’s Technique, Modern Dance, and Theatre Dance. Christopher holds an MFA from the University of Arizona School of Dance with an Emphasis in Choreography and Performance and a BFA in Ballet from the University of the Arts. Christopher has performed principal roles in the works of Twyla Tharp, George Balanchine, Paul Taylor, Alan Hineline, Andrew Pap, Scott Thyberg, Douglas Nielsen and Michael Williams. As a dancer for Twyla Tharp, Christopher performed principal roles in the Tony-Award winning Movin’ Out. Additionally, Christopher performed the role of ‘Johnny,’ made famous by Patrick Swayze, in the North American Premiere of Dirty Dancing. Christopher has been on faculty at Perry-Mansfield since 2010.

Rusty DeLucia

Director of Day Camp

rusty@perry-mansfield.org

Rusty DeLucia

Director of Day Camp

Rusty de Lucia has been a member of the Perry-Mansfield family since 1955. She began her career here as a theatre student and has subsequently held the roles of counselor, Children’s Theatre Instructor and Director, creative writing teacher and, now, Day Camp Director. Perry-Mansfield is Home for Rusty.

Dawn Testa

Director of Production

dawnt@perry-mansfield.org

Dawn Testa

Director of Production

Originally from New York, Dawn began her career as a print and television commercial stylist. Her focus turned to on set film work with Good Will Hunting and Amistad. Working closely with script supervisors, Dawn maintained continuity closely monitoring accuracy and the integrity of the character Working freelance in costume construction Dawn was often called to work in costume shops throughout the city. Building costumes for dance companies from Paul Taylor, Lar Lubovitch and Alvin Ailey to Broadway. She continued to work with directors and choreographers at Perry-Mansfield where she designed, constructed and supervised the costume shop for 16 summers. Dawn joined the Savannah College of Art and Design community in 1999 as a founding member of the new Theatre Arts Program. In her capacity as Professor of Costume Design and program development coordinator she designed over 100 theatrical and musical theatre productions. Dawn Testa returns to Perry-Mansfield this summer to offer classes and begin development on a new technical theatre and design program which will be fully launched in Summer 2023!

Jesse Collett

Director of Theatre

admin@perry-mansfield.org

Jesse Collett

Director of Theatre

2026 Summer Faculty

Nollie Moore

Nollie Moore holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in music education from the University of Missouri. In his over three decades of teaching in Columbia, Missouri, he has coached and mentored aspiring singers at every level of study. Under his leadership, students have established a tradition of successful collaborations and acclaimed performances with mid-Missouri arts organizations, in regional theaters across the nation, and on Broadway. Nollie Moore joined the faculty of The Conservatory for the Performing Arts at Stephens College as Associate Professor of Voice and Director of Theater Music in the fall of 2022. Moore is active as a professional tenor, singing regularly with regional orchestras, for which he has sung leading roles in Die Fledermaus, La Traviata, Madama Butterfly, and Carmen. His classical solo work includes Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Beethoven’s Mass in C Major, Mozart’s Requiem, and Verdi’s Requiem. He made his Carnegie Hall debut as the featured soloist in Come Away to the Skies: A High Lonesome Bluegrass Mass by Tim Sharp and Wes Ramsey, singing the same work at the iconic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. He can be seen regularly on Missouri’s professional regional theater stages where his work includes Forever Plaid, Oliver, The Music Man, 1776, Crazy for You, Annie, and State Fair. As a musical director, Moore’s work includes The Secret Garden, Assassins, Into the Woods, White Christmas, Godspell, Songs for a New World, and Footloose. In addition to his professional and professorial accolades, Moore is a tenor in the Grammy-nominated choral ensemble Kentucky Harmony, and the American Prize-winning chamber ensemble Vox Nova. He currently serves in various leadership roles in the Mid-Missouri and Central Regions of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).

Whitney Popp

Whitney Popp began training with Mid Columbia Ballet in Washington, and later trained at Pacific Northwest Ballet. She then spent 5 years as a principal dancer with Sacramento Ballet performing many lead roles such as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, leads in numerous Balanchine ballets, and the Cowgirl in Agnes de Milles Rodeo, just to name a few. Whitney was chosen to perform in many works by outstanding choreographers as well, such as Dwight Rhoden, Amy Siewert, and Val Cannaparoli. After moving to New York, she was discovered by Twyla Tharp and joined Twyla Tharp Dance. Whitney toured Europe with Twyla Tharp Dance and went on to become one of Twyla’s leading principals for the creation of several new works. Whitney also joined the 1st Nat’l Broadway tour of Movin’ Out performing multiple lead roles. She later toured Europe once again, this time with her husband Corbin, performing more works by Twyla Tharp. Whitney has had the privilege of teaching all over the world and lives in Colorado with her husband and their three children. Whitney is also a co-founder of the performing company Lightwire Theater based in New Orleans that finished in the semi finals of Americas’ Got Talent in 2013.

Erika Pujic

Erika Pujic was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio where she began her dance training at the School of Cleveland Ballet. She went on to receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the Juilliard School where she was the recipient of the Martha Hill Award. Upon graduation, Ms. Pujič danced with Gloria Marina’s Spanish Dance Ensemble performing in New Jersey Opera’s “Carmen”. She was a principal dancer and rehearsal director for Henning Rubsam’s SENSEDANCE for seven years. Ms. Pujič was a founding member and rehearsal director for Battleworks Dance Company during it’s 10 year span (2000-2010). She has been an integral part of the creation of many works for Robert Battle and she has been dancing and setting his works for over 22 years. She was a Visiting Guest Professor at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque for the Fall 2013 and 2014 semester. Ms. Pujic is currently a full time lecturer for the Skidmore College Dance Department, teaches at George Mason University, and has been an Adjunct at Queensborough Community College since 2008. She has created works for The Ailey School, Marymount Manhattan College, Long Island University Brooklyn Campus, University of New Mexico, ABT’s Summer Intensives, Summer Arts Institute, Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School, and New York State Summer School of the Arts. Ms. Pujič is also performing, teaching and creating curriculums for the American Dance Legacy Initiative (ADLI).

Lauren Main de Lucia

Prior to teaching full time, Lauren Main de Lucia’s professional dance career included performing with various ballet companies including Ballet West, Ballet New England, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Richmond Ballet, Eugene Ballet Company, Diablo Ballet and others. Ms. de Lucia has been described as a “major classicist capable of fusing technique, musicality, and sheer verve”. In 2007 Ms. de Lucia earned a Master of Arts in Modern Dance for Dance Educators, at CSU Long Beach. She also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet Performance and Instruction from the University of Utah and is a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy. Ms. de Lucia has taught and choreographed for various dance schools for the past 30+ years and is a 200 Hour Certified Yoga Instructor. Currently Ms. de Lucia teaches full time at Dublin High School (Dublin, CA) as the Dance/Yoga teacher and serves as the Performing Arts Department Lead Teacher. Previously she has been a faculty member at Deer Valley High School’s Academy of Performing Arts (Antioch, CA), Contra Costa Ballet Center (Walnut Creek, CA), Westlake School of Performing Arts (Daly City, CA), and is excited to be returning to Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School and Camp for her 12th summer.

Brett Olsen

Brett John Olson is an NYC-based actor, director, and educator with 17 years of professional experience across 100+ productions. He holds an MFA in Acting and an MA in Stage Direction, with additional training from NYC’s Freeman Studio. His work has been featured in major film festivals and on TV in addition to his extensive body of work in regional theatre. Brett has taught at Stephens College, UND, and WIU, and his students work across stage and screen nationally. He’s a KC/ACTF-recognized artist and active member of AEA, SDC, SAFD, VASTA, and IDC. An outdoor enthusiast, he once lived van-life with his partner while touring 34 U.S. national parks!

Charlie Johnson

Charlie Johnson is a Seattle based theater maker interested in creating work that reminds an audience that life is, ultimately, worth living. He recently directed and choreographed the national tour of The Queens’ Cartoonists. Other direction and/or choreography credits include: Urinetown! (5th Avenue Theatre), The Skin of our Teeth (Seattle Rep), Cymbeline (Seattle Shakespeare), Far From Canterbury (Barnstormers Theatre), HeadVoice (New York Musical Festival), Head Over Heels (Cornish College), and You’re a…Charlie Brown (Flat Rock Playhouse). Additional credits include productions with Paper Mill Playhouse, Taproot Theatre, FringeNY, North Carolina Theater, Bay Street Theater, Asolo Repertory Theater, Arrow Rock Lyceum, and Maltz Jupiter Theater. They have developed new musicals with The Rev Theater Co, Village Theater, New York Theater Barn, Green Room 42, The Dramatists’ Guild, and Musical Theater Factory and hold assisting credits with Connor Gallagher, Denis Jones, Glenn Casale, and Tony award winner Michael Arden among others. In his arts administration work, Charlie recently concluded a year as the Interim Artistic Producing Associate at The 5th Avenue Theatre. Prior to that, they worked with the New York based theater company Out of the Box Theatrics as the Director of New Works where they helped to develop 12 new plays and musicals. Charlie has taught all over the nation, most recently at Cornish College of the Arts and Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School . He attended Elon University and is a member of Director’s Lab North.

Curtis Thomas

Megan Graal

Faculty

Rusty de Lucia

Christopher Compton

Tamara Dyke-Compton

Jamey Grisham

A multidisciplinary storyteller, Jamey Grisham’s body of work spans six continents, 80 countries, and more than 100 productions and venues worldwide. His ventures have garnered six Encore Michigan Wilde Awards, six Travel Weekly Magellan Awards, and a THEA Award. Jamey is a proud member of the Actors’ Equity Association, where he currently serves in national governance, SAG-AFTRA, Dramatists Guild, AFM (Local 2-197), ASCAP, NATS, and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. With training from Brown University (M.F.A, Stephen Sondheim Fellow), Roosevelt University (B.F.A, Newberry Library Fellow), and Harvard University, Jamey is an Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre in the Conservatory for the Performing Arts at Stephens College.

Marquez Johnson

Marquez Johnson is a current principal dancer with Tucson based contemporary dance company Artifact Dance Project. As well, he is on faculty as an adjunct instructor with the University of Arizona’s School of Dance. Marquez holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Arizona as well as a BFA in Dance and a BA in Communication. While at the University of Arizona, He has performed works by Sam Watson, Douglas Nielsen, Amy Ernst, José Limón, David Berkey and Ohad Naharin. He was a rehearsal assistant for Miguel Perez in his piece “Before Reality Sets In” and Michele Gifford in the restaging of “The American” by Charles Wheeldon. Recently, he performed the role of Baby Face Nelson in Artifact’s premiere of Surrounding Dillinger and has completed performing the role of Holofernes in the premier of Judith and their production of Downtown. He taught contemporary dance and premiered a new work entitled “…to an end” in Artifact Dance Project’s Summer Intensive in 2017. He was also commissioned to create a new piece for Tucson’s MLK Celebration entitled “What Good Am I”. Under the direction of Michael Williams, he participated as a co-host for the Arizona Jazz Dance Showcase while completing his thesis work, “Forecast”. Marquez has been a guest artist for the Barbea Williams Performance Company, performing and choreographing Africana-centered excerpts. He, as well, was a guest artist for Ballet Rincon and Arizona Arts Collective and Coalition in their production of The Nutcracker while teaching at local dance studios Danswest and Dance Force 1. Currently, Marquez just finished his ninth season with Artifact Dance Project and is the co-director of the College of Fine Arts Step Up Outreach Dance Program. Marquez is honored to be surrounded by inspiring teaching artists and choreographers while working alongside with them this summer as a part of the Perry Mansfield teaching faculty.

Kurt Phalen

Kurt Phelan is an Australian-born actor, choreographer, and writer celebrated for his multifacetedcontributions to the performing arts. A graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), hehas lit up stages in acclaimed productions such as Dirty Dancing, Singin’ in the Rain, Priscilla:Queen of the Desert, and Rent. Beyond acting, Phelan is a skilled playwright and choreographerwhose work has featured on major stages worldwide. As an educator, he is highly sought after for hisperformance coaching and dynamic workshops, which empower artists to create original content andembrace their individuality to achieve authentic, impactful performance.

Ilana Goldman

Ilana Goldman is an Assistant Professor of dance at Florida State University and has taught and choreographed for schools and companies across the country. She received her BFA from The Juilliard School, where she was awarded the John Erskine Prize for Artistic and Academic Excellence, and her MFA from the University of Washington. She danced professionally as a principal dancer with Oakland Ballet and Sacramento Ballet, as a member of Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, as a guest artist with Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet, and most recently as a dancer with Trey McIntyre Project. Her two short dance films,Convergence and Fledgling, have screened at numerous international film festivals.

Tate Chu

A professional opera singer, vocalist, performer, and voice/piano instructor. Performance: Great soprano roles-Musetta (La bohème), Gilda (Rigoletto), Nedda (I Pagliacci). Musicals: Phantom of the Opera, Grease, Once on This Island. She has sung alongside Andrea Bocelli, Kathleen Battle, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic and recorded with various labels, including SONY Classical Records. Students will benefit from her well-rounded and thorough knowledge of performance, music theory, and aural skills. Master’s degree in opera performance at Manhattan School of Music.

Ari Rossen

Ari Rossen is a Los Angeles-based writer, filmmaker, performer and musician. His indie film debut SOUND/VISION won multiple awards including Best Short at East Lansing Film Festival and screened at Oscar-qualifying festivals worldwide. He’s appeared in viral CollegeHumor videos and his work has been featured by Cosmopolitan, PBS, and Funny Or Die. Currently, he’s developing SIGNIFICANT OTTER, an animated musical, and NAIN ROUGE, a queer horror feature inspired by Michigan folklore. Beyond entertainment, Ari teaches elementary music with LAUSD while pursuing his Music Education credential at Cal State Northridge. He graduated from Northwestern University and belongs to AEA, SAG-AFTRA and UTLA.

Nollie Moore

Corey Wright

Corey Wright is an award-winning choreographer, director, and educator whose work spans Broadway tours, television, film, and immersive theatre. A former ballet dancer turned artistic hybrid, he brings storytelling to life through movement with credits including CHICAGO, The Prom, and Dreamgirls. Corey has choreographed for both professional and educational theatre, including Pippin, Grease, The Bodyguard, and Xanadu. He teaches masterclasses across the Americas and is pursuing a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Currently a Jazz Lecturer at Chapman, Corey believes movement is a path to freedom and everyone has a story to tell.

Ben Howard

Ben Howard is an interdisciplinary artist and educator specializing in contemporary dance. He holds an MFA and BFA in Dance from Florida State University and has held faculty appointments at Florida State University and Texas A&M University. This fall, he joins Shenandoah Conservatory as Assistant Professor of Dance. A former Principal Dancer with The Tallahassee Ballet and performer for Celebrity Cruise Line, he has appeared on stages across 12 countries and three continents. His choreographic practice merges dance with immersive art, film, and opera, and he was recently awarded Best Choreography at the Toronto Experimental Dance & Music Film Festival.

Whitney Popp

Erika Pujic

Dawn Testa

Lauren Main de Lucia

Zeke Bocklage

Zeke Bocklage is a freelance actor, director, and music director based in Nacogdoches, TX, where he serves as Head of Musical Theatre and Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre/Acting at Stephen F. Austin State University. For over a decade, he has worked with regional theatres and academic institutions nationwide, including Florida Repertory Theatre, Gulfshore Playhouse, Okoboji Summer Theatre, Prairie Repertory Theatre, and more. He holds an MFA in Acting from Western Illinois University and dual undergraduate degrees in Acting and Voice Performance from Avila University. Zeke is a proud member of SDC, VASTA, and Actors’ Equity, and is represented by Boysen Agency and NOW Talent Management.

Brett Olsen

Kay Bardwell

Elsa Ramsay

Sam Cordes

Sam Cordes was “born in a trunk” in Kansas City, Missouri and has been doing professional theatre since the age of five. Cordes has acted and directed in theatres across the country and received his B.F.A. in Theatre from Stephens College for Women in Columbia, MO and his M.F.A. in Theatre from The University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Sam is the current Director of Touring for Agile Rascal Bicycle Touring Theatre. A theater troupe that creates original plays and tours them on bicycles to engage creative thinking about our collective future.

Charlie Johnson

Jeff Young

Jeff Allen Young is a passionate theatre artist and educator, currently serving as a theatre professor at Belhaven University (Jackson, MS). This fall, Jeff is thrilled to direct Seussical the Musical. His previous directing credits include: Cinderella, Night of Broadway, The Spitfire Grill, and Glimpses of the Moon. An actor with Actors’ Equity Association, Jeff has performed and taught with the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Folger Theatre, and in other short-films and festivals. He also works as a Standardized Patient Educator, training military medical students in clinical and communication skills. Jeff and his wife Esther enjoy coffee, traveling, and plant care.