Meet Our Staff
Michael Popovsky
Founder, Owner, Director | Voice Instructor
As a performer Michael, has had the honor of performing such theatres as Opera Naples (Fl), Opera Delaware, Fulton Theatre, Gretna Theatre, Opera Lancaster, Bootless Stageworks, and Opera Seabrook to name a few. Favorite roles on stage include Schaunard (La Boheme), Harold Hill (Music Man), Man #2 (My Way…Frank Sinatra), Satan (Jerry Springer the Opera), Silvio (Pagliacci), Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf (Into the Woods), Marullo (Rigoletto), Snoopy (You’re a Good Man…) and Lesgles (Les Miserables).
As a voice pedagogue and teacher, Michael is passionate about helping students unlock and demystify the power of their own voice through contemporary and anatomically correct voice training methods. Michael is a member of NATS, a winner of the Independent Teacher Fellowship Award and his students have attended such programs as Point Park University, NYU, AMDA, Temple and Penn State’s Summer Musical Theatre intensive. They’ve also been semifinalists and winners at NATS student auditions and have been cast in Broadway, professional, semi-professional, community and school productions.
An experienced Director and Music Director, a highlight of his directing resume was directing the area premier of School of Rock for PPAS, as well as bringing Mean Girls to Lancaster for the first time. Michael’s previous voice teachers include Dr. Thomas Houser, John Darrenkamp, Gweynne Geyer and Master Teacher Robert Edwin.
Michael lives full time in NYC working as a real estate agent with The Agency and loves playing golf, the NY Giants, and a good Old Fashioned.
Christyn Rutter
Owner, Director | Music Together® & Rhythm Kids® Instructor
Christyn Rutter is a multi-instrumentalist, performer, and educator with over 20 years of teaching experience. Throughout her career, she has taken on diverse roles including music director, costumer, props master, sound engineer, pit musician, and performer in productions ranging from intimate cabarets to fully staged musicals.
Her passion for music began in childhood, fueling a lifelong dedication to sharing the transformative power of music. After studying Music Education (French horn) at Eastern University, Christyn taught in Wayne, PA, before moving to Los Angeles. In 2010, she settled in Lancaster with her husband, welcomed children in 2011 and 2013, and joined Popovsky Performing Arts (PPAS) in 2014 as a Music Together® teacher. By 2016, Christyn became co-owner and director of PPAS, and in 2018, she completed Music Together’s Certification 1.
Outside of the studio, Christyn’s interests range from sewing, woodworking, and hand-lettering, to gardening, traveling, and crafting cocktails. She’s also passionate about movement—whether hiking, biking, kayaking, lifting, exploring, or competing. Christyn is a certified yoga instructor with more than 700 hours of Yoga Education, and is working towards a personal training certification.
Christyn cherishes the opportunity to inspire students and families at PPAS, and she is grateful for the relationships formed within the vibrant PPAS community.
Megan Charlesworth
Studio manger | piano, Music Together® & Rhythm Kids® Instructor
Megan Charlesworth holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Slippery Rock University of PA, and a Master of Music in Music Ed from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia where she studied the impacts of integration of culturally diverse materials in the music classroom. Megan joined PPAS in 2019 as a Music Together teacher and has since taken on the additional roles of private piano instructor and arts administrator. Prior to her work at the studio, Megan taught in public and private schools as a classroom music teacher, working with children ages K-12.
Outside of the studio, Megan serves as the Director of Music at Calvary United Church of Christ in Reading. She lives in Reading with her husband Preston, daughter Imogen, and son Whitaker.
Debra Macut
Director of Acting | Acting instructor
Debra Macut holds a BA in drama and psychology from Franklin and Marshall College and an MFA in Acting from Catholic University of America. Ms. Macut is also a proud member of the Actors’ Equity Association (AEA). Ms. Macut has enjoyed a successful career in professional theatre, having performed throughout the U.S. This includes a 10 year residency at Stage One in Louisville, Ky. and a world premiere production of “The Great Gilly Hopkins” at the New Victory Theatre on Broadway, in which she originated the role of Maime Trotter. Debra also has experience with industrial work including film, commercials, and voice-overs.
Ms. Macut’s teaching background is extensive, with over 20 years of experience including workshops on general acting, children’s theatre, and Shakespeare. Debra has taught college level courses at Indiana University Southeast and acting for young people at Harrisburg Area Community College and Penn State Harrisburg.
Juliana Alfano
Online Voice & Acting Instructor
Her training outside of Penn State has taken her around the world. She took part in a Baroque Opera Workshop at the Aaron Copeland School of Music, working with world renowned soprano, Julianne Baird and performing as Valletto in scenes from Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea. Prior to that, in the summers of 2014/2015 she attended Classical Singing and New York in June, an intensive vocal study program with leading professionals from Juilliard, Mannes, and Manhattan School of Music. Her studies have also taken her abroad to Salzburg, Austria, where she spent a summer training and singing at the Patti and Allan Herbert Frost School of Music.
Juliana holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from The Crane School of Music under the tutelage of Deborah Massell at SUNY Potsdam in Northern New York. Her favorite musical theatre roles from her undergraduate years include Hope Harcourt in Anything Goes and performing in the ensembles of A Chorus Line and Ragtime. In her spare time, she can be seen gushing over every cute puppy she encounters on the street and learning the ukulele.
Trinda Shaull
Piano, Guitar & Ukulele Instructor | Music Together® & Rhythm Kids® Instructor
Trinda Shaull is an experienced private music instructor and educator, having substantial experience in both the classroom and with private lessons. She is excited to join the PPAS teaching staff. Prior to joining PPAS, Trinda directed several ensembles including percussion, choral and symphony groups. She also had the pleasure of music directing Annie Jr and producing Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure.
She holds a B.S in Music Education from Lebanon Valley College. Outside of the studio, Trinda teaches private lessons out of her home in Reading. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking, and gardening. She lives with her husband, three cats, and her baby boy!
Becca Snyder
ACTING & DANCE instructor | Social Media Manager | Summer CAMP DIRECTOR
Becca Snyder is an actor, director, and teaching artist local to the Lancaster area. Becca has worked professionally in NYC, Boston, and Lancaster. In 2019, she graduated from The Boston Conservatory with a BFA in Musical Theatre and an emphasis in Directing. While in college, Becca developed a passion for education and helping to teach the next generation of theater artists. She is thrilled to join the Popovsky team and help cultivate and foster a healthy and supportive theatrical experience for her students!
Becca Gentry
DANCE instructor | choreographer
Rebecca Gentry is a professionally trained ballet and ballroom dancer, though she dabbles in a variety of dance styles, from Bachata to Bollywood, Tap to Tango. She is the owner of City Ballroom Ballroom Dance Studio and the director of The Dance Collective, Lancaster’s only youth ballroom and latin competitive dance team. She has performed locally with the Grant Street Dance Company, UpFront Theatre Company, and PRiMA Theatre, has choreographed for both PRiMA and UpFront, as well as Encore! Home School Productions, the Lancaster Academy for the Performing Arts, the People’s Shakespeare Project, and The Musical Box Theatre in Red Lion. She is resident choreographer in the Manheim Central High School theatre department. Her most favorite shows to work on include Jesus Christ Superstar, HAIR, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. She enjoys teaching and connecting with kids of ALL ages!
Sierra Fields
Voice Instructor
Sierra Fields is a music and theatre teacher who works with students of all ages, both in the classroom and on stage. Sierra received a B.S. in Music Education and a B.A. in Voice, musical theatre minor from Lebanon Valley College. She works as a Theatre Teacher for the Hershey Area Playhouse Theatre Academy and serves on the Education Committee at the Playhouse. She is currently an Elementary music and chorus teacher at Palmyra Area School District, as well as the middle school director of Palmyra Theatre. Sierra is passionate about providing a safe space for artistic and vocal growth.
Natalie Niles
Voice Instructor
Natalie Niles is a passionate music educator dedicated to nurturing students’ musical and personal growth. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education with a concentration in voice from Elizabethtown College, where she studied under Dr. Anne Gross. Natalie is currently pursuing her Master of Music Education (MMEd) at Elizabethtown College with a focus on Music & Peacebuilding. Certified in Orff Schulwerk Level 1 and World Music Drumming Level 1, Natalie incorporates creative, global approaches to her teaching. She serves as a K-5 general and vocal music teacher in the Conestoga Valley School District, where she inspires learners with engaging and inclusive music experiences.
Natalie is thrilled to offer private voice lessons designed to celebrate each student’s unique strengths and goals. She emphasizes technical excellence, artistic expression, and a deep love for music. Her ultimate joy is helping students find their voice and confidence through music.
Jonathan Walker-VanKuren
Voice Instructor
Jonathan Walker-VanKuren is a stage director, opera singer, and educator, serving as the Director of the Music Theatre and Opera Program at Lebanon Valley College. With a career spanning opera, musical theatre, and education, he has performed across the world and directed productions such as Tuck Everlasting and School of Rock. He is an advocate for inclusive theatre practices, most recently having presented on sensory-friendly performances at the Musical Theatre Educators Alliance Conference in NYC. Jonathan’s teaching emphasizes storytelling, vocal artistry, and performance technique, blending his professional experience with a passion for nurturing young talent. Beyond academia, he has directed, produced, and music directed for community theatres within Central Pennsylvania. He has mentored students who have achieved success across various facets of the performing arts. His students have pursued graduate programs in vocal performance and opera, excelled as educators, and built careers in the recording industry, contemporary commercial music (CCM) singing, and regional theatre. Many have also performed in professional national musical theatre tours, showcasing the breadth of opportunities his training supports.