Our Staff

The staff of Encore! Glee Club includes professional performers and educators who are dedicated to excellence in both presenting theater and in teaching it to children. All have established careers and reputations in the performing arts in the Pioneer Valley, and all have distinguished themselves in their area of expertise.

We are proud to announce our instructors for this summer’s workshops: Dustin Sleight and Martha Potyrala. Ms. Potyrala was with us last summer and she leads the dance and props sessions. Mr. Sleight will be leading vocal training and acting. He brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge.

Dustin Sleight has participated in every aspect of theater: acting, directing, technical and playwright. He received his Bachelor in Theater from the University of Maine, where he received numerous awards for performance and directing. He traveled on national tour with the Missoula Children’s Theatre as their director and has acted in and directed several shows in the New England area. Mr. Sleight started his own children’s theater residency company and had recently directed theater workshops for Sunderland Elementary.

Martha Potyrala’s study of dance began at the age of eight at Darleen’s School of Dance in Chicopee, Massachusetts with training in tap, jazz, ballet and Pointe. She received her BA in English from Curry College, where she minored in dance. She also has a Master’s degree in education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Ms. Potyrala has performed and taught extensively in Western Massachusetts and Connecticut. As a choreographer she has worked with Chestnut Accelerated Middle School for the Visual and Performing Arts and Van Sickle Middle School both in Springfield, Seat of Our Pants Productions, South Hadley Harlequins and the Pioneer Valley Ballet.