CVPA Staff

Elena Villa - Theatre

Elena Villa began her teaching career in 2001 and joined the CV staff in 2010. She has a BA in English from Mount St. Mary’s Univ., a MA in Curriculum & Instruction from Chapman Univ., and a MA in Directing from Roosevelt Univ. The best part about teaching at Citrus is the mutual respect all the Performing Arts students show for each other. Fostering the creation of art is the most rewarding thing about teaching. When not at school, she enjoys trying new foods, cooking and going on adventures with her husband and son.

Austin Meiners - Band

Mr. Meiners has taught the bands and orchestras at Citrus Valley since 2016. He loves conducting the pit orchestras and collaborating with all performing art students. He is an avid soccer fan and will often get up to watch his Tottenham Hotspurs across the pond at 4am. A graduate of Long Beach State (B.M Instrumental Music ‘12), Mr. Meiners is finishing his Masters of Arts in Music and Music Education at Teachers College, Columbia University (‘22).

Kimberly Anaya - Choir

Kimberly Anaya has been teaching at Citrus Valley since 2011 and teaching music in some capacity since 1999.  She moved from a small mountain town to attend the U of R for her Bachelors in Vocal Performance.  Continuing her education at the U of R, she earned her Masters in Vocal Performance.  When her dreams to become an opera singer became harder by the week, she decided to get her teaching credential and find a high school gig.  She feels fortunate to have a home at CV and support from  her husband, 2 kids and amazing colleagues.

Sophia Ohanian - Piano

Sophia Ohanian began teaching at Citrus Valley in 2019. She teaches piano classes ranging from beginning to advanced as well as accompanying for the choirs and musicals. Originally from Los Angeles, Ms. Ohanian attended the University of Redlands where she received a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance (2015) and a Master of Arts degree in Education (2019). She has taught private piano lessons for over 10 years and is associate music director at Redlands United Church of Christ. When not working, Ms. Ohanian is an avid NBA follower. Go Lakers!

Wynsha Groce - Dance

Wynsha Groce has been teaching dance for over 20 years and is passionate about inspiring students through movement, creativity, and performance. She holds a BA in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing, a BS in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Pedagogy, and her teaching credential from California State University, San Bernardino.

Throughout her career, Wynsha has taught dance throughout the Inland Empire, worked with a professional dance agent, and gained experience dancing in the entertainment industry. She also owned and operated her own dance studio, Elevate, for 10 years, where she taught students ages 3–18, coached competitive dance teams, and helped dancers develop their skills both on and off the stage. Her competitive dancers earned numerous awards, and her adult hip-hop team competed at World of Dance, taking 1st place.

Dance has always been more than a career for Wynsha; it is her passion. She strives to bring that passion into the classroom by creating an environment where students can grow in confidence, develop their artistry, challenge themselves, and discover the joy of dance.

Zach Simons - Theatre Manager/Tech Director

Zach Simons joined the CVPA in 2022 as the Theater Operations Manager, and is so glad that he did! An entertainment professional with over 15 years of experience, including 16 Seasons as Lighting Director at the Redlands Bowl, he has worked with groups ranging from The Pacific Symphony to P.O.D. He holds a BA in Performance and Directing from Vanguard University, and can be found elsewhere directing and fight coordinating. A lifelong nerd, he loves all things creative, filling his head with useless facts, Disney Parks, vintage design and his 3 cats.

Jackson Bottorff - Guest Artist: ComedySportz Coach

Jackson Bottorff, CV and BTC alum, joined the CVPA staff as a coach in 2021. After earning his BA in Theatre from UC San Diego, he returned to the CVPA in 2025, where he has taken on a variety of roles, including director and assistant director, ComedySportz coach, and, as of 2026, Social Media and Front-of-House Manager for the BTC. Jackson is passionate about arts education and plans to pursue a graduate degree in preparation for a career as a theatre educator. He is proud to be part of a team dedicated to fostering creativity, inspiring students, and furthering the arts. 

Lieren King - Guest Artist: Choreographer

Lieren King has been working with CV for many years as a show choir and musical theater choreographer. Since 2020, Lieren King has been the proud owner of The Looking Glass Studio of Performing Arts in Redlands. She has taught dance at a performing art school in Rancho, danced professionally in 42nd St and Singing in the Rain, served as Dance Captain for both shows and choreographed for Singin’ in the Rain for the Redlands Bowl. She is excited to continue the partnership with CV.

Brian Curl - Guest Artist: Choreographer

Brian Curl is a professional teaching artist, actor, choreographer, director, and producer. Since 2008, Brian has been traveling the world teaching at conferences, high schools, and universities. As an actor, he has performed in 49 of the 50 states as well as off-broadway, off-off-broadway, regional theaters, summer stock theaters, and Walt Disney World.

In late 2019, Brian founded daily8count.com, an online choreography education tool for the classroom...check it out! Brian is also a proud founding member of the Teaching Artist Alliance.

A big kid at heart, Brian enjoys working with the future of the theatre industry! Insta: @briancurl81 & @daily8count.

Paris Langle - Guest Artist: Movement Coach

Paris first joined CVPA and the BTC team as a guest director for the 2023 spring honor production, The Wolves. Since then, Paris has directed other black box honor plays at CV, such as Popcorn Falls and Ride, along with co-helming mainstage productions like Lord of the Flies, Forest Paths, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. A graduate of Columbia University and a repertory-trained actor/dancer with an extensive oeuvre of diverse credits, Paris is a lifelong creative collaborator; she currently remains highly active in various facets of the performing arts across Southern California, most notably as lead immersive actor at the award-winning escape room The Ministry of Peculiarities (Hope End). 

Vinny Martinucci - Guest Artist: Set Designer

Vinny Martinucci just recently decided to pursue teaching set construction and safety at CVHS after 15 plus years experience in the field. An experienced contractor specializing in woodworking, theater set construction and design, Vinny has ties to establishments such as LifeHouse Theater in Redlands, Legendary Productions, and the Redlands Bowl. Vinny enjoys working collaboratively to achieve common goals. He is excited to introduce students wanting to learn more about theater into the world of set construction. A powertool enthusiast, Vinny loves adding to his collection of woodworking precision instruments. He enjoys his free time by persevering through and completing the most challenging videogames and raising his two children at home.