Faculty Directory

Jennifer Swiderski

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Jennifer Swiderski is a Broadway actress, director and choreographer, educator, coach, advocate, and proud mom — though not always in that order, and rarely all on the same day.

As a performer, she has appeared on Broadway, at Lincoln Center, and on National Tours in both leading and featured roles. Her career has taken her to stages around the world, earning her a few awards, plenty of playbills, and a lifetime of stories.

Her curiosity and love of collaboration naturally led her into teaching and directing alongside performing. Today, when she’s not directing and choreographing in New York and regionally, Jennifer can be found coaching Broadway actors (and the ones about to
be) or teaching the next generation of performers at New York Film Academy and other leading conservatories.

Her extensive stage experience also earned her the honor of serving as a Tony Award voter for more than a decade. Jennifer is known for creating spaces that are supportive, collaborative, and joy-filled — empowering artists to stretch past their own expectations
while appreciating the wonderment of shared empathy.

Greg Uliasz

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Greg is an Equity Partner at McDonald Selznick Associates, a talent agency with offices in New York and Los Angeles. MSA represents a diverse roster of high caliber creative talent, working across the entertainment industry. Greg primarily works to help place clients on Broadway, though he has vast experience in all areas of commercial theatre, live entertainment, and New York City-based projects.

Greg is also a freelance arts educator for a variety of industry training programs. Currently, he is an adjunct professor at the New York Film Academy, in the BFA Musical Theatre program, and at Pace University, in the BFA Commercial Dance Program.

Previously, Greg worked numerous productions as the Associate Director to Tony Nominee Patricia Birch. Greg also worked as a NYC Casting Director. Notably, he cast the Drama Desk Nominated Best Musical THE LIGHTNING THIEF and served on the board of CSA as an associate member.

Greg holds a master’s degree in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University. He graduated as the class Valedictorian and earned the program’s Advanced Achievement Award in a course of study that included executive leadership, negotiation and deal making, entertainment business finance, media publishing and distribution, and advanced entertainment law. His undergraduate degree is from the prestigious Theatre Arts Program at Marymount Manhattan College.

Vladimir Velev

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Vladimir Velev grew up in Sofia, Bulgaria admiring American movies and television from afar. He has studied Latin American and Ballroom dancing from the age of six and trained with the top teachers in the competitive dance world as well as in other styles of dance. Vladimir is a former Austrian national champion and quarterfinalist of both the World and European Professional Latin Championships. Since moving to the United States, he has established himself as a sought-after instructor, performer, and competitor. He joined the Musical Theater department of the New York Film Academy in 2016.

Bill Waldinger

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In addition to his faculty position at NYFA, Bill is also on the faculty at The Joffrey Ballet School, Broadway Dance Center, Molloy College’s CAP 21 Musical Theater Program and the New York Conservatory of Dramatic Arts. Certified by Luigi to teach the Luigi Jazz Technique, Bill has recently been filmed and interviewed for the recently released feature film Uprooted which chronicles the history of Jazz Dance. He has coordinated workshops bringing together the techniques of Luigi and Matt Mattox with classic musical theater choreography. Bill also frequently travels the world As a Master Teacher. He has also developed absolute beginner “Dance Classes For Singers” at The Singers’ Forum. As a performer, Bill has appeared in musical theater, concert dance, commercials, music videos, television and industrials. Highlights include regional and Off-Broadway productions of A Chorus Line (Paul in the first regional production), Carousel (Carnival Boy), Kismet, Drood, Oklahoma! (Dream Curly), A Funny Thing…, Guys and Dolls and Godspell. He was a company member of The David Storey Dance Works and Labyrinth Dance Theater. He has danced in commercials, music videos, was a featured dancer on the television show Soul Alive and appeared in videos for the Theater Dance Workshop.

Wysandria Woolsey

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Wysandria Woolsey originated the role of The Sugar Bowl in Disney’s Broadway production of “Beauty and the Beast,” and is featured on the cast recording and in the national commercial. She performed the role of Carlotta in the Broadway production of “The Phantom of the Opera” and was in “Parade at Lincoln Center,” both directed by Hal Prince. Other original Broadway shows include: “Aspects of Love” and “Chess,” both directed by Trevor Nunn. In Europe she was Grizabella in the Austrian production of “Cats,” and has performed in numerous national tours including “Whistle Down The Wind” (dir. Hal Prince), “Zorba” with Anthony Quinn (dir. Joel Grey), “On the 20th Century” as understudy to Imogene Coca, and “Song and Dance” as stand-by to Melissa Manchester. She was a featured soloist in “The Music of Andrew Lloyd Weber” (dir. Arlene Phillips). Other regional and stock credits include: “City of Angels,” “Blood Brothers,” “A Chorus Line” and “Street Scene.” She has also appeared as a soloist with the Cleveland Pops Orchestra in both Cleveland and Breckenridge Colorado, and was featured in the Lincoln Center Tribute to Alan Jay Lerner and at in a “Tribute to Stephen Sondheim” at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Joey Zangardi-Dixon

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JOEY ZANGARDI-DIXON is the Director of Musical Theatre Recruitment at the New York Film Academy (NYFA) and has been in the entertainment industry for decades. He has worked in Casting for MTV, FOX, Nickelodeon, and NBC, as well as an Agent, Director, Teacher, and Performer. He now uses his industry experience to scout talent, teach workshops, and adjudicate acting and musical theatre auditions around the globe. Regional Performance Credits include: Les Miserables, The Wizard of Oz, Mame, 1776, Make Me a Song, On the Town, Follies, The Immigrant, and The Who’s Tommy. NYC Casting Credits include: VH1 / Vogue Fashion Awards, Say What Karaoke, Nickelodeon Live, Jail Bait, and MTV 2 Large. Joey has been fortunate to work on projects featuring celebrities, such as Madonna, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani and Jay-Z.

Joshua Zecher-Ross

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JOSHUA ZECHER-ROSS has worked on over 100 productions in New York and around North America as a music director, supervisor, conductor, arranger, and electronic music designer, and has been a music director and accompanist at PCMT @ NYFA since 2014. Broadway: Be More Chill (conductor sub). Off-Broadway: Sweetee (music director/conductor), Broadway Bounty Hunter (rehearsal pianist). Recently: The Louder We Get directed by Lonny Price at Theatre Calgary. Other NY credits include songs in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and many shows at clubs and venues around NYC. Other regional credits include Barrington Stage Company, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, George Street Playhouse, Florida Studio Theatre, Sharon Playhouse, The Village Theatre in Seattle, WA, and The Little Theatre on the Square in Sullivan, Illinois. Joshua is also a musical theatre instructor at Actor Therapy, and he holds a Bachelor of music in vocal performance from the Steinhardt School at New York University. www.joshuazr.com @joshuazr1311