Meet our Team

  • CPAA DIRECTOR & Drama Teacher


    GayLynn Massanari has been the Ministry Director for CornerStone Performing Arts Academy for seven years. Her high standard for excellence in the arts and her passion for today’s youth to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior are her driving force.

    Among her many accomplishments, Mrs. Massanari has served for over 20 years coordinating the teaching, skits, and worship for Cornerstone Women’s Retreats. She was the Cornerstone Children’s Church Director for 15 years and ran the Foursquare kids camp, encompassing over 400 children. She is a master event planner and coordinator, holding banquets for 500 people where she designed and created elaborate décor, oversaw the menu, and planned the entertainment. Mrs. Massanari has directed and co-directed numerous productions for both CornerStone Church and CPAA, including Life School Musical, In the Big Inning, Charlie’s Angels, Christmas at Hope Central, Game Show “Deal or No Deal,” The Greatest Story Ever Told, Best Summer Ever, Elf Jr., Annie Jr., and Beauty and the Beast Jr. and many more!

    She has taught numerous classes in both Drama and Musical Theater. Mrs. Massanari grew up in Las Vegas and is the loving wife of Pastor Greg Massanari, the proud mother of five extraordinary children, and the adoring grandmother of her incredible grandchildren.


  • CPAA Director & Dance Instructor

    Colby Leigh Ford is a professional dancer and choreographer. She is technically trained in over eighteen styles: Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, Waltz, Tango, Fox Trot, and many more. She was born and raised in Las Vegas and competed for many years, winning many national titles. Between ages sixteen and seventeen, Colby traveled nationwide, assisting Stacey Tookey with Nuvo Competitions by Break the Floor Productions. She moved to New York City when she was eighteen to pursue her career as a Professional Ballroom dancer, where she was mentored by and danced with Mayo Alanen, who appeared on the first season of Dancing With the Stars. In 2014, Colby was awarded the prestigious ballroom title World Championship in Theater Arts.

    Colby has worked for and studied with some of the top names in the dance industry, such as Peter Chu, Stacey Tookey, Blake McGrath, Chaz Buzan, Mayo Alanen, and Shannon Mather. Colby’s latest endeavor is developing her God-given gifts to help build and establish CornerStone Performing Arts Academy. She has found a new passion for using the talents that God has given her to teach young students Dance and Musical Theatre in a healthy Christian environment. Colby is happily married to the love of her life, the very proud mother of 5-year-old son Stetson, Beckham, and Graham.

  • CPAA Music Instructor


    Ryan Ralph was born in Sheridan, MI, and has spent the past 14 years in Las Vegas, NV. Ryan studied music education and vocal performance, along with a minor in Trombone performance, at Central Michigan University. He continued his education at the University of Texas in Austin, TX. There he worked on his Master’s Degree in Opera Performance.  After leaving Austin, Ryan moved to New York City, where he lived for three years performing Opera professionally worldwide. He has performed with numerous companies, such as Washington National Opera, Nashville Opera, San Diego Lyric Opera, Virginia Musical Theater, Ashlawn Opera Festival, Austin Lyric Opera, The Austrian American Mozart Academy, and many more. Mr. Ralph has been performing professionally now for over 15 years. He also had a recording career singing with the classical crossover group W.I.N with Universal Music Group, South Korea. In addition to his performing career, Mr. Ralph taught numerous choirs, lessons, music theory, and music history classes in Austin, New York, and Las Vegas.

    Ryan has three beautiful children, Caden, Ethan, and Carmen. His wife, Anitra, also studied music at Central Michigan University. She is currently the district manager for the Las Vegas Pandora, Brighton, and Alex and Ani stores. They also are big dog lovers and have three rescue dogs, Gatsby, Leia, and Obi. Aside from the stage and classroom, Ryan has many interests and hobbies outside the performing arts world. Ryan was an all-state golfer at his high school in his home state of Michigan. He is also an avid runner, competing in 5-6 half marathons a year.


  • CPAA Dance Instructor

    Sophie is a professional dancer and choreographer from Newcastle, England. Having danced since she was two, winning many British Championship titles in Tap & Jazz, she continued her professional training in all genres of Dance, Singing, and Acting at the prestigious ‘Urdang Academy’ in London, graduating in 2016.

    She then worked professionally worldwide with Carnival Cruise Lines as a Production Dancer and Singer. She worked her way up to Dance Captain, Cast Manager, and Show Supervisor, who led and installed their new magic illusion show in Australia’s latest ship in 2019.

    Sophie has also worked with Las Vegas’ own Zowie Bowie as a showgirl, Performed on multiple TV shows, including the UK version of Dancing With The Stars, as well as performed in musicals such as Bring It On (lead stunt girl & u/s Kyler), Our House: a madness musical (Angie) and Mamma Mia! (Ali & Featured ensemble dancer).

    She is also a former British Champion acrobatic gymnast.

    Sophie loves teaching as well as performing. She loves passing on all of the knowledge she has gained to the younger generation and believes every child should be nurtured as an individual to bring out the best in them while always instilling professional etiquette at the same time!

    She has lived in Las Vegas for three years with her two dogs, Foxy & John, and her son Ashton!

  • CPAA Dance Instructor

    Emily Velasco is a professional performer from Newcastle in the northeast of England. She started dance competitions at age two and won many titles in tap, ballet, and jazz. She was even lucky enough to be in the final of Miss Dance of Great Britain, held in Blackpool in 2012. She has represented her hometown on big stages like the Royal Albert Hall as well as smaller productions like pantomimes. 

    After her competition days and one-year studying musical theatre at Newcastle College, Emily moved to Reno, Nevada, to continue teaching and dancing in America. 

    In Reno, she taught many different genres of dance and acting at Take2 Performers studio and agency to help other performers transfer over to LA and New York and become their most successful. While also performing in shows and events, she got the chance to choreograph local entertainment for up-and-coming artists.  

    Now a seasoned professional with five years of experience in Vegas, Emily continues to share her love for the arts as a freelance dance teacher and choreographer. Her passion for performing is infectious, and she delights in passing on the joy and excitement of the arts to her students. Despite the occasional nerves that come with performing, Emily always emphasizes the fun and fulfillment that the art form brings, reinforcing the message that hard work is always worthwhile.


  • CPAA Dance Instructor

  • CPAA Finance, Communications, Admin, & Substitute Dance Instructor

    Christina Engelson was born and raised here in Las Vegas. Christina has professional training in Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Acrobatics, Tap, and more. Christina danced competitively at her local dance studio for ten years and won many national titles. After graduating high school, Christina began her teaching career at schools here in the valley and at the studio she attended. Christina found Cornerstone Christian Academy by becoming a teacher at the preschool four years ago, then, soon after, began her journey with Cornerstone Performing Arts. She is now one of our instructors, teaching a variety of classes offered from the ages of 3 years to 14 years old. Christina’s dance family helped her flourish into the person she is today, which drives her passion to share her craft with others.

       Christina is happily married to the love of her life, Matthew. Christina and her husband Matthew met when they were very young and started dating after they graduated high school and were soon married after. Christina and Matthew welcomed their first daughter, Avery, last september. Christina and her family enjoy trips to California, spending time on the beach, and visiting their favorite local restaurants.

  • CPAA Musical Theater Vocal Coach

    Anitra Ralph was born and raised in Bay City, MI, and has spent the past 18 years in Las Vegas, NV. Anitra has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Musical Theatre from Central Michigan University. After graduating, Anitra moved to Las Vegas where she has lived for the past 18 years. She has performed with numerous regional and touring companies and has played a wide range of roles on stage including Annie in Annie Get Your Gun, Marty in Grease, Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof, Tuptim in The King & I, Cinderella in Into the Woods, and Belle in Beauty and the Beast – for which she won the Midland Center for the Arts award for Best Actress in a Musical.

    Anitra most recently had the great honor and privilege to share the stage with the amazingly talented cast of CPAA as Maleficent in the 2022 production of Descendants the Musical.

    Along with her musical theatre background, she has performed as a backup singer for numerous Vegas headliners, as well as using her classical music training to sing Italian Opera music in Streetmosphere at the Venetian where she met her gorgeous husband Ryan, also known as CPAA’s Music Director Mr. Ralph!

    Anitra and Ryan have three beautiful children, Caden, Ethan, and Carmen and are proud dog parents to their 3 rescue dogs - Gatsby, Leia, and Obi. Anitra spends her days in her career as the Director of Training and Business Development for Bribor LLC – a family owned business in Las Vegas that has owned and operated Brighton Collectibles, Pandora Jewelry and Alex & Ani retail stores throughout the city as well as consulting with brands on a national level.

    Aside from being a lover of musical theatre and animals, Anitra cheers on her favorite team, The Detroit Lions, during football season and is a voracious reader! She always has a book in her hands, on her Kindle, or in her ears!

    The Ralphs are so blessed to use their talents with CPAA and to be a part of the Cornerstone Worship Team where they get to share the stage praising God together.

    Anitra is so excited, humbled, and thankful to be an official part of the CPAA team!

  • CPAA Dance Instructor Assistant