JANEL SIPALA WEISS (Choreographer) is the previous owner and lead instructor of Janel’s Dance Arts Fusion in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, and is thrilled to be a part of the BTW staff! She has fond memories of performing in the SJR productions of Footloose, Pippin, Les Miserables and The Prince and the Pauper during her high school years at Immaculate Heart Academy. Janel went on to Muhlenberg College, where she earned both a Bachelor’s Degree in Dance and Certification in Elementary Education. Along with her performance experience in college, she was given the opportunity to choreograph several student dance concerts. She was President of the Muhlenberg Dance Association, became an instructor for the Muhlenberg Community Dance Center and was inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society. After college, Janel enjoyed opportunities to perform, choreograph, and teach. She performed at the Special Olympics Opening Ceremony in 2014 and the Bruno Mars Super Bowl Halftime Show at MetLife Stadium.

She has been a member of the dance fusion company, Bollywood Funk NYC, and was a dancer/choreographer for the Gotham City Cheerleaders. She then joined BTW to choreograph productions of Godspell, She Loves Me, The Drowsy Chaperone, Mamma Mia!, Punk Rock Girl, Prom, Mean Girls and Chicago and also the SJR productions of The Addams Family, Mystic Pizza!, Into the Woods and Footloose. For over ten years, she has been an educator and paraprofessional while at the same time opening a dance studio. This allowed her to pursue her passions for both teaching and dance. Looking forward, Janel is excited for any opportunity with musical theater and is ready for another great year at BTW!