Kristen Nihls

VP of Creative + Producer

Kristen Nihls is originally from Buffalo, New York. She graduated from the University at Buffalo in 2006 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. After college, Kristen began performing as a mainstage dancer for Princess Cruise Lines. She then moved to Las Vegas, where she worked as a model and dancer for BEST Agency. In 2008, Kristen started performing in shows and parades at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Some of her credits include Festival of the Lion King, Celebrate the Season, and Mickey's Boo to You Halloween Parade. She also had the opportunity to perform in a promotional video for American Idol with Jordin Sparks.

After her performing career, Kristen transitioned to working as a Maintenance Choreographer at Walt Disney World, where she taught and critiqued the park’s entertainment offerings, specializing in parades. She worked closely with show directors and choreographers to help maintain the spirit and quality of the shows. During the Christmas season of 2011, Kristen assisted choreographer Nick Demoura, who choreographed the Justin Bieber segment of the Christmas special, which aired on ABC.

Kristen joined the Mertz Productions family in 2015 as the Show Operations Director. She was responsible for all entertainment processes for Viking Ocean Cruises, including the appointment of talent, rehearsals, installation, and maintenance of current entertainment offerings. Kristen is now the VP of Creative, producing many corporate events for clients such as Subway, Kate Spade, Travel + Leisure, and many more.