| |
| |
|
|
 |
Denise Caston - Company Teacher |
DENISE CASTON, Producer of the Motor City Tap Fest and Director and Founder of the Detroit Tap Repertory, has been a Radio City Rockette since 1997 and toured nationally with the Tony Award winning musical, Crazy For You. Denise has also had the honor of performing the choreography of Savion Glover at a showcase in New York City. She performed on tour in Australia in 2002, dancing all over the continent in Elvis to the Max. Denise’s credits also include film, commercials, and industrials. |
| |
Kaitlynn Edgar - Recreational / Company Teacher |
|
| |
Rebecca Forbis - Recreational / Company Teacher |
|
| |
Stephanie Giasone-Nieddu - Company Teacher |
|
 |
Ellisa Marsack - Recreational Teacher |
Ellisa Marsack is 18 years old. She grew up in Chesterfield Michigan and is a former student of Spotlight Dance Works. She has been dancing at Spotlight for 8 years and a total of 10 years. In high school she was apart of the L’Anse Creuse North dance team. She has also danced at the half time show for the lions, at fundraisers such as breast cancer walks. She went to L.A on a full scholarship from the dance convention called The Movement., and has assisted and choreographed for Nichole Thuman at the Fredrick V. Pankow Center in Chesterfield. Ellisa is currently attending Wayne State University. She is a dance major on a talent scholarship, and also a part of Wayne State University's Dance Company One. |
 |
Jenny Meeks - Recreational / Company Teacher |
Jennifer Meeks is a Spotlight Dance Works Alumni. She recently graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a BA in Teaching Dance; training under Dardi McGinley-Gallivan, Liz Burritt, Darrell Jones, Carrie Hansen, Colleen Halloran, Paige Cunningham, Pam McNeil and Lisa Johnson-Wilingham. She was a guest performer with Gravity Dance Company in Wayne State University’s 2005 Dance Umbrella. This is her first season performing with Mack Avenue Dance Company; a Detroit based modern dance company. Meeks has been on the Spotlight Staff for the past eight years teaching various levels of jazz, tap, lyrical/contemporary, and hip hop.
|
 |
Megan Montgomery - Recreational / Company Teacher |
Megan K Montgomery, of Michigan, received her pre-college training from Shelley's Spotlight (now Spotlight Dance Works) and Juliana'a Academy of Dance. She studied on scholarship in Chicago at Giordano's Dance School. She is currently a dance major at Wayne State University, pursuing her Bachelors of Fine Performing Arts. Megan has taught at Juliana's Academy of Dance, Deborah's Stage Door Dance Center and Kensington School of the Arts, and is currently with Studio A Center for Performing Arts and Spotlight Dance Works. She was also the Varsity Dance Team coach for Anchor Bay High School.
Megan is a member of Detroit-based Mack Avenue Dance Company where she performs the works of Jana Hicks, Colleen Thomas, Stephanie Laipis, and Chris Masters. Prior to joining MADC, Megan was a three-year member of the Detroit Pistons Dance Team Automotion, and performed in local events with Mary J. Blige, Boyz II Men, Fash Bash, Detroit Talent Studio, River Community Church, and Kensington Church. Television credits include various appearances for local news affiliates, ESPN, Fox Sports Net, and WB20.
|
| |
Liz Schmidt - Artistic Director - Recreational / Company Teacher |
Liz Schmidt graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in dance from Wayne State University. As a performer she has danced with top jazz and contemporary companies around the Detroit area including Detroit Dance Collective and Gravity Dance Company. As a teacher/choreographer, Liz spends most of her time pursuing her main passion as the artistic director of Spotlight Dance Works. Her students at Spotlight have consistently earned her recognition for best choreography at various regional and national pre-professional dance organizations. Liz has also been a national talent judge for Hall of Fame Dance Challenge for many seasons. Recently, Liz was named by Dance Teacher Magazine as Best Contemporary Choreographer of 2008. Liz has been on faculty at the University of Michigan teaching advanced jazz technique to dance and theater majors. She has also enjoyed guest teaching positions at Wayne State University Dance Department, Western Michigan University Dance Team, Michigan State Dance Team and many local studios and workshops. She is currently on faculty for The Sessions; a contemporary workshop featuring some of the best up and coming teachers and choreographers in the nation. In the past Liz has received choreography grants under the Wayne State University Dance Umbrella Program and has also accepted a position as a guest writer for Movmnt Magazine. |
 |
Samm Shelton - Ballet Teacher |
SAMANTHA SHELTON received her professional training from the Joffrey Ballet and the David Howard Dance Center in New York and in Michigan with Rose Marie Floyd. She has also trained in London with Anita Young, former soloist with the Royal Ballet and at the Cecchetti Summer Program in Chichester, England. For the past thirteen years, she has been on the ballet faculty for American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive, teaching, setting ABT repertoire and choreographing new ballets for the final performance at the Detroit Opera House. She has also taught and choreographed for the professional ballet program at the Walnut Hill School in Boston, directed by former ABT principal, Michael Owen and was on faculty at the Interlochen Arts Academy for three summers. She has performed extensively in both classical and contemporary ballets, including the Grand Pas from Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, also principal roles in Giselle and Raymonda.
She had been on the ballet faculties at Wayne State University and the Detroit Opera House, where she was the artistic director for the Detroit Opera House’s Civic Dance Ensemble. Samantha holds an M.F.A in Dance from the University of Michigan, where she was awarded a Rackham Thesis grant, and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan. She has also done graduate work at New York University in Performing Arts Administration with internships in development and marketing at Carnegie Hall and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Samantha is on the ballet faculties of the Rochester School of Dance and Spotlight Dance Works in Chesterfield, Michigan. Recently, she was elected to the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance Alumni Society Board of Governors and the Executive Board of the Michigan Dance Council. |
 |
Bryan Strimpel - Company Teacher |
Bryan Strimpel - A junior at Wayne State University, Bryan is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance. He has danced at the Joyce Theatre with Nicholas Leichter Dance, a New York based company in the premier of "Killa". He recently traveled to Colombia, South America working with underprivileged kids in dance with Comfenalco and Wayne State University. Bryan has been teaching for 6 years and has taught for studios including, Sherry's Academy of Dance, Dance Extreme, and is happy to be a part of the faculty at Spotlight Dance Works. |
 |
Kate Vincek - Company Teacher |
Kate is currently a senior majoring in Dance at Wayne State University. She received her pre-college dance training from Spotlight Dance Works as a member of the competition team under direction of Liz Schmidt. She began teaching at Spotlight in 2005 and is currently a teacher/ choreographer for the studio’s competition team as well as recreational students, specializing in contemporary and jazz. She has won talent and choreography awards for her work with Spotlight as well as for her work at Wayne State. Kate is extremely proud to have been a part of the Spotlight family for so many years. |
| |
Jennifer Wolfe - Recreational Teacher |
|
|
