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Teachers
Welcome back to our teachers
for the 2009/10 year:

Scroll
down or click on the picture of the teacher for more details.
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Sara
Ioannou MacNeil, A.B.A.T.D., Director
Sara
has been dancing into the spotlight since 1990. After achieving
recognition for her performances in Canada, the United States and Europe, she is now earning a reputation for striking choreography.
As a certified teacher (A.B.A.T.D.) and choreographer she has had the pleasure
of watching her own students carry on her success, winning scholarships and
overall high mark trophies in modern, hip hop, jazz, tap, lyrical, acro and
musical theatre. A dedicated teacher, Sara thoroughly enjoys working with
children of all ages and levels of experience. She is also proud of the
accomplishments of her recreational dancers.
Sara
trained at studios in Southern
Ontario and New York state and is well versed in all forms of dance including
ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, pointe, modern, musical theatre and song
and dance. She has also studied singing
for a number of years. During her competitive career, Sara was named overall
Senior Performer four times and was also awarded Outstanding Professional
Dancer. She is the recipient of many scholarships and high mark trophies. In
1999/2000 she was the B.A.T.D. Senior Tap Champion and tapping out a rhythm is
certainly in her blood. She is a three-time member of the Canadian National
Tap Team, traveling to Germany to go toe to toe with the world’s top
tappers. In her last year on the team she was dance captain. Training with dance greats
Mathew Clark and Kevin Pugh and participating in workshops at the National
Ballet School and George Brown College (in association with Ballet Jorgen) are
just some highlights of her dance career.
In 2001 Sara went on to study at
Toronto’s prestigious Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts, enhancing her
dancing, singing and dramatic skills. While
at Randolph, she had the opportunity to participate in workshops with the
Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson dancers, as well as dancers from the Broadway
Tour of Fosse. She honed her choreographic skills with artists such as Mark
Cassius of the Nylons. Sara has demonstrated her triple threat techniques in
community theatre productions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream
Coat, Kiss Me Kate, The Wizard of Oz and Crazy for You. On top of a
grueling
dance and performance schedule, Sara also found time to provide dance
instruction for public school programs as well as teach dance to special needs
children in the community. During summer 2002, Sara taught dance for the City of
Toronto's Arts Discovery Summer Camp. Sara is a native of Durham
Region and the Kawartha Lakes district and is proud to call Bowmanville her
home.
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Ami
Johnson,
Level Three Coach, Instructor
Ami has competed as a gymnast at
the provincial level for six years. She has coached provincial and national
level gymnastics for twelve years. Ami’s certification qualifies her as a
level three gymnastics coach. Another one of Ami's accomplishments was
performing in Cirque Sublime.
She has been choreographing floor routines
since 1998 and enjoys working with kids of all ages and skill levels. We are
excited to welcome Ami back to the Spotlight teaching team this year.
We look
for Ami's continued success and the growth of our acro
program.
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Jacalyn
Cook,
A.B.A.T.D., Instructor
Jackie was the 2006
dancer of the year at Spotlight and is jumping into the role of Instructor
with both feet. Since then she has completed her teaching certificates in
Ballet, Jazz & Tap with excellent scores on all exams.
She is balancing a
career in teaching at Spotlight with her completion of legal
administration and mortgage agent diplomas. |
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Kelly
Brown Monson,
Instructor
Kelly
has been involved in highland dancing since the age of 3. She has enjoyed a
successful competitive career in dance taking her across
Canada
, the
United States
and
Scotland
. She is the professional member of the Durham Region Highland Dancer's
Association and the Past President of Scotdance
Ontario
. She has served on the executive of Scotdance
Ontario
for the past 8 years.
Kelly is a Fellow
member of the B.A.T.D. in the
Highland
and National Branches of Dance. She is also a member of the Scottish Official
Board of Highland Dance (SOBHD) Judge's Panel.

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Becky
Graham, A.B.A.T.D.
,Instructor Becky
is an award winning competitive dancer for 10 years in ballet, jazz, tap and
lyrical. She has been trained
and taken exams in B.A.T.D. for Ballet, Tap, and Jazz.
Becky
is exited to be working with Sara and Spotlight now that she is back in the Kawartha region.
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Tia
Star Pivirotto,, A.B.A.T.D.,
Instructor
Tia
has been dancing at a competitive level for 10 years in jazz, tap,
lyrical/contemporary and ballet/pointe, winning a number of awards. She has been trained
and taken exams in B.A.T.D. for Ballet, Tap, and Jazz. Tia has taught various disciplines of dance at many different
age groups since 1995.
Tia's
earlier years were spent in Lindsay where she learned her craft with Sara.
Although corporate life now occupies a large part of her life, Dance will
always be in Tia's blood.
Tia
is also an energetic entrepreneur and will be launching Canada's first
online designer dress store. Please check it out; www.tiastar.com.
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Krysta
Zoet,, A.B.A.T.D.,
Instructor
Krysta
has been part of Spotlight since the beginning. She has already won many
awards and scholarships.
It
is now time for Krysta to add Choreography and Teaching to her repertoire.
Krysta will continue with her dance career as well.
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Abi Duke,
Instructor Abi
started Gymnastics at age 5. She has had a number of top 10 provincial rankings
between 2006 - 2008, including Provincial Vault Champion. In
2009-10, Abi competed in the provincial finals with the Clarington Coyotes
Cheerleading Team as well as Ultimate cheer in Pickering. We look forward to the
growth of the Cheer program at Spotlight.
Abi has been dancing at
Spotlight since 2008 where she has won a number of awards.
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