Miss Becky (Director, Owner)

I began dancing at Westford Dance Academy, and quickly found it to be my passion. I excelled at Hip-Hop and Jazz and also took classes in Lyrical and Ballet. I soon became an assistant teacher and shortly after, a Hip-Hop and Jazz teacher at WDA and The Dancing Center Unlimited. At age 16, I helped start up the first ever Chelmsford High School Dance Team. My senior year of high school I Co-directed the Team and put together the end of the year recital. During my years in Chelmsford, I participated in many volunteer and community service programs as a dance teacher. In 2003, I went on to major in Business at Fitchburg State College in hopes to someday run a studio. I joined the FSC Dance Club and I became a Hip-Hop teacher there and took many classes including Advanced Lyrical, Advanced Hip-Hop, Jazz/Funk, Theatrical, and Tap. My senior year I was the Vice President to the club of over 200 students and 15 teachers, and was also voted Teacher of the Year. I am a graduate of the Class of 2007 and shortly after became the director of Dance at New England Sports Academy in Westwood, MA from 2007 to 2008. I also taught dance in Fitchburg, MA in 2008. I have now returned to my old stomping grounds to open my own studio here in Westford. I can’t wait to have my first year here at Westford SDA! I believe dancing is a healthy way to express yourself and find who you are. My goal and mission of The Spotlight Dance Academy is to promote a healthy self image and boost confidence in the community while allowing children to have the time of their lives!

Miss Amanda Garvey (Diamond Dancers Director)

I began my dance career as a gymnast at Walker’s Gymnastics in Lowell, MA. I continued on to dance at Westford Dance Academy excelling in Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical and Ballet. Along with Becky, I started up the first ever Chelmsford High School Dance Team. Becky and I continued our partnership as Co-directors of the Team and put together the end of the year recital along with several other plays and musicals and local performances. During my senior year of high school I was chosen as a back-up dancer for an up and coming solo artist. I was also the Lead Dance Instructor for Chelmsford Community Education. Before leaving for college, I participated in many volunteer and community service programs as a dance instructor. In college, I was selected to participate in the Fitchburg State College Dance Club, and had the opportunity partake in several genres of dance for 4 years. While in the dance club, I created and taught the Advanced Theatrical class and assisted Advanced Hip Hop for 3 great years and was voted Teacher of the Year my senior year. After college, I began my journey with Bates Entertainment Inc. as a professional dancer for their weekly functions. At The Phunk Shoppe, I am currently taking the senior competition team down the road to victory in several local competitions! I am also a teacher at the Dance Academy of Windham. As of Spring 2010, I will have obtained my Associates Degree in Arts: Dance Education. As the Performance Company Director at SDA my goal is to inspire confidence and self esteem in young girls through the art of performance!

Miss Courtney Conlin (Ballet/Tap Instructor)

At the age of three I slipped on my first pair of ballet slippers, and I knew that dance was going to be a huge part of my life. I began my training at The Dancing Center Unlimited in Chelmsford, MA and quickly found it be my home away from home. By age seven I became a member of the competitive team at The Dancing Center Unlimited where I excelled in ballet, tap, and jazz. Over the years, I spent more and more time in the studio perfecting my techniques and rehearsing for various performances. I extended by dance knowledge and ability in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, modern, hip-hop, Pointe, along with contemporary dance. While in these classes and performances, my skill continued to move to higher levels.

As a dancer, I performed in various competitions and venues including Dance Ovations Nationals, a number of times, along with other competitions in MA and N.H. Twice I have performed in Walt Disney World. At the same time I attended numerous dance conventions in which I was given great opportunities to take master classes with some phenominal choreographers, such as David Connolly.
I also performed in the cast of The Nutcracker with the Dance Prism Company of Concord, MA. In high school I became a teachers’ assistant at The DCU, and also taught a kinder hip-hop class. I was a member of the Chelmsford High School Dance Team performing in pep rallies, musicals, and the spring shows. At age eighteen, my dance career was slightly halted due to a hip dysphasia, which caused me to undergo many surgeries at Children’s Hospital. I did not let this little bump in the road stop me from doing what I love. I am currently a student at Fitchburg State College, majoring in human services. There I am a member of the Fitchburg State Dance Club, and the teacher of the advanced tap class. With the FSC dance team, I was given the opportunity to travel to New York City and take classes at the Broadway Dance Center in NYC, and I was provided with the lucky opportunity to take a master class with a cast member of the musical Chicago that is on Broadway.

As a teacher at Spotlight, I am enthusiastic to pass on my extensive knowledge of dance to younger students. My passion is to provide young dancers with the excitement of dance in their lives along with learning respect for their body, motivation, and perseverance. My principal hope is to pass on a love of dance to younger dancers. Dance is not only an art; it’s passion, it’s emotion, it’s feeling! My motto is “Never give up, never say can’t!”