Jen Barden

Director/Owner - Spotlight Vermont. Co-Founder - Vermont Theatre Academy

Teaches - Tap, Jazz, Musical Theater Dance, Ballet

Jen has been dancing most of her life. She started dance at the age of 5 at the prestigious "June Claire School of Dance" on Long Island. She later went on to be one of their youngest teachers at age 16. Despite her young age, Jen travelled to New York City weekly to study with some of the top dance teachers & choreographers at studios like Steps, Broadway Dance, Phil Black Studio and more.

In 1987 she moved to Vermont. Although she was asked to fly back to New York weekly to continue teaching, she decided to start a dance program in her new home instead. In 1996, Spotlight Vermont was born.

Jen is extremely grateful for the opportunity to teach students of all ages and share her love of dance! She has seen many of her students move on to pursue performing arts professionally. She is most proud of her contribution to her students growing up in her studio to become strong, confident and disciplined individuals. She is a teacher and mentor to many!

Sarah Bassett

Sarah grew up dancing at Creative Steps Dance Studio in Newton, Massachusetts, training in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, modern, lyrical, contemporary, and acrobatics. She spent her high school years assistant and substitute teaching alongside dancing 8+ hours a week with her studio's dance company. Sarah then attended the University of Vermont, where she majored in early childhood and special education, following her passion for working with children and teaching. While at UVM, Sarah trained with the dance faculty and was a co-president of UVM Dance Force, UVM’s largest student-run dance company. Sarah graduated from UVM in 2023 and is an elementary teacher in the area. In the summer, Sarah is an Assistant Program Director at American Dance Training Camps, where she has the opportunity to teach and coach dancers across the East Coast. She continues her own dance training at Lines Vermont and continues to love teaching and inspiring young dancers at Spotlight.

Andrea Villanti

Bio Coming Soon

Elisa Van Duyne

Teaches - Musical Theatre, Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Hip Hop Lite

Elisa Van Duyne is a professional performer, choreographer and arts educator with over 20 years experience in theatre and musical theatre. As a performer, she's been seen and heard on Broadway: “42nd Street”, “Beauty and the Beast,” “Finian’s Rainbow”, “110 In The Shade” on TV: “Person of Interest”, “As The World Turns,” “2001 TONY Awards,” as well as Off-Broadway, European & national tours, and regional theaters all over the country. She has choreographed for universities, international entertainment companies, BC/EFA benefit concerts and professional theaters. Her work includes "Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “Oklahoma,” “Big River,” "Footloose," ”Hairspray,” “The Who's Tommy" as well as stand alone contemporary and tap dance pieces. As an arts educator, she’s taught in NYC at Cap 21, Broadway Dance Center, and AMDA; Paper Mill Playhouse and local performing arts schools across the nation.

Mickey DeFranco

Teaches - Jazz Fusion

Mickey recently moved here from NJ where she directed a pre-professional dance company. Many of her company dancers appeared on Broadway, including: Hamilton, Aladdin, Mamma Mia, Moulin Rouge, Anastasia, to name a few. She served as a choreographer for television with Metropolis Studios, New York City, and ABC studios. She was a guest choreographer for Broadway Dance Center's “American Heritage” in NY, as well as Resorts Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ. In 2024, Mickey received national recognition for her piece “Pages”. She is excited to share her passion with the Spotlight Studio dancers.

Cara Beyor

Teaches - Jazz and Contemporary

Cara is a gifted teacher, dancer and choreographer.

Cara Beyor has lived most of her life in New England and New York. Training with multiple studios as well as master classes with teachers from NYC. She started her dance life with Canterella (now the Albany-Berkshire Ballet) and then with David DeMarie dance studio in Buffalo, NY where she competed for 4 years. She started the first high school dance team in Western MA in 1995-6 at her high school. After that, she danced in college with Ellen Sinopoli and a student organisation at Russell Sage College. After graduating from college, she moved to VT and found Spotlight on dance after trying classes in multiple places. "Spotlight is the perfect fit; a place that I can share with students my love of dance and help build confidence while learning something they can enjoy for the rest of their lives."

Cara has been involved with the VPA since dance became a varsity sport in 2005 in Vermont. Cara started as a coach and now is a senior adjudicator of the high school dance competitions.

Dr Beyor is also a licensed Doctorate Physical Therapy Specialist at Choice Physical Therapy in St. Albans, VT.

Shelley Ismail

Teaches - Ballet, Pointe

Shelley began dancing as a young girl in the NY metro area, and trained for nine years at the old Metropolitan Opera School of Ballet. She studied with Margaret Craske, Alfredo Corvino and Anthony Tudor, whom Shelley considers an essential influence on her life and philosophy of dance. Young Shelley spent her summers at Jacobs Pillow and as a teen spent a year at the Royal Ballet School in London. Her

professional career began moving to Paris dancing with the Ludmila Tcherina Company, the Nice Opera Ballet and onto the Basil Opera Ballet. Returning to NYC for a year of concert work, Shelley settled

for the next ten years in Montreal, dancing as soloist with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens in Nutcracker, Giselle, Swan Lake, Les Sylphides, Balanchine balllets and numerous contemporary modern works. She moved on to start a small company with choreographer Lawrence Gradus called Entresix that performed over two hundred performances a year all over Canada. Shelley returned to NYC to study with Maggie Black.

Ms. Black was famous for creating a new ballet technique based in anatomy. This technique stressed working with a neutral spine, and proper pelvic alignment. Many of the world most elite dancers, including Vermont’s own Kevin McKenzie( former principal dancer and now Artistic Director of American Ballet Theater), studied with Ms. Black to heal injuries, and extend their dance careers. Shelley greatly absorbed her message of using a pure and holistic approach in teaching. Shelley brought this approach back to Montreal and taught for both the Les Grand school and Company.

After leaving Montreal, Shelley retired and moved to Vermont. She has taught throughout Franklin and Chittenden Counties. Shelley has received choreographic grants and with them started a small company of young dancers. The dancers performed and did lecture demonstrations in various schools.

Shelley taught for years at the Movement Center, and for about the last decade has taught here at Spotlight Vermont. Shelley is also available for private lessons, and coaching (For the more advanced dancer). She has trained many dancers who have become professional ballet and Modern dancers. As well, Shelley has helped many dancers get into elite schools and professional programs.

Shelley may soon retire, but hopes to pass on her passion for the beauty of this art form, the technique gained by proper training, and the joy of dancing purely without affectation for as long as she is able. A dancer who studies primarily with Shelley will rarely be injured, and will reach full potential; a well trained dancer is a pure and beautiful dancer, and the hallmark of a “Shelley trained dancer”.

Recently celebrating a milestone birthday , Shelly went to India for six weeks and attained her Yoga Certification; so fitting given her teacher and mentor Antony Tudor was a dedicated Zen Buddhist.

Shelley brings a rare combination of excellent training, years of performing around the world, expertise in teaching and coaching, and a mindful yogic mindset that makes her classes uniquely high quality. Her zest for both dance and life are an incredible example for not just her students, but all who know her.

Liz Moore

Teaches - Lyrical, Contemporary, Jazz, Ballet Substitute, Private Lessons

Liz Moore began dancing at 4 years old on Long Island , NY. By her teen years she was dancing full time at Dot Mackey Dance, student teaching and traveling to Manhattan for classes, conventions and the occasional competition. Liz graduated from SUNY Geneseo after studying psychology and dance. She danced thirty to forty hours a week, and was a performer and choreographer for the Geneseo Dance Ensemble and Orchesis Club; specializing in Modern Dance choreography, with emphasis on the Fall and Recovery technique of Doris Humphrey.

Liz moved to Vermont in 1988, and began performing and teaching locally soon after arrival. She has been an Adjunct Professor of Dance at St. Michael’s College for over twenty five years., teaching Modern, Jazz, Advanced Technique, Ballet and Musical Theater Dance. While at SMC , she has been involved with or choreographed many shows on their Main stage: both faculty and student productions, as well as the St. Michael’s Playhouse. She has also been the the SMC Dance Team advisor.
Liz has also choreographed for Lyric Theater, South Burlington Dance team, and has had Modern choreography performed on the Flynn Stage.

She is available for private lessons for most any style, dance stretch, dance stretch for body acceptance, and college audition preparation/personalized choreography.

In September 2018, Liz started the Moore Dance Company, sponsored by Spotlight Vermont. Combining her passion for dance and social justice, the Moore Dance Company has raised money for the Spotlight scholarship fund, and over two thousand dollars for Ibutwa, a Vermont based charity for women in the Congo.

A long term practitioner of yoga and meditation, Liz has certification for Mindfulness in the classroom. Bringing these practices to the studio, along with years of continued study and experience have helped create an atmosphere of work with intention, and fun; always trying to remember that when we dance we are showing people who we truly are.

Merrill Cameron

Teaches - Musicial Theatre for our Spotlight Theatre Academy

Merrill Cameron (she/her) is a native Vermonter who has been performing nearly her whole life! She studied vocal music at the University of Vermont and has since worked with several local theater groups such as Lyric Theatre Company, Vermont Repertory Theatre, and Middlebury Community Players. Merrill recently spent a summer and holiday season performing with Woodstock Playhouse in Woodstock, NY, where she continued to hone her acting, singing, and dancing chops. Merrill delights in sharing the joy of live theater with children and hopes that she can help young performers find a fun, safe, and creative space to grow through the art of musical theater. 

Stefanie Seng

Stefanie Seng is a an actor, playwright, director, and professional PreK-12 educator. Most recently Stefanie has acted with Vermont Stage, Vermont Rep, and the Green Mountain Shakespeare Festival. For the last 4 years Stefanie has directed improv and musical theatre at the elementary/middle school level. Stefanie has a BFA in theatre and a masters in School Counseling.

Evan Lewis

Teaches - Coming Soon

Evan Lewis is a Burlington-based dancer, actor, and teacher. He has been dancing for over 15 years, and teaching across multiple studios in Vermont. Evan aims to share his deep connection to Hip Hop and theater with kids everywhere!

Annabel Diestel

Teaches - Adaptive Dance

Annabel grew up in Norton, MA and has been dancing since she was 3 years old. She graduated from UVM in 2021 with a BA in Dance and a BS in Neuroscience. She is currently working for UVM conducting research on Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development. Annabel has experience teaching ballet and tap classes, as well as experience working with people with various disabilities. She is thrilled to be able to continue the Adaptive Dance class for people with diverse brains and bodies.

Amanda Smith

Amanda Smith recently graduated from The University of Vermont with degrees in Dance and Political Science. In her time there, she was the captain of the hip hop crew. She grew up dancing in a variety of styles in Massachusetts and looks forward to continuing to share her love of dance in Vermont!

Annie Baron

Annie (she/her) began her dance training in her hometown of Flagstaff, AZ at Canyon Dance Academy. She continued to study there until 2021, while taking other classes around Arizona during that time. She was a part of multiple performance companies, including Velocity Dance Company and Canyon Movement Company, and performed as a guest artist throughout the west coast as well. 

She’s delighted to be able to share her love for dance and strives to create an encouraging, positive, and safe environment for ALL of her students. Annie hopes her students discover their own passion for dance and leave class feeling confident being themselves! 

Ellie Wallace

Anna Gonsalez

Anna began dancing in a wide variety of styles with Southern Dance Theater in South Florida, building a strong foundation in ballet under Julie Bravata. She found a love and focus for classical ballet, and went on to attend the Harid Conservatory during high school, where she was immersed in Vaganova Ballet training. From there, she became a member of Milwaukee Ballet II, participating in outreach performances, and performing alongside her fellow company members and the main company. She attended school at the University of Florida whilst dancing with Roanoke Ballet Theater and Dance Alive National Ballet. Anna has had the privilege to dance in classical productions of Swan Lake, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Serenade, and the Nutcracker of course!  Anna loves imparting the artistic and athletic sides of dance through teaching and is very excited to delve into another year of sharing this artform with students.