Staff

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. 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 the 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 received choreography grants under the Wayne State University Dance Umbrella Program and has also accepted a position as a guest writer for Movmnt Magazine.Photo by Scott Lipiec

Jenna Bartholme, of Clarkston, Michigan, trained locally in multiple forms of dance for fifteen years. During this time, she earned numerous titles, as well as regional and national overall high score awards. At age 16, Jenna was one out of ten people awarded a full scholarship for the summer “Dance with the Force” program at the EDGE in Los Angeles, California. She recently graduated with honors from Point Park University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in dance. While at school, Jenna performed works by notable concert-work choreographers such as Robert Battle, David Parsons, Kate Skarpetowska, Daniel Ezralow, Doug Varone, and many others..

Dancing since the age of three, Laura Berger  took technique classes  in ballet, tap and jazz. Competing since the age  of 11 she has won many regional and national awards. While teaching recreational and competitive dance for the past sixteen years, the last fourteen of those years has been as owner/director of L.A. Dance in Lake Orion. Her students have won numerous first place awards and Platinum medals. Some of her past and current students have won titles such as “Miss Petite Dance of Michigan,” "Mr. Petite Dance of Michigan," “Mr. Teen Dance of Michigan,” and "Miss Dance of Michigan." They have also gone on to perform in ballet companies, compete and place at the Youth American Grand Prix, study at Blue Lake, Ballet Met and Interlochen. Laura has  won many choreography awards at regional and national competitions and has also judged for  Hall of Fame National Dance Competition, Kid’s Artistic Revue National Dance Competition and Rainbow Dance Competition. She continues to travel around the United States to learn from master teachers. Miss Laura is very excited to  work at Spotlight Dance Works as a Company tap instructor/Choreographer.

Ellisa Marsack began her dance training at Spotlight Dance Works in Chesterfield, Michigan under the artistic director: Liz Schmidt. She has had the opportunity to work with many talented artists such as Larry Keigwin, Meg Paul, Sonya Tayeh, Ray Mercer, and Lauren Adams. Her favorite style of dance is Modern, Jazz, and Ballet. Ellisa is currently on a talent scholarship at Wayne State University. This will be her junior year as a B.F.A dance major. After graduation she aspires to move to Chicago or New York City, and further her journey of dance as well as continuing teaching.

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.

Nicole Meredith began her classical training in the Vaganova method at Metropolitan Ballet Center under the direction of Renée Wood. She also trained at the Annual International Ballet Seminar Summer Intensive for two seasons under the tutelage of ballet greats Mikhail Lavrovsky, Gelsey Kirkland and Jürgen Schneider. Here she placed in advanced and pre-professional levels and was chosen to perform in a featured role in an original work choreographed by Mr. Lavrovsky.

She continued her dance education at Wayne State University where she received a four year Talent Scholarship and earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a Minor in Dance Education. She was a member of the WSU Dance Company and had the privilege of performing original works created by Sonya Tayeh, Samantha Shelton, Erica Wilson-Perkins and Chris Masters. Additional performance experience includes Soloist and Principle roles in Coppélia, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Paquita.

Ms. Meredith’s focus has been on her teaching career since finishing her degree. She has been instructing and choreographing for 9 years in the Metro-Detroit area. She is versed in teaching classical ballet technique, as well as contemporary and lyrical styles. Her choreography for The Giving earned High Gold honors at the JUMP Competition in 2008 where it was chosen to be performed in the final showcase for all entries awarded “Best in Studio.” Nicole’s passion is to equip her students with a solid base in classical training while invoking artistry, expression, emotion and performance.

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.

This is Ms. Stefanie’s 7^thyear with Spotlight Dance Works. After owning her own studio, Stefanie has now been teaching dance for 14 years. She specializes in Jazz and Tap. Ms. Stefanie has won Miss Michigan Dance for UDA in 95′ and 97′and then went on to be apart of the UDA Danz Staff. As a student Ms. Stefanie has won scholarships to the Edge dance studio in Los Angeles, California and also to Broadway Dance Center in Manhattan, New York. Ms. Stefanie has appeared on the showstopper National Dance competition TV show, has earned an appearance at the “Winners” showcase in LA and has also danced at Disney World, Epcot and Marketplace in Orlando, Florida. Stefanie has been in the Thanksgiving Parade as well as performed at the Hob Nobble Gobble. At the age of 13 Ms. Stefanie was chosen to perform as a Cosmic Kid in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. As for her many talented students, some have appeared on Star Search and many have been ranked top overall winners.Ms. Stefanie has won top choreography Awards for her talented choreography in Jazz and Tap and was also awarded Teacher of the year at Rising Star Regional and Nationals.

Meg Paul won the International Dance Competition of the Americas and is a recipient of The Princess Grace Award. She has been a principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Dance, and Ron De Jesus Dance. Meg has directed Ballet Builders, a NYC showcase for emerging choreographers and she has been the ballet mistress for the Joffrey Ballet Ensemble. Meg also concieved and produced an interactive show in New York City titled Show and Tell, a cabaret/variety show involving the audience in the process of creating.Ms. Paul was the dance captain for the Tony-award winning musical Movin’ Out and performed both leading roles as “Brenda” and “Judy” She also cronstructed the national touring cast of Movin’ Out. Meg was the Director of Dance at the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts where she conceived and directed a benefit for dance titled National City Stars of Ballet and Broadway. For her work on National City Stars of Ballet and Broadway, she was honored as Renaissance Hero 2008 by the Detroit Free Press. Currently, Meg is a full-time ballet lecturer at Wayne State University and directs the WSU Dance Workshop company. She is also a yoga instructor at Yoga Shelter.

Jill Zmijewski is originally from Detroit, MI. After briefly attending the University of Michigan on a dance scholarship, Jill took her dance studies to Los Angeles. While in L.A., under the representation of D.D.O Talent Agency, she trained with many of the industry’s top choreographers while also booking television, stage, and music video jobs. Currently back in Detroit, Jill teaches all over the Detroit area and also teaches master classes, workshops, and books choreography jobs nationally. Her students and choreography have won numerous awards. Jill is on staff at Oakland University as the Dance Department Hip Hop instructor. Jill was the choreographer of the first two seasons of Michigan’s first ever international television series, The Wannabes, currently on ABC Family and HBO family overseas. During this time she choreographed for the up and coming singing group, Savvy. Jill also choreographs for high school and college dance teams, including the Harvard Crimson Dance Team. She has worked with artists from Usher to Miley Cyrus to George Clooney and has worked with companies like Xbox, Chevy, Comerica, and local Detroit radio stations Radio Disney AM910 and Channel 955. Jill is the founder and producer of Motor City Movement, a large dance showcase of Detroit’s hottest dancers and choreographers. She currently works with both Motor City and MGM Grand Casinos in Detroit. She is signed with the iGroup Talent Agnecy, Talent Shop/Productions Plus, and Gail & Rice, and continues to stay active in the industry.