Wendy Harris
Owner and director of Spotlight, Wendy has over 19 years experience teaching dance to all ages. She trained in Ballet, Pointe, Tap and Jazz and competed in regional and national dance competitions. Her formal training was with Iacob Lascu at the Lascu School of Ballet. Ballet performances include "The Sleeping Beauty" and Detroit Symphony Orchestra's "Nutcracker." Wendy also taught the Clarkston Youth Enrichment Dance program for 3 years. Her competitive students have trained regionally and nationally with many well-known choreographers and performers, have been well-recognized at conventions/competitions and have won numerous overall awards. She is certified to teach by examination through Dance Masters of Michigan and Dance Masters of America, of which she is an active member.
Kristen Rasegan
Kristen is in her 9th year teaching at Spotlight Dance Center. She is also director of Spotlight's Senior Competitive Company. Kristen has over 26 years of experience in the dance field, training in Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Pointe, Hip-Hop and Musical Theater. She has studied under many top LA, Las Vegas, New York and Detroit instructors. At 14, she was chosen to travel and perform with the Dance Caravan Company as a "Caravan Kid." She has won numerous scholarships and awards at regional and national competitive levels. Kristen was a member of the Michigan State University Repertory Dance Company performing under the direction of Dr. Dixie Durr. She has worked for Universal Dance Association as a performer, instructor and judge. She has guest instructed for Springfield Plains Elementary and judged for "Dream Girls" Pageant Systems. Kristen has also taught for Rochester Avon Recreation Authority and Juliart Dance Studio in Troy. She is a former coach for the Waterford Mott Varsity Pom Team. In 1996 she was awarded a $500 college scholarship at The Waterford Jr. Miss Competition. She has choreographed for Clarkston High School's musicals, including South Pacific and Footloose. Kristen is currently certified to teach by examination through Dance Masters of Michigan and Dance Masters of America.
Stephanie Giegler
Stephanie has 20 years dance experience in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz and lyrical. She has experience as a competitive dancer and has attended many dance workshops and conventions. Stephanie has also studied and completed grades one through four in Cechetti method. She is the director of the Jr. Competitive Company at Spotlight and her students and choreography have been well recognized in many regional competitions . This is her 9th year at Spotlight Dance Center.
Tessa Cornwall
Tessa Cornwall has been dancing at Spotlight for nine years. She has training in ballet, pointe, jazz, tap and lyrical. Next year will be her sixth year on the Spotlight Dance Competition team. She has attended numerous competitions and conventions including Dance Makers, Dance Masters, Encore, Rainbow, Cathy Roe, and many others. She has also won numerous awards for her ballet/pointe solos. She has taken classes from So You Think You Can Dance contestants Jaimie Goodwin, Allison Holker and Ivan Koumaev. Tessa has also taken classes from well-known choreographers such as Greg Russell, Keith Clifton, Mike Minery and Dan Karaty. She has experience as an assistant teacher at Spotlight Dance Center. She is also dance captain for the musicals that she is involved in at her school. She recently attended Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp on scholarship to study ballet and contemporary. Tessa is a senior in high school. She plans to go to college to study dance, with hopes to one day open a dance studio of her own.
Lauren Glowski
Lauren has been dancing for thirteen years, and this is her sixth year on the Spotlight Competition team. She has studied all styles of dance with alumni from the hit show "So You Think You Can Dance," such as Travis Wall, Allison Holker, Ivan Koumaev, Jaimie Goodwin, Dominic Sandoval, Sabra Johnson, Nick Lazzarini, Hok Konishi, Danny Tidwell, and Melody Lacayanga. She has also taken classes from popular choreographers Dan Karaty, Mandy Moore, Jason Parsons, Greg Russell, Rhonda Miller, Joe Lanteri, A.C. Ciulla, Dee Caspary and Mike Minery. Lauren has participated as a chorus member in Clarkston High School's productions of "South Pacific" and "Footloose." She enjoys choreographing and teaching dance as well as performing, and has choreographed dances for Clarkston High School's Musical Theater Camp. She is very excited to join the Spotlight faculty teaching lyrical this year.
Lindsay Green
Lindsay Green has 21 years of dance experience in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, and hip hop. She danced here at Spotlight for five years where she was a member of the competition team and a substitute teacher. Lindsay also has experience as an assistant teacher and choreographer. In addition to studio dancing, Lindsay competed on the Varsity Pom Pon team at Clarkston High School for three years, where she attended UDA and NDA conventions and workshops. Lindsay has a BS in Child Development from Michigan State University and is a kindergarten teacher at Andersonville Elementary School. She is happy to be a part of the Spotlight family in her second year as an instructor.
Elizabeth Kaarlela
Elizabeth received her early training of Russian technique of Ballet beginning at age four, under the direction of Phyllis Pickett. She also studied Tap, Jazz, and Lyrical with Katie Holland and Raquel Pickett. Her performances include annual recitals, community festivals, and Midwest Dance Theater's "Nutcracker." She began to teach and choreograph her own works by age seventeen. In pursuit of a career in Dance education, Elizabeth studied and completed Cechetti grades one through four, attends Dance Masters of Michigan's annual convention every year, and plans to complete her DMA certificate. Elizabeth began teaching at Spotlight in 2002 and teaches ballet, tap and jazz.
Raquel Pickett
Raquel has over 28 years dance experience in ballet, jazz and tap. She has been teaching for the past 22 years. She is a certified Cechetti instructor and has also studied the Russian style of ballet. She has performed for the Flint Ballet Theater and has taken top places in many competitions on both the regional and national levels. Loving the art of dance in all of its forms, it is Raquel's desire to inspire that love in her students. Why walk when you can dance?
Katy Tice
Katy has been studying all styles in the art of dance for eleven years. She has been a part of Spotlight's Competition Team for six years and throughout that time has studied with many famous dance choreographers and technicians such as Nick Lazzarini, Sabra Johnson, and Mandy Moore, all of who have affiliated with the hit TV show So You Think You Can Dance. She has also taken classes from Greg Russell, Dan Karaty, Mike Minery and Keith Clifton. In 2008, she won an opportunity to travel to Los Angeles to study with Shane Sparks and many other professionals to increase her abilities in dance. This year, she achieved the same opportunity at the Emotions Dance Competition. Also this year, she was privileged to have won a scholarship to attend the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, which is one of the best fine arts camps in Michigan . She is excited to join the faculty at Spotlight Dance Center this year.
