DC Administrative and Support Staff

DC's admin staff consists of our owner/director, office manager, and site manger. This staff together works to keep DC process running smoothly. 

Amanda Montoya 

Owner/Director
Instructor/Competition Director/Choreographer
Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Pom, Lyrical  Pointe, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Bollywood,  Lindy Hop Swing

Miss Amanda started dance as a young child in Farmington, she fell in love with dancing and acting. Through her teen years she invested over 20 hours a week at her dance studio (Mann Dance Academy) taking class and instructing. She was apart of her high school dance team and Thespian President of her acting club. She went on to pursue performing on a dance/theater scholarship at NMSU. During her time in Las Cruces, she performed and participated in 3 dance companies. She became President of a student run dance company, Dancers Unlimited, where she began to fine-tune her choreographic skills choreographing over 100 dances for this company alone. She was a member of Contemporary Dance Theater with Dr.Knapp. She made amazing relationships with fellow dancers,  many of whom she continues to work with. She received undergraduate degrees in Family and Child Sciences and Dance Performance and Education, she received a masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and went on to achieve an independent License as a Marriage and Family Therapist. Dance is Amanda's true passion, she aims to share this with individuals young and old. She enjoys collaboration within the arts, she has choreographed for Sandstone Productions "All Shook Up" and Rio Rancho High School's Theater department. She currently choreographs for Piedra Vista High School's Theater Department. She is also an instructor and Choreography at Mann Dance Academy in Farmington.  Miss Amanda is a spirit judge for NMAA and a seasonal judge for the annual state Thespian competition for high school acting. Amanda loves to express herself through choreography and feels blessed everyday to share her passion with her students and staff. When she is not investing time at a dance studio or theater, she works as a mental health therapist and enjoys time away with her family, friends and amazing children.

Amelia Gurule
​Office Manager

Amelia joined Dance Connection staff in February 2018. She grew up in the Farmington area. After high school she moved to Texas where she earned a bachelors degree in Childhood Development and opened a daycare/preschool to serve military families. She returned to Farmington to be closer to family and friends. She enjoys being around children and watching them grow into the people they are meant to be. She finds joy in helping people in general and is excited to continue managing DC!! Recently she has made her way back to Texas where she enjoys spending time with family and her pets. 

Brian Gafford
Site Manager

Mr. Gafford has a long performance history, he was once in a High School Play where he did play the lead. He is a master of campfire skit and song and can pluck a 6 string with the most mediocre of them. In addition to his performance portfolio  Brian is an Independently Licensed Clinician specializing in Access to Care Issues. Mr. Gafford proudly aids in minor and major construction projects at the studio, is the holder of incoming costume orders, problem solves the moment of heavy objects,  and is the first line of defense against scary bugs in the studio. In his free time he enjoys outdoor activities such as rock climbing, hiking, and camping and spending time with his 2 wonderful children and family and friends. 

Parent Ambassadors 

• Our Ambassador team aids in volunteer projects at DC offering valuable ideas and suggestions for the improvement and growth of DC. if you are interested in joining the ambassador team, contact Miss Amanda

DC Instructor Staff

Our staff proudly instructs dancers weekly, provides their own choreography for all recitals and aids in additional Studio projects through the season. Each Instructor receives ongoing dance education though the season (with some beingout of town conventions) and 2-3 formal trainings a year on class room management, lesson plan development, choreography, and behavioral health awareness. These trainings are given by licensed providers as well as individuals with degrees in dance/dance performance education. 

Olivia Seppi Dulany
Jazz,Ballet,Tap,Lyrical,Pom, mommy and me

Miss Olivia was born and raised in Maryland, she began dance at the age of 4. After moving to Crofton she joined C&C Dance Company where she studied ballet, tap, jazz lyrical, and acro. Throughout elementary and middle school Olivia competed regionally and nationally with C&C's Showtroupe. In Highschool Olivia was a member and co-captain of the school's dance company where she was given the opportunity to choreograph and compete in jazz, tap, hip-hop, lyrical, contemporary, and modern. Olivia found her way to New Mexico and attended NMSU where she auditioned for and made both  the NMSU Sundancers and Dancers Unlimited. Olivia loves sharing her passion for dance and has been teaching for over 13 years. She was the assistant Coach for the NMSU Sundancers from 2014-2015. Olivia has a bachelors degree and masters degree in Public Health and enjoys traveling with her wonderful husband and children. . She is excited to continue her DC journey with all her students!

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Kai Garcia
Hip Hop, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, Musical Theater, Jazz Funk

Mr. Kai grew up in Aztec, NM. At a young age he fell in love with dance. He started dance competitively at the age of 12 focusing on styles of Hip Hop, Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, Musical Theater, jazz Funk, and Ballroom. His pursuit of competitive dance took him to cities across New Mexico as well as Las Vegas. He started his teaching track at AnnMaries Dance Academy in his teen years and for the last 4 years he has taught at Michele's Dance Academy. Mr. Kai strives to help young dancers not only learn the steps of dance but how to grow as an artist and how to use expression through their dancing. He is excited to continue his teaching journey with the DC Family!

Ashleigh  Randazzo
Ballet,Tap,Pointe,Jazz,Stretch&Strength,Contemporary

Miss Ashleigh has been dancing the age of 3, 14 of which were spent at Michele's Dance Academy where she performed the Nutcracker 10 times, was Dancer Delegate for two years, and sat on the Board of Directors. Ashleigh traveled to Chiago for 4 summers to participate in workshops and won a National Scholarship through DanceMakers. Miss Ashleigh has been teaching since her teen years and has been with DC since its LC opening in 2020. She received a bachelors degree in marketing and business from NMSU and works as the Director of Recruiting for NMSU football while also working toward her MBA. Miss Ashleigh loves all types of dance, her favorites being Ballet and Tap! She is excited to see what this season at DC Las Cruces Brings!

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Ava Randazzo
Ballet,Tap,Jazz, Hip Hop
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Ava has been dancing since the age of three. She has performed in The Nutcracker numerous times and has enjoyed years of dance recitals. Dancing is something that Ava loves to do, even with her busy sports schedule she finds herself looking forward each week to instructing young dancers and helping them find a love for dance.  Ava Strives to be a role model and is excited for another season with DC!!

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Melody Hernandez
Pom, Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Contemporary, Hip Hop

Miss Melody was born in Florida and raised in New Mexico where she started dance at the age of 4 at Michele's Dance Academy. Here, she built a strong foundation in styles of Tap, Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Musical Theater and Pom. Her Passion for dance led her to perform the with Las Cruces Chamber Ballet, appearing in numerous productions and classical works. She has also danced with the Chrysalis Contemporary Group and Pascos de Alma Folklorico group. Melody participated in a 2 year teaching program where she started developing her skills as a dance instructor. She enjoys sharing her energy and enthusiasm with younger dancers.  Her passion for dance has filed her desire to explore and continue learning as much about dance as possible.  Miss Melody is committed to growing as a dancer and an instructor of dance and is excited to share her joy of movement at DC!

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Lindy Matthews

Ballet,Tap,Pointe,Jazz,Stretch&Strength,Contemporary,Acro

Miss Lindy has been dancing for 23 years with her main focus in Ballet and Contemporary. She started in ballet at the age of 7 in Redlands California. She had the opportunity to dance with State Street Ballet in Santa Barbara, CA and also studied for a summer with the American Repertory Ballet in Princeton, New Jersey. Lindy Married her high school sweetheart and they made their way to New Mexico where Lindy attended NMSU and auditioned for Dancers Unlimited and successfully choreographed many beautiful dances. Lindy has a full time job working in HR in the Las Cruces area and two beautiful children. She is looking forward to sharing her love of dance and movement with new students at DC!

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 Lexi GoodTracks
Circus Flow, Ballroom, Jazz, Contemporary, Pom, Hip Hop

Miss Lexi was born and raised Las Cruces. She is a professional performer, dancer, and model. She has trained in gymnastics, contortion, Classical Ballet, Jazz, contemporary, modern, Tap, Lyrical, Ballet Folkloric, and Parkour. She participated in Allstar competitive cheer for 8 years. Miss Lexi has a strong passion for the performing arts and enjoys the excitement and happiness she brings to her audience. her Mission is to share her skills with future performers by igniting inspiration in their hearts. In her spare time she enjoys competing in Ballroom dance, working as a certified make up artist and being a member of the toast masters international club. She is excited to join the DC family!

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Brittany Nickerson

Ballet/Irish/Tap/Jazz

Brittany is originally from Lewiston, Idaho and has been living in Las Cruces since 2020. She attended Festival Dance Academy then Main Street Dance Studio in Lewiston, where she took Ballet (including Pointe), Irish Dance, Jazz, Tap, and Hip Hop. During high school she taught and choreographed for several summer dance intensives, danced and acted in musical theater productions. She also taught Ballet for adult continuing education classes at a local college. Miss Brittany attended Pacific Lutheran University where she participated in and choreographed for the dance program’s annual show 3 consecutive years. Brittany danced with Killarney Irish Dance Company in Boise, and danced and performed with Las Cruces School of Dance and Music for 1 year. Brittany looks forward to seeing her excitement for dance reflected in her students and loves watching young dancers form community within the studio and show off their creativity through dance. She is excited to join the DC instruction staff!

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Sam Chavez
Ballet/Jazz/Tap/Contemporary/Pointe

Samantha (Miss Sam) grew up dancing in Roswell, NM where she developed a strong foundation in ballet, tap and jazz. She began assisting and teaching classes through high school and quickly discovered a love for working with young dancers. while she enjoys all styles, pointe has always held a special place in her heart. Miss Sam has attended numerous dance conventions and trained under industry professionals including Rhonda Miller, Thayne Jasperson, Misty Rason-Smith, Jay Fagan and Melissa Anderson. She now resides in Las Cruces where she works as a NICU nurse. She is excited to share her passion for dance by returning to a studio setting, she is thrilled to be a part of a team at DC aiming to inspire the next generation of performers. 

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Angelina Randazzo
​Jazz/Tap/Acro/Hip Hop/Ballet

Miss Angelina is currently studying biology at NMSU and is also a 3rd year cheerleader for the Aggies!! She danced for 12 years prior to going to college and proudly played the part of Clara in the Nutcracker. She was also a member of the Chamber Ballet at Michele's Dance Academy and took summer intensives in Chicago at the Faubourg School of Ballet. Miss Angelina is excited to be a part of DC staff so she can provide dance education to young dancers in a positive and impactful manner. She is passionate about teaching and helping each person she encounters. Following college she hopes to become an Optometrist and going an NFL dance team. Miss Angelina is looking forward to her years instructing at DC and cannot wait to connect and share her passion for dance!

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Chandler Paxson

Gymnastics, Acro, Dance-Acro, Trainer

Mr. Chandler has been coaching gymnastics and acrobatics for over 17 years. He has worked with several Olympic level gymnastics as well as multiple Circus O Le Performers. Chandler specializes in tumbling, his heart has always been with building the confidence in children to achieve acro skills and watching them grow in a sport he loves. Chandler has owned his own acro and gymnastics gym and has worked with over 10 studios on growing acro skills for dancers and training additional staff in Acro spotting, and general instruction.  He first began working with DC in 2017 and has enjoyed continued opportunities to help DC students achieve their goals. 

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DeLany Denio
Ballet, Tap,Jazz, Poms, Lyrical/contemporary

Miss DeLaney is from Roswell, NM and has been dancing since age 3. Her strong foundation in dance began at Miss Minnie's Dance Studio. Once in high school she joined the Charlies Angels Dance team and with this team celebrated 3 state titles and 2 national titles! She is attending NMSU pursuing a degree in early childhood education. She loves to teach, dance and encourage young dancers to grow their own passion for the art. She is beyond excited to continue to learn herself though her new colleagues at DC, AND is excited to share her love of dance through instructing. 

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DC Contract Staff

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Dance Connection proudly hosts a variety of talented contact staff who provide workshops, feedback classes for competition dances, and choreography. 

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Jermey J. Edmonson

​Hip-Hop, Contemporary, Ballet, Jazz
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Jermey J. Edmonson began his dance journey in Seattle, WA, performing with the company Kutt ‘N’ Up under the direction of Koach Crosby. In 2010, he moved to Las Cruces, NM, to pursue a dance degree at New Mexico State University, where he trained under Dr. Debra Knapp. He earned his B.A. in Dance in 2014 and an M.A. in Teaching Dance in 2018. As a pioneer of hip-hop dance at New Mexico State University, Jermey founded and directed the university’s first hip-hop company, ‘N’ Concert, and went on to become the first hip-hop instructor at The University of Texas at El Paso.Jermey’s performance highlights include appearances at Summer Jam (2007-2009) in Quincy, WA, and four years of performances with the American College Dance Association (ACDA) from 2011 to 2014, where he performed in the Gala three times. His solo choreography, Hear I Am Heard (2014), and duet The Manipulator with Colette Kerwick (2016) were both runners-up for nationals. Jermey has also taught at multiple ACDA conferences(South-Central, Baja, and High-Desert) and traveled to teach in Mexico, Texas, and Kansas. He earned an M.S. in Legal Studies (2023) from National Juris University. Jermey is a full-time lecturer and coordinator of at El Paso Community College dance program. He is currently in his 2L year of law school atWilliam Howard Taft University. As he progresses in his legal studies, Jermey is committed to redefining dance education by empowering dancers with a deeper understanding of both artistic expression and the legal landscapes that shape their careers.

Mark Yerkey
Parkour/Freerunning, gymnastics, Partner Acro, Dance Acro
With over a decade of dedication to the art of movement, Mark Yerkey began his professional athletic career at just 17 years old. Sponsored by 6 companies--including a global watch brand, Arc, Iris Sunglasses, and a trampoline park--his pursuit of excellence ultimately led to a coveted Red Bull Sponsorship and the honor of competition in a worldwide event in Santorini, Greece.
Parallel to his athletic career, mark excelled as a professional gymnastics coach, leading competition teams across the US. Specializing in women's gymnastics and intermediate men's gymnastics, he also expanded his influence through the discipline of parkour and Freerunning. As a member of Farmington Free Runners and California's Ultraviolet Freerunning, he built a strong presence in the sport and forged lasting friendships with world renowned athletes such as Domitrick, Jesse La Flair, and  Ronnie Shalvis
Today Mark has transitioned his relentless drive into  real estate, where he is a licensed associate broker and full-time property manager, overseeing $37Million in assets and over 350 tenants. His philosophy is grounded in the words of professional parkour athlete Dimitris Kyrsanidis: "Be better than yesterday's but worse an tomorrow". This mindset rules his constant pursuit of growth, both personally and professionally.
Mark's passion for movement also extends to dance, coaching with Dance Connection and Mann Dance academy, he blends the worlds of gymnastics and dance to inspire athletes to push past their limits and discover their full potential. 

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Ryan Chavez

Hip Hop, Jazz Funk, Jazz, Contemporary

Mr Ryan is a professional actor who currently resides in both LA & Phoenix, and performs on a carnival cruise ship 9 months out of the year.  Ryan grew up in Silver City, NM where he began dancing as a child and loved performing. He attended college at New Mexico State University and took classes in the dance department and also became a member of Dancers Unlimited. Ryan choreographed several pieces for Dancers Unlimited and performed in several shows. Ryan loves all styles of dance, though Jazz Funk and contemporary are his favorite. He has been part of the competition team as a coach since 2014 and is excited to continue sharing his energy and love of dance with DC!!