DC Administrative and Support Staff

DC's admin staff consists of our owner, office and site mangers, and our ambassadors. 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 Began dancing as a young child in Farmington, she fell in love with dancing and acting and went on to pursue this career on a dance/theater scholarship at NMSU. During her time in Las Cruces, she performed and participated in 3 dance companies. She became the President of a student run dance company, Dancers Unlimited, where she began to fine-tune her choreographic skills choreographing over 100 dances. She was also a member of Contemporary Dance Theater with Dr.Knapp. She also made amazing dance contacts, many of whom she continues to work with. She received degrees in Family and Child Sciences, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Dance Performance and Education. Dance is Amanda's true passion, she wants to share this with any person young or old. She enjoys collaboration within the arts and has choreographed for Piedra Vista High School's Theater Department as well as Sandstone Productions "All Shook Up" and Rio Rancho High School's Theater department. She is also 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 enjoying time at dance she works as a mental health therapist and loves time off with her family, friends and amazing children.

Amelia Gurule
​Office Manager

Amelia joined Dance Connection staff in February 2018. She grew up int he 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!! In her free time 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 
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Our Ambassador team aids in volunteer projects at DC, helps provide additional adult presence on site, and offers ideas and suggestions for the improvement and growth of the studio. 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 on going dance education though the season (with some being at out 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
 Instructor/Choreographer/Competition Rehearsal Coach
Jazz/Ballet/Tap/Lyrical/Pom/Acro Basics 

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!

Ashleigh  Randazzo
Instructor/Choreographer/Competition Rehearsal Coach 
Ballet/Tap/Pointe/Jazz/Stretch&Strength/Contemporary/Hip-Hop/Acro

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!

Ava  Randazzo
Instructor
Ballet/Tap/Jazz
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!!

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!

Rachel Snow
Hip Hop/Jazz/Acro/Contemporary

Miss Rachel has been dancing for 11 years, she has proudly been involved with DC since its "trial year". She has danced competitively for over 5 years where she has received numerous scholarships, high placement awards and has been the recipient to a scholarship to the Broadway Dance Center in NYC. Miss Rachel is very passionate about dance and dedicated to her training. She has dreams of dancing on a collegian team and after on an NFL team. She would eventually like to become a choreographer. For now She enjoys helping young dancers identify and achieve their own dance goals and help teach them how to express themselves though dance. Rachel is excited for this and seasons come come as an instructor with DC!

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!

 
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.

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Nika Pivkina
Ballet/Tap/Acro/Jazz/Hip Hop

Nika has been dancing for 10 years and apart of Dance Connections Las Cruces Competition Team since its "trial classes" over 4 years ago! During her time on the team she has earned high placements in group pieces and solo routines across multiple genres as well as being awarded scholarships and winning title and improv dance competitions. In addition to dance Nika enjoyed many years as a competitive gymnast also earning high placing awards and titles. She has earned a spot on the Las Cruces High School Poms team, and continues to be a committed leader at DC.  Nika enjoys expressing how she feels when she dances and is looking forward to helping younger dancers reach their dance goals too! Nika is excited to join DC staff and is looking forward to the season!

Savanna Whitlock

Ballet/Tap/Irish/Acro/Hip Hop/contemporary

Miss Savanna fell in love with dance as a young child watching her older sister India (a DC staff Alum). Savanna began dancing at the age of 2 in Roswell, NM at Studio Plus. She took every genre of dance that she could, she started teaching dance in her teen years with her main focus on Irish Step dance. She is currently continuing her dance passion into college at NMSU as well as pursuing an environmental engineering degree. Miss Savanna still loves dance and finds a deep satisfaction in teaching it. She is excited to continue to share her love of dance with the world and with all of her students at DC!

DC Contract Staff

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

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. 

Josiah Brooks

Hip Hop/Jazz/Contemporary/Acro

Mr Josiah has been dancing since the age of 8, and instructing dance since the age of 16. He loves to dance because it gives him a sense of accomplishment and happiness. He uses performance to escape from the world and enjoy music and movement feeling free. He is excited to continue teaching and sharing his excitement about dance with other young dancers. In his free time Josiah works a full time job and enjoys time with his wife and new baby! Josiah is thrilled to continue coaching each year with the competition team and continue teaching each week with DC!

Brea Brooks

Pom/Jazz/Stretch&Strength/Ballet&Tap/Acro

Miss Brea  has been dancing off and on her entire life between Colorado and New Mexico. She instantly grew a passion for performing at an early age. Dance has always been a way Brea could forget the real world and live in the moment of music and movement. She started competitive dance in 8th grade on the varsity team for Aztec High School and went on to compete with Dance Connection successfully for 3 years. When Brea is not teaching she works as a Special Education Instructor and enjoys all the time she can with her Husband and new baby! She is looking forward to continued seasons with DC and focusing on her choreographic skills!

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!!