Amanda Montoya Downs

Owner/Director
Competition Director/Choreographer
Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Modern, Lyrical, pointe, hip hop, Contemporary

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 choreographing over 100 dances. 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 new community projects such as Art & Soul. Amanda loves to express herself through choreography and feels blessed everyday to share her passion with her students and staff.

Amelia Henson
​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. 

Martha Rempe

Instructor/Competition Choreographer 

Tap, Jazz, Ballet

Martha Rempe has been a dance instructor with Dance Connection for the past 10 years.  Originally from Roswell, she fell in love with dance when she was 4 and continued to dance through childhood and in college at New Mexico State University.  In 2000, Martha tap danced her way to the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City as Miss New Mexico.  Tap is her favorite style!  Martha has a Bachelor of Community Health Education from NMSU and a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from UNM. In addition to her instruction time at Dance Connection, she is also an elementary teacher with Farmington Municipal Schools.  She is married to James, a Sergeant with the New Mexico State Police and has two children, Victoria and Christopher.    Martha continues to pursue her passion for dance by attending dance teacher conferences and workshops as often as possible. 

Tammy Lucero

Instructor

Tap, Jazz, Ballet

Tammy began dancing as a child in Ohio, taking ballet and tap classes. She rediscovered her passion for dance as an adult and joined the San Juan College Dance Program taking classes in ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, belly dancing and even some Latin for over 10 years. 
Tammy truly enjoys working with children at D.C.  They keep her young and she loves to share all that she has gained from the many different classes and instructors she has experienced over the years. She is happy to continue teaching another year with DC; she has been an instructor since the first year DC opened 11 years ago!

Chandler Paxson

Instructor

Tumbling, Gymnastics, conditioning

Chandler was born in Oklahoma raised in Farmington. He has been coaching tumbling for ten years, six of which have been full time. Chandler is a USAG certified professional coach; which allows him to work with collegiate and Olympic gymnasts giving him opportunities in both coaching and learning from the best of the best. Coaching is Chandler's passion, he takes great pride in watching students learn new skills and achieving things they never thought they could do. He loves to instill an excitement for tumbling and respect in students. Chandler has been with DC since 2018 is looking forward to another great year!

Cesar Ramos

Instructor/Competition Coach

Hip Hop/contemporary/jazz

Cesar has been dancing since age 11. He feels dance is a perfect outlet for people who are active and enjoy creativity. He grew up running around outside with his siblings and friends, they used their imagination to create amazing worlds and characters. Dance allows him to continue this childhood past time. He enjoys escaping into a dance character wether created by him or another choreographer. Dance brings Cesar a great amount of joy, which is why he loves to dance and enjoys the opportunity to share this love with others through teaching and performing! Cesar has been dancing competitively for 3 years and was recently featured as a lead in a musical production "All Shook Up". Cesar is happy continue as an instructor with DC, and start his path as a competition coach! 

Josiah Brooks

Instructor/Competition Coach

Hip hop/jazz/contemporary

Josiah has been dancing since the age of 8. 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. Josiah is thrilled to start coaching the competition team and continue teaching each week with DC!

Milena mccarty
student instructor
ballet/tap basics 2 & 3

Milena has been dancing since she was 5 years old, spending her last 4 years on DC's competitive team, having danced in every style. Now, in her senior year, she is excited to begin teaching tap & ballet as a way to continue expressing her passion for dance and spread it into the hears of learing dancers. Performing has allowed Milena to portray a vibrant, deeper, more truthful version of herself on strange and make valuable friendships. Milena has been an active member of Piedra Vista High School's Theatre department, having performed roles such as Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, along with placing 2nd with her troupe's production of Property Rites. Dancing and acting are what makes Milena happy and she is very excited to share her love of performing during this season with DC!

Payton Miller

Student instructor

Ballet/Tap Basics 2 & 3

Payton has been dancing since the age of 4. This is her 5th year competing with DC. She absolutely loves getting to see all the amazing little dancers she instructs become wonderful people and improve as dancers through the instruction process. Each child she teaches holds a special place in her heart. Payton is starting her junior year at PVHS and is excited to continue as an instructor with DC and see all the great things this season brings!

Brooke Sandoval

Instructor 

Jazz, pom, cheer, hip hop

Brooke has been dancing on and off her whole life. She  was a Kelly green in high school and enjoyed performing and competing.  This is her first year teaching at DC and she is super excited! She enjoys the opportunity to get to teach the future of dance and watch them grow into talented human beings. 

Breanna aeschlimann
instructor
ballet/tap/contemporary

Breanna was born and raised in Aztec, NM and started dancing at the age of 4 in a ballet class, where her love of dance and performing began. Dance has continued to hold a special place in her heart and sharing this joy and the love it brings with others has always been very important to her. Though this is not her first experience as a dance instructor, Breanna is excited to start instructing at DC now! She is excited to continue to as a competitive dancer and looking forward to sharing her passion and love of dance with everyone!

Lillie Geiersbach

Theater/musical theater Instructor

acting/musical theater/singing/directing/play&scene writing

Lillie has been involved in musical theatre since she was five years old, when she fell in love with it first in Scottsdale, Arizona. When she moved to Farmington ten years ago, she once again fell in love with acting, singing, and dancing through community theater programs. Her most recent credits include being in the ensemble in All Shook Up and Emily Webb in Our Town. She was involved in teaching the teaching process with the Heather McGaughey Children’s Theater in the summer of 2019. Acting, performing, and teaching are the things that make her heart soar. Lillie is excited to join Dance Connection’s Staff!

Brea Brittain
Instructor
Pom/Jazz

Brea is excited to join Dance Connections instruction staff this season! Brea has been dancing off and on her whole 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. She has taught jazz and pom and continues to compete with Dance Connection, and is looking forward to the students she will work with this year!

Ryan Chavez

Competition Manager/ choreographer

hip hop, jazz funk, jazz, contemporary

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!!