Our Memories

We are so sad to move and have LOVED our experience with Spotlight. We will always remember Tucker’s incredible start to her lifetime love of dance!

I want to say how wonderful the recital was for both of my girls. We all absolutely love Spotlight! Thank you for creating such a fun and open place for them!

This is my daughter's first dance experience (or any organized sport for that matter) this season, and it has exceeded my expectations. Everyone is so wonderful, kind, and helpful.

 I wanted to say thank you for always answering my many, crazy questions so fast all the time. Thank you for always being so on top of everything. We appreciate you & thank you for a fun year!

 I just felt compelled to reach out and congratulate you and your dancers on the Senior Showcase this weekend.  I have attended a variety of recitals for different dance companies over the years, either in support of extended family or my own English and theater students. I expected the standard run-of-the-mill recital experience. Instead, I was FULLY engaged in following the story that was woven throughout the show and captivated by both the caliber of dancing and cohesive theme. As a former theater director, the theatrical element of it all was right up my alley, of course. You are to be absolutely commended for the attention to detail, ultra-smooth transitions between numbers, personalization of the storyline and impressive display of talent. I was excited to attend in support of Mattie Eckenrode, my former students Regan Summerford and Keira McKovick, and current student, Charlotte Zaruba. They were all utterly phenomenal, as was the whole show. How lovely it was to see them shine on stage. What a fun, enthralling, incredible showcase! I am sure you are flooded with compliments on the showcase, but I just had to reach out and extend much-deserved kudos. Well done!

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for a wonderful year and recital!  When I first signed my daughter up for ballet lessons last summer I never imagined that she would be confidently walking out on a stage in a crowded auditorium to perform with confidence.  This was the child who would not walk into the classroom on her first day.  I will never forget the way Sierra lovingly and gracefully scooped her up into her arms and sat with her for the whole class.  I have watched her blossom at your studio in the weeks that followed, and the transformation has been incredible.   

Chloe is the most patient and respectful office manager.  She was always smiling and understanding every time we forgot shoes or needed tights or when my son nearly plowed her over as he sped down the hallway to the bathroom.  :-)  Jessie was a wonderful teacher and watching her dance at the Alice in Wonderland show and yesterday's recital was such a treat for the kids. 

Pamela, I admire and respect the thoughtful philosophies that underlie the way you run your business and put together your shows.  Your love for what you do shows in every way. It's been wonderful getting to know all of you.  Please know that tears were shed last night as I watched my girl perform and continue to flow as I am typing this email.  Looking forward to another great year this fall.

Thank you so much for being so helpful to our family. We will continue to highly recommend Spotlight to anyone looking for dance classes!

My daughter dances here.  She had been with this studio for 6 years.  They  are an amazing family own company.  The teachers not only teach dance,  poise, and grace, they instill into these you girls to be confident and  they are all beautiful.  It is not a competitive atmosphere but loving,  encouraging, and kind.

We have watched our digital download so many times -we love it! Every time I watch it and see Gianna’s smile on stage, I am so grateful for all that you guys did to give her that opportunity this year. Thank you so much for giving us this special memory of her very first dance recital.Thank you!

Just wanted to send a personal thank you for the recital this weekend.  As a fellow performing arts director who refuses to quit and embraces  challenge... I know all too well the burning hoops of fire you leapt  through to make this happen for our kids. And frankly for us. I  have MISSED being in a theatre. Missed seeing live performances of any  kind. My  daughter needed this. Being new to the studio, she was so scared of the  "unknown" of a new venue, new audience, etc. Going another year would  have escalated things. She was SO HAPPY after the recital then was sad  the next day as she wanted to do it again. Thank you so very much again. I am excited for this year!

My husband and I just wanted to write a quick note commending you on an outstanding performance last evening in Kilmarnock. We live in Alexandria and come down to the NN on the weekends and were invited to the event. Frankly, we weren’t sure what to expect. We were blown away by the Spotlight dancers and the choreography! We appreciated the truly talented dancers (of whom there were many!) but also that the less accomplished were given their chance to shine. Again, congratulations and best wishes!

I want to personally thank Spotlight for all you have done for my girls. Your dedication to the students is unparalleled and the experiences that they have had are second to none. They have grown so much over the years and the training received at Spotlight has prepared them to take the next step. 

My 5 year old just started at Spotlight in January and we have been so happy! Her teacher is fabulous--she makes class so fun. The price for classes is super affordable and communication has been great! We will definitely be sticking with Spotlight in the future.

Mary has had an awesome experience at Spotlight.  She has enjoyed every minute of her time with you all.  I know she will miss everyone next year.

We would like to say thank you for a wonderful recital and for your hard  work and dedication with our girls.  Our daughter has made strides in not only dance, but helping to be a leader with her sisters and supporting their dance endeavors.  Our younger daughter has grown to know that she has a role to play and that she is a part of a team.  She has embraced her leadership role at home as well as in other circles.   We are proud of them both and we appreciate you and your staff for the part you play in our lives.  You are a part of our village and we thank you.

The production was INCREDIBLE!!! Thank you for all you do for our dancers.  I love you and Spotlight Studio of Dance!!!  I can't believe we only have 3 years left!

The recital was amazing!! We loved loved loved loved loved it. Loved how everything flowed quickly and amazing theme. Loved the Henrico Theater.  Loved the intermission appetizers.  Hope we have it there next year. It was AWESOME!!  The family loved it too.  Again, the recital was AWESOME!!  Loved loved loved loved it.. our daughter is incredibly  blessed to be part of Spotlight. Our family is All In and we thank you for all you do, Pam and Kelly. We love you.

We so enjoyed the show !! Once again, it was awesome and we are so thankful for you and your staff!

Thank you for an overwhelmingly positive experience at Spotlight!  Kelly is always so helpful, cheerful and informative and Miss Adelle is absolutely amazing with the boys!!!

My daughter absolutely loves dance class and asks every day (multiple times!) if it is Thursday. Thank you so much for making it such a special time for her.  We are so thankful that she gets to have such a fun time each week.  She picked out the ornament and insisted on the pen (for your Christmas gift).  She said, "Miss Kelly will love this!"  She talks about you all the time and dances all around at home.

On behalf of Zeta Chapter I sincerely thank you for your support; and to the "Spotlight Dancers" Kudos for an outstanding performance at our "River City Luau" Conference Dance.  Wow ... Your dancers were highly rated by all members and guest attendees.  We remain indeed grateful to "Spotlight Studio" for your excellence in performance that made our Conference Luau Dance a great success.

As I can see the light at the end of two and a half intense years of school, I wanted to take the time to say thank you.  Amil has made new friends, learned a lot, and has instructors that appreciate and push her.  With out your generosity, her studio life may not have been as full while I was in school.  Also, professionally, I want to say thank you.  Often to reach one’s goals we must juggle situations.  I am deeply grateful for your flexibility in scheduling.  Looking forward to next season.

Would never be the dancer I am without spotlight studio! The studio has such a unique atmosphere; it's nurturing, but you are pushed, friendly, but classes are serious.  Not to mention they welcome everyone!  This place isn't just any neighborhood studio. 

Great company to do business with.  Kelly is absolutely great to work with and made my experience so delightful.

I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your time, kindness, and patience while our family tried to figure out  which class would be the best fit for our daughter.  We are so thrilled to have met Miss Adelle!  She welcomed my daughter right in and met her where she was; providing acceptance, nurturing, structure, expertise, and flexibility while keeping it fun.  My daughter looks forward to class each week...and so do we!  Thanks again for all that you do. The sincere enthusiasm and love you both have for dance and your students shows. We hope to see our daughter grow up dancing and getting involved in the other arts programs within the Spotlight community.

I wanted to congratulate you and your staff and especially your dancers on a wonderful Spring Extravaganza.  I have to admit it I was DREADING attending the full performance (I knew it was 3 hours long). However, much to my pleasant surprise, I was highly entertained by all the  performances (not just the 2 dances my daughter was in).  I was blown away by the professionalism of your older dancers. They were really, really good.  Congratulations!

I am so happy that everything worked beyond my expectation for our  (Kilmarnock) show. In all our years of doing this I think this has been  the best one. Spotlight Studio has such a wonderful group of people to  work with. The young people were so nice and polite. Wonderful dancers! I  just can’t say enough good things about all of you. It is so refreshing  to see so many enthusiastic young people work together. Pam and her  team have done a wonderful job with them. All of the performers, adults  and young people are very special and have been given a special gift. I  look forward to seeing you all again and can’t wait to see what you all  do next. Take care and God Bless all of you.

I just wanted to take a minute to tell you how awesome your adult  classes and instructors are. I’m taking Adult Jazz with Samantha and  Hip-hop with Keith and they are both fabulous. I've taken adult classes  at several other studios in the area and was extremely disappointed.  Kelly Atkinson referred me to Spotlight and I am so impressed with the  quality of the instructors and delighted to take an adult class that is  challenging. Your instructors take their profession seriously and have  expressed through movement and their words how to dance strong, from the  heart and always with passion. I will never ‘outgrow’ dance and  appreciate taking classes that really push even adult dancers! 

Hello, thank you for presenting “Your Children” at the Virginia Dance  Festival. It was awesome! We loved the choreography and the performance  by the children. What also caught my attention were the beautiful  lyrics. It was so true, so applicable to all families with children.  Parents need that kind of reinforcement every now and then.

Mattie, her father, and I want to thank you and the staff at Spotlight Studio of Dance for your support and encouragement of her over the years. To say that Spotlight is like a part of our family is an understatement. We want you to know that we have enjoyed every minute that she has been at Spotlight.  We will take with us so many special memories and friendships that we  hope will endure in spite of the changes.  It is our plan to stay in touch as we continue to support Spotlight Studio of the Arts. We wish you great success as you expand and include many new opportunities for some very fortunate young people. Thank you again for all you've done for Mattie.

Thank you for your time, love, commitment and encouragement you all have given to my family over the years.

We love the family atmosphere that abounds at Spotlight. The teachers are fabulous at what they do.  While teaching dance fundamentals they also instill a sense of importance and self respect to the dancers. The choreography is fantastic.

My family became a part of the Spotlight family in the fall of 2009. My then, 7 year old daughter, wanted to take a Tap class, so we signed her up for Tap 1 with Ms. Kara.  Her twin brother said that he wished he could take a Hip-Hop class.  Spotlight offered a boys only hip hop class, so we signed him up as well, with Ms. Adelle.  As the year progressed, so did my children. They made new friends, learned new moves, and also learned that whatever talent level they were……it was good enough.  There was no pressure to be the very best, or  beat out anyone else….just to have fun and love dancing.  At recital time, my daughter looked like a little girl loving tap…..not all made up to look like a teenager, which I appreciated.  My son “transformed” into a dancer!  The boys hip hop class started a journey into a world that he embraced more than I could ever imagine.  He  was invited to become a part of Wee Company, a group of children who  love to dance and perform and express their joy of dance with everyone.  We have only experienced one other dance studio in our lives, and it was no where near the atmosphere of Spotlight.  This is truly a special place! Miss Pam loves these students and makes each one feel special. Her attitude is contagious among her staff,  as each one goes above and beyond.  My children love all of their instructors and have told me that they never want to dance anywhere else. That’s all I need to hear!