Owner/Director

Amber began dancing as a child at American Dance Academy in Garden City. While there, she was a member of many award winning competition groups. She proceeded to attend Eastern Michigan University where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree with a dance major and a business minor. Amber began teaching in 1992 and taught full time after graduating from EMU in 1997. In 1999, she became the business manager of a local studio as well. In 2001, Amber bought that dance studio and changed it’s name to The Dance Academy.
Amber specializes in modern, jazz, and tap but also teaches ballet and ballroom. She especially enjoys working with dancers ages 7-12 and has led many of her students/groups to competitive awards such as The Precision Award, The Intensity Award, The Best Dynamics Award, and consistent top 5 highest scores awards.

Meghan Conway , Romulus, MI, is an award winning choreographer/teacher with 20 years of dance experience. At age 4, Meghan began dancing at Sherry’s Academy of Dance where she studied ballet, jazz, lyrical, and tap under Sherry Blaha. Fifteen years later, in 2003 she was accepted into Wayne State University’s Maggie Allesee Department of Dance with a Talent Scholarship where she continued her studies. As a dance scholar Meghan performed in several repretoire works and studied closely with world renowned choreographers such as Josh Hilberman, Melissa Allen, Jawole Willa Jo Zolar and Sean Curran. During her four years Meghan served as WSU Dance Company’s president, received the first ever Harriet Burg Choreography Scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree in Dance in May of 2007. Upon graduation Meghan continued her dance training in NYC studying at Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway and Dance New Amsterdam. Meghan lived in Los Angeles, CA until 2012 once again furthering her training and choreography skills. Throughout the LA area Meghan choreographed for multiple contemporary companies and studios and performed with the hip hop company Asylum Dance Co. She has also been featured in numerous music videos and has performed multiple times in the world renowned Carnival Choreographers Ball. Meghan also taught at the International Dance Academy in Hollywood. She has recently returned home to Michigan to pursue the next chapter of her teaching career.

Kim began dance training at the age of 5 at American Dance Academy in Garden City. She studied
tap, jazz, Cecchetti ballet (through grade VI), Hawaiian, and baton. She was a member of many award
winning competition groups at both state and national levels. Kim danced in Russia, Poland, and
Denmark as part of the International Youth Exchange in 1989 and at Walt Disney World in 1991. Kim
has performed in many parades, community festivals, an Easter Seals telethon, competed in modeling
pageants, and appeared in a 2002 Winter Olympics commercial. Kim taught the studio’s youngest
dancers at American Dance Academy 1993-2001 and at The Dance Academy 2001 to the present. This
year she will begin her 9th year as an elementary teacher in the Wayne-Westland Community School
District. Kim has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from EMU. She is
a past member and choreographer for the Wayne-Westland Junior Miss Scholarship Progran and is a
current committee member of the Michigan Junior Miss Scholarship Program.
Lutalo Sephers

April began dancing at age 5 doing tap, ballet and gymnastics. She was on the Cheer America team for a few years before moving on to pom at the Middle School level (13 yrs old). She continued with pom through highschool and was on an All Star team that performed in front of the President at the Inaugural Parade 2001 as well as Piston games and the Detroit Thanksgiving Parade. She has
attended summer camps (both as a pommer and coach) competed in pom, hip hop, and high kick as well as run clinics and try outs. After highschool she coached Garden City Middle School for 6 years and now is in her 2nd year of coaching at the advanced level for the State Winning squad Novi Varsity. She has a huge heart for pom and it has given her great opportunities and skills over the years.

Karen Eck has been dancing since the age of 4 beginning at St.  Mary’s School of Dance in Detroit, and later becoming a member of the Mid-West Ballet Theatre Company. She is a long standing member of Dance Masters of America and Dance Masters of Michigan, and has been living the dream of teaching for the past 20 years!  Miss Karen has served on the Board of Directors and is now the Secretary of the Michigan Chapter. Passing all of the traditional core exams (ballet, tap, jazz), she is a Post Graduate of Teachers Training School at State University of New York at Buffalo and is continually bringing up-to-date dance training to her classes.   She creatively includes terminology , history and kinesiology.   Karen specializes in teaching children and is known for her creative choreography. She has also developed a successful dance program for young children.

ML began dancing 22 years ago. with Gymnastics, ballet, jazz, partnering, modern, and hip hop. He
has spent the last 17 years training, competing, and performing in cha cha, rumba, waltz, swing, lindy
hop, and Latin hustle. He has competed in New York, Ohio, and Connecticut as well as Michigan
winning such titles as Jr. Latin hustle champion many years running. He began teaching locally in
2005 and has worked extensively in Ann Arbor and Livonia with groups of all ages and private lessons in the arts of ballroom, rhythm dances and hip hop.
He is also a skilled party host and DJ.

Shanna has been dancing since she was 3 years old. She has been teaching at The Dance Academy
since 2010. She continues to study dance while attending college. Shanna is very creative and
wonderful with young children. She is fast becoming our most popular teacher amongst students and
parents for 3-5 year olds.

Michelle Langley studied dance in Plymouth, Michigan as a child and teen for 12 years.
She continued her dance studies at Eastern Michigan University where she acquired a Bachelor’s
Degree with a Dance Major and a Business Minor. Michelle began teaching 17 years ago and has
choreographed for performance groups both local and abroad. She specializes in working with teens
and has been an instructor at The Dance Academy since 2001. Michelle is also a well known judge at
various dance related events.

Sharon became a certified instructor for tap, jazz, and Hawaiian through Dance Masters of Michigan
and Dance Masters of America in 1983. She studied for 13 years with Ms. Carol Hussey, who was one
of the original Alder Dancers, and has been teaching for over 30 years. She is especially well known
for her authentic Polynesian dance classes which include learning about the language, the culture, and
costuming as well as the dancing. Sharon continues to attend Ka Hui Hula Polynesia Seminars to
study under master instructors from the Hawaiian Islands. She has been teaching competitive Tahitian
groups at The Dance Academy since 2001and has won many awards including Best Choreography,
Best Costume, Most Entertaining, and consistant top 5 highest scores placement.

Lutalo began his entertainment/dance career thirteen years ago. Originally brought in to be a dancer
Lutalo quickly became an MC and he never looked back. Lutalo has always enjoyed dancing, and his
first formal dance class was a tap dance class he took while in kindergarten. Lutalo has been a dance
instructor for the past ten years and teaches street ready hip-hop for ages 6 – adult. Lutalo was a
choreographer/dancer for Rockel toured with her for a year and a half. Most recently, Lutalo
performed with the Motor City Vibe and Taboo being featured in the Red Hot & Dance at the Motor
City Casino Hotel. Lutalo has also become a talented DJ playing and mixing music. He currently holds
a residency at Motor City Casino Hotel as a DJ/Personality.
When not dancing Lutalo spends his time drawing, writing fiction, reading, and working out.
Researching and finding new steps is an ongoing process with Lutalo. His inspirations for new moves
and combinations come from varied sources including movies, martial arts, and other styles of dance.
Lutalo’s philosophy: When the world is moving too fast, dance until it slows down…