2020 Greatmats National Dance Instructor of the Year Contest

My Daughter has been under the instruction of Mrs Colleen Overfield for 8 years now. Mrs Colleen runs her studio on Christian guidelines. She works endlessly and selflessly with her students on a daily basis. She always looks to what is best for you her students. Mrs Colleen's studio in a Nationally Acclaimed studio as well. Mrs Colleen pours herself into every minute of everyday to better her studios and experiences for her students. The difference in my child today from 8 years ago is a tremendous difference. I credit Mrs Colleen and her studio in making a lot of that seem difference in my Daughter. Mrs Colleen pours so much more than just dance into our children. She adds in many of life lessons such as accountability and responsibility along with many more life lessons. Mrs Colleen is so selfless and I would live for her to win this award that she is so deserving of.

Kelly Monahon goes above and beyond for her students every day. She is constantly looking for new ways to inspire them and is budget conscious for us parents. She held free dancing in the park for her students during Covid, and held Instagram live classes while the studio was closed. Her Children (her biological children And her dancers) are her life.

Mrs. Heather Brown is the owner and artistic director of Burgaw Dance Center and Gymnastics. Growing up in the world of dance, Mrs. Heather wanted to share her joy and passion for dance with the community. She opened her doors in 2014 and has had a very successful time teaching her love of dance to her students. She makes the classes fun and keeps everything positive while her students practice their dance moves. Her biggest joy is watching the young ones grasp the art of dance for the first time. Burgaw Dance Center and Gymnastics is a Christian based studio focused on bringing glory and honor to Jesus through the art of dance.

Miss Amy Fragala goes above and beyond for her students. It has been especially evident during this pandemic. Without missing a beat, she transferred the entire studio online with classes, games and activities to keep the kids connected. Now that the studio is back open in person, she has created a fun, safe studio for kids to enjoy being back at their favorite place

Caytie Seeds has been an amazing instructor from my daughter. She has made her such an amazing dancer and an amazing human being. She grows her not only as a professional athlete but also as an amazing little lady :) ------------- Miss Caytie has been the most amazing instructor from my daughter. She has taught her to not only be a beautiful dancer, but an amazing human being. She is the teacher who takes the time to reach out to the students. Every one of her students loves her.She's taught my daughter to love dance and to love herself. She is priceless!

Ana Cathryn Bigham, gave my daughter and many others their passion for dance. She loves her dancers fiercely and demands they give their best. Her studio has tripled in size in its short 4 years. She has been dancing since the age of 2 and has earned numerous awards and titles. Her dream to own her own studio has been realized. Take a peak in one of her classes, you won't find her barking directions from a corner. You will see her on the dance floor teaching and engaging with her students. She kept these dancers dancing in live Zoom classes during the quarantine. She even held a prom at the studio for the junior and senior dancers that lost their school proms due to COVID!! Ana Cathryn goes above and beyond and you can see her passion, dedication and love in the faces of her dancers!!!

I am nominating my dance teacher Katelyn Byrd. She always goes above and beyond to show her dancers just how much she loves them and cares about them in and out of the studio. Attending pageants, school functions, anything to show her support and encouragement. She had brain surgery earlier in the year to remove a benign tumor from the back of her braim, even during recovery she found a way to connect with her dancers and attended almost all zoom classes for her students even if she couldn't participate much she was present...like she always is! ----------- Katelyn is a wonderful Director and Teacher . She recently had a brain tumor during the pandemic in March 2020. She has been teaching for about 6 months before being diagnosed with the tumor on the brain stem. After surgery she got right back to work teaching zoom classes daily so she would not let her kids down.

Studying full-time for her BAMA in Dance Education at Hunter College and teachers @ studio 6hrs a day 6 days a week.

Ms. Felecia Thomas gives so much of herself to her students. When forced to close during the pandemic, she set up on demand classes as well as live Zoom classes to keep the students engaged. When she had to cancel the scheduled annual production because unable to have at an indoor venue, she continued to teach choreography via zoom and hired a media company to film the production outdoors. The production was premiered online via Zoom webinar with over 300 people signing in to view. She was able to reopen the studio meeting safety guidelines as required by the CDC. Although she lost a few students during the time the studio closed, she has since increased enrollment with new students. Since opening her students have filmed a couple pieces outside at the Fayetteville historical courthouse to be presented by the City of Atlanta via an online festival in October.

Paige Carney is the best, so supportive and sweet. Always so encouraging to her students at both studios she teaches at. We love miss Paige!!

Ms. Zimone Mincey brings the girls together through dance. She works hard and is a wonderful example of a dedicated leader. She is the perfect balance of tough love helping the girls learn to strive to be good people and work for what they want. We are very thankful to have Ms. Z at Summerville Dance Academy!

Miss Taylor Jurgovan goes beyond what is asked of her. She supports the dancers in all that they do. She takes the time to make sure all the dancers understand the basics and pushes those that have developed the basics. She gives great advice not only in dance but in life. We all look up to her as she is a true inspiration to us all. She followed her dream and studied dance in California.She's also an amazing "Luvabull"

George Bohn started performing in California at an early age with Vernon Russell who set the foundation for much of his dance career. By age 13, George had performed on television, in an Equity Summer Stock package, and at the San Francisco Opera House with the Kirov ballet. After earning an English degree from St. Mary's College, he toured throughout the Northwest United States and internationally performing ballets and choreographing in countries such as Mexico, Germany, and the Netherlands; eventually performing with Disney-on-Parade in South Africa before moving to New York City. George's New York credits include Gypsy with Angela Lansbury, several Off-Off Broadway shows, The American Dance Machine, and Not So New Faces where he originated the "Flipper Dance" with choreographer Terry Rieser, While in New York, he was recruited by the esteemed choreographer Henry LeTang to travel to Las Vegas to perform in a revue of The Cotton Club when the famous film starring Gregory Hines was released. Once back in New York, George joined DancEllington, a concert tap company founded by Gregory and Maurice Hines and led by Mercedes Ellington, Duke Ellington's granddaughter. In addition to performing and touring with the company, George made his New York choreographic debut creating the Russian and Sugarplum Fairy dances in DancEllington's premier of Cracker Jazz Peter and the Duke, to Ellington's famous arrangement of the Nutcracker Suite, as well as assisting Ms. Ellington in choreographing for Andre Heller's Body and Soul which opened at the Munich Opera House and toured in Germany and Austria. George also created and performed A Simple Song with his long time friend, Broadway actor Bob Fitch for the group Dancers Over Forty before closing a 30 year chapter on his New York career and moving to Austin to be closer to family. His current projects in Austin include teaching classes of all levels at TexARTS, maintaining his YouTube channel, and originating the Austin Rhythm Incubator; a performance salon held Art Beat Dance Center in Cedar Park.

As a parent of a 5-year-old and 9-year-old student, I felt compelled to nominate Ms. Diana L. McCormack for the 2020 Dance Instructor of the year. Ms. Diana has not only been a gift to our Wilson County community, but has brought the grace, elegance and wonder of ballet to our small town and has helped to flourish her ballet students both male and female beyond their expectations. Ms. Diana exudes what many would call a perfect ballet instructor. She has been instructing and developing students in Wilson County since 2014, students in Medina County since 2019 and has 19 years of professional experience teaching in and around the great state of Texas. As a parent of both a female and male student, she has taught my children the discipline, hard work and dedication it takes to understand the art of ballet. She teaches all of her students about having confidence in who they are and when they perform. Her ballet schools also offer a genre of dance to include [Jazz, Tap, Hip-Hop, Tumbling and Progressing Ballet Technique (P.B.T.)]. Being a mother of a male ballet student who also takes Jazz, Ms. Diana has provided me with knowledge and guidance to help my son develop his craft as a ballet student. My daughter started ballet at the age of 3 in Ms. Diana's creative movement class and has been dreaming of being a professional ballerina since that moment. My son joined at the age of 8 and was encouraged and motivated by each of her classes to try something new and excel at everything you try. These schools, their location, their students and most importantly their instructor have been nothing short of a blessing for such a small community. As a parent, I can not think of a more exceptional and deserving instructor, teacher, individual but most importantly role model to be granted this award.