Christina Hedding & Teresa Novak - Co-Owners/Directors
Sisters, following a dream and passion for dance, are the co-owners and directors for Footlights Dance Studio.
Christina’s teaching resume spans over 30 years. She studied dance at Brookhaven College and the University of Texas at Austin and choreographed many special event performances for groups in San Antonio, Dallas, and New York. Christina loves giving back to her community, volunteering at local schools and her church, Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church. Her love of dance and instilling that passion in others has led her to where she is today, and she is so thankful to her husband, Matt, and their two daughters, Alyssa, and Lynley, for sharing that passion and allowing her to follow a dream! The Hedding Family lives in Flower Mound with two cats and two dogs!
Teresa has been teaching for more than 20 years and treasures her time in the studio. A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin (Hook ‘Em!), Teresa was a member of the UT Dance Team and trained under notable instructors. After graduation, she built a career in network television marketing. During her marketing years, she stayed involved in dance and performed as a member of the Texas Tap Ensemble, was Co-Director, and Choreographer for Metrocrest Community Theater, was an assistant director of The Passion Play at St. Ann Catholic Church, and came back to teaching at Footlights in 2012. While she has taught all styles, tap is a favorite, and she completed a tap instructor intensive at Broadway Dance Center in 2021 and just completed iTap teacher certification in August of 2022. Teresa is married to her college sweetheart, Jim, and they live in Coppell with their four-legged baby, Izzy. They have one son, Holden; he is all grown up and lives in Dallas.
INSTRUCTOR of: Tap, Ballet, Jazz
Amanda Watson - Instructor
Amanda is a former Footlights competitive dancer and returns to teach our Drill Team Prep class! Currently serving as Captain of the Flower Mound High School Rosettes, she will pursue collegiate dance.
INSTRUCTOR of: Drill Team Prep
Ashlynn Nussmeier - Instructor
Ashlynn is a Footlights alum, and we are thrilled to have her back and on staff! Ashlynn is a four-year member of her high school drill team and specializes in jazz, contemporary, drill team, ballet, and tap.
INSTRUCTOR of: Combo, Jazz, Contemporary
Emily Winkel - Instructor
Emily graduated from the University of Arkansas, where she was a four-year pom squad member. She teaches all styles but specializes in Hip Hop and Contemporary. A newlywed, new to Flower Mound, and a new member of the Dallas Mavericks D-Town Crew - welcome to the area and Footlights, Emily!
INSTRUCTOR of: Combo, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Jazz
Erin Hanrahan - Instructor
Erin began dancing at Footlights at an early age, where she focused on tap, ballet, jazz, and contemporary. She was a member of Footlights Performing Arts Company until she graduated. After high school graduation, she traveled to England and attended a six-month bible college. Once home, she continued her studies at the University of North Texas and returned to Footlights!
INSTRUCTOR of:
Grace Jones - Instructor
Grace grew up in North Carolina and studied all styles of dance. A former member of Ingredients Dance Company, she loves sharing her passion for dance with others! We are thrilled to have Grace join the Footlights staff!
INSTRUCTOR of: Contemporary, Jazz, Ballet
Jenny Long - Instructor
Jenny started her training at the age of five with the Berkshire Ballet Theater in Crystal Lake, IL. She trained in ballet, jazz, pointe, contemporary and modern. During her time with BBT, she performed in numerous ballets and roles such as Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Spring Fairy in Cinderella, Dew Drop in The Nutcracker, and many more. Along with her ballet roles, Jenny grew up competing and attending dance conventions in Chicago. Jenny is a graduate of Illinois State University, where she received a BS in Dance Performance. She was a part of the Illinois State Dance Theatre during college, performing throughout the Midwest and annually at the American College Dance Festival. Jenny has been teaching for over 16 years. She loves sharing her knowledge and love for dance with the students at Footlights! Jenny lives in Flower Mound with her husband Rolando, daughter Kenzie, and newborn baby boy, Kason!
INSTRUCTOR of: Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Modern
Kayla Brummett - Instructor
Kayla has been teaching for over fifteen years, but we have been lucky to have her here at Footlights for the last TEN! She graduated from Dental Hygiene School in La Crosse, WI, and currently works at Highland Village Dental. She has taught combos, ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, and her favorite...BOOT CAMP! Kayla grew up dancing with Misty’s Dance Unlimited and was a member of their competitive teams. Kayla has performed at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Disney World, and many competitions throughout the Midwest. She and her husband, Tyler, love to spend time with their two energetic boys- Alek and Beau! They enjoy traveling and checking new things off their bucket list!
INSTRUCTOR of: Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary
Libby Hanrahan - Instructor
Libby is entering her 3rd year as a Footlights instructor! She is a current member of The PAC, our competitive dance team, competing in Contemporary, Hip Hop, and Modern. She loves all dance styles and teaching all ages! She is a great asset to the Footlights staff.
INSTRUCTOR of: Combo, Hip Hop, Jazz
Marissa Boyd - Instructor
Marissa has been teaching with Footlights for 18 years. Her dance journey began at the age of three at San Antonio Dance Academy. She has performed at the State Fair of Texas, the Riverwalk, and the TI-IN Educational Network. She was a member of Footlights' performing company for several years, where she received numerous top awards for her group dances and solos. She was a 4-year member of the Lewisville Farmerettes and Captain her Senior Year. Marissa loves to perform and has been part of shows locally. Her favorite was the opportunity to perform in and choreograph Trietsch MUMC's Annie and choreograph Oklahoma for Greater Lewisville Civic Theater. As Footlights' Company Director, she has had the privilege to take groups to New York City and Disneyworld. Her group and solo choreography consistently receive top honors, including Entertainment Awards, Choreography Recognition, and First Overalls. Marissa and her husband, Jeff, live in Celina with their two kids, Madelynn and Aidan!
INSTRUCTOR of: Tap, Ballet, Jazz
Rebekah Lapio - Instructor
Rebekah is our Acro and Tumbling Coach! She is a certified instructor and coaches team gymnastics at a local gym! Rebekah loves helping dancers achieve their acro goals. Rebekah lives in the area with her husband and 3 children, two are Footights dancers!
INSTRUCTOR of: Acro/Tumble
Seth York - Instructor
Seth York was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, where he began dancing at seven. He received most of his training at Dramatic Truth School of the Arts, where he studied ballet, Graham technique, jazz, contemporary, and more. He is currently in his third season as a company member with Bruce Wood Dance and has performed works choreographed by Bruce Wood, Garrett Smith, Joy Bollinger, Brian Arias, and more. Before joining BWD, Seth performed and trained at Ad Deum Dance Company under the direction of Randall Flinn, where he performed the work of Steve Rooks, Durell Comedy, and Randall Flinn and received training from artists such as Alicia Graf Mack, Steve Brule, and Richard Bowman. He also has worked alongside Open Sky Arts Collective, Ballet Brazos, Störling Dance Theatre, and Lawrence Dance Theatre and enjoys teaching ballet, modern, and contemporary.
INSTRUCTOR of: Ballet
