Meet the Staff of Daytona Beach Dance Studio and Ormond Beach Dance Studio

Owners and Directors

Amanda Bell has been the owner and director of Amanda’s Dance Center for over 13 years, where she teaches ballet, jazz, point, tap, and acrobatics. Prior to her taking over the studio, she was a 13-year alumnus of Debco School of Dance. As a member of the “Debco Dancers” Competition Group, Amanda taught for 4 years and also won numerous awards and scholarships. She is currently a member-through test certificationof Florida Dance Masters. She has served on their board of directors, and is currently on the scholarship committee. She is also the Artistic Director of the Lauren Cox Memorial Benefit Concert in Ormond Beach. Amanda’s students can be seen performing at various community events and have won numerous awards and scholarships on the regional and national level. Most recently her dancers won Gold & Platinum awards at OnStage NY’s Nationals Competition in Orlando. “Exceptional Choreography” awards were given to Amanda & Shannon for the creation of those dances as well a “Class Act” Award for the studio demonstrating appropriate costuming & etiquette. Some of her students have even gone on to dance & perform at Oklahoma City University, Tisch School of the Arts, University of Florida and Florida State- one student is currently in the Theatre Program at FSU.

 In addition to teaching at the studio, Amanda has been a guest choreographer and instructor for several Florida Dance Master events in West Palm Beach, Orlando, and Sanford. She also choreographed the American Musical Theatre’s production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at Seabreeze High School, the world premier of Disney’s New version of Aladdin with Center Stage Kids, and was the dance & acrobatic instructor for the Atlantic Center for the Arts at the Harris House for the past three summers. This season Amanda is developing a dance curriculum that can be integrated into the after-school programs & daycares to bring the benefits of dance to those kids that are unable to attend studio classes. Her three greatest productions are her sons Dillon Matthew and Addison Lee and daughter Caydon  Hawley!

Amanda@amandasdancecenter.com
 

David Bell has developed and directed summer theatre programs for six schools and two theatres. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and taught high school English and Drama full time in Stuart, Florida.  He began his theatrical career at age 12 and has acted in, produced, directed, and worked on community, semiprofessional, and professional productions throughout Florida, and also appeared in a feature film. Several years ago, he had the pleasure of performing with and directing his friend, Alicia Minshew, (All My Children’s Kendall Hart) in the musicals Little Shop of Horrors and Godspell. David worked as a substitute teacher for Volusia County Schools. He is employed by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Department and is the owner, drama instructor, and artistic director of Center Stage Theatricals, featuring the Center Stage Kids Musical Theatre Camp, producing such shows as Grease, Mulan, Alice in Wonderland, Willy Wonka, The Little Mermaid, Toy Story, The Wizard of Oz, and High School Musical. Last year, Center Stage Kids produced the pilot and world premier of Disney’s new version of Aladdin Kids, lending ideas and concepts that have been incorporated in the script being published and distributed by Disney, worldwide! This summer,his theatre production company produced the very first production of Disney’s High School Musical 2 Jr. His group was one of 50, out of 35,000 selected to perform in Atlanta for Music Theatre International’s Junior Theatre Festival. 

Click here to Check out David's Musical Theater Summer Camp in Daytona Beach! 

david@amandasdancecenter.com

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Teachers

Deborah Coe owned and operated her own studio in the Daytona Beach area for 14 years before returning to college to earn her Master’s Degree in Dance Pedagogy.  She has  taught and choreographed in the dance programs at Western Kentucky University and Texas A&M University.   In addition to teaching in Daytona Beach she teaches master classes and teacher training workshops throughout the state.   Ms. Coe holds memberships in Florida Dance Masters, and the Educational Kinesiology Foundation. She has been tested and certified as a dance adjudicator by the National Dance Teachers Council of America and judges at numerous dance competitions nationally. Her students have gone on to dance professionally in venues from Disney World to the Joffrey Ballet.  She has served on the Artistic Board for the Daytona Beach Civic Ballet, the Lauren Cox Memorial Scholarship Concert Series and the Board of Directors of Florida Dance Masters.   She is the co-director of the ADC Outreach Performance Program.  Click here to see some of her articles on dance.  She also authors an informational blog at dancestudiocorner@blogspot.com.  Most recently her choreography was presented awards including: “High Score of the Competition”,  “Best Choreography”, “Best of Show” and a special award for “Flowing Transitions.”  Her goal is to use the discipline dance offers as a tool to help students be successful in all of their endeavors.

missdeb@amandasdancecenter.com

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Shannon Johnson Thomas grew up in Daytona Beach, FL where she began dancing at the age of 4 at Debco School of Dance now known as Amanda's Dance Center.  She studied ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, lyrical, acrobatics, modern, and musical theater.  She was a member of ADC Elite Company.  While living in Florida, Shannon was extremely involved in the dance community locally and statewide. She was awarded many awards and won the over-all dancer scholarship with Florida Dance Master's at the age of 18.  Shannon participated in many workshops and conventions classes with numerous icons in the dance world; Joe Tremaine, Frank Hatchett, Gus Giordano, Dee Caspary, Mandy Moore, Lizzie MacKenzie, Randy Duncan, and Patsy Swayze.  She was also a part of Jazz Dance World Congress. Shannon attended Oklahoma City University's Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Arts Management to study Dance Performance.  She studied extensively in ballet, tap, jazz, theater dance, dance pedagogy, anatomy, and choreography under such people as Jo Rowan, Robert Reed, Tiffany Van der merwe, Patricia Oplotnik, and Kay Sandel.  While attending OCU, Shannon was a part of the prestigious American Spirit Dance Company for 4 years.  While at OCU, she performed with and honored such celebrities as Susan Powell, Art and Nancy Stone, Cholly Atkins, Leonard Reed, Marion Coles, and Donald O'Conner.  She has worked for corporate entertainment company Shows in a Box as a  choreographer and dancer for Industrials, Conventions and Trade Shows.  Shannon was also Magician's Assistant and Dance Captain for The World of Magic.  She recently performed with Surfscape Contemporary Dance Theatre in their Rock Opera to Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall."  She travels teaching and choreographing for dance studios and dance teams in the. Central Florida area.Can you post something about Amanda's Dance Center on your page.  Shannon believes in teaching the proper technique to her dancers to instill correct body alignment and placement. She is teaching at Amanda's Dance Center and works with Spruce Creek High School's Papillon Dance Team and Color-guard, Creekside Middle School, mentors dancers, private lessons, and her own choreography business, Dancebrought2u.  Shannon has won numerous awards for her choreography and attends dance workshops on a regular basis.  Shannon and her husband Shane own and operate Twenty Seven Reaons Search Engine Optimization company.
shannon@amandasdancecenter.com
http://www.dancebrought2u.com

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Heather Zebell has been dancing since the age of 4.  She grew  up in Port Orange, FL starting her first years of dance at Debco School of Dance.  After dancing for 5 years, Heather decided to become a part of the performing company as a dedicated member for 7 years.  She performed and competed in many styles of dance with ADC Elite including ballet, pointe, jazz, tap and lyrical.  Heather did find her nitch.  With her long graceful limbs and delicate frame, ballet came natural.  After years of hard work Heather was awarded Runner Up in the Miss American Dance Awards where she competed Nationally for the title in Boston, MA.  She was also awarded ballet scholarships from the prestigious Florida Dance Masters Scholarship Program.  Heather was a part of the Civic Ballet's "The Nutcracker" for 3 years.  Heather's love of dance started at young age and has continued to flourish as she has recently come into motherhood.  Heather is excited to be a part of Amanda's Dance Center again! 

heather@amandasdancecenter.com

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