Dody Flynn
Owner & Director
Miss Dody has followed her passion for dance since the age of six. She is a 1995 graduate of Dance Masters of America Teachers Training School, as well as has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Graphic Design from Western, CT State University.
Dody is a certified member of the highly respected dance teacher organization Dance Masters of America. Currently serving as the National First and Second Vice-President, as well as received the prestigious award “Member of the Year 2019”. Dody also holds the following
positions on the National level: DMA Parliamentarian, By-laws Committee, National Certified
Examiner, Title Pageants Tabulations Chair, and Teacher Training School Administrator
overseeing the “Test-to-Teach” certification program. As a member of Dance Teachers’ Club of Connecticut, Chapter 18 she has served as a director on the Executive Board, Second Vice-President, First Vice-President and President.
In 2017 Miss Dody founded “Everybody’s Nutcracker”. This special adaptation of Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic, features dancers of all abilities and was designed to introduce children and teens with special needs to the excitement of performing while making friends and gaining
self-confidence. The cast features children and teens with special needs dancing alongside “mentor” dancers. This sensory-friendly performance is adapted for people with a wide variety of sensory, intellectual, or developmental disabilities so that they may enjoy the performance with their families in a supportive, welcoming environment.
For the Danbury Music Centre’s production of “The Nutcracker” she worked as the props
coordinator for nine years and has held the position of Associate Choreographer for the past thirteen seasons.
As director of the Dance Dimensions Competition teams, Dody has won many awards including judges specials, high score, choreography, scholarships and title winners. She also has worked as an adjudicator for regional dance competitions.
Dody is also an ambassador for the Wingman for Dance program, which is sponsored by the
Dylan’s Wings of Change Foundation. This foundation was established to honor the memory of Dylan Hockley, who was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary school on 12/14/12. The foundations mission is to help children with Autism and other related conditions achieve their full potential and the Wingman for Dance program is just one of the many projects geared towards making that happen.
She resides in Sandy Hook with her husband, Herb and their two children Kira and Logan.
Kelly Bates
Kelly Bates has been dancing for twenty-eight years, starting at Dance Dimensions at the age of four. She is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University with a degree in History and
certification in Elementary Education. While at Central Miss Kelly was a member of the International Honor Society in Education, Kappa Delta Pi, as well as a member of DanCentral, a student dance group. During this time she had the opportunity to dance with The Albano Ballet at Mohegan Sun Arena and danced twice at the 5X5 College Dance Festival at the University of Saint Joseph's College. This is Miss Kelly’s eleventh year of teaching at the studio.
Miss Kelly currently works in the Danbury Public School System.
Sarah Beck
Sarah Beck began dancing at the age of four in Oxford, Pennsylvania: primarily studying ballet, jazz, lyrical, tap, and pointe. She participated in the annual local production of the “Nutcracker,” the Delaware Dance Festival, the Chester County Dance Festival, and competed throughout Pennsylvania. After graduating from high school Miss Sarah attended Bloomsburg University where she studied Elementary Education with a concentration in mathematics. While attending college she continued her love of dance by participating in lyrical, ballet, jazz, and hip hop classes with the Bloomsburg University Dance Ensemble. After two years of being a member of the ensemble, she became the ballet teacher and captain of the Bloomsburg Competition Dance Team for two years. After college Miss Sarah co-directed her local production of the “Nutcracker” and taught at two area studios. Over the last seven years Miss Sarah has been teaching Elementary school. This year Miss Sarah has started a new career as a Personalized Learning Coach. This is Miss Sarah’s fourth year with Dance Dimensions and loves being part of this dance family.
Lauren D'Aquila
Lauren D’Aquila began her dance training and education at Dance Dimensions at the age of five under the direction of Miss Dody and Miss Amy. For 13 years she studied various types of dance such as Ballet, Pointe, Modern, Lyric, Jazz and Hip Hop. At age six she joined the Dance Dimensions Competition Team and competed for 12 years, and now assists with choreography for the competition competitive and recreational teams. She has attended numerous dance workshops and national conventions thru Dance Masters of America, Dance Educators of America and Generation 4.
Growing up Lauren performed in the Danbury Music Centre’s production of The Nutcracker for 8 years in various roles such as Toy Soldier, Lead Chinese, Marzipan, Snow Court and Flower Court and many more.Lauren has proudly been a member of the Nutcracker staff for 3 years as Co-Production Stage Manager and Assistant Company Manager.
Lauren was a member of the Brookfield High School dance team for four years. Through the dance team she danced in various shows such as “Stand By Me” to raise money for the Wounded Warrior’s Foundation. She then went on to study dance and theater at Manhattanville College in Purchase, NY. This is Miss Lauren’s 11th year as part of the Dance Dimensions teaching staff and she loves every minute of it and is so excited to be celebrating her 26th year with Dance Dimensions!
Amy DeLoughy
Amy DeLoughy has been studying dance since the age of four and has been a staff member of Dance Dimensions for the past 27 years. She received her certification in Ballet and Tap from Dance Masters of America and has served as the Treasurer of Dance Teachers Club of Connecticut, Chapter 18 for the past 19 years. She is a Certified National Examiner for Dance Masters of America and serves as the Head Tabulator for their National Title Pageants as well as the head chairperson for the national finance committee. This year Amy will be celebrating her 25th year as a member of this prestigious organization.
Amy is an Assistant Director of the Dance Dimensions Competition Teams, winning many awards including high score, choreography, and judges’ specials. Some of her students have been the recipients of scholarship awards at both the regional and national levels. In 2017, her senior tap group won the prestigious “Grand National Champions” award at the Dance Masters of America National competition.
For the past 5 years, Amy has served as the Company Manager and Co-Production Stage Manager for the Danbury Music Centre’s production of the Nutcracker. You can also catch her and her husband, Mark, along with their children, performing in the production as party adults.
Amy is also a Global Ambassador for the Wingman for Dance program, which is sponsored by the Dylan’s Wings of Change Foundation. Amy holds a Bachelors of Business Administration Degree with a concentration in Accounting and currently works fulltime as a senior accountant at GE Healthcare. She resides in Sandy Hook with her husband Mark and their three children, Ashlyn, Mark, and Riley as well as her nieces Brianna and Hanna Linden.
Ashlyn DeLoughy
Ashlyn DeLoughy trained at Dance Dimensions LLC for 17 years under the direction of her aunt, Dody Flynn and her mother, Amy DeLoughy. She danced competitively for 14 years and has spent multiple summers traveling for the Dance Masters of America national convention and other intensives such as Generation IV and the American Academy of Ballet. For 13 years, she performed in the Danbury Music Centre’s production of the Nutcracker Ballet in various roles such as Sugar Plum Fairy, Clara, the Arabian Queen, Spanish Queen, Snow Court, Party Girl, Angel, etc. She is currently pursuing a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography as well as a BA in Journalism at Elon University. Throughout her time at Elon, Ashlyn has been casted in “Chroma” Spring Dance Concert 2019, “Communion” Black History Month Concert 2020, “Rites of Seasons” Spring Dance Concert 2020 and is currently working on a solo and a trio that she will perform in the 2020 virtual Fall Dance Concert.
Kira Flynn
Kira Flynn trained at Dance Dimensions, LLC for 17 years under the direction of her mother, Dody Flynn and her aunt, Amy DeLoughy. She danced competitively for 12 years and has spent many summers traveling to various summer camps and conventions such as Dance Masters of America national convention, the American Academy of Ballet, and Generation IV Dance. Throughout her competitive years she won numerous awards such as Miss Dance of Connecticut 2015, Teen Miss Dance of Connecticut 2012, and Junior Miss Dance of New York City 2008.
For 14 years, she performed in the Danbury Music Centre’s production of the Nutcracker Ballet in various roles such as Snow Queen, Lead Chinese, Snow Court, Flower Pink en Pointe, Party Girl, Angel, along with many more.
Kira is currently a Certified Special Education Teacher working as a Paraprofessional in Ridgefield Public Schools working towards her Masters of Science in Autism Spectrum Disorder and other Developmental Disabilities at Southern Connecticut State University.
Marissa Fraser
Marissa Fraser has been taking dance at Dance Dimensions since the age of three, when the studio first opened. She was a member of the competition teams for two years under the direction of Beverly Legge.
After high school Miss Marissa began teaching classes at Dance Dimensions. She has also earned her Dance Masters of America certification in Ballet.
Miss Marissa is a graduate from Western Connecticut State University with a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education and History as well as a Masters degree in Education with an option in reading. She currently teaches third grade in the Danbury Public School System.
Miss Marissa resides in Danbury with her husband Michael.
Jill Hancock
began her career over 20 years ago teaching for Ona-May School of Dance.
Ms. Hancock holds a certificate from New Visions Dance Project, a program set up by Alvin Ailey for people with disabilities. She has performed professionally with Maloney Productions and had her New York debut with New Dance Collective, a modern jazz company that she worked with for four years.
Her choreography has been seen throughout the tri-state area and in performances for Gallaudet
University and Muscle Mania World Competitions. Jill is excited to be in her second year with Dance Dimensions.
Brianna Linden
Brianna Linden began dancing with her Aunts, Miss Dody and Miss Amy at 18 months old.
She has been a member of the Dance Dimensions Competition Team for 12 years, winning
several awards.
Brianna has been an assistant teacher for 4 years and participated in the Dance Dimensions Dance Buddy program for 8 years as a mentor. She has also been a participant in the Danbury Music Center’s Production of the Nutcracker for 12 years in a variety of roles.
Brianna is a Senior High Honors student at Newtown High School and in September will be
attending Boston University. In high school she has been a member of the following programs:
the National Honors Society and World Language Honors Society, the Unified Sports Program
and Best Buddies Chapter, Fusion, as well as a peer tutor at our middle and intermediate schools in which she has the opportunity to help younger kids with their school work.
She is an intern at the Avielle Foundation, which focuses on neuroscience. The Mission of the
Avielle Foundation is to prevent violence and build compassion through neuroscience research, community engagement, and education.
Michelle Dennis McCarley
Michelle Dennis McCarley began dancing at Dance Dimensions at the age of three. At the age of six she became a member of the competition team. She is a graduate of Springfield College with a Bachelors degree in dance with a minor in business management. While at Springfield College she was a member of the Springfield College Dancers where she served two years on the board as secretary and President. During her senior year Michelle was the co-director of their spring student dance concert. To further her dance education she has attended national dance conventions and workshops through Dance Masters of America, New England's College Dance Festival and the National Dance Educators Conference.
Along with teaching at the studio for the past 11 years, Michelle works as an administrative
assistant at Putman Hospital in New York.
Miss Michelle currently resides in Danbury with her husband Aaron and son DeSean.
Anna-Lee Pflomm
Anna-Lee Pflomm has been taking classes at Dance Dimensions since the age of four; primarily training in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern and Hip Hop. She was a member of Dance Dimensions Competition Team and Brookfield HS dance team for ten and four years respectively. She has also performed multiple roles in the Danbury Music Center’s production of the Nutcracker.
Anna-Lee continued her dance education through college, was a member of the Bloomsburg University Dance Team and taught her peers in their student run Dance Ensemble. After graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science degree, Miss Anna is thrilled to be teaching her eighth season at her home studio, Dance Dimensions.
Elizabeth Voelpel
Elizabeth Voelpel was a student at Dance Dimensions for 13 years studying tap, ballet, jazz, lyrics and hip hop, and was a member of the competition team. She continued to dance in college at Central Connecticut State University where she performed in a Beatles production, earned a Bachelors degree in Mathematics Education and Masters in STEM Education. During the school year she teaches mathematics at Oxford High School. Elizabeth has been on staff for three seasons and is happy to be continuing next season.
