Staff

Jeni Bayer Schwiers began her dance training with St. Ignatius Dance at the age of 4. She studied ballet at the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music Prep Department and Annaliese Von Oettingen School of Ballet, and tap at Ziegler’s Dance Studio. She was an apprentice for Karen Prunzik and Kit Andre. She has studied with Barry Youngblood, Scott Benson, Darryl Retter, Mallory Graham, Loree Rousseau, Tony Locasio, and many others. She was featured in the Cincinnati Ballet Company’s production of The Nutcracker from 1981-1984. She was awarded the Excellence in Dance Award by Hoctor’s Dance Caravan, and was selected to tour the country with them as an apprentice. In 1999, Jeni opened Spotlight Dance Center, home of the award-winning Spotlight Dance Team. She has received numerous awards for choreography, presentation, and studio spirit. Jeni is also very involved in theater. She joined Cincinnati Young People’s Theater in 1989, where she played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and the title role in Cinderella, before becoming the organization’s choreographer in 2001. She has also been seen in numerous productions aboard the Showboat Majestic, including A Chorus Line (Cassie), Meet Me in St Louis (Esther), 110 in the Shade (Snookie), Nunsense (Sr. Leo), Company (Marta), and Anything Goes (Bonnie), as well as part of Cincinnati Landmark Production’s Grease (Rizzo). She has choreographed for many local theater groups, including the Showboat and CLP, as well as Seton, Elder, McAuley, Mercy, and Mason High Schools, Showbiz, and St. Catherine’s Players. She was a member of the oldies band, The Majestics, which performed many local events in conjunction with WGRR. Her students have been seen in the National Tour of 42nd Street, aboard cruise ships, at King’s Island, in professional theater companies, and as members of many college dance teams. In her spare time, Jeni is wife to Michael, and Mom to 3 little girls, Hayley, Eva, and Audrey.

As a dancer Ms. Amy Vandergriff- Veldhaus has been recognized for her talents on both a regional and national level. She has been awarded top honors in many of the countries leading dance circuits and has performed in professional productions and televised talent events. As a teacher and choreographer, Amy has been awarded for her work in many areas, including lyrical/jazz technique, lyrical/jazz choreography and overall entertainment value. Through her efforts Amy has given hundreds of young performers the opportunity to succeed in dance as a performing art. Many of her students have been awarded scholarships, are dancing in college or have moved on to careers in the dance industry. Amy is the former owner of Starmaker Dance Studio. In June of 2008 Amy was the proud teacher and choreographer of the Grand Champion Routine at the prestigious Myrtle Beach Kids Artistic Revue Nationals. She was also named a K.A.R. 2008 choreographer of the year. In 2009, 2010 and 2011 several of Amy’s routines were featured overall winners on the country’s leading Dance Circuits websites. Two of Amy’s pieces have also been finalists for the Federation of Dance’s routine of the year. Amy currently lives in Cincinnati with her husband Todd, and sons Joe and Tuck.