June 21, 2022
Spectrum Academy has the opportunity
to explore the possibility of opening a Spectrum Academy K-8 campus in
St. George, Utah in the fall of 2024.
If interested, complete the Interest Survey.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Spectrum Academy Special Olympics
DanceSport Teams

SO DanceSport Participant Information...
Spectrum Academy has been invited by Louis Van Amstel to be one of the first programs in the world to participate in the now recognized Special Olympics DanceSport! DanceSport became a recognized Sport in March 2019 during the World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi. This sport covers all types of dance styles such as Ballroom, Streetdance (Hip Hop, Breaking, Locking, Electric Boogie etc.) Performing Arts (Modern, Ballet, Jazz Dance, Contemporary etc.) and Specialty (LaBlast, Folk Dance) and offers training and competitions for Solos, Duos, Couples and Teams.
Who is eligible to participate in Special Olympics?
To be eligible to participate in Special Olympics as an "Athlete", you must be at least 8 years old and identified by an agency or professional as having one of the following conditions: intellectual disabilities, cognitive delays as measured by formal assessment, or significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delay that require or have required specially designed instruction.
To be eligible to participate on the Spectrum Academy DanceSport Team the participant must be a currently enrolled student.
A "Unified Partner" is a participant without intellectual disabilities or cognitive delays. Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. In Unified Sports, teams are made up of people of similar age and ability.
Spectrum Academy DanceSport will have routines consisting of Athletes and Unified Partners and routines with Athletes only.
Practices will begin Sept. 2021, our first performance is November 6, 2021.
Participants must complete the Spectrum Academy DanceSport Team google form prior to attending practice. The Special Olympics Registration Form will be available online in December. The Special Olympics registration fee is $10 per year.
A Parent/Guardian or responsible party must accompany participants during practices, performances, and competitions. Guests and Participants must leave practice at 4:15pm.
Practice Day/Time - Every Tuesday, 3:30-4:15 pm
Practice Location - PG High School Gym
Coach - Maura Lee Forsgren
Coach - Calvin Barnum
Coach - Abigail Hansen
SECONDARY TEAM - ages 13+
Practice Day/Time - Every Monday, 3:30-4:15 pm
Practice Location - NSL Intermediate Gym
Head Coach - Chelsea Nielsen
Assistant Coach - Corinna Gustafson
SECONDARY TEAM - ages 13+
BEGINNING JAN 2022
Practice Day/Time - TBD
Practice Location - TBD
Head Coach - NEED
Assistant Coach - NEED
Assistant Coach - NEED
ELEMENTARY TEAM - ages 8-12
Pleasant Grove Dance Teams
Practice Day/Time - Every Thursday, 3:30-4:15 pm
Practice Location - NSL Elementary Gym
Head Coach - NEED
Assistant Coach - Melissa Rossetti
Assistant Coach - Traci Walker
Assistant Coach - Heather Jones
Assistant Coach - Tracie Tornavacca
ELEMENTARY TEAM - ages 8-12
North Salt Lake Dance Teams
Spectrum Academy Volunteer DanceSport Coaches
NSL Volunteer Coaches
PG Volunteer Coaches

Chelsea Nielsen
NSL Main Coach
Chelsea began dancing in her early childhood in which she studied ballet and tap. Chelsea fell in love with dance and in her early adolescence she began studying jazz, hiphop, tumbling and cheer. In high school, Chelsea added modern dance and ethnic styles to her repertoire in her teenage years. Chelsea danced at Weber State University, performing on scholarship with Orchesis Dance Theater and acquired ballroom dancing to her repertoire. During her time at Weber State, she was able to train at Alvin Ailey, Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, Broadway Dance Center and RDT. Chelsea was able to work with choreographers Donald Byrd and Erik Stein. Chelsea then danced at the University of Utah where she was able to train under Adam Sklute, Sarah Pickett and other renowned dancers including Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, Noelle Marsh, Allison Holker, and Mollee Gray. Chelsea has taught dance throughout the years (2007-present) to students from Salt Lake to Weber counties from ages three years of age to late adolescence. Chelsea has a lasting love for movement and is ecstatic to share her love of movement with the athletes at Spectrum Charter.

Heather Jones
NSL Assistant Coach
My name is Heather Jones. I am happy to be an assistant coach for the elementary program. I have 10 years of formal dance training, including ballet & contemporary.
My daughters attend Spectrum Academy & we are excited to participate in Special Olympics Dance Sports.
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Corrie Gustafson
NSL Assistant Coach
Corrie has had a love for dance her whole life. She practiced, performed, and taught belly dance for many years, and enjoys social dancing, particularly swing. During lockdown she gained a group fitness instructor certification. She loves any kind of dance exercise. Corrie believes that learning choreography trains the brain in a unique way and is excited to see all involved in the DanceSport program grow and benefit from that. Corrie lives with her husband and two daughters, one of whom will be participating in DanceSport. She loves hiking and animals.

Melissa Rossetti
NSL Elementary Assistant Coach
Melissa has a background in public health and is a certified group fitness instructor. She teaches steps aerobics, strength and stability ball classes. She loves to promote physical activity for all ages and hopes to be a helpful assistant coach.

Traci Walker
NSL Elementary Assistant Coach
When Traci Walker was three years old, she had a disease called Blount’s disease that required extensive surgeries on both legs. Doing the recovery periods, she only had a limited ability to walk - and it was then when she discovered her love of dancing, writing, and composing music. Although she wasn’t able to really walk. She could clearly feel the rhythms of the beat, which allowed her to start choreographing her own and singing.
In middle and high school, Traci enjoyed dancing in the marching band and volunteered teaching dancing at the YWCA in Riviera Beach, Florida. A native of Palm Beach, Florida, Traci grew up in a troubled neighborhood, and she always recalls how dancing, singing and writing saved her life. She loves the adrenaline rush of hip hop dancing which expresses one's rhythm. Traci wants the youth of today to be motivated, confident, and inspired at all times.

Tracie Tornavacca
NSL Elementary Assistant Coach
My name is Tracie Tornavacca and I go by Mrs. Tornavacca. This is my 3rd year teaching 6th grade at Spectrum Academy and I am overjoyed and excited to be here. I am originally from Uintah County, but have lived in Centerville for the past 4 years.. I have six amazing kids! My oldest is 20 and my youngest is 8! My favorite color is turquoise and I love the smell of the fresh earth after it rains. In my free-time I enjoy puzzles, gardening, and spending time with my kids and fur babies who are almost 17 and 1 year! I have a B.S. in Communication and Deaf Education along with a B.S. in Family Consumer and Human Development. I have 12 years experience in working with children from special needs between the ages of birth-22. My Dance experience started when I was 5 and I have loved dancing ever since. I enjoy Jazz, hiphop, ballroom, country, line, west coast swing and country swing dancing. In my free time I enjoy doing pilates and spending time being active with my children.

Calvin Barnum
PG Main Coach
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First taught Ballroom in a city youth program in Spanish Fork. Loved it so much I left the business world and went back to school and got my teaching degree at UVU and later a Masters in Education from Westminster.
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I have taught ballroom at Dixon Middle School, Lehi High School, Matheson Junior High, Frontier Middle School.
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At Lehi High High School I coached the formation ballroom and Latin dance teams
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I also started an amature adult performing dance company for people who just missed dancing.
I hadn't planned on dusting off my dance shoes, or at least my coach shoes, but I have a son at Spectrum in the 8th grade and I am excited to be part of the community and felt like I needed to step up when the email went out.
My past students are now high school coaches themselves and many are already offering help as TA's and guest choreography. I'm excited to bring my corner of the ballroom community to support the great kids at Spectrum. I have always said that my favorite part of ballroom was the relationships and the connections to each other through such an exciting art form.

Maura Lee Forsgren
PG Main Coach
Maura has been teaching various styles of dance since 2007. In 2016 she started a small holiday production in Davis County, with it's main focus being inclusivity. That small production has now grown to involve over 200 dancers and sell thousands of tickets each year. Maura's 6 year old son will be attending his first year at Spectrum Academy this year.

Abigail Hansen
PG Assistant Coach
Hello! My Name Is Abigail, but I go by Abi. I am from Idaho Falls Idaho!
I am first-year Paraprofessional at Spectrum and I have been dancing for as long as I can remember. I love learning new dance techniques and styles. I'm very optimistic, positive, patient and quite sassy especially when it comes to performing. I am so very excited to learn and grow with the students!