Meet our teachers…

Executive Director of Spotlight Performance Academy, Director of Bel Canto Choir Program

Bel Canto Youth Choir / Bel Canto Concert Choir / Bel Canto Community Choir

Carrie Bonanotte serves as the Executive Director of the Spotlight Performance Academy, where she executes the mission of the organization by curating programming and teaching high quality performing arts classes. Carrie holds a Bachelor's degree from Eastern Illinois University and Master's Degree from VanderCook College of Music, both in Music Education with vocal emphasis. Carrie has been directing award winning Children’s Choirs, Show Choirs, and Musicals since 2002. She has been a sought after adjudicator and clinician for the Illinois Grade School Music Association since 2008. Carrie is the founder of the Bel Canto Children’s Choir which has grown to be the largest community children’s choir in the south suburbs of Chicago. In 2025, she received a Distinguished Alumni Award from Eastern Illinois University for the work she does in her community. Carrie takes pride in connecting with her students while creating an atmosphere of compassion and excitement for every class.

Intro to Hoop Dance for Grades 5-8 /

Intro to Hoop Dance for Adults

Aurora Anaya is a hoop instructor, dance enthusiast, and prior performer who has dabbled in hip hop, ballet, bellydance, tap, and tango. She has taught hoop classes at Room to Move Studio in Steger as well as performed at a variety events from birthday parties to special business events to festivals. She has performed with fire hula hoops for large crowds and has mastered up to 3 regular hoops on the body. She also had a hula hoop business where she sold custom beginner, intermediate, and advanced hula hoops as well as fire hula hoops. She is looking forward to teaching adults and children what she knows best - using your hula hoop as a dance partner!

Bel Canto Accompanist

3 Minutes in the Spotlight

Jeff Hamrick has worked as an accompanist, singer, and diction coach in the Chicago area since 1990. He is a former member of the Chicago Symphony Chorus; His Majestie’s Clerkes (now Bella Voce); the Scholars of Cambrai; the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter’s in the Loop; Music of the Baroque, under Thomas Wikman; and Cantate, for which he also accompanied and occasionally assisted director Benjamin Rivera with rehearsals. He was a professional chorister and soloist at Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, St. James Cathedral, Holy Name Cathedral, St. Wenceslaus Church, St. Chrysostom Church, and St. John Cantius Church. He served as pianist at Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist in Palatine from 2003 to 2014 and also as music director beginning in 2005. He joined the staff at First Unitarian Church of Chicago as collaborative keyboardist in 2014 and served as music director and keyboardist from 2015 to 2021. He was pianist and organist at Flossmoor Community Church from 2021 to 2024. Jeff also serves as the accompanist for the Bel Canto choirs.

Jeff was invited by founding director Margaret Hillis to coach the Chicago Symphony Chorus in Russian (and later other Slavic languages) beginning in 1993 and served in the same role for the Grant Park Chorus beginning in 1995 and the Lyric Opera Chorus beginning in 2014.

As a student at Emory University, Jeff sang in the Glee Club, Chamber Choir, and Men’s Quartet beginning as a freshman. He also accompanied numerous students in the studio of his voice teacher, Mac Morgan, and accompanied school musicals as well. He music directed Baby (Emory, 1989) and Cabaret (University of Chicago, 1991). He studied conducting under Dr. Ann Howard Jones and was privileged to sing in the first season of the Robert Shaw Festival Singers in Souillac, France, in 1988.

During the week, Jeff is typically fixing commas and reworking unclear sentences in his job as a manuscript editor at the University of Chicago Press. In his spare time, he can be found making similar refinements to the extensive gardens he lovingly tends with his partner Chris Ball at their Flossmoor home.

Through his thoughtful and supportive musical collaboration, Jeff has always aspired to help his fellow musicians, whether amateur or professional, rise to any challenge and perform with grace, ease, and confidence.

Musical Theater Dance

Jennifer realized at an early age that she loves to move, and has been dancing and performing since age 5!  Her first job at 13 was an assistant dance teacher and her second job at 15 was a gymnastics/tumbling teacher!  She participated in theatre, dance, gymnastics and choir throughout her childhood and as a young adult.  In addition to dance and gymnastics, she's taught swimming, self-defense (as a for-credit class at DePaul University), group fitness classes, lifeguard training, CPR, First Aid, teambuilding, Pilates and GYROTONIC exercise.  She has taught Pilates since 2006 and the GYROTONIC® Method since 2016 (mostly at the East Bank Club in Chicago, where she was a Senior Instructor) and opened her home studio (Pulley and Spring) in 2022, where she sees weekly private clients.   She has a bachelor's degree in Leisure Studies/Program Management and a master's degree in Higher Education Administration, both from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  She took performing arts classes all throughout her college career, including ballet, modern dance, jazz, theatre dance, choir, acting, directing and improv. 

All of her three children have participated in musical theatre.  While helping her kids learn material and prepare for auditions, she realized how much she missed the performing arts and started performing and teaching dance again in 2022.  She has choreographed three musicals for Joliet Central High School (. . . Spelling Bee, Little Shop of Horrors, and Six) and contributed to Spotlight Performance Academy's Haunting in Homewood (2024), and The Drama Group's 2024 production of Hair.  She has recently performed in shows with Spotlight Performance Academy, The Drama Group and Spotlight Arts Collective.  She also directed and choreographed the 2023 "mini musical" version of Matilda for Infant Jesus of Prague school.  

Most recently, she offered pop-up musical theatre dance classes for the Spotlight Performance Academy, and is thrilled to turn this class into a weekly course where we can develop skills and learn more complicated choreography while still getting a great workout!  

Miss Angie’s Music Makers / Children’s Choir

Angie Pope has been teaching early childhood family music classes since 2010, when she became a certified Musikgarten educator. In 2012 she founded "Miss Angie's Music" and currently teaches toddler and preschool level classes at various locations in the south suburbs. In addition to directing the Bel Canto Children's Choir, she also directs the Cherub Choir at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Palos Heights. She has run successful music programs at several Montessori schools in the area, and continues to entertain children and their families at countless farmers markets, libraries, school functions, Girl Scout gatherings, and mom group meetings. Since 2020 she has volunteered at Gigi's Playhouse in Tinley Park, where she teaches the monthly "Music in Motion" program. Angie is also a professional vocalist with Beatmix Music, leading and performing with the band “BPM” most weekends at private events. She was a member of TheatreBAM! Chicago for 16 years, with whom she performed several educational musicals including "Schoolhouse Rock Live!" at theaters and elementary schools throughout the country. Angie is extremely passionate about music and feels blessed to be able to share her love of music with people of all ages!

Click HERE to learn more about Miss Angie’s Music!

Find her on FaceBook and Instagram under “Miss Angie’s Music LLC”.

Let’s Shine: Fairytales and Fables

Let’s Act: Allice in Wonderland/Happy Birthday, Beatrix Potter

Chris Rechsteiner has spent more than 20 years working with children and youth of all ages. She holds a double major in Psychology and Theater/Television Arts. Although she has fond memories of some of her favorite acting roles—including Lucy in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Jack’s Mom in Into the Woods, and Joan of Arc in The Lark—she has discovered that her greatest passion lies in directing and helping others shine on stage.

Chris has taught theater to kids, teens, and adults in schools, park districts, shelters, and a variety of other nontraditional settings. She loves creating spaces where people can express themselves creatively and build confidence through the performing arts.

During the day, Chris spends her time supporting and advocating for people with disabilities, helping them live out their faith and achieve their goals and dreams.

Kidprov

Teenprov

Kate Wiersema is thrilled to be back teaching improv at Spotlight! She is currently an ensemble member of ComedySportz Chicago and the artistic director of South of Chi Productions. She has been performing and teaching improv in the Chicagoland area for almost 15 years. Recently, she has released a book called Playing to Learn: Using Improv in the K-8 Classroom. Check her out at southofchiproductions.com or www.facebook.com/katewiersemaimprov.