Sunshine Dance Center, Established 1972

About Us

Left to Right,

Emily (Dunn) Summa (Miss Emily),

Sheila (Thomson) Tetreault (Miss Sheila) and

Jacqueline (Crowe) Downs (Miss Peaches) 

Founder, Miss Sheila Tetreault was born in Scotland where she was trained in and taught Dance. She moved to the United States where she continued her training in Connecticut and New York, and, she founded Sunshine Dance Center in 1972 in Waterbury, Connecticut. Miss Sheila taught all that a Sunshine Dancer tells a story through choreography and a love for dance that shines, all become part of Sunshine Dance Center family, where classes are taught with focus and discipline and a measure of fun.

In 2019 she changed roles of ownership and gifted the studio to two Sunshine students she’s personally trained since the age of three Jacqueline CroweDowns (Miss Peaches) and Emily Summa (Miss Emily.) 

The dance school moved from 34 Monroe to 451 Meriden Road, during COVID, to a brand new facility with three dance classrooms of brand new everything. Miss Sheila passed the torch while she is still teaching at Sunshine and Sunshine Dance Center 34 Monroe and 451 Meriden Road are te exact same dance school, moved to a better location and new facility.

Miss Sheila passed the torch he best way she knew her legacy would continue and grow to new heights.

              Owners’ Story

Then Student (on right)

Jacqueline Crowe

at Sunshine Dance Center

since Age 3 

with her sister Jodi (on left)

Jacqueline has graduated from:

The Master’s School, West Simsbury, CT

Sacred Heart High School, Waterbury, CT

Anna Maria College, Worcester, MA, with:

Bachelor Science Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement
Bachelor Arts Psychology
Masters Science Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement
Masters Arts Counseling Psychology 

Jacqueline began at Sunshine at Age 3 in Miss Nancy’s class and at Age 4 transferred to Miss Sheila’s classes where she remained thru and past college. Jacqueline simultaneously took Classical Ballet from Ages 6 thru 11 at The Master’s School in West Simsbury.

Jacqueline simultaneously trained in Elite-Olympic Level Gymnastics beginning at age 4 at in Simsbury, Cheshire and Stamford, CT and in Worcester, MA. At Arena Gymnastics, in Stamford, CT she competed regionally to Level 8, where Level 10 is Elite and Olympics Training. She was hit by a car at age 11 and it became too dangerous to continue past Level 8. Simultaneous Dance and Gymnastics training continued through college and grad school. Jacqueline was wells sought after as a Dance Instructor and Gymnastics Coach at several Dance Schools and Gyms in CT and MA.  She created a Dance, Cheerleading and Acro Program in College as Head Coach/Instructor and took the rookie team to Nationals in its infancy. Jacqueline was a national competitor for USA-Wildcats All-Star Cheerleading in Watertown, CT.  No matter where resided in undergrad and grad school, for 7 years to attain her two Bachelor’s Degrees and two Master’s Degrees, she traveled twice a week to Waterbury, Connecticut's, Sunshine Dance Center for classes in Senior Compay, Sunshine Company and continued Teaching Pointe, Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip-Hop and Acroto Sunshine’s students.

Jacqueline is married to Shane Downs and they have a son, Jackson and a daughter, Savannah, both whom started at Sunshine at Age 2. 

Emily has graduated from:

Chase Elementary School, Waterbury, CT
Wallace Middle School, Waterbury, CT 
Crosby High School, Waterbury, CT 

Central Connecticut State University with:

Bachelor Science Education

Masters Education (M. Ed)

Emily is an Elementary School Teacher at Gilmartin Elementary School in Waterbury, CT

Emily has won Teacher of the Year at Gilmartin Elementary School in 2018

Emily has a daughter, Aubrey, Age 15.

Like her Mom, Aubrey has been a dancer at Sunshine since Age 3. We are proud to say Miss Aubrey has been on Sunshine’s staff as a Helper for the past 5 years. You can meet her here…Sunshine’s Miss Aubrey

And in between...

…For Jacqueline and Emily, there was always back-and-forth to Sunshine Dance Center from Grammar School, High School and College and Grad School.

They both started as Sunshine Staff Helpers

Moved up to Sunshine Assistant Teachers in High School

Moved up to Sunshine Dance Center Staff Teachers in College & Graduate School

Emily Summa
(Miss Emily) (on left)

Jacqueline (Miss Peaches) (on right
(Miss Emily) (on left)

In 2019, Jacqueline was hand-chosen by Miss Sheila to best carry on her dance style and legacy and, together, chose Miss Emily, an Elementary School Educator, with the top skillset to be partner. Starting at age 3, In 1984, Jacqueline and Emily, grew and excelled through Sunshine. Together, they built a lifelong collegue-comradeship, a family-like bond and frienship, and with Miss Sheila’s and her husband Nick's in-depth consideration of Jacqueline and Emily's combined individualism and unique assets, with their blessings, they bequeathed Sunshine Dance Center, LLC to

Jacqueline (Crowe) Downs (Miss Peaches )

&

Emily (Dunn) Summa (Miss Emily)

Chosen to combine their unique assests for the best future sucess os Sunshine Dance Center, Beginggining in 2019, Jacqueline and Emily we're handed the reigns,with full heart and soul, to contractionally become the next Sunshine Dance Center, Co-owners & Directors, where, together. Sunshine added classes and clasrooms, hand chose the best-of-the best in added Teachers, Assistants and Helpers to Sunshine Dance Center Staff.

Carried on from Miss Sheila, still teaching at Sunshine, and forever revevered as its 1972 founder, together with Miss Peaches and Miss Emily, they thank every student and family ever enrolled at Sunshine Dance Center, 1972-forward, whom will remain in Sunshine's archives, and forever be honored and celebrated as a lifelong member of Sunshine Dance Center Family. 

Sunshine Dance Center, LLC

Established in 1972

Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Acro and Fitness