Occupation: I am the owner and director of Connecticut Dance, which is located in Monroe on Route 25, right over the Newtown line. We teach all genres of dance: ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, Irish, and modern. We teach all ages, 2-year-olds through adults. This September starts our 27th season. I always wanted to have a dance studio, ever since my mother took me for my first dance lesson when I was 7 years old. I knew right then that that's what I wanted to do with my life - to have a dance studio and be a dance teacher. In the middle of college and after college, I performed professionally.

Family: I am fortunate to be very happily married to my husband, Dennis. We have four beautiful boys. The oldest, Johnny, just graduated from Fordham University. Our second is William, he goes to Newtown High School. Then our two little ones, Luke and Jacob, go to Sandy Hook [School].

Pets: We have one cat; she is about 13 years old. Her name is Bo - like Bo Derek, because she's beautiful. She was found by a friend's dog; he brought the litter of kittens to her back door. When they couldn't keep them, they took the kittens to the vet. We had adopted two of them. My son wanted all of them, but we settled on two.

How long have you lived in Newtown? The Nutcracker - and we just said this is where we were going to live. Newtown's it.We have lived in Newtown a little over ten years. My husband and I were looking for a place to move to, and we went to church at St Rose one Sunday morning. The General Store happened to be open that day, and there was an antiques show going on at the Edmond Town Hall, and all the posters were up for

What do you like to do in your free time? I really enjoy gardening. My husband and I have a pretty big vegetable garden. It's really doing well this year. We grow tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, broccoli, and all kinds of herbs and spices. I do have a brand-new hobby, too; my husband is teaching me how to play the bass guitar. He's a musician, and he's in a band. I, surprisingly, love it. He's a very patient teacher, so that helps.

Do you have a favorite book?I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb. It was a recommended read by my husband. It's about twins. My husband is a twin so that might be why it's one of his favorite books. Right now I am reading

Do you have a favorite travel destination? There are so many great places here in the Northeast. Every summer we take our boys camping, and we pick a new location. A few of my favorites have been Acadia in Maine, Martha's Vineyard, and Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. It's fun to check out what's right here in our area, but if I ever get a chance to, I would love to go back to Grand Cayman. The beautiful crystal clear waters and the blinding white sand - it's astounding.

What is the best thing about Newtown? I love that there is still a lot of open land in Newtown. It has beautiful topography. The other thing that I love about Newtown is that it's appreciative and welcoming of all of the arts.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? Without a doubt, my parents. My mother for her ability to find something positive in everything, and her very strong faith. My father for his tremendous work ethic and his zest for life. And together, how they encouraged us to realize we could accomplish anything if we put our minds to it.

If you could spend the day with anyone, who would you choose? I would really like to spend the day with Mother Teresa. I would like to follow her around and see what her day was like - how impactful she was on a day-to-day basis and see if I could handle it.

What is your guilty pleasure? Lindor truffles and a glass of red Merlot.