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Dance Faculty
KATHRYN MILES
Artistic Director
KATHRYN MILES
TARA PILLON
Kathryn is an independent choreographer, teacher,
dancer, artistic director and producer based in
Toronto. Her choreographic and performance history
spans formal competitions, in-theatre performance,
film and video. She has created and performed in
works for Fashion Cares AIDS Benefit, fringe: FIDA,
Celebrate Toronto Street Festival, Villa Charities
Venetian Ball and countless independent projects.
Most recently she curated the Urban Choreographer’s
Serious for the Pan American Games 1 year
countdown to the 2015 Games. Her work and
students continue to receive recognition and acclaim
for innovative choreography and excellence in dance.
Additional credits include works for film and
television such as Insight Productions, Bpm-Tv, and
Alliance Atlantis. Kathryn has studied extensively with
top performing artists in Los Angeles at the Edge
Performing Arts Center and at Alvin Ailey and
Broadway Dance Center in New York City. She
graduated from York University with a Bachelor of
Arts degree in dance and formally trained at
Randolph School for the Arts. Kathryn is co-founder
and artistic director of thamovement , a dance
production and performance company that produces
the hit show Toronto’s Original Choreographer’s Ball.
TARA PILLON
Assistant Dance Director
MARY ANNE CAMPBELL
NICOLE PILLON
Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Tara began her
dance training at the early age of three. She studied
extensively in various styles of dance such as ballet,
pointe, jazz, modern, contemporary, hip-hop, musical
theatre, partnering, and improvisation. Tara recently
graduated from Ryerson University with a BFA in
Performance Dance. She has had the opportunity to
train at dance intensives of distinguished schools and
companies such as Alvin Ailey American Dance
Theatre, ProArte Danza under the direction and
tutelage of Roberto Companella, Robert Glumbek and
Evelyn Hart, as well as Desmond Richardson’s
Complexions in New York City. Most recently, Tara
travelled to Amsterdam, Netherlands to learn and
perform repertoire and movement styles from
world-renowned choreographers such as Jiri Kylian,
Akram Khan, William Forsythe, and Ohad Naharin’s
Gaga Technique. Tara received her Certificate in
Russian Pedagogy during her time in Amsterdam
under the instruction of Kalina Bogoeva – director of
the Ballet Pedagogy Department in the National
Academy of Sofia Bulgaria. Tara continues to share her
passion for dance through her job as a dance teacher,
choreographer, and Assistant Dance Director at CCS
Dance. She teaches ballet, pointe, jazz, contemporary,
and technique classes to all levels of the Competitive
Company. Recently she was invited back to her high
school, Cardinal Carter, as a guest choreographer and
rehearsal director. Tara hopes to inspire her students,
as well as her fellow dancers and teachers, with her
true passion and love for the art form.
MARY ANNE CAMPBELL
SHPRESA BACE
10 | Columbus Centre Fall/Winter 2015 -16
Mary Anne Campbell holds an Honours Bachelor of
Fine Arts in Performance Dance from Ryerson
University, as well as a Bachelor of Education as a
specialist in dance from York University. Mary Anne
is an Associate member and a registered teacher with
the Royal Academy of Dance, as well as an ADAPT
TTS in Jazz and Tap.
Mary Anne’s teaching has taken her nationally and
internationally from London, to Toronto, to Trinidad
and Tobago. Most recently Mary Anne has taught
dance and drama at University Academy in West
Yorkshire, United Kingdom for the last 2 years. Mary
Anne’s choreography has been seen on stage and
film. She has choreographed for the Fringe Festival,
fFIDA International Dance Festival, In a White Room,
Oakridge Secondary School, and was the resident
choreographer at Toronto’s Solar Stage.
Her
performance career has included stage, film,
entertainment, and music videos.
NICOLE PILLON
Nicole Pillon is currently a student in the
undergraduate program at York University, majoring in
dance. The program includes classical ballet, modern,
improvisation, and anatomy classes. She graduated as
an Ontario scholar from Cardinal Carter Academy for
the Arts, where she trained extensively in ballet and
modern dance forms. She has been studying dance
from the age of three and has had the opportunity of
working with Kimberly Glasco, former Principle dancer
with the National Ballet of Canada. Recently she took
place in a dance festival in Italy where she trained with
instructors from the Alvin Ailey Dance Company.
Nicole has trained as an associate at the National Ballet
School of Canada and has been a senior member of
the Columbus Centre School of Dance Company (now
DanzArts Toronto) from its inception, where she
concentrated on ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, and
contemporary styles. Most recently Nicole has had the
opportunity to travel to London, England, where she
trained at the famous Pineapple Studio in Covent
Garden. She has shared her love of dance by teaching
young dancers at both the recreational and
competitive levels. Nicole is returning as a permanent
member of our teaching staff. We know she will
continue to bring her passion for dance and be a
positive influence on our young students.
SHPRESA BACE
Shpresa is a passionate and knowledgeable instructor
with over 25 years teaching ballet to both
recreational students and aspiring dancers. Her
training is extensive having studied at the Albanian
National Ballet school in her youth, she later
graduated with honours from the Academy of Fine
Arts in Tirana, Albania and then went on to achieve
a PhD in Ethono Choreography. Bace traveled
throughout Europe to share her skills and knowledge
of Albanian folk dances and classical ballet. She has
taught ballet Italy, Albania and Canada. Bace also
worked in Bonn, Germany in Culture and Education.
She has received many awards over the years for her
excellent work in dance, education and culture;
among them are the Italian Ministry of Culture
Awards and the German Academic Exchange Service
award. We are thrilled to have her share her expertise
with our students at DanzArts Toronto!
JESSICA SAYDE
Jessica was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia
and began dancing at 13, and teaching at 16. She
competed in several east coast dance competitions
and performed with her dance team Freezone Dance
all year round at local charity events, concerts, schools
and for local musical artists. At 23, she was the
choreographer of the dance troupe for a professional
basketball team in Halifax and also the choreographer
for a few Canadian artists. At the age of 20 she
began to travel to Los Angeles every year to train with
the top choreographers and dancers in the industry.
Dance Faculty
In 2008, Jessica moved to California to pursue
dance as a career and continued to travel home
to Canada to judge and teach at dance
conventions/competitions. In 2009, Jessica moved to
Toronto and continues to teach, inspire, and mentor
young dancers. This is Jessica's 3rd year with
DanzArts Toronto teaching both recreational and
competitive groups.
LEAH TOTTEN
Born and raised in the small town of Aylmer Quebec,
Leah Totten moved to Toronto hoping to expand her
knowledge and experience within the dance industry.
When she is not traveling, Leah teaches weekly
drop-in classes at OIP Dance Centre in Toronto and
choreographs for Canadian events and music artists
alongside directing her all-female team, 'BOSS Dance
Company', who were the Beatdown hip hop
competition champions of 2012, and the 3rd place
winners in 2013. The company comprises of 4 teams
with girls of different ages and skillsets, where Leah
acts as their mentor and guides them to reach their
individual goals while collaborating with other
instructors to educate in all forms of urban dance.
Leah fully produced and directed her first theatre
show entitled "The Renaissance Woman" in
September 2014. She has worked across North
America as a teacher with artistic directorship and
choreography experience in over 100 studios,
schools, dance institutions and hip hop crews,
including Providence (Rhode Island) and Harbour
Dance Centre (Vancouver).
Leah was also a chosen intern for Essence Dance
Company (Gigi Torres) and was featured as "Become
The Next" at Boogiezone University; a professional
dance intensive where she taught alongside 50 of the
industry’s best in California. In 2011, her Europe tour
included teaching 30+ workshops in London,
Nottingham, Ireland, Scotland, Poland, Hungary and
Romania. More recently, Leah completed Chonique
Sneed and Lisette Bustamante's 'Creating
Opportunities' Program in NYC in addition to being
appointed as a Canadian Ambassador for
Boogiezone Armada.
Leah believes that dance is about so much more than
“steps” and encourages people to find purpose and
passion behind their movement.
SHARLAN CUFFY
A Toronto native who has traveled to New York and
plans to tour abroad to pursue her dance studies.
Sharlan excels at facing new challenges with her 20
years+ training in ballet, jazz, tap, african, acrobatics,
contemporary, reggae/dancehall & hip hop. In 2005
Sharlan took her studies of the arts to George Brown
College where she completed the commercial dance
studies program which focused on singing, acting &
dancing. Since graduating she has taught at many
dance studios as a competitive and recreational
teacher in hip hop, jazz, tap, acro and conditioning
as well as coaching students ages 5 and up at a
national/world class cheerleading gym.
Her passion for the arts has given her opportunities
to dance on stage and on film with artists such as
Snoop Dogg, Janelle Monea, Feist, Canadian singer
Devine Brown, Andreena Mills, Reema Major,
Entourage and many more. As well as recently
expanding into the television world on such shows as
Degrassi Next Generation, Defiance, Hemlock Grove,
Much Music VMA commercial and choreographing
for a nationwide commercial for Hydroxycut. Most
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recently she’s featured in the new Aaliyah
autobiographical movie starring Alexandra Chipp,
premiering in North America November 2014 on
Lifetime Channel
Sharlan is a part of the widely successful production
Gimme One Riddim, directed by Jazmyn Fyffe
(Jazmyn Fyffe Dance Company) and Natasha Powell (
Catalyst Dance Company) which has graced the
stages of Winchester Theater, Markham Theater,
Harbourtfront Enwave Theater as well as many
schools and community outreach programs within
the GTA. She is thrilled to bring her passion and
expertise to the eager students at DanzArts Toronto!
JESSICA SAYDE
HEATHER PURDIE
Heather started out at the age of 5 as a figure skater
and gymnast and only started dancing at the age of
8 in order to improve her competitive skating. This is
when dance became her true passion. She danced at
Lorri’s Dance Place Unlimited as a competitive dancer.
She took jazz, tap, acro and ballet. This is where her
teaching career began. Heather has completed her
examinations through British Association Teacher of
Dance (B.A.T.D) in Jazz and Tap her Dance in Ballet,
Heather attended the Etobicoke School of Arts from
grade 9 to grade 11 where she was then accepted to
Silverthorne Collegiate Institute and a graduate of the
High Performer Program for Gifted Athletes. Heather
is also a Graduate of the Computer Sales and
Marketing Program and the General Arts & Sciences
Program at Humber College. Heather is still
continuing her education at Humber College working
on her Fitness Leadership Program Diploma. Heather
has been teaching for several years and is well known
in the world of dance as a dedicated, hardworking
and passionate instructor who strongly believes that
everyone has a chance to shine.
She has taught and choreographed routines for
competitive and non competitive students at several
studios all over Ontario. Heather has won many
overall awards as well as top scores at several
competitions throughout Canada and the United
States.
LEAH TOTTEN
SHARLAN CUFFY
Heather continues to teach for several local studios
and commits her true passion to continuing her
education in dance through teaching and through
the eyes of her students. She truly believes that dance
is an expression of the soul that is hidden within us
and everybody should find the time to let it out and
express it.
ALLISON TOFFAN
Proudly based in Toronto for over a decade, Allison
Toffan is quickly becoming an arts ambassador by
stirring up momentum in the Canadian tap dance
community. Recognized by both the Canada Council
for the Arts and FACTOR, she has been awarded
grants as an emerging dance artist and a developing
musician.
She’s
studied
privately
with
world-renowned tap dance artists Heather Cornell,
Brenda Bufalino, and Max Pollak.
Career highlights include 8 years as a principle dancer
with Turn On The Tap, under the direction of Paula
Skimin, dancing in the 2010 Olympic Opening
Ceremonies, Warehouse 13 Series Finale, 2013 TD
Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival, TapCity’s Tap
Internationals with Lisa La Touche (NYC), Montreal
Tap Festival’s Rhythm Lives! - with living legend
Arthur Duncan, and successfully producing three full
seasons of work by establishing the Toronto Rhythm
HEATHER PURDIE
ALLISON TOFFAN
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Columbus Centre Fall/Winter 2015 -16 11
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Dance Faculty
Initiative - a platform she created to consistently voice
the artistry of Toronto’s tap dancers in collaboration
with live music.
LINDSAY AQUIN
Allison’s work was commissioned to be a part of
Toronto’s first ever Body Percussion Festival for
NextSteps Dance Series, she was a featured dancer in
Lisa’s La Touche’s world premiere of Hold On and on
faculty as part of the Vancouver International Tap
Festival in 2014. Allison was the artist in residence
with the Ottawa Rhythm Initiative in 2013 and was
thrilled to mentor the Ottawa tap dance community
with their development. She has been on faculty at
Sheridan College, Randolph Academy, the Montreal
Tap Festival, travels North America both teaching and
performing, and continues to build her career at
home and abroad.
LINDSAY AQUIN
MACEY CULHANE
LEAH THOMAS
Lindsay started dancing at the age of 4 and has never
stopped. Realizing her love for dance she began
studying at Unionville School of the arts and for the
past 3 years Lindsay has continued her journey at
George Brown Dance. She began in the Commercial
Dance program broadening her entertainment skills
through singing and acting and after graduating
decided to continue on in the Performance Dance
Studies program to solidify her training and
technique. Through the program Lindsay has had the
pleasure of working with amazing chorographers
such as, Daryl Tracy, Gadfly, Nicola Pantin, Dana
Bondy, Derek Sangster, Hanna Kiel, and Anisa Tejpar
and has really started to find herself as an artist. She
was also accepted and attended ProArte Danza SIP
2014 and Kenny Pearl’s Emerging Artist Summer
Intensive 2014 and 2015 working with amazing
choreographers Hanna Kiel, Alysa Piers, Ryan Lee and
Gadfly. Lindsay is trained in a wide variety of dance
styles and has had several performance opportunities
working with other known choreographers such as
Scott Fordham, Derick Robinson and Chris Knowles.
Lindsay also teaches in the competitive and
recreational program at Wonderland Dance Company
and is a teaching assistant at, The Dance Project
workshop. She has also recently accepted a position
as a fitness instructor at Barreworks Studio and with
her love and strong passion for dance, she is going
to push forward into the future and keep reaching
for more. Her overall goal is to encourage learning,
self-expression, and inspire. “Dance enables you to
lose yourself and find yourself at the same time.”
MACEY CULHANE
TRACEY CHAMBERLAIN
12 | Columbus Centre Fall/Winter 2015 - 16
Born and raised in North Bay, Ontario, Macey studied
and trained in all dance disciplines since the age of five.
In 2013, she moved to Toronto to expand her
knowledge of dance. Macey recently graduated with
honors from the Performance Dance Studies program
at George Brown College under the direction of Derek
Sangster. Macey is now a guest teacher and
choreographer for the Performers Youth Dance
Company at Barbara Treleaven School of Dancing. She
enjoys sharing her knowledge and passion with her
students. In 2014, she choreographed the production
of Pippin for the summer school program, Theatre
Outreach Onstage (TOROS). Macey has also had an
opportunity to compete internationally with Canada’s
National Dance Team. In 2011, the team traveled to
Poland to compete in the World Dance Championships
hosted by the International Dance Organization. The
team was awarded 1st place for their ballet and jazz
works. Macey trusts that perseverance, determination
and passion for dance are essential to making her
dreams as a dancer come true.
LEAH THOMAS
Leah Thomas grew up in Milton, Ontario and started
dancing at the age of three. She is currently a
undergraduate student at York University in both the
Bachelor of Fine Arts Dance program and the
Con-Current Education program. She has trained in
the dance styles; ballet (R.A.D.), jazz, tap, lyrical,
contemporary, musical theatre, acro, hip hop and
other urban dance styles. Leah has won numerous
awards, overalls and scholarships at competitions in
Canada and the United States on a Competitive Team
as a child. Now as Co-Captain of the York University
Competitive Team, Dance Energy, Leah is able to
continue practicing her performing and directing
abilities. She is always eager to learn and expand her
dance vocabulary, and by doing so she has had the
opportunity to take workshops with different
choreographers such as: Tokyo, Christopher Huggins,
Stacey Tookey, David Norsworthy, Lisette Bustamante,
Travis Wall, Talia Favia and many more. Leah is excited
to share her passion for dance and strives to motivate
students to follow their dreams.
TRACEY CHAMBERLAIN
Dance Administrator
Tracey is a member of the Associate Imperial Society
Teachers of Dance (AISTD) in Tap & Modern. She also
has a Teaching Associate Certificate in Cecchetti
Ballet and is an Acrobatic Arts Certified Instructor. Her
teaching experience expands to teaching professional
performers and managing entire production shows
to teaching young beginner students.
Tracey has a 13-year track record of professional
performance, managerial and consultant experience.
Her professionalism has been highly acclaimed as the
Princess Cruises Company Performance Manager &
Consultant for 10 years.
For the past 4 years Tracey has worked at
Conservatory of Dance & Music as Administrator and
Dance Instructor. She is excited to be a part of the
DanzArts Toronto faculty in the new Dance
Administrator role.