Staff and Faculty

Miss Hodgins studied in Canada, England, Denmark and the United States . She was awarded the prestigious Solo Seal of the Royal Academy of Dancing in 1971. In 1973 she became principal dancer with the Alberta Ballet Company, later working in Denmark, Germany and the U.S. as a freelance artist. Miss Hodgins, a recipient of the YM-YWCA’s 1997 Women of Distinction Award, was the 1997 Chair of the City of Ottawa ’s Cultural Leadership Committee, was a member of the board of directors for Dance Ontario , and has been awarded Canada Council grants to research and develop projects to introduce children to dance.

Julie Anderton, a native of Ottawa, trained in ballet, jazz, and tap receiving her advanced certificate from the Royal Academy of Dancing. She is an honours graduate of the University of Missouri, Kansas City, where she continued her studies in ballet and contemporary dance achieving her B.F.A. in Dance. She has danced and choreographed professionally in the United States and England. Upon returning to Ottawa, Julie became a Stott certified Pilates instructor. Julie has a passion for dance and is thrilled to be able to teach and watch students progress and nourish their talent.

Violet Busey has been involved with Tai Chi for 25 years. She trained along with Loïc Gouadec under the tutelage of Mrs. Shirley Choi. Violet has been assistant teacher for 9 years.

Louise Clatney was born and raised in England . She trained at both the Royal Ballet School and the Bush Davies School of Dance and Theatre Arts. Louise has performed professionally in many theatrical, television and variety shows. She is married with two young boys.

Yvonne Coutts is a dancer, choreographer and teacher. She graduated from the Dance Program at Grant MacEwan College in 1986. She went on to perform and choreograph with Le Groupe Dance Lab from 1988-1997. She is the recipient of the Bonnie Bird Choreographic Award from the Laban Centre in London , England . Yvonne has been a guest teacher at modern dance schools across Canada including the University of Calgary and The School of Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers.

Independent choreographer Sylvie Desrosiers has presented her work in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver . She has received grants from The Canada Council for the Arts, le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the City of Ottawa to create a number of dance works including “à tire d’aile”, a trio that was last presented at the National Arts Centre in June 2003. Under the direction of Peter Boneham at Le Groupe Dance Lab, Sylvie began her career as a choreographer and teacher. She directed Le Groupe’s dance school from 1991 to 1993 and in 1994 she joined The School of Dance. Ms. Desrosiers teaches modern dance technique, composition and choreography.

Jacqueline Ethier is an Ottawa-based independent dancer. She is a 1999 graduate of The School of Dance Professional Performance Training Programme in Modern Dance. A certified Pilates trainer, Jacqueline opened The Pilates Space in January 2002. She continues to collaborate as a performer with choreographers, Anik Bouvrette and Sylvie Desrosiers.

Loïc Gouadec started his training in the ancient art of Tai Ji Quan more than 13 years ago. Under the tutelage of Mrs. Shirley Choi, he learned the various series of the Yang style Tai Ji (Long Form, Simplified Form, Combination, Sword and Sabre series) and the various other techniques such as Tsui-shu (Push hands) and Dalu. Loïc has been teaching Tai Ji for over 7 years and joined The School’s staff in 2000.

The School of Dance is pleased to welcome master teacher Fahri Güven to The School beginning in September 2008.

Dancer and former artistic director of the Ankara State Opera and Ballet, Fahri Güven has over 30 years of international dance experience working with top dancers and choreographers from around the world. He has also managed thirteen international tours.

Fahri began his training in the Ballet Department of the Ankara State Conservatory. He graduated in 1976 from the Higher Section and immediately entered the Ankara State Opera and Ballet, performing in many European cities. The works that he performed as a dancer include: "Swan Lake”; "Nutcracker”; "Ferhat and Sirin'; "The Fountain of Bahresaray'; "Esmeralda”; "Raymonda”; "The Idiot”; "La Sylphide”; “Anna Karenina"; and "The Spoiled Girl”. He has participated in several international ballet competitions: Varna (1981), Japan (1984), and Moscow (1986).

In 1994, he was presented with "The Most Successful Male Dancer" award of TOBAV (Turkish Foundation of Opera and Ballet). In 1995 he was awarded the "The Most Successful Male Ballet Artist" by the Ministry of Culture of Turkey. In 1998, he became the head choreographer of the Ankara State Opera and Ballet and was awarded the title of "State Artist". Fahri is also a certified Pilates mat teacher, having trained in London with Alan Herdman.

Fahri Güven will teach ballet and repertoire classes in the Professional Division of The School of Dance and he will also teach several adult classes

A native of the Ottawa region, Kateri started her dance training at a young age studying ballet, modern, jazz and hip hop. She completed her training at The School of Dance before going to university in Nova Scotia where she continued to dance and teach. Now a chartered accountant and arts administrator, Kateri returns to her roots as a teacher.

Cathy has performed extensively with Le Groupe de la Place Royale (Ottawa) and Dancemakers (Toronto) touring internationally. She has danced in works by Jean-Pierre Perreault, Christopher House, James Kudelka, Carol Anderson, and Doug Varone, among others. Cathy studied at the Mudra school in Belgium and also studied with such luminaries as Peter Boneham, Peggy Baker, Maggie Black, Irene Dowd and Lar Lubovitch. Cathy has received numerous grants and awards including Canada Council grants, The Floyd Chalmers Performing Arts Award and the Erik Bruhn Memorial Award. She also received grants for residencies in schools throughout the Outouais region, conducting classes in Modern Dance and Creative Movement.

Grace Louis balances her background in music and psychology - she holds a combined Bachelor’s Degree in both subjects from the University of Waterloo - with a Diploma in Early Childhood Education. A faculty member with The School of Dance since 1988, Grace is also an educator working with pre-school and special needs children.

Chantale Lussier-Ley, PhD (c) is a registered member of the Canadian Sport Psychology Association. She has over seven years experience as a Mental Skills Consultant with athletes and artists. She has also worked extensively with dancers, consulting for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School’s Professional Division (2002-2004) and now The School of Dance (2005-present). Herself a graduate of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Professional Division Teachers’ Course, Chantale is a professional member of the Cecchetti Society of Canada with Associate Diploma teaching certification and Advanced Cecchetti (ballet) with 12 years teaching and performing experience. Since 2009, Chantale has taken a seat on the National Committee of Physical and Health Education Canada’s Dance Professional Advisory Committee. For more information, please visit www.elysianinsight.ca

Vivian Maiorino is a graduate of The School of Dance Professional Training Programme in Ballet. She also studied at Canada 's Royal Winnipeg Ballet School . Vivian has performed with PM Jazz Company, Dance Manic and at the Canadian Dance Festival for several independent choreographers. She has also taught jazz at the University of Ottawa .

Rebecca McLane began her training at the Parksville Ballet School in British Columbia when she was 3. While there, she studied Ballet, Tap, Musical Theatre, Modern, and Jazz Dance. Shortly after she graduated, her dance studies took her overseas where she trained at the Laine Theatre Arts School in Surrey, England. She returned to Canada in 2007 to study at The School of Dance where she has worked with Canadian dance luminaries such as Brian Webb, Peter Bonham, Massimo Agostinelli, Sarah Bild, Serge Bennethan, Yvonne Coutts, and Cathy Kyle.

Founded in 1978 by John Nolan and Kathy MacLellan, Rag & Bone’s shows include The Snow Queen, The Nativity, The Cow Show, The Nightingale, Tug of War, A Bauchan in the Family, A Promise is a Promise, The Weaving of a Dream, The Story of Holly & Ivy, Felicity Falls, Macbeth, The Light Princess, Zoom at Sea, The Tempest and The Flying Canoe. Rag & Bone has been awarded a Citation of Excellence in the Art of Puppetry from UNIMA-USA, the international puppetry association.

Kathy MacLellan is an award winning writer, performer and puppet- maker. Kathy has written over fifty television scripts, including episodes of Under the Umbrella Tree, Theodore Tugboat, and Mr. Dressup.

Actor, puppeteer, and designer John Nolan has built sets, props and puppets for stage and television for many years, and has appeared on television and in many theatres, including the Guelph Spring Festival, Great Canadian Theatre company, The National Arts Centre and Opera Lyra. He plays Jackson on YTV’s Crazy Quilt.

Kathy & John have also taught many puppet-making and drama workshops in schools across Ontario.

Peter Moir received his first dance and teacher training with Dorothy and Victoria Carter in London , Ontario . In 1995 he joined the faculty of The School of Dance. Having achieved the Enrico Cecchetti final Diploma in 1996, Peter acknowledges the contributions of Cecchetti scholars, Jean Geddis, Glenn Gilmour, Richard Glasstone, Sheila Kennedy, Nancy Kilgour, Shirley Tetreau and Diane von Schoor.

Originally from the Abitibi region in northern Quebec, Lana has a BA in contemporary dance from l’Université du Quebec à Montréal. Both a dancer and a choreographer, she has also been teaching contemporary dance and creating choreographies in various schools and recreational organizations including at The School of dance in Ottawa for the past forteen years. As a dancer, Lana has participated in several creative processes with Le Groupe Dance Lab and collaborated with local independent choreographers Anik Bouvrette, Yvonne Coutts and Sylvie Desrosiers, performing their works across Canada and in Portugal. She was also a member of the Montreal company Metaspora Danse under the direction of choreographer Ireni Stamou, for two seasons.

Her first self-choreographed solo, Cernée de Silence, was presented at the National Gallery of Canada in 2001, at the Canada Dance Festival in 2002 and, in 2004, at the Festival Beaumont du Québec in the Limousin region of France.

Ma-manifeste was presented at La Nouvelle-Scène in April of 2007 for the evening Chorégraphe d’ici, also the following August, at the Dance/se Kapital festival in Ottawa and in November of 2007 in the first edition of the Danse Angle Mort festival in Val d’Or, Québec.

In 2008 she performed in the 13th season performance of 8F8M a multidisciplinary show presented at Salle Jean-Desprèz in Gatineau.

En Vin, her first full evening show, was presented in the spring of 2009 and was co-produced by The School of Dance and the City of Gatineau.

Lately, she has been invited as reheasal director, movement coach and choreographer for a various francophone dance and theater companies in Ottawa such as Tara Luz Danse, Le Théâtre la Catapulte, la Compagnie Vox Théâtre and Théâtre du Trillium.

A new multi media piece is in the making with choreographer Yvonne Coutts and is expected for the 2010-2011 season.

Alain Pauzé graduated from Canada ’s National Ballet School . He danced professionally with both the National Ballet of Canada and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. He has been teaching dance in Canada for over 21 years. Prior to joining The School of Dance faculty in 2001, he was Director of the Alberta Ballet School of Dance for 8 years and was previously Program Head/Member Artistic Committee at l’École Supérieure de Danse du Québec. Mr. Pauzé is also currently Executive Director of his private consulting firm providing management services to non-profit organizations.

Graduating from Canada 's National Ballet School , Pam Place danced with the National Ballet of Canada, rising to the rank of soloist. She received the Erik Bruhn Memorial Award (1997), the Karen Kain Award (1996, 1998) from the Dancer Transition Centre and the Mensa Canada Scholarship (1998). Now a physiotherapist in the field of orthopedics, Pam is pursuing a post-graduate diploma in manual therapy.

Suzanne Plante studied ballet with the late Diana Jablokova Vorps. She completed her teachers training at the Canadian College of Dance, at Ryerson University, under the direction of Sonia Chamberlain and Maisie MacPhee. In her second year at the College, she performed and trained with Ballet YS and was invited to continue as an apprentice in the company. She chose instead to finish her training at Ryerson University, which led to her 30 year teaching career.

As a teacher, Ms. Plante has worked for Elaine Werner and Jacqueline Lemieux in Chicoutimi, Quebec, including a guest teaching position with Québec Été Danse. While in Chicoutimi, she was invited to teach at Laine Theatre Arts and then at the distinguished Bush Davies School in England. Her 14 year sojourn in England gave her a chance to teach, lecture, choreograph, train and perform under the guidance of many internationally renowned teachers. It also led to a more than decade long mentorship with Richard Glasstone, whose knowledge in the field of Cecchetti training is legendary.

Ms. Plante also holds the coveted Enrico Cecchetti Diploma.

Mary Ross studied in London, England and received her formal training at Canada’s National Ballet School where she later graduated with distinction from the Teacher Training Program. Miss Ross taught for several years at Canada ’s National Ballet School where she also worked as répétiteur and rehearsal assistant in several NBS productions and with the National Ballet of Canada in performances of Nutcracker and Napoli . Miss Ross holds her Fellow with the Cecchetti Society of Canada and is the director of the Professional Training Programme in Ballet.

In 1998, Julie Anne Ryan graduated from the The School of Dance, where she has taught since 2004. She has danced with choreographers Caroline Barrière, Anik Bouvrette and Sylvie Desrosiers in Ottawa, Guelph, Toronto and Vancouver, and looks forward to presenting her own work in the very near future. Active on the local dance scene, Julie Anne dons different artistic and administrative hats, which allows her to collaborate on numerous performance projets. Julie Anne also devotes part of her time to studying translation at the Université du Québec en Outaouais.

Janice Tokaryk has been teaching Yoga primarily Ashtanga Yoga in Ottawa for over 10 years. She continues to explore Yoga through daily meditation and asana practice. Her certifications include Richard Freeman's teacher training, first level and two of his advanced level intensives. David Swenson Ashtanga Teacher Training as well as studied with Sri K.Pattabhi Jois when he visited Montreal Canada. Janice has a strong dance and fitness background which has brought her Yoga teachings to professional companies such as Le Groupe Dance Lab and The School of Dance. She continues to study, practice and teach, always learning, growing and loving what she does.

Ms. Taylor trained and graduated from the National Ballet School of Canada. After dancing for 2 years with Canada ’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Ms. Taylor joined the teaching staff of the RWB School . Invited by Arnold Spohr to join the company's artistic staff, she later became Assistant to the Artistic Director, a position she held for 20 years. During her many years with the company, Ms. Taylor worked with various artistic directors, international choreographers and teachers. She now lives in Ottawa where she enjoys sharing her passion for dance with the students of The School of Dance, as well as working with the RWB and Ballet British Columbia as a guest ballet mistress.

A native of Ottawa trained in RAD ballet and ADAPT jazz, Ms. Turco has come home to Ottawa from Calgary, Alberta where she performed with the youth company Jeunesse Classique. Having already received her Intermediate level Cecchetti certificate, Ms. Turco is currently working towards becoming a Cecchetti Associate.

Tanis Waller studied ballet, jazz, tap and musical theatre in Edmonton, where she also started her teaching and performing careers. She went on to study at EDGE Performing Arts in Los Angeles, where she received extensive training in jazz and lyrical. Her performing career has given her the opportunity to dance in Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe. She resumed teaching and working as a choreographer whilst living in Europe and most recently in South Africa, where she became a Cecchetti Associate. Miss Waller has now returned to Canada to live and looks forward to sharing her knowledge and her passion for dance.

Carla Weber received her training at the National Ballet School in Toronto and with l’École Supérieure Les Grands Ballets Canadiens in Montreal . Miss Weber’s performing experience includes work with the Nederlands Dans Theatre and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. Prior to joining The School of Dance faculty in 1998, Miss Weber was a member of the professional dance program at l’École secondaire Pierre Laporte and at l’École Supérieure de Danse du Québec.