Staff and Faculty Season 2011 - 2012

 

Artistic Director

Merrilee Hodgins A.R.A.D. Artistic Director

Division Directors

Mary Ross, Fellow and Examiner, CSC-CICB, Director of Ballet Studies

Sylvie Desrosiers BAV Director of Contemporary Dance Studies

 

Dance Educators		MUSICIANS
Julie Anderton B.F.A., A.R.A.D.		Earl Doherty
Peter Boneham CM		Nenad Duplancic
Louise Clatney, Associate Diploma, CSC-CICB		Olivier Fairfield
Christine Couture		Kristine Gore
Yvonne Coutts		Rob Graves
Mohamed Diarra		Elena Ilin
Cathy Kyle Fenton		Petya Karakoleva
Loic Gouadec		Grace Louis
Lisa Hébert		Pierre Luc
Nicola Henry		Margaret Macpherson
Mary Catherine Jack		Januez Rothbard
Angela Jackson		Alvaro Yanez
Kateri Jacobs C.A., Associate, CSC-CICB		James Wright
Bill Juilette		OUTREACH
Caitlin Kenney		Alain Pauzé (Manager, DanceONTour)
Grace Louis		Adrian Cho
Chantale Lussier-Ley PhD(c). Associate, CSC-CICB		Louise Clatney, Associate Diploma, CSC-CICB
Lana Morton		Sylvie Desrosiers B.F.A.
Caroline Parent		Merrilee Hodgins A.R.A.D.
Alain Pauzé		Mary Catherine Jack (DanceAbility)
Pamela Place PT FCAMPT CAFCI		Mary Ross
Suzanne Plante, Fellow and Examiner, CSC-CICB		ADMINISTRATION
Julie Anne Ryan		Fernand Villeneuve Director Client Services
Cathy Taylor		Nicola Henry Assistant to the Artistic Director
Tanis Waller, Associate, CSC-CICB		Jenna Switzer Administrative Assistant
Carla Weber		Sarah Danis Reception
GUEST TEACHERS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS		ARTISTS in RESIDENCE
Massimo Agostinelli		Maryse Maynard
Heidi Strauss		Audrey Greyeyes
Louise Bedard		Neera Huckvale
Ginelle Chagnon, repertoire Jean-Pierre Perrault		HEALTH CONSULTANTS
Peter Ryan		Pamela Place Registered Physiotherapist
Andrew Harwood		Heidi Mack
Jane Wooding		Chantale Lussier-Ley Mental Performance Consultant

 

The Artists of The School of Dance

Merrilee Hodgins A.R.A.D. Artistic Director

Miss Hodgins studied in Canada, England, Denmark and the United States. In 1971, she was awarded the prestigious Solo Seal of the Royal Academy of Dancing. 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. Recent projects include choreographic commissions from the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, a collaboration with Canadian poet Susan McMaster, and a commission to produce a concert version of Stravinsky’s Firebird for the Brott Music Festival in Hamilton, Ontario.

 

Mary Ross, Fellow and Examiner, CSC-CICB, Director of Ballet Studies

Mary Ross began her ballet training in Peterborough, Ontario with Marquita Whitham and Charles Lester. Miss Ross also 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 many years at Canada’s National Ballet School under the mentor-ship of Betty Oliphant and Mavis Staines, and also worked as répétiteur and rehearsal assistant in several National Ballet School productions assisting James Kudelka, Robert Desrosiers and Peggy Baker, and with The National Ballet of Canada in performances of The Nutcracker at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. Miss Ross holds her Fellow and is an Examiner with the Cecchetti Society of Canada and is the Director of the Professional Training Programme in Ballet, at The School of Dance in Ottawa, Ontario. 

 

Sylvie Desrosiers BAV, Director of Contemporary Dance Studies

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.

 

Julie Anderton B.F.A., A.R.A.D.

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.

 

Peter Boneham CM

Peter Boneham is one of the most important figures in Canadian contemporary dance. In a career spanning over five decades, Boneham is the founder and creator of Le Groupe Dance Lab, the first research and development centre of its kind for professional dance artists. An acclaimed international teacher, Boneham's signature technique focuses on cultivating the complete dance artist - one with creative efficiency, diversity, and longevity. Boneham's artistic roots can be traced back to the early years of Canadian contemporary dance when he worked closely with modern dance legend, Jeanne Renaud. Together, they developed Canada's first modern experimental dance company, Le Groupe de la Place Royale. During this period, Boneham created over 40 choreographies, and collaborated with one of Canada's most respected dance icons, the late Jean-Pierre Perrault. To date, Boneham has received The Order of Canada (2008), France's Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (2008), The Governor General's Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Performing Arts (2005), the Victor Tolgesy Award (1996), the Dance Ontario Award (1992), and the inaugural Jean A. Chalmers Award for creativity in dance in Canada (1991). Boneham is the longest-serving Artistic Director in Canadian contemporary dance.

 

Louise Clatney, Associate Diploma, CSC-CICB

Born and raised in England, Louise Clatney trained at White Lodge, The Royal Ballet School and the world renowned Bush Davies School in East Grinstead. During her training, she received Honours in ISTD Ballet, Modern and Tap and Advanced RAD Ballet. Although ballet was her primary course of study, Ms. Clatney spent her professional career in musical theatre, appearing in many British TV and theatrical productions. Ms. Clatney became an Associate Cecchetti teacher under the guidance of the teachers of The School of Dance and now teaches classical ballet and musical theatre.

 

Christine Couture

Christine Couture recently graduated from the Professional Contemporary Dance Programme of The School of Dance. In the past three years, Christine has had the opportunity to work with many great choreographers and teachers such as Sylvie Desrosiers, Yvonne Coutts, Peter Boneham, Susie Burpie, Sasha Ivanochko, Emmanuel Jouthe and many more. She has been teaching dance for the past 8 years and hopes to continue for a very long time. As a newly certified professional dancer, Christine is looking forward to a career as a respected and talented artist. 

 

Yvonne Coutts

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.

 

Cathy Kyle Fenton

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 Outaouais region, conducting classes in Modern Dance and Creative Movement.

 

Loïc Gouadec

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 joined The School’s staff in 2000.

 

Lisa Hébert

Lisa Hébert started her path in yoga when searching for a deeper healing following a debilitating car accident. Her recovery was so profound that she was inspired to share this transformative power of yoga and is grateful to her students who are sharing this journey with her.  Lisa is a graduate of the Contemporary Dance Programme at The School of Dance. Her experience of over 25 years in dance training and performance give her a unique understanding of the body and brings a sense of movement and athleticism to her classes.

 

Nicola Henry

As a graduate of the Contemporary Dance Programme at The School of Dance, Nicola is currently pursuing a career as a professional dancer and instructor. Nicola has successfully completed ADAPT Jazz and Tap exams and RAD Ballet exams. She resides in Ottawa where she continues training and where she works as Assistant to the Artistic Director of The School of Dance, Merrilee Hodgins. Over the past two years Nicola performed new choreography by Cathy Kyle Fenton, a self-choreographed solo and new works by Caroline Barrière at the grand opening of the Shenkman Arts Centre. For the past three summers, she spent her time Dancing in the Street, a community outreach programme from The School of Dance. In 2010, Nicola was one of six dancers to be accepted into Tedd Robinson’s Exclusive Summer Intensive. Recently, she had the pleasure of dancing in Firebird at the Brott Music Festival and performing with the NAC Orchestra. In 2011, Nicola co-founded the Dusk Dances Ottawa Collective which initiated the return of this magical dance festival to Ottawa after a ten year hiatus.

 

Mary Catherine Jack

After receiving a visual arts degree from the University of Waterloo, Mary Catherine Jack decided to expand her artistic experience through dance.  In 2004, she graduated from the Professional Dance Programme at The School of Dance.  Mary Catherine has performed with Opera Lyra, has been involved in various independent, theatrical projects around Ottawa and has performed her own work at the Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival.  Most recently, Mary Catherine produced an intimate dance show featuring her own work as well as that of various Ottawa dancers/choreographers.  Mary Catherine teaches dance in schools in Ontario as an independent artist and as a collaborating artist with Learning Through The Arts

 

Angela Jackson

Angela’s whole life is about movement and the study of movement. As a graduate in Contemporary Dance from Les ateliers de danse moderne de Montréal and Concordia University, Pilates and yoga have always been a part of her dance training. Angela teaches ballet and modern dance to adults and offers Pilates mat classes and private, semi-private and rehabilitation training on Pilates appartus. Before becoming a mother, Angela performed with Screaming Kettle Dance Productions in Montréal and Toronto. She has done workshops with O Vertigo Danse in Montréal and has worked with several choreographers including Jean- Pierre Perreault and Ginette Laurin. She was certified in Classic Style Pilates in 1999 at the Pilates Centre of Ottawa. She has furthered her Pilates education by training with, amongst others, Master Teacher Ron Fletcher and Dianne Miller, and at Body Harmonics and The Studio Pilates in Toronto. She is a member of the Pilates Method Alliance. Angela is also a high school supply teacher and adores working and creating with teens. Angela has recently become a certified Level 1 GYROKINESIS® teacher, where she has found the perfect marriage between her Pilates, dance and yoga training.

 

Kateri Jacobs C.A., Associate, CSC-CICB

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.

 

Bill Juilette

Bill has been dancing and teaching Hip Hop professionally for over 15 years. He continues to revamp his style and mission by striving for originality and finding new ways to encourage his students to find their groove. His raw talent and vibrant energy, combined with a dynamic approach to teaching has lead to developing a unique class atmosphere that is entertaining and fun.

 

Caitlin Kenney

Originally from Kingston, Ontario, Caitlin moved to Ottawa in 2009 to begin her training in the Contemporary Dance Programme at The School of Dance. She was introduced to dance through ballet at a young age and since then has received her Intermediate Cecchetti Certificate. Along with ballet, Caitlin has studied a variety of movement techniques such as contemporary, jazz, hip hop, cheerleading and musical theatre. Most recently she had the pleasure of dancing in Dusk Dances as part of a youth commission.

 

Grace Louis A.R.C.T., B.A., E.C.E

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.

 

Lana Morton

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 fourteen 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. 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. 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. Lana is now the Productions Manager and Associate Director of Ottawa Dance Directive.

 

Caroline Parent

Caroline is a dynamic dance instructor, an innovative choreographer, certified cheerleading coach and accredited tap teacher with the Beat Dance Alliance of Teachers. Through her seven years as a dance instructor, she has had the opportunity to work with children and adults in all realms of the dance world.  Her high energy and positive attitude makes each class a fun and challenging atmosphere for students of all ages and levels. Her objective is to educate young dancers to achieve their highest potential and share her passion for dance in the process.

 

Alain Pauzé

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 25 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 the Manager of our DanceONTour programme and also currently Executive Director of Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra. He directs his private consulting firm providing management services to non-profit organizations.

 

Pamela Place PT, FCAMT, CAFCI

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 orthopaedics, Pam is a fellow with the Canadian Academy of manipulative Therapy and has a special interest in treating dance injuries.

 

Suzanne Plante, Fellow and Examiner, CSC-CICB

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.

 

Julie Anne Ryan

A graduate of the Contemporary Dance Programme of The School of Dance, Julie Anne is an independent dance artist living in the Outaouais region. She has danced for choreographers Sylvie Desrosiers, Caroline Barrière, Anik Bouvrette and Sameena Mitta, performing their works in Ottawa, Guelph, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. In 2009, she was one of 21 international participants in choreographer Deborah Hay’s Solo Performance Commissioning Project in Findhorn, Scotland. In August 2010, she performed At Once, the solo she learned during this residency, for SERIES DANCE 10, in Ottawa. Most recently, she co-created the work PORTES with Lana Morton, presenting it as part of the Tout danse showcase in Gatineau. Julie Anne teaches contemporary dance at The School of Dance and other local dance schools and is regularly invited to lead workshops and dance events for various organisations. She is a contributor to The Dance Current magazine and a board member of the Dance Umbrella of Ontario and Ottawa Dance Directive/Centre de danse contemporaine (ODD). In 2008, she received her bachelor’s degree in translation.

 

Cathy Taylor

Ms. Taylor trained and graduated from the National Ballet School of Canada. After dancing for two 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.

 

Tanis Waller, Associate, CSC-CICB

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

Carla Weber received her training at the National Ballet School in Toronto and with l’École Supérieure des Grands Ballet 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.