Dance Teachers

Lindsay Alfaro

Lindsay started gymnastics at age 3. She went on to become a competitive gymnast and then found her true passion, dance. Since the age of eleven she has been training and competing in jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, and acrobatics including four years at Premiere Dance Academy.

She performed with the young Canadians for two years and thoroughly enjoyed performing in front of thousands of people. Lindsay has participated in numerous conventions and competitions in Canada and the United States. She was recognized with many scholarships and awards.

For post-secondary studies, Lindsay enrolled in a combined degree of Science and Education at the University of Calgary.

She has shared her love of dance with young students and is looking forward to continuing to do so.

Barbra Benini

Barbra was born in Kelowna, BC but has been raised in Calgary for her whole life. Her life has been a constant show; she's performed since birth.

She was in the Young Canadians School of Performing Arts for 11 years as both a singer and a dancer. She attended school full-time while not teaching dance or working part-time for the fall at a golf course in Cochrane.

She will be receiving her BA in Psychology, but hopes to pursue law in her future scholastics. She has also been a cheerleader for the Calgary Stampeders for 2 years, from April through December - an amazing experience to say the least!

Performing is her passion and she hopes to inspire and motivate dancers of all styles here at Premiere Dance Academy!

Debbie Black

Debbie is a registered teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance (R.A.D.) and a member of the W.R.D.A.A. She began teaching at Premiere Dance Academy in the 1999 - 2000 dance season.

Debbie trained in Calgary at the Allan Cozzubbo Academy of Dance where she taught ballet, tap and jazz for 22 years.

Over the past few years Debbie has taught at several studios in Calgary.

Tori Bray

Tori has been Dancing since she was three years old, coming to Premiere Dance Academy at the age of five. She has trained in tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, contemporary, musical theatre and Irish dance.

Her true dance passions are ballet, jazz and lyrical. She has won numerous awards in competitive dance, as well as personal awards including Most Improved Dancer and the Betty (Badashan) Armutlu Memorial Scholarship.

She has attended Alberta Ballet Summer Camps and enjoys going to dance workshops and expanding her knowledge on dance. Tori has been helping teach and assist with classes at Premiere for many years.

Tori is bright, fun and full of energy. She brings a passion for children and dance to our studio and we are so excited to have her as a member of our teaching team!

Jennalee Colpitts

Jennalee started dancing at the age of 3 and never looked back. She has trained extensively in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, modern, musical theatre and hip hop. Jennalee has attended numerous ballet summer schools including the National Ballet of Canada, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Goh Ballet and the Banff Centre for the Performing Arts. She obtained her Advanced II RAD as well as her Intermediate ISTD.

Jennalee has attended many conventions and has progressed her dance studies at Harbour Dance Centre, The Edge in Los Angeles and in New York City.

Jennalee danced for three years with Carnival Cruise Lines, acted in a television commercial for VIBE 98.5 and in a television movie Flirting with Forty starring Heather Locklear. She has also danced as a company member with Encorps Dance Collective in Calgary and is currently a member of the new contemporary company 02 Dance.

Jennalee has been teaching and choreographing in and around Calgary since 2006 and has taught at Premiere Dance Academy since 2008. Jennalee received a Broadcasting Diploma from Mount Royal University and recently completed a Communications degree at the University of Calgary.

Heather Gordon

Born and raised in Eckville, AB, Heather began her dance training at the age of 4. She studied all types of dance including jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary, musical theatre, and hip hop. She received many awards at competitions and festivals across Central Alberta, and was a dancer in the 1998 Alberta Winter Games and the Red Deer College original holiday production of The Jazz Cracker.

Heather continues to further her technique by attending a variety of workshops offered throughout Alberta. Her performers have received various awards for their hard work and she has also received various choreography awards throughout festivals and competitions.

Heather quickly realized that hip hop was her true passion in dance, and began her teaching career at the same studio that she grew up dancing in, at Sylvan Studios of the Performing Arts. She taught for 4 years in Sylvan before moving to Calgary to complete her Bachelor of Arts in English. She then began teaching at Eurhythmics Dance Studio, where she has been since 2008.

The 2011/2012 year will be Heather's first with Premiere Dance Academy and she is very excited and honoured to share her love of teaching and hip hop with the students at the studio!

Kira Grasley

Miss Kira unofficially began her dance career at the age of 3.

The majority of Miss Kira's training was at the Allan Cozzubbo Academy of Dance where she also completed her student teaching under the direction of Carol Nielson. Miss Kira has completed all Al Gilbert Tap, Jazz and Jazz tap syllabus as well as her Advanced 2 Tap and Jazz Brian Foley Syllabus. Miss Kira has completed all levels of the British Association of Teaching exams as well as the Royal Academy of Dance Educators Syllabus levels 1-3. In 2009 she trained for her RAD Advance 1 ballet exam passing with a Merit standing.

Miss Kira has competed at numerous competitions throughout Alberta with many successes including scholarships from the Alberta Dance Educators Association and Wild Rose Dance Arts.

Over the years, Miss Kira has performed many shows around Alberta as well as traveling to Anaheim, California to perform at Disneyland. However, Miss Kira believes that her greatest achievement in performing was when she was chosen to be part of the ballet company for the Opening Ceremonies of the Calgary '88 Winter Olympics.

Miss Kira has expanded her training over the years and spent two weeks at the Broadway Dance Centre in New York where she was honoured to take a tap class with renowned tapper Savion Glover. As well, Miss Kira has traveled many times to Las Vegas to train with renowned choreographers such as Joe Tremaine, Doug Caldwell, Keri Legrand and Benji Schwimmer, to name just a few. Miss Kira has also participated in classes taught by Mia Michaels, Tyce Diorio and Luther Brown where, yes, she tried to get her hip hop on!

Miss Kira is honored and excited to be a part of the Premiere Dance Academy Faculty where she's able to pass along her love of dance.

Jaimnie Harding

Jaimie Harding was born in Saskatoon and started teaching at the age of 16 in an around the province of Saskatchewan. Her love of dance gained her the opportunity to perform on Carnival Cruise Lines in 1999-2000. Jaimie also spent two years in Greece where she worked for various artists and choreographers in videos, televison and concerts.

Jaimie soon moved to Calgary and started working at Premiere Dance Academy in the Winter 2004 season. She is thrilled and honoured to share her passion of dance with the students of Premiere Dance Academy.

Jennifer Helm

Miss Jen started dancing at the age of 6 at Artistique Dance Academy. She developed her technique and training in tap, jazz and ballet. As a young dancer she travelled across Canada competing, and as part of the performing group Artistique Performing Arts Association.

Her favourite venues as a young dancer were the Calgary Stampede and the Penticton Peach Festival. Miss Jen has been sharing her talent and dance skills with dancers for many years and has been with Premiere Dance Academy since 2001.

Laura Henley

Laura Henley's passion for dance started at Premiere Dance Academy at the age of 3. She continued dancing at Premiere as well as the International School of Ballet throughout her high school years, studying ballet, lyrical, jazz, and pointe. She has enjoyed attending many classes, competitions, and conventions throughout Canada and the United States.

Laura continues to expand her knowledge of dance, studying ballet and contemporary at the University of Calgary and with SURGE Company.

In past years Laura has been fortunate enough to teach dance classes at various academies and schools throughout Calgary. She looks forward to sharing her knowledge and passion of the art she loves with her Premiere Dance Academy students.

Heather Light

Gymnastics has been Heather's passion and love for as long as she can remember. In Nova Scotia she trained and competed as a gymnast for about 9 years and when her athletic career ended, that is when her coaching career began.

Heather has been coaching gymnastics to all ages and levels for over 15 years in various provinces. She have her National Coaching Certification level 2 in Gymnastics and in Trampoline. She has also taken a Special Olympics course for coaching and is CPR certified.

Tara Magill - Choreographer

Tara began studying dance at 6 years of age. She has trained in a variety of dance disciplines, including lyrical, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, musical theatre and ballet. She has successfully completed the Royal Academy of Dance graded ballet examinations as well as the Intermediate and Advanced 1 major ballet exams, achieving grades of distinction on all.

Over the course of her dance training, Tara has participated in various dance workshops, conventions and competitions in Canada and the US, receiving successful results and accolades for her dance performances. She has thoroughly enjoyed training at Premiere Dance Academy and participating in the competitive dance program.

A graduate from Centennial High School in 2009, Tara proceeded to the University of Calgary to pursue a B.Sc. in Exercise and Health Physiology, in hopes of becoming a Physiotherapist.

Most importantly, Tara is thrilled to be a part of the Premiere Dance faculty and is eager to share her love of dance with her students.

Lysia Smandych

Lysia believes in dreams and knows that sometimes it takes a while to make them all come true.

Classically trained in ballet since age three, Lysia knows the importance of a strong foundation and was so excited to be a dancer who got to do "all three" (ballet, jazz & tap). Finding her niche in musical theatre, Lysia won several gold medals for her song and dance solos and at age 12 was cast as Tessie (You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile) in the Young Canadians Dinner Theatre production of Annie. She went on to perform as Sandy/Sparkle in The Other Side of the Pole at The Pumphouse Theatre, Laurie in Oklahoma! and Anita in West Side Story at St. Francis High School.

After her studio training, Lysia explored her culture through dance where she developed herself as an artist and a choreographer.

As dance evolves, so must the dancer, and Lysia leaves no discipline un-danced. As a principal dancer for the Suzirya Ukrainian Dance Theatre, Lysia has danced for audiences across North America including Queen Elizabeth II. In 2008 Lysia performed in Australia from Sydney to Perth in the folk-opera ballet, Kateryna.

Lysia encourages each one of her students to be themselves, work hard and understand that being a dancer, performer, or whatever your dream may be, can be achieved - if YOU believe.

Miss Lysia is very excited to be a part of Premiere Dance Academy and pass on her love of dance, working alongside teachers who passed it on to her.

Stefani Smith - Choreographer

Stefani was born and raised in Calgary and has been dancing for over 15 years. She was trained at Premiere Dance Academy, completed the Student Teaching Program at the studio and has also attended various other workshops and classes throughout Calgary. Stefani is well versed and trained in a variety of genres including jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, and musical theatre.

She completed her R.A.D. Advanced Two Ballet Examination in 2010 and studied at the University of Calgary for a Bachelors of Commerce in Finance alongside a Bachelors of Arts in Italian.

Stefani is proud to be a part of the Premiere Dance Academy family and is excited to share her passion for dance with her students.

Ashley Steele

Ashley is full of energy and very artistic. She has a natural gift for making every movement in dance fun.

She has many personal triumphs through her years of dance including numerous high-score solo awards, the Triple Threat Scholarship and multiple Wild Rose Dance Scholarships.

Through her years of dance Ashley has had numerous performing opportunities including the 1997 World Police and Fire Games, cheerleading for The Calgary Stampeders as an Outrider and as a member of the Drill Crew dance team for the Calgary Roughnecks lacrosse team.

Most recently, Ashley had the chance to work with a local large media company, which allowed her to experience working on-air for two local television shows.

Ashley says of herself: "What I love most about teaching is being able to give back to students all that I have learned and watch them grow, mature, and progress each year. One of the greatest things about dance is that it allows me to express myself through music, movement and show my personality and creativity through choreography."

Courtney Woods

After being involved in the Calgary dance community for over 17 years, Courtney Woods has had the amazing opportunity to not only train under some of the most influential individuals in the diverse dance industry, but also all over Canada and the United States in numerous styles: jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop, modern, lyrical, contemporary, musical theatre, African, Latin and others.

With over 10 years of experience in the competition circuit, becoming certified in both A.D.A.P.T jazz and tap, and training with a specialization in tap and hip hop, she has developed a passion for the art and a desire to ensure that the Calgary dance scene is not only a great place to learn and grow as an artist, but also a cultural hub for the performing arts.

Courtney has been involved in numerous tap, hip hop, and contemporary shows and festivals in Calgary, Los Angeles, and Chicago. She was also a founding member of the Tap Company, MADD Rhythms Canada, as well as volunteered her time with a local Jr High and High School theatre groups and MoMo Dance Theatre. She has choreographed and performed in Calgary's own West Side Story.

Courtney's number one goal is ensuring students have fun while learning and mastering the steps, but she also hopes to clarify the roots and history behind the art form so students fully appreciate how dance has evolved and where it is headed.