SUMMER INTENSIVE CLASSES & CAMPS

As a dedicated and passionate Canadian dancer, Kate began her journey into the world of dance at a young age, immersing herself in a broad range of styles including ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, musical theatre, and hip hop. Her foundational training was enriched with an in-depth study of modern and contemporary dance at the School of the Performing and Visual Arts at Central Memorial High School. Kate’s pursuit of professional excellence led her to Toronto, where she
attended the George Brown Commercial Dance Studies Program. There, she broadened her skills to include theatre performance, vocal training, and acting, building a strong foundation in stage presence and character portrayal. This training has enhanced her versatility, enabling her to connect authentically with audiences and bring depth to her work as a performer and choreographer.

In the years since, Kate has continued to deepen her expertise in contemporary dance, drawing inspiration from notable figures such as Justine Reeve, Peter Jasko, and Eric Franklin. Through these studies, she developed a unique understanding of improvisation theories, which has profoundly influenced her creative work. Kate’s diverse influences and experiences have allowed her to study and perform an array of dance styles, collaborating and working with esteemed
movers like Hanna Kiel, Lauren Cook, and Megan Lawson. Her pursuit of artistic growth led her internationally; she trained intensively with Joeri Dubbe (NDT) in Florence and worked under the guidance of Nita Little (USA) and Iñaki Azpillaga (Ultima Vez) in Vienna.. Over time, Kate has earned recognition as a skilled and respected choreographer, teacher, and adjudicator within Canada’s dance community, contributing her talent to a range of film and live theatre productions
across the country.

Kate’s evolution as an innovative choreographer has been evident in her work with youth, pre-professional, and professional dancers alike. Her passion for imaginative, distinctive creation began early in her career and remains a guiding force behind her success. Kate is known as a
respected choreographer, teacher, and adjudicator, contributing to film and live theatre projects nationwide. Her choreographic works have appeared at Toronto Original Choreographer’s Ball, Fever After Dark, New Blue Festival, and in several pre-professional programs, reflecting her distinctive, playful, and imaginative style.

Today, Kate continues to explore her unique artistic voice through a range of passion projects that allow her to push the boundaries of movement and expression. As a versatile educator and choreographer, she leads workshops and sets choreography for studios across Canada, eagerly sharing her evolving research and artistic discoveries with the next generation of dancers.

Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Bree started training as a dancer at the age of 3. Years of competitive dancing led her to move to Toronto after high school to pursue a career as a professional dancer. She experienced immense success, performing in a multitude of live shows as well as numerous film and TV appearances. In 2010, Bree was selected as one of the Top 20 in Season 3 of So You Think You Can Dance Canada.

Eventually Bree transitioned into choreography, working with artists such as Carly Rae Jepsen, Sam Smith, Serena Ryder, Shad, and many more. She has also choreographed for brands such as Calvin Klein, Telus, CIBC, Pepperidge Farms, and the Canadian Country Music Awards, on top of co-creating, co-choreographing and co-directing the short film “Ruin”. She has most recently choreographed the Netflix series “Painkiller” starring Matthew Broderick, as well as the new Adam Sandler feature “You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah”. All of Bree’s experiences in front of and behind the camera fuelled her passion for this industry, and she began exploring the world of acting. Very quickly after, her two worlds collided and she booked her first acting role as “Kate”, a lead in Family Channel’s hit TV show “The Next Step”. Since then she has had roles on “Star Trek”, “Nurses”, “Hudson & Rex”, “Reign”, “Murdoch Mysteries”, “Amelia Parker”, “The Beaverton”, “Alive”, feature films “Kin”, “Unforgettable Christmas” and many more.

Jillian Ung graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Calgary, majoring in Contemporary, Jazz and Choreography. With a passion for diverse styles, she ventured into street dance, pursuing Hip Hop, vogue and more.

Transitioning to Vancouver, Jillian’s talent attracted collaborations with Premier Talent Agency, weekly live performances and commercials. She excels in both choreography and performance, contributing her skills to esteemed groups like Team Canada Hip Hop, Twofourseven Company and Quill Collective.

With a passion for continuous learning, Jillian has expanded her cirriculum and training, sharing her expertise at numerous dance studios and schools. Specializing predominantly in hip hop, she remains dedicated to her role as both a student and teacher. Jillian believes firmly that ongoing education and training are essential to enhancing ones capabilities.

Jillian’s dedication and versatility  continue to shape her thriving career, leaving and enduring impact on the dance world.

A teacher for over 30 years, Cinzia owned and operated Dance Explosions Inc. in Calgary, Alberta for 20 years. Dancing since the age of three, training in ballet, jazz, tap, modern and contemporary dance, she has completed her Adv 1 RAD and Elementary I.S.T.D (Checcetti) as well as many Al Gilbert and BATD exams. After earning her Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Calgary, she studied at the Royal Academy of Dance headquarters in London, UK where she obtained her RAD Teaching Diploma.

Cinzia is a member of the Canadian Dance Teacher’s Association, has choreographed locally for Ballet Bodies YYC and has also adjudicated for competitions across the country. She has prepared countless students for RAD ballet exams both at the graded and vocational levels as well as choreographed award winning numbers for competition. Many of her students have gone on to complete dance degrees and pursue professional dance careers. She takes great pride in serving as a mentor to many aspiring dance educators through the RAD CBTS program. She looks forward to sharing her knowledge and guest teaching in the community.

Connor Denison is an award-winning tap dancer, choreographer and teacher and has had the honor to teach and perform at a multitude of studios, workshops, and festivals across Western Canada as faculty, guest artist, and choreographer. Highlighted performance credits include touring BC with the cast of “Love.Be.Best.Free” (Danny Nielsen), dancing as a lead in “Caravan” (Derick Grant and Tasha Lawson) and performing in “The Cholly Project” in Vancouver (Travis Knights).

Recently Connor was featured in Danny Nielsen’s full-length production “On Foot,” premiering in the fall of 2019. In the fall of 2020 Connor was an understudy in Lisa Latouche’s piece “Fool’s Gold.” In the spring of 2019 Connor began producing his own work entitled “Fourteen”. Audiences were later captivated in the summer of 2020 and 2021 when Connor was given the opportunity to extend the piece into a half hour set, presented by Springboard receiving rave reviews from industry professionals. Connor is currently developing the set into his first full length show.