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Instructors
 Miss Kelly
Kelly Ann Aarts
Ryerson University Dance Graduate/RAD/IADA/IDTA/CDTA
Kelly Ann Aarts began her dancing career twenty-four years ago. She studied various styles of dance, ballet, pointe, tap and jazz. She received most of her early training at Centre Stage Dance Studio and continued her development with Moree School of Dance in Kitchener. Kelly Ann performed in the Stratford Festival of Canada’s production of Carousel. Kelly Ann performed a dual role as a farm child as well as one of the snow children. Shortly after, at the young age of ten, Kelly Ann decided to pursue her dream of becoming a dancer. She began assisting a variety of classes and continued to perform in school and community theatre productions. While dancing six days a week and traveling with a competitive team in Canada and the USA, Kelly Ann began teaching her own classes at the age of fourteen.
Kelly Ann completed her post secondary education at Ryerson University. She worked with well known instructors – Nadia Potts, Karen Duplisea and Vicki St. Denys while she continued her training to become a triple threat (dance, act and sing). She also continued to develop her teaching skills through the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD). It was at Ryerson that Kelly Ann had the opportunity to train extensively in ballet, tap, jazz, modern, hip hop, musical theatre, pilates and creative movement. As owner and artistic director Kelly Ann opened a dance studio in Mitchell in 2000. Under her direction the studio quickly outgrew its facility and Dance Aarts Academy moved to its present location in Stratford Ontario.
Kelly Ann has completed the Russian graded ballet exams, 1-8. She also completed her graded exams 1-5 with the Canadian Dance Teachers Association (CDTA) Through the ADAPT jazz and tap syllabus, she continued to further her training. Kelly Ann has completed the Intermediate and Advanced Major Ballet examinations, as well as her RAD teaching certificate with a Merit Standing. She has developed a very professional studio with a high standard for technique. As a result Dance Aarts’ Competitive Team has received top marks and many awards. Kelly Ann has received several choreography awards for her ability to develop a strong quality piece with a unique style and direction. She has also completed the International Adjudicators Course and is now recognized as a certified adjudicator across North America. She continues to expand her knowledge and training each year by regularly attending seminars and conventions to maintain her high level in dance standard.
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 Miss Leslie
Leslie began her dance training at the Barbara Treleaven School of Dancing in North Bay, Ontario at the age of four under the tutelage of Barbara Treleaven and Denise Cote-Treleaven. At the age of 10, she joined the studio’s competitive troupe ‘The Performers Youth Dance Company’ and she spent the next 8 years performing and competing in various locations over North America, including New York and Las Vegas. She was also part of two European dance tours which included performing in London, England, EuroDisney, France and around the south coast of Spain.
In addition to competing, Leslie achieved all of her C.D.T.A. (Canadian Dance Teachers Association) exams in the genres of tap, jazz and ballet. She also holds her Associate Teachers with the C.D.T.A. She began her dance teaching training as a senior student for Barbara Treleaven which has lead the way to a variety of teaching and choreography experiences over the last 12 years including Dance London and now Dance Aarts Academy. She has also participated in guest classes with renowned dance artists such as Savion Glover, Frank Hachett, Chris Judd and Charles Kelly.
Leslie currently teaches tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, modern and hip hop and enjoys training dancers for competition. Leslie is looking forward to seeing all of the students at Dance Aarts Academy next season!
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 Laurie Anne Cunningham
Laurie Cunningham started dancing at the age of four doing ballet dancing, she then broadened her versatility and took up modern dancing and gymnastics and some latin dance classes. Laurie knew dance is what she wanted to do as a profession and mainstreamed in this art form taking tap and modern (Association of International Dance Teachers) and Acrobatics (Acrobatic Federation of South Africa) whilst doing open ballet classes (Royal Academy of Dance). She trained with Dawn Meyer a recognised teacher, choreographer, adjudicator and examiner for the various examining boards and in that time she received her provincial acrobatic colors and finished all her acrobatic exams achieving distinctions. Laurie also did her first two Bronze Tap exams and her modern exams prior majors obtaining distinctions for them. Laurie then did her first major modern exam achieving a Highly Commended. In Laurie’s last year of high school she was a trainee dance instructor at the Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Randburg, Johannesburg working on Latin and Ballroom dancing whilst still doing exams in her other disciplines of dance.
In Lauries first year out of school she worked full time for Dawn Meyer as an assistant teacher and completed an Aerobics Instructor practical exam and Exercise Science course.
The following year Laurie was accepted into the Waterfront Theatre School, Cape Town and studied dance full time for 2 years doing ballet, modern, tap, drama, musical theatre and jazz obtaining a pass with special merit for jazz and honours for one of her modern exams all under the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance examining board.
Laurie then went on to her first dance contract in Taiwan with 3 other South African dancers at “Encore” Gardens Theme Park. From then on she worked at Sun City a casino resort north of Johannesburg in the dance extravaganza show “Odyssey.”
After Laurie’s 4 year full time professional dance career she realised her love for dance lay more in teaching and worked for various dance studios preparing students for exams and festivals, whilst still dancing professionally part-time doing corporate shows, adverts, casino’s and music videos. Whilst deciding to focus on the teaching Laurie also did her Associate qualification in Latin with the International Dance Teachers Association and did her first part of her Associate qualification in Modern with the Association of International Dance Teachers. Laurie then decided to teach internationally which has brought her to Canada which she is enjoying very much.
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 Chelsea Coghlin
Chelsea began her dance lessons at the age of seven in Listowel, Ontario at Performance One Dance Studio where she was an assistant teacher and competitive team member. She then continued her training at Dance Aarts Academy with Miss Kelly. She has trained in jazz, tap, ballet, and modern, as well as being largely involved in her competitive team for many years.
Chelsea has recently completed her first year of a 3 year teaching certification program with the ADAPT syllabus creators, Brian and Faye Foley. While at university, Chelsea has taken numerous Advanced dance classes, as well as courses in Dance Improvisation and Composition, and enjoys many different sports and activities during the school year.
She is currently entering her fourth year at The University of Western Ontario in London, studying Honors Specialization in Kinesiology with a double major in Rehabilitation Sciences. She is an NCCP Certified Coach, Can-Fit-Pro Fitness Instructor, and a member of the Ontario Kinesiologist Association.
Chelsea looks forward to spreading her passion for dance to others in the Dance Aarts family
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 Sharon Vasser
Sharon began her dance training at Dancer’s Workshop in Austin, TX, where she had the opportunity to perform all over the state with the junior company, Austin Dance Works, before joining Third Coast Jazz: A Professional Jazz Dance Company, where she was a member for 2 years. From there she moved to Los Angeles to continue her training at EDGE Performing Arts Center, and then continued on to get her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre at Texas State University. While there, she served as Assistant Artistic Director of Instinct Dance Theatre Company out of San Marcos, TX for 2 years.
Her other performance credits include: tribal member/dancer in Hair, Maheen/Ishtar in Medeas, Ophelia in Hamlet, a priestess in the independent film, Yorick, as well as an ensemble member of Vital Signs and Savage Love. Choreography credits include Savage Love, Oedi, Hair, the independent film, Yorick, and a touring production of Rumplestiltskin, as well as numerous competition and production pieces.
She has been teaching dance for 10 years to students 3 years old to adults, at all levels, recreational and competitive, including social dancing and dance and movement for actors. She believes in providing students with a solid technical foundation and a fun, energetic, and supportive class environment that encourages them to reach past their limits, to experiment with the shapes of the body, and to find the artistry and purpose behind the movement. She is thrilled to be joining the Dance Aarts family.
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 Miss Lindsay
Honours B.Sc. Kinesiology
Lindsay began her dance training 21 years ago and couldn't imagine a life without dancing! She started with ballet, but quickly expanded her training to include jazz, modern, lyrical, musical theatre, song & dance, and pointe. She received her early training at Newmarket School of Dance and Theatre Arts and later at A.M. Dance Force under the direction of Merlene Samuel-Cephas and Arlene Murchison-Doggart. Lindsay also studied piano under the Royal Conservatory of Music and was a member of various bands and choirs throughout her secondary school education. She currently teaches adult dance and fitness classes at Impact Movement Studios in Kitchener, and is thrilled to join the Dance Aarts Academy team!
Lindsay sucessfully passed numerous ballet and jazz examinations under the C.D.T.A syllibus (Canadian Dance Teachers Association). At age 11, Lindsay became a member of her dance studio's competitive team and fell in love with performing! She was blessed with opportunities to travel across Ontario and the U.S., attending various high-calibre dance competitions such as Rhythm Dance, Dancefest and Showstopper Dance Championships. She is currently a member of the Impact Movement Performance Group and performs at various promotional and charity events throughout Kitchener-Waterloo. Lindsay recently co-directed the Impact Movement's Performance Showcase which was a huge success and is still receiving rave reviews.
Lindsay has a life-long passion for dance and hopes to share her knowledge and experience with aspiring performers at Dance Aarts Academy.
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 Miss Aimee
Aimee has been taking dance for fourteen years. She has experienced many styles of dance. Aimee started with ballet at the age of three in Toronto dancing at the London School of Dance and continued with her ballet lessons at Dance on Avon and currently at Dance Aarts Academy. Aimee has experience with jazz, step, tap, musical theatre, lyrical and modern styles. She was involved in competitive dance at the age of six and competed in Toronto for one year. While at Dance Aarts Academy, she has competed in various styles of dance for four years. Aimee has competed in group numbers and has done a modern solo for the past two years. Aimee has assisted beginner classes and enjoys teaching Kinderdance, Pre-Primary, Ballet and Adult Stretch and Strengthen classes.
While competing and taking lessons on her own, Aimee has managed to retain an honours average at Stratford Central Secondary School. She was nominated as the Student Senator for the school for 2006-2007, representing Central at the board office. During her school career, Aimee has choreographed numerous dance pieces for the club DanCentral for the past two years, and started choreographing dances for assemblies three years ago. These dances are performed at assemblies and at the DanCentral show.
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Ian Sadler
Since winning first Prize in the Syracuse International Oran Playing Competition in 1986, Ian Sadler has devoted himself almost entirely to the concert platform, dividing his time between presenting organ recitals and conducting choral concerts. He has presented recitals in Sweden, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, Denmark, France and England. In Canada, he has commissioned and given premiers in many Canadian works and last season his 7th solo organ CD was released from St. James’ Cathedral, Toronto (Romantic Music for Organ, Volume 1). In 1999 Ian was presented with a Juno Award. Born in England Ian began his musical training as a boy chorister for five years at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London. He attended the King’s School, Canterbury from where he won the Organ Scholarship to Bristol University. During postgraduate study at London University, Ian was Organ Scholar at St. Paul’s Cathedral for two years. Ian holds degrees in musicology and education, with organ diplomas from Trinity College of Music and The Royal College of organists in London. In 1980, Ian moved to Canada following his appointment as Director of Music at Toronto’s Grace Church on the Hill and Choral Director at Upper Canada College. Ian is currently Artistic Director of the Stratford Concert Choir and The Cathedral Singers of Ontario. Each January and August the choir sings daily services for a week as choir-in-residence at a British Cathedral. Last year, during its 10th Anniversary year, the choir sang at Ely Cathedral, York Minister and St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh. For his dedication for promoting the organ and the music of Canadian composers, both at home and abroad, in August of 2007 the Royal Canadian College of Organists honoured Ian with their highest award, an Honorary FRCCO –Fellow of The Royal Canadian College of Organists. |
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