03/24/08

  Instructors:

Musical Theater / Jazz / Lyrical / Ballet / Pointe / Tap :  Director - Alyssa Burgeson
 

     Alyssa is the current Director of Dance Expressions and is thoroughly enjoying the start of her 5th season.  She has an extensive background in Ballet and Tap.  Training with such teaching professionals as, Deborah Cameron, Flora Pigeau, Barry Coulter and at the Goh Ballet.  She worked extremely hard to successfully pass all of her R.A.D exams pre-primary - Advanced 2 at an early age of 16.   While working at perfecting ballet she also studied Tap at the Langley Dance Studio.  This is where she was lead to complete success. At the age of 9 she competed at the Alberta Dance Festival winning top all round scholarship.  She then made her way to Las Vegas to win the North American Tap Championship for ages 12 years and younger.  When she turned 19 she won the team world championship for Canada by posting perfect scores-the first team to ever do that in Reisa, Germany. 

      She later broaden her dancing to the Lyrical, Jazz, Musical Theater, and Song and Dance categories where she trained with Rachel Poirier's Danzmode for 5 years.  She won numerous scholarships from Surrey and Coquitlam festivals.  Made many appearances for the Honours Performance, Nutcraker, Lalapalooza 96' with Green Day, Fundraising Banquets, a Music video for "Abbracadbra" , in the film "Hunch Back of Notre Dame"  and many more.

      She was chosen at the young age of 16 to train on scholarship for 3 months at the Edge performing Arts Center in LA, which then lead her to dance in their year end show. Later, she pursued a dancing career aboard Carnival and Norwegian cruise Lines for three years, where she was lead all around the world while performing to thousands of people. When she returned home she found her real passion to teach.

      She now wants to pass on to her students everything she has learned throughout her years of training, and prepare those who might consider dance to be their profession one day. 

     A love for dance that lasts a lifetime!

   



Tap / Hip Hop / Jazz / Musical Theater / Ballet: Morgan McAuley
 

       Morgan McAuley is a talented individual who has been emerged within the dance world since the young age of three. Through her training, she has excelled in styles such as Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre and Lyrical. Morgan has achieved a variety of dance accomplishments throughout her life. A highlighted few include featuring in a popular teen comedy, “John Tucker Must Die”, featuring Ashanti and Jesse Metcalf. Morgan was fortunate to have the opportunity to work on set with the stars and dance in smaller roles throughout the film. Other exciting events Morgan has been involved in include modelling at a Tommy Hilfiger fashion show, dancing as a BC Lions’ Felion for three years, being a part of the Vancouver Giants’ dance team for two years and dancing at Party Squared – a hip interactive internet dance show.

       Aside from the many dance opportunities Morgan has been involved in, she was also asked to be a part of the Canadian Dance Team in the World Tap Championship that took place in Germany this past year. Morgan was extremely successful in her endeavours at the competition, placing seventh in the world in her solo tap category and second place in her group tap category.

      On top of Morgan’s evolving dance career, she takes time to stay true to her love of teaching at Dance Expressions and other various dance studios. Morgan has trained in a variety of places outside of Dance Expressions. She has had the opportunity to train in elite dance establishments in areas such as Los Angeles, New York City and Vancouver. Morgan’s passion for dancing is evident in her many successes as a dancer and as a teacher. Morgan is a role model for many of the students at Dance Expressions. She is looking forward to the upcoming dance season at the studio and the various dance opportunities that will further enhance her ever-growing dance and teaching career.

    Tap / Jazz:  Janella Hamilton                                                                                                          

      Dance has been a part of Janella’s life since she was a four years old. Throughout her life dance has evolved from a hobby to a passion for the arts. Janella has been trained in a variety of dance styles including, Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Modern, Lyrical, Musical Theatre, Irish and Hip Hop. Before becoming a part of the Dance Expressions family, Janella trained at Martinque Studios in Coquitlam, primarily in Tap and Ballet. When first moving to Surrey, Janella also attended Cameron Ballet Academy for many years before she decided to widen her dancing styles and focus on exploring the worlds of more modern dancing such as Hip Hop and Musical Theatre.

       In the summer of 2005, Janella traveled to Los Angeles for three weeks with many other senior dancers at Dance Expressions, to train at an elite dance studio known as The Edge. Dancing in L.A. was a surreal experience and Janella looks forward to being able to travel to many other destinations to help broaden her dance training.

       Aside from dance, Janella is an extremely hard working student who has recently graduated from Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary with Honours, and is currently attending Simon Fraser University. During her high school career Janella was involved in many aspects of her school community. She was a member of the Lord Tweedsmuir Students’ Council, a member of the Lord Tweedsmuir Badminton Team, a Peer Tutor for younger students at Lord Tweedsmuir and a member of the Lord Tweedsmuir Dance Team.

       Janella was a LTS Honour Roll student for five successive years. Janella excelled in her scores on her grade twelve provincials permitting her to become a recipient of the Simon Fraser Entrance Scholarship.  Janella is working efficiently towards the goal of becoming a Criminal Lawyer and knows in her heart that she will always continue dancing even when she fulfills her dream of prosecuting criminals. Dance Expressions is a second family to Janella and she could not have become such a successful dancer if it was not for all her wonderful teachers at the studio who have taught her everything she knows about dance. This is Janella’s second year teaching for Dance Expressions and is looking forward to the upcoming dance year.

"Dancers aren't made of their technique, but their passion." 

    Pilates/Modern:  Jessica Zentner
 

       Jessica has been dancing since the age of 3, and started competitive work at the age of 9. She has been teaching in the lower main land at Cloverdale Rec Centre, Tammy's school of Dance, and now Dance Expressions. She has worked with many different chorographers; Irena Lavrova, Tammy Swales, Kylie Hannan, Chorographer for MIB & Back Street Boys Videos Alex Pesuich , NBA Grizzly Cheer & Dance Chorographers & Captains, Betty Coplet, Shishko’s acting studios, Jessica Blocke and Charlie Reglar with Carnival Cruise Lines, Annie Wood with Dance Fuzion in Toronto, they, Mr Bojangles in the US tour of Fosse Cassel Miles.

     She has attended many conventions including Groove Street Convention, Triple Threat Conventions and Dance Fuzion Summer school where she won a 1 week scholarship to go to Toronto and work with some of the best instructors.  she has studied Ballet, point, Barre a Terra, Lyrical, Jazz, Hip Hop, Break Dancing, Street Jazz, Modern, Musical theatre, Stunting, Baton, Tumbling, Yoga and Pilates. Worked on Carnival Cruise lines as a Dancer. She also performed in a Millennium New Years Party, and acted in a music video shown on MTV and much music called “Perfect” by Sammi Morelli.

     Jessica is a very passionate person who likes travels to LA and NY yearly to keep up on the latest style and still continues to train at Harbour dance studio.

 

    Jazz / Lyrical / Musical Theater / Ballet: Amanda Miller
 

      Amanda Miller has been dancing for a number of years and has a variety of training in the art of Ballet, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Modern, Lyrical, Tap and Hip-hop. She started her training atthe Betty Cross School of Dance. As her teachings grew she moved to Tammy’s School of Dance, but soon found her home at Dance Xpressions. Amanda also received extraordinary training at the Harbor Dance Center in Vancouver, and in the summer of 2005, she training with well known instructors at the Edge Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles.

      Amanda has performed at public events such as the PNE and at many competitions. She has also participated in the CLA Christmas Show, and at other community events. Presently, Amanda is a Vancouver Giants Cheerleader. She also has performed in a variety of events with the Lord Tweedsmuir Dance Team such as the BC Boxing Championships in 2001, and Evolution Dance Competition. Just recently Amanda was honoured to Perform for the BC Country Music Awards in 2006.

      Amanda started her teaching career helping with the Lord Tweedsmuir Dance Team in 2003. She was rewarded for her commitment at the 2003 LTS Sports Banquet where she received the Top Senior Dancer award. She danced on the school team for a number of years. When she graduated she was ask to come back as an adjudicator for Evolution 2004. Her critique and passion for dance make her an excellent choice for the Lord Tweedsmuir Alumni judge. She started teaching at Dance Xpressions as a student-teacher in 2003. Soon after that, she received a full-time position on the Dance Xpressions staff. Amanda loves working with children and finds her job rewarding when she watches her students improve. She hopes to continue teaching as she pursues a business degree. She could never still herself to leave the studio or the stage.

      Jazz / Lyrical / Musical Theater / Ballet: Keeley Cavanagh   

      Keeley Cavanagh started dancing competitively in tap at the young age of five years old. In the following years she would expand her skills to jazz, musical theatre, ballet, lyrical and hip-hop. Training at a multiple of schools such as Dance Trance, the Dance Factory, Lavrova Ballet Academy, Darcelle’s Dancers and Dance Xpressions where she became a graduate student.

      Keeley has received a variety of teachings and her passion for dance became stronger as her experience grew. During her years as a dancer, Keeley received a large amount of awards. Her musical theatre talents gave her many high score trophies, starting at the age of eight years old. She has been competing in solos for years, and has received scholarships from the Surrey Arts Festival of Dance for her hip-hop and tap skills. Keeley has used her dance techniques to appear in many public events.

      At the age of seven, she participated in fashion shows dancing and singing with a group of kids. She has appeared on television dancing in the Coquitlam Festival Honors Performance, and also performed a solo at the 99 Arts Alive Festival in Langley. At the age of fourteen, she participated with a group of three other girls in the Party TV Show, an interactive live dance show that took place at Playdium in Metrotown. She has also performed for a number of community events, such as dancing in the Christmas and Easter shows at Christian Life Assembly.  Currently, she is a Vancouver Giants Cheerleader.

      At the age of eleven, Keeley found another passion. Choreography became something that Keeley could not live with out. In grade 10, with only one year of hip-hop training, she became the coach of the junior dance team, and also choreographed duos and trios at her high school. Even though Keeley started hip-hop later then her other dancing, it became something she excelled at very quickly. Her style mixed perfectly with the moves and attitude that hip-hop requires, and her skill to choreograph shortly followed. In grade 11 and 12 she became the captain of dance at Lord Tweedsmuir, coaching and choreographing for a junior and senior team, as well as quite a number of duos and trios.

      Keeley absolutely loves to teach as it gives her so much joy to see the passion that she has for the art in other dancers. Keeley hopes to continue training not only her students but herself in the art of dance, as it is something she cannot see her life without. It has taught her so much, not just about life in the studio, but about life in general. Her confidence and driven attitude is all thanks to her life as a dancer, and for that she is very grateful.