Meet Our Faculty
Poise Dance Academy’s teaching staff are professionals who are passionate about high quality education in dance and performance as well as children’s well-being and personal development.
Linda Leowinata
Artistic Director
Known for her lyrical musicality as a dancer, choreographer and dance educator, Linda imbues her students with her love of dance and her life-long motto of “dancing with the heart”.
Using her strong ballet foundation Linda has choreographed several major ballets and experimental pieces in collaboration with other dancers and musicians of traditional and modern genres from Canada, USA, China, Japan, Singapore and her native Indonesia. Her full-length ballet choreographies include The Doll Shop; Lileo si Burung Kutilang (Lileo the Kutilang Bird); Fusion I and II; Peace in the New Century; Dancing Under the Stars; Ariel, Save the Sea; No Place Like Home; The Butterfly Friends; and The Jewels. Linda’s work has won numerous awards at dance festivals and competitions.
Linda holds ballet-teaching certificates from the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), London, England. Her students have consistently achieved high grades and honours in their RAD exams, and received prestigious recognitions for their dancing quality in performances and competitions since 1987. Many of them now dance and teach across Canada as well as in Australia, Indonesia, China, and the USA. Read more
Stella Leowinata
Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz Teacher
Katherine Olsen
Ballet, Jazz, Musical Theatre Teacher
Raffaele Brereton
Hip Hop Teacher
Emily Sugianto
Ballet, Acro, Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Lyrical, Musical Theatre Teacher
Kaitlin Kawam
Acro, Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Tap Teacher
Jessica Sayde
Hip Hop Teacher
Shayla Vu
Jazz, Contemporary, Acro, Ballet, Hip Hop Teacher
Alona Burlakova
Jazz, Contemporary, Acro
Allison Plamondon
Tap, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Gyrokinesis Teacher
Courtney Nurnberger
Acro Teacher
Ivy Sun
Ballet Teacher
Samantha Raymond
Acro Teacher
Jacqueline Zhang
Ballet Teacher
Portia Sked
Ballet Teacher
Ita Dwi Lestari
Studio Manager
Now Accepting Registration
Winter Term 2025
Join us this term to participate in our 10th Year-end Performance Production in June 2025
Why 950+ Students Have Chosen Us
High Quality Training
Poise Dance Academy aims at the best possible learning outcomes for every student. All our teachers are highly committed to imparting their knowledge, skills, and experience to every student. With patience and thorough attention to details we ensure that our students have a complete understanding of what they need to do to learn and succeed. Poise Dance Academy continually motivates each student to progress and improve on a daily basis.
Individual Attention
Poise Dance Academy firmly believes that every child is special, and we do our utmost to ensure that every single student reaches their full potential. Each student receives personalized attention in our small-sized classes in a nurturing – albeit also challenging – environment that encourages them to grow and develop through the most rewarding way possible.
Professional Performance
Poise Dance Academy believes that the experience of performing on a stage enhances and completes the dance education experience. Showcasing the progress each student makes is rewarding after all the hard work and time students and parents invest in training. To make this moment as magical as possible, Poise Dance Academy creates a full-length dance production annually, on a stage with full lighting/set and costumes, with professional standards. This recital gives dancers the opportunity to perform in front of a large and welcoming audience.
Linda J. Leowinata
Artistic Director
Known for her lyrical musicality as a dancer, choreographer and dance educator, Linda imbues her students with her love of dance and her life-long motto of “dancing with the heart”.
Using her strong ballet foundation Linda has choreographed several major ballets and experimental pieces in collaboration with other dancers and musicians of traditional and modern genres from Canada, USA, China, Japan, Singapore and her native Indonesia. Her full-length ballet choreographies include The Doll Shop; Lileo si Burung Kutilang (Lileo the Kutilang Bird); Fusion I and II; Peace in the New Century; Dancing Under the Stars; Ariel, Save the Sea; No Place Like Home; The Butterfly Friends; and The Jewels. Linda’s work has won numerous awards at dance festivals and competitions.
Since starting Poise Dance in September 2013, Linda has consistently created and led nine successful ballet/dance productions: Cinderella (2022), Poise Dance Lockdown Diaries (2021), The Lorax Re-Imagined (2020), A Journey through the Silk Road (2019), Charlotte’s Web (2018), Our Home and Native Land (2017), Peter Pan (2016), The Ugly Duckling (2015), and The Flower Garden (2014), featuring hundreds of Poise dancers aged 2.5 years and up.
Linda holds ballet-teaching certificates from the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), London, England. Her students have consistently achieved high grades and honours in their RAD exams, and received prestigious recognitions for their dancing quality in performances and competitions since 1987. Many of them now dance and teach across Canada as well as in Australia, Indonesia, China, and the USA.
Linda maintains her lifelong passion for dance by continuously honing her skills with new developments. In July 2015, Linda added to her resume by becoming an Acrobatic Arts Certified teacher.
In 2016, Linda completed and received the certification of the Progressing Ballet Technique, an innovative program developed by Marie Walton-Mahon for students to understand the depth of training muscle memory in achieving their personal best in classical ballet.
Linda can be contacted directly at
artisticdirector@poisedance.ca
Stella Leowinata
Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz Teacher
Stella Leowinata is a dancer, teacher and choreographer specializing in ballet, jazz, and contemporary. She loves to share her passion with dancers of all ages and backgrounds and wishes to help each student find their personal joy for expression through movement and music.
Stella graduated from Canada’s National Ballet School in 2014 after attending its Professional Ballet Program since the age of 11. She holds an Honours BA in Professional Dance and Performance from the University of Kent and an Honours BSc (double major Neuroscience and Psychology, minor Computer Science) from the University of Toronto. Stella is a certified teacher with the American Ballet Theatre Teaching Curriculum (ballet), Acrobatic Arts (acro), Artistic Dance Educators (jazz), and Progressing Ballet Technique (conditioning for ballet). She is in the process of completing her certification with the Royal Academy of Dance.
Stella has danced in a diverse repertoire of classical and contemporary works including Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, and The National Ballet of Canada’s The Nutcracker, and the Stephen Godfrey choreographic workshops. Stella has danced in Ballet Jorgen’s Junior Company, Ballet Central’s UK tour, the Royal Danish Ballet School, and L’Ecole Superieure de Danse de Cannes.
Katherine Olsen
Ballet, Jazz, Musical Theatre Teacher
Katherine began her intensive dance training in Panama, Central America where she studied at the Maruja Herrera Academia de la Danza. It was here that Katherine developed a deep love for ballet and the classical arts. In June of 2016, Katherine graduated with honours from the Teacher Training Program at Canada’s National Ballet School where she received the Sylvia McPhee Award for outstanding achievement and citizenship. She is a registered teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance, an associate with the ISTD in folk dance, and has her Adaptive Dance teacher’s training. Katherine is also a recognized dancer and teacher within Toronto’s Lindy Hop and swing dance scenes.
Katherine enjoys working with dancers of all ages, abilities, and learning styles. In her teaching, she seeks to refine and strengthen classical foundations while fostering the development of individual expression, musicality, and performance artistry. Katherine is committed to inspiring her dancers to strive for their personal best, which she believes will give them the self confidence and discipline needed for a fulfilling life. As an educator, Katherine hopes to create an atmosphere of discipline, yet open-mindedness and joy, and believes that community, connection, and a healthy learning environment are the keys to every student’s success.
Raffaele Brereton
Hip Hop Teacher
“A born Canadian of Trinidadian and Jamaican descent, Raffaele has always been a lover of music and dance. His passion for dance enabled him to learn from and work with some of the leading choreographers in and around the GTA over his time; this in turn allowed him to pursue a career in the arts.
Raffaele, also known as Mr. GETMAD – an acronym for Get Educated Through Movement And Dance – continues to share his knowledge and passion for dance by teaching in competitive and recreations studios, schools, competitions, workshops and anywhere else the opportunities arise.
With over 12 years of teaching experience, he continues to push and motivate his students at all levels, encouraging their growth, understanding of movement and skill development.”
Emily Sugianto
Ballet, Acro, Contemporary, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Tap, Lyrical, Musical Theatre Teacher
Emily started dancing when she was 4 years old and it has been her passion ever since. She grew up dancing ballet, acro, jazz, tap, contemporary, modern, and hip hop, and won numerous awards and scholarships in regional and national competitions.
Emily studied in the professional ballet program at Canada’s National Ballet School where she performed and choreographed in the National Ballet of Canada’s production of The Nutcracker, the Stephen Godfrey Choreographic Workshops, and in summer intensives, including with the Houston Ballet. Emily obtained Distinction in the Royal Academy of Dance Intermediate, Advanced 1, and Advanced 2 vocational exams (earning the title Associate of the Royal Academy of Dance), before receiving her Solo Seal in 2018.
Emily has performed with the Chimera Project, Evelyn Hart Conservatory, and as a featured dancer in the musicals “Mamma Mia!” and “Guys and Dolls,” among other projects. She has also choreographed full-length theatre productions of “The Theory of Relativity” and “Spring Awakening,” winning best choreography awards for both. While performing and choreographing, Emily has also been honing her skills as an educator, and she is now a registered teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance as well as a Module 2 Acrobatic Arts Certified Teacher.
A recipient of the University of Toronto’s National Scholarship, Emily graduated in 2022 with an Honours Bachelor of Science with High Distinction majoring in Health & Disease and Psychology and minoring in Bioethics. Emily aims to share her passion for education and dance with all of her students, inspiring them to be the best they can be. She is looking forward to another great year with Poise!
Kaitlin Kawam
Acro, Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Tap Teacher
Growing up in Belleville, Ontario, Kaitlin began her dance training at the age of three at the Ireland Academy of Dance and has been dancing ever since. She has trained and competed in all styles of dance both nationally and internationally, winning multiple awards and titles. Kaitlin is now a Toronto-based dancer who has performed at many events around the city including the 6th Annual HUM Awards, Let the Elephants Dance, as an opening act in the “I Am Blake McGrath” Promo Tour, Escapade directed by Ryan Foley, and as a featured performer in Lianne Tammi’s productions Divulgence, Cabaret and I Am Here.
Kaitlin has been teaching all genres of dance recreationally and competitively to students of all ages for many years and is a certified Jazz, Tap and Ballet Associate with the BATD, and a certified Acro Instructor with the Acro Dance Teacher’s Association (ADTA) and Acrobatic Arts. Kaitlin has a Bachelor of Life Sciences from the University of Toronto where she graduated with high distinction. Currently, she is studying at Sheridan College, working towards a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Therapy. Kaitlin aspires to share her passion for dance with all of her students and help each and every one of them to grow and reach their fullest potential.
Lorena Perez Sanchez
Jazz, Contemporary, Tap Teacher
Born and raised in Costa Rica, Lorena Perez is a dancer, choreographer and passionate instructor, graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She acquired her MFA degree in dance with an em-phasis in performance and pedagogy. As a member of NYU’s Second Avenue Dance Company, she performed works such as “Grace” by choreographer Ronald K Brown and was one of the dancers selected to perform this piece at Radio City Music Hall. During her time as an MFA student, Lorena had the opportunity to teach at the NYU Future Dancers and Dancemakers program and choreographed for the SADC company and various concerts at the Jack Crystal Theater. After graduating from Tisch, Lorena performed in site specific performances by choreographer Kate Harpootlian and joined VALLETO dance company as a company member. During her time at NYC, working as a professional dancer, instructor and choreographer, Lorena was also part of the faculty at Ballet Hispánico (Emerging Teaching Artist).
Throughout her life as a dancer, Lorena has performed in a variety of national and international venues from television to non-profit events, such as Nigel Lythgoe’s Dizzy Feet Foundation in Los Angeles. Moreover, she has appeared in several opening numbers in the show Dancing with the Stars, Costa Rica and has acted and danced in episodes for Costa Rican T.V. Show Dele Viaje. In 2015, she landed the role of a ‘Jet Girl’ Minnie in West Side Story, which was the first Broadway musical in Costa Rica. Before obtaining her MFA in Dance, Lorena graduated from College, earning a BA degree with high honors in Business Administration from Universidad de Costa Rica.
Lorena has more than sixteen years of experience teaching tap, jazz, contemporary, modern, and ballet and has choreographed multiple works for various studios around her country Costa Rica, New York City and Toronto. During summer 2022, she will be choreographing for H2 Dance Company at Hope University Michigan. She will also travel to Guatemala as one of the guest teachers invited to teach at their summer intensive. Lorena feels thrilled and honoured to be part of Poise Dance Academy faculty for her 4th consecutive year.
Kelsey Willmott
Jazz, Tap, Musical Theatre, Hip Hop, Ballet Teacher
Kelsey was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta where she first started dancing at the tender age of three. Starting with Ballet, Jazz and Tap as her dance foundation, that lead to her training in various different styles of dance making her an overall versatile dancer.
Her first big performance experience was with The Young Canadians, where she trained for eleven years, and performed at the world famous Calgary Stampede. While with The Young Canadians she performed for The Queen of England Elizabeth II. Upon completion of her training there, she continued with her career dancing for Carnival Cruise Lines as an on board performer and entertainer.
Afterwards, Kelsey moved to Toronto, Ontario to allow her to further her career and has since had the opportunity to perform on stage with well known Korean recording artist PSY and Canadian rock band Headly at the Much Music Video Music Awards. She has performed for recording artist Craig Smart, along with appearing on screen in music videos and National commercials. Her career has allowed her to tour many places such as Doha; Qatar, Sharjah; UAE, Turks and Caicos, all over the Caribbean and across Canada.
Kelsey is grateful for this career which has allowed her to travel, to perform in various productions and countries to continue with her passion for dance and entertaining. Teaching dance has always been a passion as well. Bringing students into the art of dance holds a special place in her heart. Watching them learn and grow and find their own love in the movements is something truly special.
Jessica Sayde
Hip Hop Teacher
Jessica was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia and began teaching hip hop dance at age 16. She competed in several east coast dance competitions and performed with her local dance team all year round at charity events, concerts, schools and for musical artists. She was the choreographer of the dance troupe for a professional basketball team in Halifax and the choreographer for Canadian artists such as Carl Henry, Classified and Hedley.
Starting at the age of 20, she traveled to Los Angeles, CA every year to train with top choreographers and dancers in the industry.
Jessica moved to California to pursue dance as a career and continued to travel home to Canada to judge and teach at dance conventions/competitions. Jessica has resided in Toronto for 12 years and continues to teach, inspire, and mentor young dancers. She has experience teaching both recreational and competitive groups.
Shayla Vu
Jazz, Contemporary, Acro, Ballet, Hip Hop Teacher
Shayla Vu (she/her) is an Asian-Canadian multidisciplinary dance artist, choreographer and teacher based in Toronto, Canada. Shayla began her dance journey as a competitive dancer for many years where she was recognized for her passion, work ethic, versatility and individual dance style. She has had numerous years of teaching and choreography experience in various styles and ages. She places an emphasis on creating a welcoming safe space for all dancers to grow, explore, create and share their love for movement.
Shayla has recently received her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Dance from Toronto Metropolitan University where she trained under the direction of Vicki St. Denys, Tanya Evidente and Louis Laberge-Côté. Shayla has had the pleasure of performing both stage and film works by Guillaume Côté, David Norsworthy, Kaitlyn Seibold, Kunal Ranchod and several others.
Apart from school, Shayla was most recently a member of Impetus Movement Dance Company’s 2023/2024 season where she trained and performed under the direction of Dawson Lloyd.
As Shayla continues her growth as a dance artist and educator, she is delighted to be a part of the Poise Dance Academy team and hopes to share her passion and love for dance alongside many other incredible teachers.
Nicole Robb
Acro, Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical Teacher
Nicole Robb is an imaginative mover, choreographer and educator from Port Coquitlam, BC who grew up dancing competitively since she was a young girl. Since then, Nicole has worked with many influential artists including Joshua Beamish, Danielle Harvey, Christina Woodard, Tracey Norman, John Ottmann and Susan Lee, who have all shaped the way she moves and thinks.
She has trained in many styles such as ballet, jazz, contemporary/modern, acrobatics, aerial arts and hip-hop. She has had the opportunity to perform in Mikolajki, Poland with Team Canada in 2013 during the IDO World Championships and train in Paris on scholarship with the Paris Dance Tour in 2014. In 2018, Nicole graduated from York University with her BFA in Dance with Honours.
As a student, she was an integral member and choreographer of the York Lions Dance Energy competitive team, the York Dance Ensemble, a pre-professional company, and Bloom, a student-led choreography showcase. After 8 years of teaching dance, she has decided to continue her education, returning to York University for her Bachelors of Education this Fall.
Being an Acrobatic Arts certified teacher, Nicole has recently really enjoyed putting her energy into training dancers in tumbling and acrobatic skills to add a level of difficulty and dimension to routines. Nicole is excited to continue to inspire young dancers and share the love she has for dance with the youth in this city. She cannot wait to see what this upcoming dance season has to offer!
Antonio Sardella
Ballet, Jazz, Musical Theatre Teacher
Born in Italy and became a professional ballet dancer at 14. He booked his first professional job as a ballet soloist at the age of 16, he also worked on tv as a dancer/actor in Italy, did National Tours with a contemporary-acro/balancing-aerial arts company in Rome, traveled the World performing in musicals and dance/aerial shows with Royal Caribbean cruise line, and Holland America Line for 5 contracts. Later, he moved to NYC, and worked and performed in many different countries!
He taught masterclasses and workshops for professionals, competitive and recreational students in Italy, Japan, USA and Canada. He also performed as the lead dancer/aerialist in Tokyo Disney in Japan, as Peter Pan, and Snow White Prince.
Currently, he is working as a performer, teacher and choreographer of Ballroom, standard, rhythm and Latin-dances, and choreographer of shows, events, and weddings in Toronto.
He is also a freelance teacher for workshops/masterclasses, and I teach from recreational to competitive level, from an age range from 4 years old to adults.
Emilio Macri
Acro, Contemporary Teacher
milio Macri is an accomplished teacher, choreographer. Emilio began training at the young age of 6 and has since then created a fabulous dance journey.
Previous to owning his own dance studio, Emilio danced for many years, winning many titles and scholarships both regionally and nationally such as Senior Male National VIP 1st Runner Up for JUMP Dance Convention in NYC, Senior Mr. Can Dance in Toronto, ON along with many more. Emilio was also a top one hundred finalist on the first season of “So You think You Can Dance Canada.”
Emilio began his professional career as an actor in “I was a sixth Grade Alien” television series and then moved on to “Stage to Screen” and “Can’t Stop The Rock” with Royal Caribbean Productions. Emilio worked with Slice Network and their production companies in starring in an episode of Party Mama’s as a top choreographer and party planner. Emilio has recently worked with many renowned choreographers, and worked closely Mia Michaels in setting an opening number piece for So You Think You Can Dance Canada.
As Emilio is best known for his incredible choreography, he has just completed working with a recording artist in London England. Emilio’s work has been elected and performed in Toronto’s Original Choreographers Ball and further showcase performances. Emilio’s most recent dance venture is as resident choreographer for Team Canada, where he traveled to Poland and Germany to compete at The Official World Dance Champions Championships. Emilio’s choreography and students brought home many gold medals back to Canada.
Emilio continues to teach and train his students in between his professional work. His strong passion for the art truly inspires all his students and brings out their outstanding technique, skill and love for the art of dance. He continues to keep himself educated and up to date in the dance industry travelling through L.A. and New York to expand his horizons. He is a talented young man who believes that “anything is possible”, especially when it comes from the heart.
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Jenny Susanto
Ballet Teacher
Jenny started her ballet adventure at the age of five, and has always aimed to achieve her best throughout her journey. She feels very lucky to have a supportive family and teachers that helped make her dream of becoming a ballet teacher a reality.
Jenny earned her Certificate of Higher Education in Dance Education from the University of Surrey, UK, and studied under the Occupational Therapist and Physiotherapist Assistant program at Canadore College, Canada. She also received a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and Financial Management from the University of Essex, UK. She has been a Registered Teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) since 2011, and attained her Silver Swan license from the RAD in 2021.
Jenny spent around a decade and a half away from her homeland, Indonesia, to explore diverse experiences living, studying, and working in several different countries, such as the UK, Singapore, Australia, and of course, Canada which she
now calls home. Her exposure to multicultural societies for many years allows her to understand students with different backgrounds and cultures easily.
As a ballet teacher with more than 15 years of teaching experience, she always seeks to foster an environment where her students feel safe and comfortable to learn, discover, and express themselves. She believes that a good dance education can help students develop confidence in themselves as a dancer and as an individual. Jenny’s ultimate goal is to help and support all of her students to flourish and achieve their utmost potential.
Emilio Colalillo
Acro, Contemporary, Jazz Teacher
Emilio Colalillo is a professional dancer and choreographer.
He began his training in Oakville, Ontario, Canada where he trained at an elite level in all disciplines of dance. Emilio studied classical ballet, modern, jazz and contemporary and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance Dance from Ryerson University, his Master of Fine Arts in Direction, Choreography and Creation from York University and his Bachelor of Education from Redeemer University.
As a dancer he has toured the world internationally with Corpus Dance Projects, Creativiva, and A2D2. He has danced for the Canadian Opera Company as a lead dancer in “La Traviata” and choreographed and danced as the crocodile in “The Magic Flute”. He also performed for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games.
Emilio has worked and performed for many contemporary & jazz choreographers including: Newton Moraes, William Yong, Hanna Kiel, Colin Connor and Marie Josee Chartier. Dance is his passion which led him to explore his creativity and become a choreographer.
He is the winner of the Paula Citron Award at Fresh Blood 2013 for his choreography of his duet “Avadita”. Emilio also has danced in many music videos and performed for many artists and companies in Los Angeles. His choreography for the short dance film “Juliet” he worked on with Contempo Arts Production from Los Angeles, won many awards at various film festivals.
Emilio also enjoys teaching and inspiring the youth. He has choreographed for Musical Theatre productions choreographing Footloose, Hercules, Shrek The Musical and has also choreographed Aladdin, Alice In Wonderland, The Little Prince and Pinnochio.
Ita Dwi Lestari
Studio Manager
Ita Dwi Lestari graduated from the Faculty of Languages and Arts, Yogyakarta State University, Indonesia, majoring in the Department of Dance Education. In 2003, she moved to Canada to dedicate her time and skill to teach and promote the arts to people of all ages.
Ita has been teaching traditional Indonesian dances in Toronto for over 13 years. She also performs many of these dances in several cultural events across Ontario like Carassauga, Indonesian Street Festival, Nuit Blanche at the Ontario Science Centre and the Aga Khan Museum. She used dance as a medium for cultural appreciation and artistic expression and wishes to see more of this in the future generations.
Ita is committed to encouraging students to have a strong work ethic and discipline to give them that extra boost to do their best. Combine that with a fun and positive learning environment, she sees success within all students and teachers at Poise Dance Academy.
Alona Burlakova
Jazz,Contemporary, Acro Teacher
Alona was graduated from Khemelnitsky Humanitarian and Pedagogical Academy
Ukraine in 2014 with a Masters degree in choreography. She is an outgoing and energetic professional dance instructor with an exceptional knowledge in choreography.
During college and university years, she danced and worked with children in modern dance. Created choreography and participated in competitions. Taught adults and children in Modern dance. Created choreography and participated in local and national competitions.
With more than 20 years of experience, she is constantly learning, researching and developing as a dance teacher by attending national and international workshops.
She is created and directed the first International dance festival and national finals of modern dance in Turkey. Lead and created choreography for the first team of dancers to become national athletes of Turkey.
Allison Plamondon
Tap, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Gyrokinesis Teacher
Allison Plamondon is a choreographer, performer, and teacher originally from Edmonton. Recent theatre choreography includes White Christmas, Damn Yankees, and Holiday Inn all for the Shaw Festival as well as Grease for Western Canada Theatre.
She also wrote, directed, and choreographed And I Never Stopped Dancing for Smile Theatre. New York highlights include: Goblin Market, off-Broadway at 59E59 and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Hills Are Alive! (NYMF), Someone To Belong To (NYC Fringe-Overall Excellence Award, Choreography), direction for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (14th St Y), and co-creation/direction/choreo for Memory Home (2019) and The Tchaikovsky Vignettes (2016), both in residence at HB Studio. Film/tv choreography credits include the Oscar-winning short film, Curfew (2013), Before I Disappear (IFC), Believe (NBC), and Steven Soderbergh’s The Knick (asst choreo). Allison has shared original work at the Lincoln Center Library, Mark Morris, Gibney, fFIDA Dance Festival, Chen Dance Center, The Brick Theater and the inaugural RHI-Think initiative in Portugal.
Most recently, Allison was a choreographer in residence through the National Ballet of Canada’s Open Space program. She is a member of the first all-female creative team to receive Opera America’s Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer prize (2021-22), for Orfeo Ed Euridice and was the apprentice director on Orphee+ with the Edmonton Opera.
An avid teacher, Allison is passionate about sharing movement with dancers of all ages and abilities. New York teaching highlights include AMDA, Queens Theater, Tom Todoroff Conservatory, Abrons Arts Center and Broadway Dance Center. She currently teaches tap at Sheridan College. Allison completed the Uta Hagen Teacher Training at HB Studio in 2016 and is a certified GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® Trainer.
Portia Sked
Ballet Teacher
Born in Toronto, Portia started dancing when she was four years old. At twelve, she began to train pre-professionally in modern, contemporary, and most of all, ballet.
Portia has attended the summer intensives at several renowned ballet schools
around the world, such as Ellison Ballet in New York City, where she was accepted on a scholarship, the Royal Ballet School in England, where she was accepted on full scholarship and won the Award of Commendation for talent and commitment, the National Ballet School of Canada in Toronto, the School of American Ballet in New York City, and the Ballet West Academy in Salt Lake City. She has competed in the international dance competition, the Youth American Grand Prix, and the well-known American Dance Awards competition, where she was awarded Dancer of the Year.
She has trained with master instructors Evelyn Hart, Peter O’Brien, Kay Mazzo, Edward Ellison, and Calvin Kitten, to name a few. Portia has also danced for the Artistic Director of the New York City Ballet, Peter Martins, the Artistic Director of Ballet West, Adam Sklute, and the Artistic Director of Ballet Creole, Patrick Parson.
Currently, Portia teaches dance across the GTA to youth of all ages. She believes
dancing should always be fun, inspiring, engaging, and skill-building.
Jacqueline Zhang
Ballet Teacher
Jacqueline recently danced in Tivoli Ballet Theatre’s “The Nutcracker” as the lead principal role and lead corp de ballet roles in their “Snow Queen” production in Copenhagen, Denmark. She also has had the opportunity to perform in the National Ballet of Canada’s production of The Nutcracker. Jacqueline received the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) Solo Seal Award and has earned the title Associate of the Royal Academy of Dance by obtaining Distinction in the RAD Advanced 1 and 2 exams. She was a Guest Choreographer for the Next Step Ballet School Freiburg in Freiburg, Germany for their production of “The Nutcracker and the Mouse Queen”. She was honoured to be on the cover of North York Post Magazine’s “20 under 20 – the Most Dynamic and Innovative Young People in Toronto” in 2019.
Jacqueline has been teaching dance for nearly 5 years. She specializes in Classical Ballet coaching and is experienced in teaching contemporary, jazz, and musical theatre. Her students include Clara Strassel, a graduate of the Dutch National Ballet Academy. And Nichole Belden, graduate of the English National Ballet School Trainee Program. She is a Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) level 3 teacher and certified Pilates Instructor. She is currently completing her certification to become a RAD registered teacher and her bachelor of arts in dance at York University. Through her years at York University, her technical and artistic strength, and teaching abilities were applauded by her professors. Giving her the honour of teaching workshop classes and designing conditioning programs for the graduating class. Jacqueline aims to share her experiences gained through working and competing internationally with young dancers seeking to grow and improve their artistry and technique.
Samantha Raymond
Acro Teacher
Samantha Raymond is an independent dance artist from Toronto, ON. She is a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson), obtaining her BFA in Performance Dance. Since graduating, Samantha has performed & trained across the GTA and abroad including Greece, India, Oman, Israel, and The Netherlands, where she spent a year dancing with the company Dance in Art in Haarlem.
Samantha has danced with Toronto based companies such as Echo Dance Company (Purpose), JMP Productions (Nunsense), Blahzay Creative (Just Kept Walking Music Video), First Act Productions (Songs For A New World), Rock Bottom Movement (The Holiday Show), Point of View Dance Projects (Wireless Connection), and starred as Edith Piaf in Bronwyn Odile Production’s show, Piaf: Songs of the Nightingale. She has also appeared on camera for the Canadian Film Company, Murdoch Mysteries, and music videos for various independent artists. Since 2020, Samantha has expanded her education by pursuing an Athletic Therapy degree from Sheridan College, where she has been fortunate enough to work with dancers at The National Ballet of Canada.
Samantha has developed a love of teaching throughout her performance training, and has received teacher training from the Associated Dance Arts for Professional Teachers (ADAPT), and Acro Alliance. Samantha is also a certified Yoga teacher (RYT 200) through the Ruh Yoga School located in Goa, India. She strives to bring a sense of mindfulness to the classroom, and continues pushing her students to grow and better themselves not just as dancers, but as individuals. Samantha is thrilled to be part of the Poise Dance Academy team for the 2024-25 season!
Ivy Sun
Ballet Teacher
I am currently student in the Teacher TrainingProgram at the Canada’s National Ballet School.
In Hong Kong, I started dancing in 1995, mainly in ballet.I then worked as a full time Ballet teacher for over 13 years before moving to Canada.
I am truly passionate for dancing and am looking forward to continuing sharing this passion through dance education. My teaching philosophy is that my lessons inside of a dance class should be transferable to their life skills whether it’s within their academic or personal life. Lastly, teaching dance is truly about fostering the love of movement and self expression.
Courtney Nurnberger
Acro Teacher
Courtney is a multi-disciplinary choreographer and dance educator based in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), dedicated to sharing her passion for the performing arts with students of all ages. With a specialization in Acro, Courtney also excels in teaching Jazz, Lyrical, Musical Theatre, Tap, Hip Hop, and Contemporary.
With a background in competitive dancing across Canada, she brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her teaching. Holding an advanced diploma in “Child and Youth Work”, Courtney enhances her skills as an arts educator. She has traveled extensively to various dance studios, enriching her commitment to the dance community and gaining valuable experience.
Courtney holds teaching certificates in Acrobatic Arts (Modules 1 and 2), ADAPT (Associated Dance Arts for Professional Teachers), MuvMethod Flexibility, and Alixa Flexibility (Modules 1, 2, and 3). Throughout her career, Courtney has played a pivotal role in helping dance studios thrive, assisting her students in securing numerous overall awards and adjudicators’ special awards through her meticulous attention to detail and artistic vision. She eagerly looks forward to sharing her love for dance with all who cross her path.
