|
|
The artistic faculty at CSD comes from many diverse, professional backgrounds such as the
National Ballet School's Teacher Training program, Quinte Ballet School, London College of
Dance, the University of Waterloo and other recognized dance institutions. The aim of our
teachers is to provide a positive and caring atmosphere as a background for learning the
discipline of dance. Every student will feel welcome and will be encouraged to explore the
magic of dance. In addition to our teachers, many of our younger students' classes have
student assistants who aid the teacher in demonstrating steps and technique as well as
correcting the students.
|
|
|
|
OWNER/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Christine Parker-Reid, B.A. Hons (Dance), RAD Teaching Dip. AISTD
Christine is the owner and Artistic Director of Contemporary School of
Dance Ltd. She is a Registered Teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance
and holds her RAD Teaching Diploma, with written papers in Anatomy
and Dance History, as well as the Elementary Executant exam in Benesh
notation. She is also a Registered Teacher with the Imperial Society of
Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) and has attained Associate status in the
Modern Theatre Dance branch. She is also a licensed Kindermusik educator.
Christine has studied dance for almost 30 years, including professional training at the
Quinte Ballet School. She has attended many teachers' workshops and seminars, including
the National Ballet School and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School teachers' summer schools
and courses and continues to pursue her dance education through professional development.
Christine graduated from the University of Waterloo with a B.A. Honours (Dance) and
the Departmental Award for Academic Achievement. Throughout university, she taught for
the Carousel Dance Centre and eventually was the school's Director for a number of years.
In September of 1997, Christine opened her own school, Contemporary School of Dance.
The school started with two teachers and approximately 75 students. Through love, dedication,
hard work and with the help of her excellent faculty, Christine has built one of the
most reputable schools in the K-W area. CSD has been voted the best dance studio in the 2008
Waterloo Chronicle's Reader's Choice Awards and The Record's Reader's Select Awards in 2005
and the platinum winner in 2006 and 2007. Christine
was also honoured to be voted K-W's favourite teacher in The Record's 2007 Reader's Select Awards!
Today, CSD provides approximately 350 dancers with superb training in an energetic, nurturing
environment.
Outside of the studio, Christine loves spending time with her husband, and partner in all
things, Michael and their two wonderful children, Madison and Jackson, who inspire her
every day! Christine is very excited about beginning the twelfth year of Contemporary
School of Dance and will be teaching students in the ballet program.
|
|
|
Linda DePass, B.A. Hons (Dance), B.Ed., NBS TTP - Dip., RAD Teaching Dip., ARAD, AISTD
Linda is a Registered teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance and
holds the R.A.D. Teaching Diploma with written papers in Anatomy and
Dance History. She is a Registered teacher with the Imperial Society of
Teachers of Dancing and has attained Associate status in both the
Cecchetti Ballet branch and Modern Theatre dance branch. She also
achieved the Elementary Executant exam in benesh notation.
Linda has studied dance for over 30 years. She graduated from the
University of Waterloo Dance Program in 1994 with a B.A. Honours. Concurrently, she was
awarded her Teacher Training Diploma with Distinction from The National Ballet School as
part of the joint degree program. In 1997, Linda graduated from Brock University with a
Bachelor of Education and is currently a teacher with the Waterloo Region District School
Board.
For several years, she owned and directed a successful ballet school in Guelph. She continues
her professional development attending seminars and workshops at the National Ballet
School as well as the professional organizations with which she is affiliated. Linda is thrilled
to be on staff for a fifth year and will be teaching senior levels of the ballet program.
|
|
|
Robyn Ellis, AISTD, RMT
Robyn has over 20 years of dance training in hip hop, jazz, tap, ballet, and
contemporary. She is a Registered Teacher with the Imperial Society of
Teachers of Dancing and holds Associate status in the Modern Theatre
(Jazz) faculty. She has taken numerous workshops in jazz and hip hop
and more recently in salsa and lindy hop. Robyn has also participated in
course specifically focussed on early child development in dance.
As a former student at CSD, Robyn attained advanced 2 levels in ISTD jazz and tap with
Honours as well as her Intermediate & Grade 8 RAD ballet. Robyn was a member of CDT
and CSD Ballet Co. for many years and was a head teacher of CSD's summer program for 3
years.
Robyn's earlier training involved competitive dance, which gave her the opportunity to
perform in the U.S. and Canada. She also did some local teaching and choreography with
the City of Waterloo and JM Drama. Hand in hand with her career in teaching dance, Robyn
is also a Registered Massage Therapist.
This is Robyn's ninth year teaching at CSD and she looks forward to another great year
teaching hip hop, jazz, tap and junior school programs.
|
|
|
Natasha King, B.F.A. Hons, BSc. Hons
Natasha began studying dance under the RAD syllabus in the United Arab Emirates, and later moved to Barbados
where she successfully completed her Intermediate and Grade 8 exams. Here, she expanded her repertoire to include
Vaganova and Balanchine ballet techniques, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, Latin, ballroom and Afro-Caribbean dance.
Natasha attended Towson University (Baltimore, USA), and obtained Honours in both her BFA in Dance Performance &
Choreography, and BSc in Psychology. As a dancer with the Towson Dance Company, she performed in works by Doris Humphrey,
Kiki Lucas, Stephen Greenston and Stephanie Powell, as well as the classical ballets!
Natasha spent a year teaching in Vancouver. She danced with CollabArt Creations, a new modern dance company, and
expanded her knowledge of jazz through workshops with Broadway choreographers and members of the original cast of 'Fosse'.
Her travels also took her to New York City, where she spent time in the Masters of Dance program at Sarah Lawrence College
to focus on her choreography. During her studies, she had the opportunity to perform in a re-staging of 'Line Up' by Trisha Brown.
In the near future, Natasha will continue to further her education and certifications in dance. She is excited to be joining the
CSD faculty, and is looking forward to a great year teaching in the ballet program.
|
|
|
Caitlin McArthur, AISTD
Caitlin has been dancing for 18 years and has experience in ballet, jazz,
tap, contemporary, and hip hop. She is a Registered Teacher with the
Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing and has completed her Associate
examination in the tap faculty. While she was a student at CSD,
Caitlin obtained her Advanced 2 level ISTD Jazz and Tap exams both with
Honours, her RAD Intermediate and her RAD Grade 8 ballet with Distinction.
Caitlin was a member of CDT for 6 years and CSD Ballet Co. for three
years. Through both companies, she had many opportunities to perform and participate in
workshops. For the past six summers, Caitlin has been one of the Head Instructors for
CSD's summer program, DancEscape.
She is currently attending the University of Waterloo in pursuit of a bachelor of science
degree through the Kinesiology department. This is Caitlin's fifth year as a member of
CSD's faculty and she is looking forward to an exciting year. She will be teaching in the
Junior School, ballet and tap programs this year as well as working in the office as an
Administrative Assistant.
|
|
|
Arun Pal
Arun is the percussionist for contemporary classes at CSD. He is a multiinstrumentalist
performer, composer, producer and recording studio
engineer having worked as a professional live and a professional session
drummer for dozens of established artists, being an
accompanist/composer for many of the major modern dance companies
in Canada (The Toronto Dance Theatre, Dance Theatre David Earle,
The Danny Grossman Company, Robert Desrosiers, The Canadian
Children’s Dance Theatre and Coleman/Lemieux Company to mention a few), working on a
weekly basis with Order of Canada recipient and modern dance icon David Earle (as well as
being privileged to dance in his epic work "Miserere") and recording and producing over 30
full-length released albums.
As a lead vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist or drummer/percussionist Arun has performed
thousands of shows with the likes of people such as the late Matthew Osborne, snack!,
Eccodek, Rebecca Campbell, Pat Skinner, Luke Doucet and Jackie Washington all the while
frequenting venues such as CTV's Canada Am, Ontario Place, Center in the Square, Festival
of Friends, Hillside Festival, The River Run Center, Nashville, Hugh's Room (ranked in the top
10 folk rooms in North America), The Canada Summer Games and performing at the Prime
Minister's National Campaign to mention a few. He has had the privilege of opening up for
acts such as Moist, The Skydiggers, The Bourbon Tabernacle Choir, The Mahones and Fred
Eaglesmith.
Arun was honoured with the 2005 KW Arts Award in the music category and has received
rave reviews in response to his diverse artistic contributions. Above all Arun feels his most
comfortable place as an artist is as a songwriter. His second solo (full band arranged)
project, which is in fact, a double disc entitled "It's Time, Once Again" has received rave
reviews. He is currently working on many projects including another double (maybe
triple!!) CD of his latest material, which will be launched in the year 2007.
|
|
|
Georgina Rombough, B.A. Hons (Dance), AISTD
Georgina has been dancing since the age of four, training in jazz, tap,
ballet and contemporary. She is a Registered Teacher with the ISTD and
holds Associate Diploma status in the Modern Theatre Jazz dance faculty and
her Associate in the Tap faculty.
Georgina graduated from De Montfort University in 1998 with a B.A. Honours in
Contemporary Dance and Performing Arts. Following her university
education, Georgina was co-founder, choreographer and dancer with UK
based contemporary dance company, 'Fervent Defacto'. She has also
danced professionally in the Bahamas and Mexico. It was during her time in Mexico that
she was choreographer and Evening Entertainment Co-coordinator for Robinson Club
hotel.
Fitness and well-being play a key part in Georgina's life. She is a certified Pilates instructor
with the international Physical Mind Institute and the Ontario Fitness Council. She continues her professional
development in pilates training with Body Harmonics in Toronto, and has completed the following courses: The foot and
ankle, Theraband and Weighted Balls, Stability Ball and Foam Roller, and Pilates for Pregnancy.
Further certifications and training include YMCA Exercise to Music, Resistance training, Cardiovascular training,
Body Flow, Step Aerobics, Stability Ball and Strength Training for Women. She is also a certified Salsa Babies instructor
and teaches Salsa Babies in Waterloo.
Georgina is really excited to be at CSD for a fifth year and she looks forward to teaching
in the jazz, tap, Pilates and Junior School programs
|
|
|
Heather Roy-Kleihauer, H.BSc., M.H.Sc., S-Ip (C), Reg. CASLPO
Heather is a dance teacher and speech-language pathologist living with
her husband, in Waterloo, Ontario. As a dance artist, she has worked with
choreographers Linda Baker, Sarah Jane Burton, Robert Desrosiers, Janet
Johnson, Meagan O'Shea, and Lincoln Shand, in addition to performing
with Dancetheatre David Earle, Danny Grossman Dance Company,
Hamilton Dance Company, Kaeja D'Dance2, Parahumans Dancetheatre
and INERTIA. Heather has taught many different dance forms to all age
levels.
Heather holds an H.BSc. degree in Health Studies from the University of Waterloo and an
M.H.Sc. degree in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Toronto. She is looking
forward to her sixth year of teaching at Contemporary School of Dance and will be teaching
all of the contemporary programs, as well as continuing as the Director of DanceWorks and
Contemporary Dance Theatre.
|
|
|
Amy Sproule
Amy started dancing with Christine over 16 years ago and has been a student of hers ever since. She has trained in
ballet, jazz, and contemporary. She has successfully completed her Advanced 1 RAD Ballet exam and her Grade 8 RAD ballet
exam with Distinction. She is currently working towards completing her Advanced 2 RAD ballet examination in spring 2009.
Amy has been a member of CSD Ballet Co. and Contemporary Dance Theatre for many years and loves to perform. She was thrilled
to dance the part of Genevieve in CSD's 2008 production of "The 12 Dancing Princesses". Through her experiences with CSD's
dance companies, she has been exposed to many different styles and types of dance at various workshops and master classes. She
has had the distinct pleasure of participating in many unique and "once in a lifetime" dance opportunities, including a master
class with professional ballerina, Evelyn Hart.
Amy has been a member of the CSD Assistant team for over 6 years and loves to share her passion for dance with youngsters! She
is extremely excited and thrilled that Christine has helped her dream of becoming a dance teacher come true. She is ecstatic to
be commencing her first year teaching with CSD, doing what she loves to do. Amy will be teaching in the Junior School and ballet
programs, as well as helping with administrative duties in the office.
|
|
|
Lynn Stone, Dip. LCD, AISTD
Lynn has been studying dance for over 25 years and has taught, performed and attended courses in Europe,
and Canada. She holds Associate status with the ISTD in Cecchetti ballet, National dance, Jazz and Tap,
and has R.S.A Applied anatomy and physiology and History of Western dance Certificates. She has also
achieved Advanced 2 level exams in Cecchetti ballet, RAD ballet, ISTD National, ISTD Modern (Jazz),
and ISTD Tap.
Lynn is also hoping to continue her education this year, by completing her Associate Diploma in
Tap Dance. She is also a licensed Kindermusik educator.
Lynn attended an intense Arts Educational School, in the UK for 9 years, where she truly developed
her love of dance. She graduated from the London College of Dance (The ISTD Teaching College) in 1991,
and travelled to Norway to teach and perform in a dance group. She then travelled to Newfoundland to
continue teaching and performing. With the addition of a husband, Lynn continued to teach and attend courses,
and travelled to Toronto, and then to Kitchener, teaching along the way. Now, many years and two beautiful
sons later, she feels she has a happy balance of the perfect job, and a great family.
She is REALLY looking forward to her seventh year at Contemporary School of Dance and is excited to be
teaching in the ballet and tap programs.
|
|
|
|
* Other Guest instructors to be announced
|
|
|
|
|