Summer Dance Camps
Riley Towers
(2012 to 2017)
Program Manager
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Riley was born and raised in Timmins, ON. At the age of 8, she started dance lessons of several varieties, which included, tap, jazz and hip hop. Dancing had really helped her gain agility, flexibility and strength, which motivated her to become a Gymnastics Coach at the age of 13. Riley grew a passion for gymnastics and also loved helping kids achieve their personal goals. She has been working with children from ages 18 months to adults and is also a Competitive Artistic Gymnastics Coach of different levels and abilities. Riley recently got her qualification in Level 2 competitive trampoline.
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Riley has 5 years of experience working as an Acrobatic Instructor for several dance studios in the Timmins area. With 17 years of experience as a gymnastics coach, Riley is currently the Recreational Program Manager at Stella Nova Gymnastics Centre.
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Riley will be teaching Acrobatics and Cheer as well as taking on the role as Program Manager; coordinating all recreational activities throughout the week!
Matthew Barr
(2016 & 2017)
Matthew has been a dancer at the Melissa Kelly Dance Academy since 2008. He has won several awards and judges choice awards at competitions. He is an outstanding choreographer and performer.
He is excited to bring his knowledge and professionalism to the camp this summer!
Derek Franklin
(2016 & 2017)
Derek brings with him energy, creative & innovative choreography, fresh teaching techniques and loads of enthusiasm. His experience working with children is extensive and this shows in the amount of fun he has with his students and co-workers! His love for the art of dance and of dance education is evident in his work.
He is excited to share his passion with the dancers this summer!
KarLee Lefebvre
(2017)
Meet KarLee! KarLee was a volunteer at our 2016 summer dance camp and is returning this year as a choreographer!
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After KarLee's first year of dancing she was given the opportunity to join the competitive team at Northern Diamond Academy of Dance. KarLee attended numerous competitions where her team was very successful, winning many special awards, such as Top Studio, first place for her duet, Best Production and more. At the local level, KarLee also earned several individual awards like best acting and most enthusiastic. KarLee has also assisted teaching for several preschool & beginner classes, where she lead stretches and helped students develop their technique. KarLee has also run private training sessions with students to help them improve on their skills.
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KarLee's positive energy, radiant smile, and expertise working with kids, will be a great asset to this years' summer camp!
Cortny Marcaccini-Brousseau
(2017)
Cortny was born and raised in Timmins, ON. She began dance classes at the age of 2 at the Lisa Ciccone School of Ballet. She has learnt several varieties including Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, Point, Contemporary and Acro. She continued to dance there, as the school changed to Classical Dance Arts and was also part of the Competitive Dance Team. She also spent one summer dancing with the National Ballet in Toronto.
Cortny currently dances at Northern Diamonds Academy of Dance and is part of their Competitive Dance Team. She has completed exams in Russian Ballet and Adapt Tap and Jazz. She also assisted in teaching Ballet and Jazz. Cortny has performed in local plays, such as The Nutcracker, Joseph, Heart of Gold and Alice in Wonderland!
Cortny is a Coach at the Stella Nova Gymnastics Club where she enjoys teaching and working with children of all ages. She is certified in Competition/Level 2 Artistic Gymnastics.
Cortny brings her love and enthusiasm for dance to the camp this summer!
Kelly Waito
(2014, 2015)
Kelly was born and raised in Peterborough, ON. At the age of 5, she began dance lessons at Move ‘n Grooove Dance studio. She studied jazz, lyrical and hip hop and at the age of 13 began assisting dance classes. At this age, Kelly also began to dance competitively. From the ages 16-18, she co-taught a junior competitive dance class.
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Kelly attended Brock University in St. Catharines, ON where she was enrolled in the Concurrent Education program. For 5 years, Kelly taught dance classes for Brock University’s dance club “Brock Dance” in a variety of styles including hip hop and jazz.
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Kelly is a French immersion school teacher for the District School Board of Niagara and runs competitive and recreational dance clubs at the school where she teaches.
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Dance has been a life-long passion for Kelly and she is very excited and honored to be a part of the Get Up and Dance summer dance camps!
Christelle-Jean Chow
(2012, 2015)
Christelle-Jean Chow, originating from Timmins, ON, has been dancing since the young age of 9. She has trained in a variety of dance styles such as tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, and hip hop. After making the ultimate decision to move to the city of Toronto, ON, Christelle has been fortunate enough to partake to a variety of opportunities in the dance industry. From dancing with Toronto’s Footlocker Raptors Dance Pak to The Girls Club, she has been exploring multiple avenues to further explore her love for dance. She went on to dance for multiple musical artists such as Ylvis, New York’s own Ginette Claudette, Chloe Charles, Mys3, Toronto’s local artist Haley Small and many others. From music videos to on stage performances, Christelle has also involved herself in some work in TV in series such as Lucky 7.
Currently, Christelle is in school at the University of Toronto and she has been more than grateful for the many opportunities that she has achieved thus far and for the many people that she has met along her journey.
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