Staff

Miss Tara – Director / Choreographer

Tara Lee Vaillancourt has been dancing since the young age of three. Following dance disciplines such as jazz, tap, ballet, pointe, lyrical, modern and hip hop, she was the recipient of many dance awards and ballet seminar scholarships. Having been part of the Teacher Training Program (TTP) at the National Ballet School of Canada, Tara brings forth her high dance skills and abilities to students. Being a high skilled and technically sound dancer has allowed her to grow into a knowledgeable and encouraging teacher. She is currently working towards her Yoga Teacher certification. Tara couldn’t be happier about the upcoming dance year as she is looking forward to bringing all of her dance expertise forth in order to make dance a rewarding and positive experience for all!

Miss Jayde – Director / Choreographer

Growing up as a competitive dancer, Jayde Vaillancourt has been dancing since the age of seven. Having focused on disciplines which encompass the realms of tap, jazz, hip hop, ballet, lyrical, and modern, she has evolved into an enthusiastic teacher and creative choreographer. A graduate of the Faculty of Education with an additional qualification in Dance Education, Jayde has acquired a variety of teaching tools, which enable her to instruct students of all ages and abilities. Over the years, Jayde has choreographed multiple award winning numbers and has been honoured in regards to “Outstanding Choreography” awards. Jayde is involved with local theatre; choreographing several Summer Challenge productions. She currently teaches Dance and French at St. Joseph-Scollard Hall Secondary School and is also the Director, Teacher and Choreographer for both recreational and competitive programs at Dance Expressions. Jayde is very excited for the upcoming dance year as she wants to pass on her love of dance to her students and help them reach their full dancer potential!

Miss Evelina

Evelina Sushko began dancing at the age of five. She graduated from Kiev State Choreographic College with gold medal and diploma with honours and continued her studies at the National University of Culture and Arts, ‘Professional Ballet Teacher and Choreographer’ program. During these years she was a receiver of the Government and Presidential Scholarships as well as an award-winner and finalist of such prestigious international ballet competitions as “Prix de Lausanne” in Lausanne, Switzerland, among others. In 2001 Evelina joined the National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Ukraine, where she performed major roles in a wide range of classical and neo-classical performances, including Lilac Fairy in “The Sleeping Beauty”, Myrtha in “Giselle” and many more. In 2003 Evelina moved to Canada to become one of the leading dancers of the Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada. During the next eight years she performed leading and soloist roles in all the performances of the ABTC (Fidelio and Leonora in “Fidelio”, Donna Julia in “Don Juan”, Prima Donna in “The Phantom of the Opera” and others) and toured with the company extensively across Canada, the US and Europe (France, Belgium, Switzerland among other countries). In 2011, upon leaving the company, Evelina received an Honorary Citizenship of Moncton, New Brunswick, from the Mayor of the city George LeBlanc in recognition of her achievements in the world of dance. Evelina is thrilled for another year at Dance Expressions and is looking forward to sharing her passion for dance and her experience with all of our students!

Miss Taryn

Taryn Ross began dancing at the age of three. Growing up as a competitive dancer she has studied ballet, pointe, jazz, and modern, contemporary, lyrical and hip hop, and has received her teachers diploma from the British Association. Taryn has had the privilege of dancing with the Moscow ballet company in the production of The Nutcracker in 2010. In 2013, Taryn received a scholarship for a summer camp in Toronto training with The National Ballet Company. Currently Taryn is enrolled at Nipissing University and is the Co-captain on the Nipissing Competitive Dance Team. Taryn is very excited to start teaching at Dance Expressions and share her acquired knowledge with the students to help the dancers grow.

Miss Bev

Ms. Bev is happy to be returning to Dance X for her 4th year, she is a Ballet, Jazz, & Creative Movement teacher. She started her love for dancing at the age of 3. And has studied many disciplines including; Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern and Hip Hop. She was a competition dancer and attended many summer intensives throughout the years. She has performed various roles with the Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Ballet in the Nutcracker, Snow White and other performances. Bev moved to North Bay in 2012 from her hometown in Pennsylvania. She has been a dance teacher since 2005. She enjoys working with the younger students and building solid foundation blocks for their future dance career.

Miss Emma

Emma has been dancing since the age of seven, studying numerous genres, including: jazz, tap, ballet, acro, hip hop, modern, contemporary, lyrical, pointe and musical theatre. Throughout her career as a competitive dancer she has won many overall and special awards in both group and solo performances. This past summer she attended the Acrobatic Arts Acro certification workshop, as well as completed her first of four certificates through Dance Masters of America. Along with teaching at the studio, Emma is also going into her third year of university at Nipissing here in North Bay, where she is in the Concurrent Education program and is working to attain her BA in Child and Family studies, with the hopes of becoming a French teacher. At Nipissing she is also one of the assistant captains of the competitive dance team. She previously taught at a studio in Muskoka and is looking forward to sharing her passion and knowledge with the students and teachers at Dance X.

Miss Nicole

Nicole has danced since the age of 4 and is trained in many different styles of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop and lyrical. Nicole has many years of attending dance competitions throughout Ontario and has won many overall and special awards throughout her competitive years. Most recently, Nicole has taught at a studio in Brantford, Ontario for the past 3 years and is now bringing her love for dance to our studio. She is also a member of the Nipissing competitive dance team here in North Bay. Nicole is thrilled to be a part staff member here at Dance X and cannot wait to share her passion with her ambitious students.

Miss Kyla

Kyla Venturini began dancing at the young age of three. Growing up as a competitive dancer, she focused on disciplines such as jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary, lyrical and hip hop, winning various overalls and special awards.  Kyla began teaching in 2006 at a studio in Southern Ontario and recently moved to North Bay in 2015. With a BA in Psychology, Kyla continued to develop her education of dance by studying Dance and Movement classes through university.  Throughout the years she has had the privilege and opportunity to attend Masters classes and workshops, teach recreational programming in schools,  as well as choreograph for fundraisers and parades. Kyla has choreographed several high score, and award winning numbers. She has successfully prepared students for examinations and has had numerous students continue their dance careers professionally. With Kyla’s love for the contemporary disciple and technique, she is looking forward to cultivating the students exploration of movement and creativity, while bringing a positive atmosphere to her classes. Kyla is excited to be able to continue to share her love and passion for dance with the Dance X Team.

Miss Kaitlyn

Kaitlyn Nelson has been dancing since the young age of four. Studying in many styles of dance such as tap, jazz, ballet, acrobatics, hip hop, contemporary, lyrical, and musical theatre. Growing up as a competitive dancer, Kaitlyn has received numerous overalls and special awards in her many solos and group numbers. As well as receiving multiple scholarships allowing her to dance in places such as Disney World, Boston, and Toronto, with many known choreographers. Along with teaching, Kaitlyn is enrolled at Nipissing University in the Concurrent Education program, and is the assistant captain on the Nipissing Dance Team. Kaitlyn is thrilled to share her love and passion for dance with the Dance X family on this upcoming season.