Teachers
Dance City Academy Teachers 2010/2011
Aniko Kalocsai
Aniko has danced for over 20 years in jazz, tap, lyrical and RAD ballet. She competed in various competitions on Provincial, National and International levels plus competed in the World Tap competition in Berlin 1999. Aniko has also done workshops and classes with L.A Danceforce, Dupree, Brian Foley, Heather Cornell, Sean Cheeseman, Lisa Hopkins and Mia Michaels. She has performed in many world class shows including Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, the opening ceremonies of the Calgary Olympics in 1988, World Police and Fire Games in 1997, and CFL Grey Cup. She has appeared in two music videos including “Wynona Sue and the Turnpikes” and “Put up your Dukes and do the Jerry Springer”. Aniko showcased her ballet skills with Alberta Ballet’s Nutcracker and Paquita. She’s danced all over the world in places including the States, Japan, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand with Calgary Dance Express. She was also a member of a Tap and Swing Company “Happy Hoppers” that toured Hungary and Germany. After spending 6 years with Carnival Cruise Lines performing Broadway and Las Vegas type shows involving Adage work and Magic. Having opened Dance City Academy in 2006, Aniko has now fulfilled her dream of owning her own dance studio and passing on her Passion.
Loretta Lachner
Loretta received her teachers training in London, England at the College of the Royal Academy of Dance, where she graduated with a diploma in Teaching of Dance as well as becoming a Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Dance: an Honor given only to those who have graduated from the Academy. Upon Graduation, she taught in London for a year, and then moved to Canada to teach in Edmonton for the next eleven years as a Ballet Director of Castle Downs School of Dance. Her production of Beauty and the Beast was invited to Romania for a Canadian-Romania student exchange performance in Bucharest, where she later returned to teach a summer course. She had the opportunity to travel twice to St Petersburg, Russia to study in the Russian Vaganova ballet technique, a method in which such famous dancers as Nureyev and Baryshnikov were trained. Loretta moved to Kelowna in 1995, where she became co-owner of The Pacific Interior School of Dance. During this time she also staged several productions including the full-length ballets of La Sylphide and The Tin Soldier. She has freelanced and taught at several studios in the Okanagan including The Canadian School of Ballet, Okanagan Dance Studios (Penticton), The Pacific Interior School of Dance and En Avant School of Dance (Vernon). Loretta continues to guest teach and adjudicate throughout BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the States.
Krista Schaefer
Krista Schaefer received her fourteen years of dance training in Quesnel, B.C at Gold Pan City Dance Studio from Jessie and Sandy Herman. She participated in the pre professional program at her studio with guest instructor Hilary Bourdon as well as classes from guest instructor Joel Sturrock. She attended the B.C Provincials of the Performing Arts for five years as both an observer and a competitor. She has taught jazz, Hip Hop and tap for six years and has choreographed solos and groups for festival competition. In 2005 she attended the Tap Giants workshop as well as the Tap into a Cure workshop in 2006 in Edmonton having the opportunity to dance with the likes of Avi Miller and Ofer Ben of Miller and Ben tap shoes, Skip Cunningham, Lance Liles, Lisa LaTouche, and Danny Neilson all of whom inspired her tremendously. In the summer of 2007 she attended the Decidedly Jazz Danceworks companies’ summer school where she got to learn about not only the amazing origins of jazz dancing but also swing and funk from the incredibly talented DJD company members. Krista has been a part of numerous productions put on by Gold Pan City Dance Studio including, “The Nutcracker”, “The Western Show”, “A Christmas Carol”, and “On Broadway”. Krista is extremely thrilled and excited to work for Dance City Academy and hopes to inspire students the way all her teachers have inspired her.
KIMBERLEY SABOURIN
Kimberley Sabourin entered the dance world at an early age of two years old and has never looked back. Along the way she was privileged of dancing with Royal Winnipeg’s finest, like Evelyn Hart, Michel Faigaux, Jesus Corrales, David and Lissette Salgado Lucas in “Stars of Canadian Ballet”. She has attended various dance programs like Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Alberta Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens De Montreal, Arts Umbrella, and Banff Performing Arts Centre. Personally trained with Evelyn Hart, David and Lissette Sagado Lucas, David Le Hay, Lorretta Lancher, and many more. Although she majored in Ballet, Kimberley as trained in various other styles like Highland (was 2nd runner up in BC), Tap, Jazz, Modern, Character, Lyrical, and Musical Theatre. On Norwegian Cruise Lines, she danced as a soloist in three different Productions: ”Encore Mr. Producer”, the compilation of Broadway Musicals Les Miserables, Witches of Eastwick, Follies, Oliver, My Fair Lady, and South Pacific, ”Que Noche”, a latin ballroom show, and ”Cirque Pan”, the story of Peter Pan done with a Cirque Du Soleil twist. Kimberley also graced the stage locally in the Actor’s Studio Production of “Kiss Me Kate” and as a full-time dancer for two seasons with “Velocity Dance Company”. She achieved her Advanced Certification with Royal Academy of Dance at the age of 16 years old under the instruction of both Lorretta Lancher, Pacific Intertior School of Dance, and Mel Brown, Canadian School of Ballet. She enjoyed performing in the full-length production of La Sylphide and the Nutcracker. Even today Kimberley has not stopped dancing or attending workshops, it is in the dance studio where she finds peace in connecting past, present and future of who she is to those that follow their passion for dance. ” I look forward to passing on all my hard earned knowledge, passion and enthusiasm for dance to you”
Dani Taillon – Gymnastics Instructor
Dani recently moved to Kelowna from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. She started her career in the sport of gymnastics when she was 8 years old and she hasn’t left the gym since! Dani was enrolled in recreational gymnastics class but it didn’t take long for her coaches to realize she would do well in a competitive setting. Dani competed at Provincial Level 3 in Women’s Artistics Gymnastics for 7 years, all over Western Canada. Her favorite event is the Uneven Bars. As soon as Dani was old enough to take her coaching certification she started attending seminars and meetings to better understand the sport of gymnastics. Dani now has her Level 1 and 3 NCCP (National Coaching Certification Program) in Women’s and Men’s Artistic Gymnastics. Dani started coaching in 1995 and has had several accomplishments since then: (1) Coached at the Prince Albert Aerials Gymnastics Club from 1995 – 2000 while she was attending high school. (2) Dani was the Head Coach of the Calypso Gymnastics Club in Cudworth, SK from 1999 – 2006. (3) In the year 1999/2000 Dani won the Recreational Coach of the Year award from Gymnastics Saskatchewan. (4) Dani was the Head Coach and President of the Hudson Bay Gym Club in Hudson Bay, SK from 2005 – 2007. Overall, Dani has 13 years of experience coaching gymnastics. She’s instructed gymnastics to children aged 2 – 18. She has coached various classes from pre-school recreational gymnastics to both girls and boys competitive level classes. Gymnastics is currently a hobby and passion for Dani. She pursued a Biology Degree at the Universtiy of Saskatchewan and works full-time in the Forestry sector. Presently, Dani coaches part-time at the Okanagan Gymnastics Center as a recreational and competitive coach and at the Dance City Academy as a gymnastics/acro instructor.
Leeza Balehowsky
Leeza Balehowsky has been dancing at Dance City Academy for six years and is very excited to be apart of DCA’s teaching staff. For the last two years she has been a dedicated student teacher for Esther Buncic, Philippa Harding and Kimberley Sabourin. She has training in tap, jazz, ballet, celtic, modern and hip hop all taken at DCA. She has competed in local dance competitions such as Shine Dance Festival and Great Canadian Dance Challenge and some out of town dance competitions in Vancouver B.C. Leeza is very happy to be teaching pre-school, kinder and primary classes because she enjoys teaching young children and is excited to pass on her knowledge and love of dance to others.
Philippa Harding
Philippa is thrilled to be a part of Dance City Academy’s family. She has always felt that the dance studio was a second home. Philippa started dancing at the age of three. Her parents knew she would be tall and wanted to ensure good posture – little did they know what would happen. Philippa trained at the Canadian School of Ballet in Kelowna, following Royal Academy of Dance right up to and including the Advanced level. She studied jazz and tap with Robb Card, becoming one of his first students in Kelowna. Philippa attended summer programs on scholarships with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and at the Banff School of Fine Arts. She has performed with Princess Cruise Lines on three different ships. Philippa has also performed in Enchainment Productions CABARET and played Victoria in Viva Musica’s production of CATS. Philippa has taught all levels and ages of dance from pre-school to adults with Robb Card Dance Studio, Enchainment Dance Centre and, of course, Dance City Academy. She also took on the challenge of teaching hip hop at Rose Valley Elementary for part of the physical education program. After taking a few years off, Philippa is excited to be back teaching and is looking forward to the adventures ahead!