Our team.
City Dance Corps faculty are professional dance instructors with extensive background, training, and accreditation in dance.
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Alysis Davis
Groove Crew, Co-Director
Ashley Maia
Groove Crew, Co-Director
Victoria DeRose
Youth Program Administrative Assistant
TORONTO FACULTY
Amanda Arruda
Tap​
Amanda began dancing at the age of three at the Ontario School of Ballet, training in ballet, jazz, tap, acrobatics, hip-hop, lyrical, and contemporary, as well as a knowledge of ballroom and Latin dance styles. From a young age, she had a true passion for tap dance, competing with many tap solos. For over twelve years, she danced competitively as a member of the Trillium Dance Company, and was in Tap! Dance Company at the Tap Dance Centre. Amanda grew up studying the RAD ballet foundations as well as ADAPT tap and jazz. She continued dancing for a few years after graduation to complete her ballet and tap exams to the highest levels. She graduated from the dance arts program at Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts as well as completed her certification in ADAPT’s jazz and tap Teacher Training Program. She has taught and choreographed several pieces at multiple competitive and recreational dance studios throughout her teaching career. Amanda graduated from the fashion design program at George Brown and currently works full-time as manager and head designer at a children’s dance costume company. She is very excited to continue her dance journey and to share her knowledge, passion, and overall love for dance.
Alysis Davis
The Groove Crew, Hip Hop, Contemporary Fusion​
Alysis Davis is a Toronto-based dance educator, performer, and emerging choreographer. Introduced to dance at Canada’s National Ballet School, she moved on to Toronto’s competitive scene and later joined DancEast’s Youth Performance Company in Moncton, NB. Alysis holds a BFA in Performance Dance from Toronto Metropolitan University, complemented by minors in Entrepreneurship and Psychology. Her professional training spans Hip Hop, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary and Ballet, including ADAPT and PAEC instructor certifications. She has had the pleasure of training with and performing in works by notable artists across Ontario, including Natasha Powell, Angela Blumberg, Alysa Pires, ProArteDanza, Rock Bottom Movement, and Seanna Bailey. Her performances include features in Fall For Dance North, the Orillia Jazz Festival, and BMO’s Art & Soul. Alysis is a versatile choreographer and educator, sought after for her work with competitive teams and performance companies across the GTA. Her dedication to both performance and choreography earned her the NB Arts Board Full-Time Arts Scholarship, recognizing her work across stage and film. She had the honour of being a judge at STOMP 2025 and is eager to join Run The Flex’s Elite Competitive Crew this season. Continuously expanding her training and knowledge, Alysis brings passion and expertise to every role she takes on. She is committed to developing confident, resilient, and creative dancers, equipping them with the skills to flourish both on and off the stage.
Ashley Maia
Tiny Groovers, Tiny Twirlers, Jazz, Hip Hop, Ballet, Tap
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Ashley Maia has been dancing since the age of five and grew up as a competitive dancer at the Ontario School of Ballet, where she completed all Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and Associated Dance Arts for Professional Teachers (ADAPT) examinations up to the Advanced levels. During her competitive years, she participated in prestigious events such as the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) and the RAD Dance Challenge, further showcasing her technical skill and artistry. A graduate of Cardinal Carter Academy of the Arts, Ashley went on to train at The Joffrey Ballet School in New York City and has since developed a versatile background in ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, and hip-hop. Her performance experience includes working with international artist Mickael Carreira and appearing in projects and shows across Toronto with respected choreographers and companies such as Leon Blackwood, Tatiana Parker, and Kode Red. In addition to her performance career, Ashley is a certified Senior Pointe Shoe Specialist at Danceshoppe, a role that supports young and emerging dancers. She continues to pursue professional development to bring high-quality, inspiring instruction to every class she teaches.
Brianna Chapple
Dance Athletics, Tiny Twirlers​
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Brianna started dancing at the age of 3 at Star-Lite Dance Studio in Hamilton ON. She went onto compete in jazz, tap, contemporary, acro, and musical theater across Ontario and the US, before moving to Toronto for her post secondary education. After a successful career as a pastry chef she has turned her attention to starting a new career in childcare and getting back into her love of dance. When not completing her final year of ECE studies Brianna loves bringing her passion for dance to the younger generation while keeping a focus on inclusivity, fun, and creating positive relationships.
Esra Leia
RAD Ballet/ Ballet Program Coordinator
Ballet, RAD Ballet
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From a young age, Esra has been passionate about sharing her love for dance with others. With a background in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and Contemporary dance, she has had the opportunity to perform recreationally and competitively for over a decade. Esra studied ballet throughout her childhood and adolescence through the Royal Academy of Dance, completing all the graded and vocational examinations up to Solo Seal. After training at the Ontario School of Ballet and Related Arts for 10 years, she began her studies at Ryerson University in the Early Childhood Studies program. Esra simultaneously completed the Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies programme through the Royal Academy of Dance and is a certified ballet teacher with the RAD. She has been entering her students in RAD examinations for over five years, with consistent success across all levels. In addition to exam preparation, Esra has played a key role in growing and developing the ballet programme, helping to expand both its size and standard over the years. The combination of these two programs has shaped Esra’s philosophy of teaching; through inclusion and differentiated instruction, her goal is to create a playful and safe atmosphere for children to physically explore their bodies and express their emotions.
Jimmy 'Chico' Vasquez
Hip Hop, Street Dance Styles
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Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Jimmy Vásquez González started his dance career at the age of 7. Surrounded by the Latin culture of his native land, Jimmy started his journey with the dance styles of Salsa, Bachata and Merengue. At the age of 13, Jimmy moved to Toronto, Canada, where he was introduced to the style of native Toronto Hip-Hop for the first time, also referred to as "Flavor". Though it wasn't an easy transition, Jimmy was able to maintain his love for dance by facing and accepting new challenges as well discovering his own identity through Hip-Hop and what it means to have your own identity through the art of dance. Shortly after his move to Canada, Jimmy was able to find other relatable individuals with the same drive and passion for dance, soon after becoming a member of Scarborough's very own dance crew, “The FLVRSquad”. The FLVRSquad is a team of individuals under the mentorship of one Toronto's most notorious and respected dance crews, BUCC N FLVR. With the mentorship of arguably Toronto's best of the best, Jimmy has been equipped with the tools necessary to comfortably share the knowledge passed down, as well as adding his personal Dominican flavor, giving his dance a very distinguishable energy and charisma. Jimmy has distinguished himself as a leader and mentor to his peers and those around him, further strengthening his values and the impact one can spark in others through dance. Today, Jimmy continues to pursue his undeniable love for dance, through teaching, performing and sharing his own creativity in hopes of inspiring others.
Katrina Hindle
Musical Theatre, Parent n Tot, Tiny Stars, Tiny Twirlers
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Katrina is a Toronto-based musical theatre performer/teacher. She is a graduate from both the Eastwood Collegiate Integrated Arts Program, where she was a vocal, dance, and drama major, as well as a graduate from the Triple Threat program at the Randolph College for the Performing Arts in Toronto. She has trained in many styles, including ballet, lyrical, jazz, tap, hip hop, modern, acro, and musical theatre. Throughout her life, she has performed competitively and has received many awards and scholarships, including an opportunity to perform on Broadway in New York City. She has also performed with the K-W Symphony, NIKE HANGtime Fitness, and the Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest. Her most recent and favourite performing credits include Legally Blonde: The Musical (Pilar), Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (Ella), Anything Goes (Choreographer/Reno's Angels), and Anastasia: The Musical (Choreographer/Romanov Sister). When she is not performing, Katrina loves to teach children of all ages. She loves bringing her positive and bubbly energy to her students, as well as the ability to really push them to become their best. She is so excited to continue to share her love of dance with the City Dance Corps Youth Program!
Krystalia Hatzinakos
Parent n Tot, Dance Athletics, Ballet, Contemporary
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Krystalia began dancing at the London School of Dance at the age of three, engaging in dance examinations and competitions over the span of thirteen years. Krystalia completed Royal Academy of Dance ballet exams up to the Advanced 2 level. She also completed jazz, tap, and acro exams with the British Association of Teachers of Dancing, earning the associate teaching exam certificates for tap and jazz styles. Alongside her technical training, Krystalia attended Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts where she expanded her performance experience in contemporary and musical theatre. Krystalia holds a Bachelor of Kinesiology and Physical Education from the University of Toronto, adding knowledge of mobility, strength, and conditioning exercise to her repertoire. Furthering her education, Krystalia is currently completing a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. While completing her degree, Krystalia has had opportunities to work and volunteer in a variety of rehabilitative healthcare settings, assisting physiotherapists and occupational therapists in providing care to clients and families. Here, she has facilitated adapted movement-based programming for populations with diverse abilities, learning effective ways to foster inclusive spaces for people of varying ages and skill levels. Krystalia prioritizes the fun and enjoyment of her students while valuing inclusivity by taking an individualized approach to teaching. She strives to empower, motivate, and support students as they work towards achieving their personal goals.
Victoria DeRose
Dance Athletics, Jazz Combo, Tap, Tiny Tappers, Tiny Tumblers, Tiny Twirlers
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Victoria began dancing at the age of three at the Ontario School of Ballet and Related Arts, training in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Acro, Pointe, Hip Hop, and Lyrical, while also exploring Contemporary, Street Jazz, and Musical Theatre. At six years old, she began competing with the Trillium Dance Company and continued for over a decade. Throughout her training, Victoria studied the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) Ballet syllabus as well as the ADAPT Jazz and Tap syllabus, building a strong technical foundation. She graduated from Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts, where she specialized in the dance program with a focus on Ballet and Modern dance. During her time there, she also choreographed for Cardinal Carter’s dance productions, including In the Making (2021).
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Victoria is now in her final year at Toronto Metropolitan University, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Studies with a minor in Disability Studies. Passionate about fostering creativity and confidence in young dancers, Victoria is thrilled to share her love of dance while creating a safe and inclusive space for children to learn, have fun, and express themselves.
Sanjana Tekaram
Hip Hop, YPC
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Sanjana Tekaram is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher who strives to impact the dance community positively. Her training in hip-hop, commercial, dancehall, ballet, jazz, funk styles, and contemporary contribute to her versatility. Her creativity and artistry transcend as she continues to innovate through the process of creating new works. She is hardworking, dependable, reliable, and eager to explore new avenues.
Born in Toronto she grew up with a passion for the arts which later transferred to dance. Beginning self-taught in her teenage years, Sanjana began training in street dance styles such as hip-hop, dancehall, and popping. She then attended Centennial College’s Dance Performance Program where she trained in various styles such as contemporary, ballet, commercial, acrobatics, jazz, and cultural styles.
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With a passion for teaching, Sanjana strives to create a positive learning environment where students of diverse backgrounds can be positively challenged. Her knowledge of dance and the industry brings relevant information to the classroom and helps develop dancers in ways that create longevity as a mover.
Sage Bernstein-Cord
Jazz
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Sage has been dancing since age two and has extensive training in ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary, and street styles. She graduated as a Dance Major in the Claude Watson Arts Program at Earl Haig Secondary School and is in her third year in the Performance Dance Program (BFA) at Toronto Metropolitan University. She has performed with companies in Toronto including Kode Red Dance Company and Unapologetic Dance Collective, and in Toronto showcases with choreographers Christopher Knowles and Kennedy Elder.
While Sage continues to build her career as a dancer, she also teaches dancers of all ages at various dance studios across the city, both at the recreational and competitive levels. Teaching brings Sage an indescribable amount of joy and fulfillment. She loves to share her love for dance with others and hopes that her energetic and imaginative approach sparks creativity and engagement with her students.
Sage is thrilled to be a faculty member at City Dance Corps; a studio that has played an integral role in her dance journey!
Seanna Bailey
Youth Performance Company
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Seanna Bailey is a powerful artist who constructs with a unique perspective. She feeds solely on the connection of the mind & body when dancing. Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Seanna is taking all the knowledge and passion from her past, onto a new path as an emerging artist in Toronto. Currently, she is a member of faculty at City Dance Corps, sharing her vision through the Contemporary Fusion movement. She is currently choreographing, dancing & artistically directing new works in Toronto, while pushing the barriers of the dance world with her intricate style and vision.
Tina Nico
Studio Director
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Tina Nico is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of City Dance Corps, one of Toronto, Canada’s leading dance schools. As a choreographer, Tina has worked on productions like North America’s Dirty Dancing, Instant Beauty Pageant on E!, HGTV’s Home Heist, CBC’s Fashion File, a number of music videos and short films, and also choreographed Nelly Furtado’s Mi Plan World Tour.
Specializing in Jazz, Pop, and Latin Dance, Tina has been featured in several TV shows and publications like MuchMusic, CBC’s Living in Toronto, Elle Magazine, Dolce Magazine, Sun TV, Omni 1’s Here and Now, and her work with the City Dance Corps has been featured on Splice TV’s Three Takes, City TV’s Breakfast Television, Real Life on CTS, and the National Post.
As a performer and instructor, Tina has taught all over the world. From Bermuda to Shanghai, she toured internationally with her Salsa company, and once led one of the largest group Salsa dances with 2,500 people in an attempt to break three Guinness World Records. Her latest work can be seen across Canada as she choreographed the national ad campaign for CBC Gem. As a mom, dancer, and entrepreneur, Tina understands the needs and concerns of parents and children, while also fostering a supportive, creative, holistic and fun dance program where each kid shines!
Sara Winter
Youth Program Coordinator ​
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Sara went to professional ballet school at The Royal Winnipeg Ballet,but where she really got the most meaningful training was at her local dance school. Sara has performed all over North America, in London’s West End, and on Broadway, in shows like: Anything Goes, Peter Pan, Cinderella, Anne Of Green Gables (Diana), The Phantom Of The Opera (Meg), Show Boat (Kim), Forever Swing and The Music Man. She’s worked as a choreographer at Canadian Stage (Les Belles Soeurs, Heaven) and other regional theatres in Ontario. Before the COVID pandemic, Sara founded The Children’s Musical Theatre Project, a performance-based musical theatre project focused on the creative process of building full-scale musicals. She is passionate about helping kids to build confidence through dance and theatre skills, and she is grateful for the community at City Dance Corps.
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Sadie Cahill
YPC Director
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I am a professional Toronto-based artist. I have a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from York University. As a longtime dance educator, I am thrilled to share my knowledge and passion for dance and performance with the talented cohort of the Youth Performance Company.
Olivia Varma
Musical Theatre, Tiny Stars, Tiny Twirlers ​
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Olivia varma is a third year undergraduate student Perusing an honours bachelor of musical theatre performance at sheridan college. She spent her formative years singing, and dancing in various community theatre productions until making her professional debut at the victoria playhouse theatre in 2024. Liv resides in thornhill with her family and dog and strives to have an attitude of gratitude.
OAKVILLE FACULTY
Daria Lomangino
Ballet, Tiny Twirlers, Contemporary, ​
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Daria has trained in classical ballet since the age of three, with a focus on the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and American Ballet Theatre (ABT) syllabi. She completed all of the RAD vocational exams, and in May 2023, she performed as a candidate for the 2023 spring Solo Seal Examination in Canada. She then graduated from the Oakville School of Classical Ballet’s conservatory training program in June 2023, where she performed soloist and Corps de Ballet roles. She is also proficient in Contemporary and Modern dance, trained up to the Advanced One level in Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) Modern Theatre, and currently pursues Contemporary dance professionally. She has trained with established Contemporary dance schools for intensives such as Pro Arte Danza and Dance Arts Institute (formerly School of TDT) and has performed Contemporary choreography by esteemed choreographers including Roberto Campanella, Robert Glumbek and Jera Wolfe. Daria is a dedicated and passionate teacher whose emphasis for her students is developing artistry alongside technique. She strives to create a welcoming environment for her students to learn and mature into capable, thoughtful and engaged dancers.
Emilia Ostrowski
Parent and Tot, Tiny Tappers, Tiny Groovers, Tiny Twirlers, Tiny Stars,
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I started dancing at age 2, eventually joining a competitive program at 7, where dance became a central part of my life. Over the years, I've trained in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, and more, while also gaining experience as a teaching assistant. I speak Polish, English, and French, and I'm studying French Studies and Concurrent Education at York University. My high school experience choreographing for my dance team taught me the importance of teamwork and community. That’s what I want to bring to my students—a sense of community, where everyone feels valued and supported. Dance has always been a part of me—it’s my passion, my safe space, and the way I express who I am. My goal as a teacher is to share that love of dance with my students, to help them find their own voices through movement, and to create a space where they can feel free, confident, and loved.
Suyeska Rodriguez Gonzalez ​
Tiny Tumblers, Jazz/Contemporary Combo
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Originally from Nicaragua, Suyeska Rodriguez Gonzalez brings a wealth of experience and passion for dance to every class. A graduate of the National School of Ballet Adan Castillo, Suyeska earned a Special Level Dance Instructor certification (1995–2001) and went on to complete advanced training at the National School of Dance, specializing in Jazz, Contemporary, and Latin Rhythms.
In addition to formal training, Suyeska has participated in a wide range of workshops, including yoga for beginners, belly dance, biodanza, folk dance, jazz, hip-hop, and tropical rhythms. Her expertise spans vibrant dance styles such as salsa, merengue, bachata, zamba, and rock and roll, making Suyeska a versatile and dynamic instructor dedicated to sharing the joy of movement with others.
Sayan Lochan
Dance Athletics​
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Sayan began dancing recreationally at the age of two and quickly developed a love for performing, soon transitioning into competitive dance where she trained and competed in a wide range of styles, achieving overall awards for excellence in performance. Her training includes ballet, pointe, jazz, contemporary, tap, and acro, with a strong foundation in ballet through the Cecchetti Method of Classical Ballet, where she successfully completed advanced levels of certification.
Alongside her technical training, Sayan has developed the skills to teach across multiple styles, giving her the versatility to support dancers at many different stages of their training. She is passionate about creating a positive and challenging learning environment where dancers feel motivated to grow. Her philosophy focuses on building strong, confident dancers who are able to express themselves with passion and freedom.
Sayan continues to expand her knowledge through ongoing professional development and advanced training opportunities, always seeking new ways to inspire her students and share her love of dance.
Jay Villoria
Hip Hop ​​​​
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Jay Viloria is a hip hop dancer, choreographer, and coach with over 15 years of experience. He’s represented Canada at the World Hip Hop Dance Championships, performed and competed internationally, and brought his craft to music videos, live shows, and Netflix productions — including stunt work for the screen. Known for blending hip hop, choreography, and stunts into a powerful and authentic movement style, Jay is dedicated to training the next generation of dancers to move with confidence, discipline, and individuality both in and out of the dance studio.
Established in 2002.
Dance More. Live More.
ADDRESS
TORONTO LOCATION
950 Dupont Street
Toronto, ON M6H 1Z2
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OAKVILLE LOCATION
2630 Bristol Circle Unit 100
Oakville ON, L6H 6Z7
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416-260-2356
