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GROOVE STAFF
Angela Williams
Owner
Angela Williams, Artistic Director of Groove School of Dance and Co-owner of a Musical Theatre Company, brings over 20 years of experience in jazz, ballet, gymnastics, hip hop, musical theatre and acro to each and every one of her students. Angela enjoys spending her summers working with Zodiac Camp overseeing the Dance and Performing Arts programs and as well as directing the performing arts plays at Camp Tamarack in Muskoka. With a degree in Recreation and Leisure Studies (focusing on children with special needs) Angela also holds a Bronze Ballroom certification, has trained in dance at the Brian Foley Dance Studio and has her Ontario Gymnastics Coaching Certification. Angela’s numerous media appearances include the Hard Rock Café Talent Show, spots on CGOH Ottawa TV, Ottawa Rogers TV Talent Focus, HGTV, Slice TV and Treehouse. Angela spent many years as a competitive gymnast and as a teen, held the accolade of third place overall provincially in Ontario. She also placed 2nd in the Ottawa Talent Search (Dance Category). For many years Angela performed as a dancer, actor and singer in a number of musical theatre productions with Company of Musical Theatre (Babies, A Chorus Line and Into the Woods). After working as an educator in the special needs field for many years, Angela passion and love for dance led to her open her first dance studio, Act Now in Ottawa in 1995. Upon moving to Toronto in 1997, Angela’s dream came true for a second time when she opened Groove School of Dance in 1999. Her main goal was to create a dance studio without emphasis on competition and focus on high positive nature of dance and movement – to make every dancer feel like a star!
Tessa Wacholtz
Head Instructor
Tessa loves working at Groove, and has been at Groove since 2017. Tessa has been dancing since she was 3 years old, which has consisted of ballet, tap, jazz, acro, and lyrical. Tessa has a refined palette in musical theatre and loves to sing and act as well as dance. She loves to help her students build their triple threat skills in her musical theatre classes at Groove.
Michaela Prendergast
Head Instructor
Michaela has been dancing with Groove since her own Shake Rattle & Roll days! She has a combined 15 years of experience working with children as a middle school teacher, dance instructor (Groove School of Dance), camp councillor (UCC Summer Camp, and Groove) and tutor (TutorBright, independently). She has a bilingual Honours degree in Business Economics from Glendon College at York University and attended Cardiff Metropolitan University in the UK where she received a teaching degree. Michaela is an Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) certified teacher for French as a Second Language, and is completing an additional qualification for Special Education. Michaela loves helping kids succeed & being a part of the Groove community!
Quinn Batori
Head Instructor
Since Quinn was 2 she has been tapping her way through the years at Groove. She has been dancing for over a decade and is happy to be a apart of the Groove staff to share her love of dance. Quinn has competed in various routines in Hip Hop and Tap and has accomplished many first place awards.
Emma-Krysta
Head Instructor
Emma-Krysta’s love of dance and the stage began at the age of 2 and a half when she took her first ballet class. Since then her passion for dance has continued to grow. She joined a competitive team at her studio at the age of 6 and has since trained in many styles of dance such as ballet, acro, jazz, hip hop, popping, locking, house, dancehall, tap, modern and contemporary. Emma-Krysta regularly attends classes and dance conventions, continuously working towards developing her skills and expanding her artistry. Throughout her years within the dance industry she has had numerous opportunities including 2nd runner up in Canada’s Got Talent, promotion videos with DanceLifeX and Grit Dance Bags. In addition you can see her in TV and film productions in her role as a dancer including “The Next Step”, on the Netflix series “I Woke Up a Vampire” and the Disney movie “World’s Best”. She has also had stage experience getting the chance to perform with artists such Shawn Desman and Peyton Garcia from the Mini Pop Kids, Fever After Dark, Movmnt Collective’s show Elements Within, street festivals and during Toronto Kids Fashion Week as both a dancer and model. At a young age she was selected as a Junior Elite Dancer for Industry Night and recently represented Canada in Denmark for the Homegrown Experience. This past summer she also spent several weeks training in Los Angeles with KAOS Dance Convention as a cast member, learning from elite choreographers and performing in their Aftermath Y2KAOS show.
Shoshana Iny
Head Instructor
Shoshana has been dancing since the age of 2 years old and has trained in hip hop, acro,jazz, competitive dancer at Groove. Shoshana began apprenticing and then assisting dance classes. She is now a head teacher and birthday coordinator who loves working with students of all ages and abilities!
Sarah Johnson
Competitive Director
Office Manager
Sarah developed her passion for dance at the young age of 3. She has trained in ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, acro, contemporary and lyrical. Completing all of her RAD ballet exams has given her the ability to implement and teach proper technique in all of her classes. Growing up Sarah was a apart of her studios full time competitive program since the age of 7 and continued until she was 18. During that time she won several awards for both group and solo routines. Competing in international competitions such as Dance Masters of America as well as Dance Pageants. Sarah prides herself on pushing her students to be their best while also building their confidence up. Sarah began assisting at 12 years old and began her teaching journey shortly after when she turned 18. Since then she has never looked back. With over a decade of teaching experience Sarah is still looking for ways to grow and improve for her students. At 19 Sarah moved to New York for a year to participate in the Broadway Dance Centres International Student Visa Program, where she graduated with flying colours. She also has auditioned for shows such as So You Think You Can Dance. Always striving to continue her own dance journey ensures that she will always bring new and vibrant choreography/skills to her own classes. At Groove Sarah is our Competitive Director/Choreographer, recreational teacher as well as the Office Manager. Groove has been such an amazing hub for Sarah to share her love of dance and is always looking forward to sharing her love of dance and knowledge with all ages and levels!
Taylor Gellatly
Head Instructor
Taylor Gellatly is an accomplished educator and performer with a passion for the arts. With over a decade of experience, Taylor has dedicated herself to the world of dance, musical theatre, and vocals, leaving an indelible mark on students and audiences alike. Having honed her craft through years of dedication and training, Taylor holds a Bachelor's Degree in Community Music, which has been an invaluable foundation for her teaching and artistic endeavors. Furthermore, she has achieved the prestigious Level 8 Vocals certification from the esteemed Royal Conservatory of Music, a testament to her exceptional vocal prowess and dedication to musical excellence. As an educator, Taylor's approach transcends mere instruction. She empowers her students with a nurturing and encouraging environment, fostering their creativity, self-expression, and technical proficiency. Her passion for the performing arts is contagious, inspiring her students to achieve their fullest potential. Taylor Gellatly's journey is a testament to the transformative power of music and dance. With an unwavering dedication to her students' growth and a boundless passion for the performing arts, she continues to inspire and uplift aspiring artists.
Olga Soukhov
Head Instructor
Dancing in front of her bedroom mirror, Olga Soukhov began her dance journey at the age of 12 at her local Studio learning Hip Hop. From there she joined her high school’s dance team and took part of many performances and competitions. Currently Olga is pursuing her passion in her second year at Centennial College’s Dance Certificate Program. She trains professionally in Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Choreography, Pas-de-deux, and Acrobatics. She is also mentored under Leah Totten in BOSS Dance Company as well as Kelly Gammie and Queenie S. Vincente at School of Groove. Olga’s love for music and hunger for growth led her to explore many different styles such house, breakdance, afrobeat, waacking, dancehall, and krump, just to name a few. During her free time, Olga enjoys freestyling, attending dance workshops, and battling! Her goal is to become a versatile artist and spreading her passion in hopes of inspiring others to chase their dreams.
Sage Bernstein Cord
Head Instructor
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 currently attending the Performance Dance Program (BFA) at Toronto Metropolitan University. She is a member of the Kode Red Dance Company and has performed in Toronto showcases with choreographers such as Kennedy Elder and Christopher Knowles. 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 choreography and teaching style spark creativity and engagement with her students. Groove holds a special place in Sage’s heart as this was where her journey began at two years old! She is so grateful for her Groove family and the relationships she’s developed with the students, staff, and parents at Groove over the past several years!
Madison Golshani
Operations Manager
Madison Golshani, Office Manager at Groove School of dance began her journey in the dance world at the age of 4. Studying at the Ontario School of Ballet, Madison focused on Ballet and Jazz. At the age of 8, Madison joined the Upper Canada Repertory Company, a Toronto-based theatre repertory company where she performed in numerous Shakespearean and Modern theatre productions across Toronto. Her most recent stage credits include Sense on The Beach (Almnae Theatre), The Great Gatsby (The Theatre Centre), and The Outsiders (George Ignatieff Theatre). Madison also is the company Administrator and a Director for Zodiactors Musical Theatre Company. In her free time Madison Stage-manages for various theatre companies including but not limited to the Upper Canada Repertory Company, and Front of House Productions.
Jimmy Vasquez
Guest Teacher
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; dances requiring a partner, which in turn strengthened his ability to work with others, as well as giving his dance a particular suave. 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 individuality through the art of dance.
Allison Garcia
Head Staff
Allison has over a decade of dance experience. She started her dance journey at the age of 4 attending Ontario School of ballet. Allison's experience comes from classical ballet training as well as tap, jazz, lyrical, modern, contemporary and hip hop. Allison has also graduated from Cardinal Carter Academy from the Arts, and has worked with their dance department for the past four years. She has worked with children at Groove since 2021, helping them improve their technique and have fun in the process!
Bianca Campbell
Head Instructor
Bianca Campbell began dancing at the age of three at a studio in Kingston, Ontario. She trained and competed at competitions across Ontario earning her top soloist awards such as Regional Teen Miss CanDance and 1st Place at the RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) Dance Challenge. Her training also allowed her to complete her Advanced Jazz Examination (ADAPT) as well as her RAD Advanced 2 Ballet Examination, with Distinction. While still in highschool, Bianca began teaching and choreographing. For over seven years now, Bianca has choreographed and taught students of all ages in a variety of styles. Her competitive numbers have stood out, earning her and her students top awards. She has been a recipient of the Shine Dance Competitions ‘Young Choreographer Award’ in the years 2018, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Currently, Bianca choreographs and performs with the Toronto-based contemporary company Unapologetic Dance Collective. While earning her BA in Psychology, she is also proud to be a choreographer and Health and Wellness Co-Executive for Toronto Metropolitan University’s competitive dance team, TMU Dance Pak. Bianca is very excited to join the wonderful faculty at Groove School of Dance, and continue to spread her love of dance with dancers of all ages and abilities.
Katelyn Bernard
Head Instructor
Katelyn Bernard is a passionate dancer and teacher who has developed her craft in hip hop choreography. Her training in Hip Hop, Krump and Dancehall under " School of Groove", "knives", and "Always Good Vibes" has allowed Katelyn to further develop her skill set and range as a dancer, performer and mentor. Her dedication has presented her with multiple opportunitites. From opening up for July Black on Canada's day, to being chosen to present her choreography at Toronto's very first Elevate Showcase, performing at TIFF 2022 and more. Katelyn's goal is to create a shared experience and connection between herself, the dancers, the audience and the music every time she hits the stage.
Nate Bernstein Cord
Front Desk/Office Coordinator
Nate's passion for performing began at a young age, when he took his first steps onto the stage at 5. Since then he has immersed himself in the world of musical theatre, performing on stages such as Al Green Theatre, Crow's Theatre and Theatre Passe Muraille. Currently Nate is enrolled at the Etobicoke School of the Arts for musical theatre. When he is not on stage, Nate enjoys reading and baking. Nate loves working with kids and always brings enthusiasm, patience and creativity to an interactions. Since he danced at Groove at a young age, he is excited to be a part of the Groove Staff Family.
Mike Smith AKA Troublez
Head Instructor
Mike Smith aka Tricky Troublez, is a renowned canadian B-boy who was born in Montreal and raised in Toronto. He is known best for his expression of strong musicality. In his 23 years of dance experience he has been successful in both the entertainment industry and the underground hip-hop community. He has been featured in movies and TV spots such as: Save the Last Dance 2, Breakfast Television, Much Vibe, Family Channel, Adidas, and TicTac to name a few. He also has performed for music artists such as KRS ONE, Big Daddy Kane, Maestro Fresh Wes and Black Thought from The Roots. His main focus is to travel and compete internationally amongst the world’s best dancers in order to increase his knowledge and experience as an ambassador of the culture of hip-hop. Mike is the Founder and Organizer of Jamdemic, an open styles dance competition. He has travelled around the world dancing to places such as Korea, Singapore, China, Japan and the US. He has won numerous competitions and awards including Manifesto Peoples choice award and Gadfly dancer of the year award.