We only secure instructors with extensive experience and who have a passion for teaching and sharing their love of dance. These methods help to provide a healthy and enjoyable learning environment and allow the students to experience a feeling of mastery in each level. It is a style that readily adapts to meet the demands of any choreographer, any company, and any style of movement.
Bella – Miss Bella started dancing at a young age, training at Dance Barre. Transitioning to teaching, she has been instructing for nearly a decade. Her teaching experience spans leading classes at the University of Windsor, participating in the Lancer Competitive Dance Company as a member and executive team participant, and instructing at local studios. Currently, she balances her love for dance with her role as a high school teacher while managing The Dance Studio.
SAM – Ms. Sam began dancing at the age of six at the Edmund Towers School of Dance. By nine, she had joined the Windsor Competitive Dance Team, travelling across Canada and the United States for competitions and conventions. During this time, she earned multiple scholarships to dance conventions, assisted choreographers at the Extreme Dance Convention, and trained at the Quinte Ballet School’s summer program. Her passion for dance naturally led her into teaching—first as a dance assistant and later as an instructor. Over the past sixteen years, Ms. Sam has continued to share her love of dance through teaching. After completing her degree in Education, Ms. Sam auditioned for Stiletto Entertainment and was cast as a dancer aboard Holland America’s MS Maasdam. She spent a year travelling the world, fulfilling her lifelong dream of performing professionally. Following her time at sea, she spent four years teaching elementary school abroad before returning to Canada. Today, Ms. Sam is thrilled to continue sharing her enthusiasm and expertise by teaching classes and leading the TDS Performance Team.
TRU – Ms. Tru started dancing at the age of 6 and fell in love with dance instantly. She joined a team that performed for charities all over Ontario and soon after, was a part of a competitive team where she travelled and performed in Ontario and in the United States. While Ms. Tru was competing, she also began assisting and teaching her own dance classes at the age of 14. As a bonus, she added acrobatics and cirque to her dance repetoire. Not only does Ms. Tru have a background in dance, but singing as well; she’s been on stage since she was little, singing at the Canadian Conservatory of Music from 2009-2018. She also performed in many plays from 2010-2017 for “W.E. CARE for kids”. She is excited to share her love of the arts with her students at The Dance Studio!
HOPE – Ms. Hope has been in the dance community since the age of 8. She danced at local dance studios in Windsor, specializing in ballet technique. In her high school years, she further expanded her knowledge and love for dance at Walkerville’s Centre for the Creative Arts Program. There, she studied different styles of ballet, jazz, and modern as well as lyrical, contemporary, and hip hop. Now she is proud to be a part of The Dance Studio at Absolute Fitness. Ms. Hope always looks forward to bringing fun into each class and promotes confidence within every student.
LISA – Ms. Lisa is a passionate and experienced ballet instructor with over 25 years of teaching experience. She started ballet at the young age of 4 and began her training at a prestigious ballet academy. She later earned a degree in dance education at the Cuban School of Ballet, specializing in Vaganova. She went on to perform professionally with several ballet companies where she was a soloist and later, a principal dancer in the Dominican Republic. She also worked as the Ballet Artistic Director of the Instituto de Cultura y Arte. She has choreographed and directed a wide range of ballet productions, from classic works such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and La Bayadere to contemporary pieces that push the boundaries of traditional ballet. In addition to her work as a ballet instructor, Lisa is certified in Flamenco, Latin Dances, Contemporary, Jazz, and Hip Hop and incorporates many of those principles into her dance classes to promote physical and mental well-being among her students. Lisa is known for her warm and approachable teaching style and for her ability to inspire her students to reach their full potential as dancers. She is passionate about ballet as an art form and believes that it has the power to transform lives. She is committed to helping her students develop a love for dance and a deep appreciation for the beauty and discipline of ballet.
LAUREN – Ms. Lauren began studying ballet at the Dance Studio of Académie Ste. Cécile in 2004. She has also taken Chinese dance from 2012-2018, jazz from 2013-2020, tap dancing from 2014-2016, and modern dance from 2014-2016. Lauren was also part of the studio’s dance company from 2014-2020 where she performed on a regular basis and learned additional dance forms such as lyrical dance and street styles. Lauren started as an assistant teacher at the académie for several teachers in 2014, helping with the ballet and jazz classes for students ages 4-14. She began teaching her own ballet classes in 2018 and progressed to teaching tap and jazz classes in 2019. Lauren continues teaching in all of these capacities and enjoys sharing her love of dance.
KAROLINA -Ms. Karolina has been passionate about dance from a young age, beginning her training as a competitive dancer at Carol’s Kitchen Dance Centre in Brantford. She trained extensively in acro, ballet, hip-hop, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, musical theatre, and tap, and completed her Level 2 Ballet Examination with the National School of Ballet in Toronto. At the University of Windsor, she was a part of the Lancer Competitive Dance Team. She also refined her ballet technique through an intensive program with the Joffrey Ballet School in Chicago. Ms. Karolina is very excited to share her love of dance with others, combining her technical training with creativity, discipline, and a supportive teaching style that helps students grow both on and off the stage.
ABBY – Ms. Abby is a dancer, choreographer, entrepreneur and Pilates Instructor from Amherstburg, ON. She recently graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. She is a scholarship recipient for a Dancing 4 Dancers Scholarship, Wayne State Dance Talent Scholarship, Miss LaSalle Miss Talent 2024, Meredith Ilene Campbell Endowed Scholarship, Merit Scholarship, and Kanter Endowed Scholarship Award Recipient from the American Dance Festival. Ms. Abby is known for the glowing energy she brings to any space she walks into, as well as her passion for elevating our community through collaboration.
ELIZABETH – Dance has been a huge part of Ms. Elizabeth’s life—she has been dancing for sixteen years and teaching for the past two. She loves sharing her passion with others. As a child, she dreamed of becoming a ballerina, and that dream began to take shape when she earned a full-ride scholarship to attend the Cecchetti Council of America’s two-week summer intensive at just 11 years old. Currently, Elizabeth is in her second year at the University of Windsor, majoring in criminology, with hopes of making a positive difference in her community. She is also a proud member of the university’s dance team, where she continues performing, growing, and creating unforgettable memories with her teammates. Outside of school and dance, she enjoys reading and spending time with friends, always seeking new ways to enjoy life and stay inspired.
ANDREA – Ms. Andrea has been teaching Ballet for over 40 years. She has had students accepted into the National Ballet of Canada’s full time program and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Ballet Chicago and the Joffrey School of Ballet full time programs. Ms. Stafford teaches students, teachers and studio owners through Essex, Kent and Oxford counties. Ms. Andrea has taught for many workshops and intensive programs throughout Ontario and the United States including the Cecchetti International Summer School and in Holland Michigan at Hope College. She is a member by examination of Dance Masters of Michigan and the Cecchetti Council of America and is currently the only teacher in Essex and Kent Counties who holds the Cecchetti Teachers Advanced (Grade VII) certificate.