SNOW DAY: Classes Cancelled Tuesday November 28th
Faculty
Miss Maggie
Owner/Artistic Director
Maggie is the owner and artistic director of Fortitude Dance Centre. She began her dance training at the tender age of three and has enjoyed her journey and development ever since. She started with fundamental ballet and jazz classes but it did not take long for her passion to branch out into different dance forms such as musical theatre, lyrical, hip hop, and tap, at both the recreational and competitive levels. To further her training, Maggie enrolled in the dance program at York University where she took a variety of courses, with a focus on dance science and education.
Along with her dance training, Maggie has years of choreographing and teaching experience. Starting as an assistant instructor in her teenage years, she went on to teach for elementary and high schools, the City of Barrie, and various dance studios throughout Simcoe County. Many of her competitive routines have won special awards and overall high score awards at dance competitions across Ontario.
It has always been Maggie’s dream to own a studio and after years of hard work, she is more than thrilled to finally see that dream come to life. She looks forward to sharing her love of dance with all of her students, in a fun and safe environment, at Fortitude Dance Centre!
Miss Jenn
Instructor
Miss Jenn first found her passion for dance at the age of two when she began taking ballet classes at the local recreation centre in Barrie. She quickly fell in love and moved to a studio where she expanded her studies in other styles including jazz, musical theatre, hip hop, tap, pointe and lyrical, taking part in both the recreational and competitive programs.
Beginning in her late teens, Miss Jenn began assisting dance classes in the Barrie area and later taught classes of her own in Windsor. During this time, Miss Jenn attended multiple conventions in Detroit and Toronto, studying under Desmond Richardson, Tessandra Chavez, Brian Friedman, Tyce DiOrio, Chris Judd, Mia Michaels, Stephen “Twitch” Boss, and many more!
Miss Jenn has always felt at home in the studio! She is excited to be teaching at Fortitude Dance Centre and cannot wait to share her passion and love for dance with every student in her classroom!
Miss Breeanna
Instructor
Dancing since the young age of three, Miss Breeanna grew up competing in various styles including jazz, tap, acro, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, musical theatre, and more, while completing her student exams with the Society of Russian Ballet, receiving Highly Commended.
Miss Bree was a born performer and as a teen, she participated in numerous musicals with Kempenfelt Community Players as a chorus and lead dancer. She also actively worked with the dance team at her secondary school and choreographed musical numbers.
After graduating college for performing, Miss Bree was blessed with having the opportunity to audition for various dance films and series (The Next Step being one of them), learning an array of improv and techniques to help further herself in the dance industry. She has since studied under the likes of Amy Wright, Meaghan Wegg, and Jane Pound to name a few, and you may have seen her appear in numerous commercials, tv shows, and movies.
Miss Bree’s love for dance never faltered as evidenced by her remaining a substitute dance teacher throughout her acting years. With a strong desire to return to her roots, she began taking as many classes and workshops as she could to help hone her skills so she could excel as a dance teacher. Miss Bree earned her Module 1 and 2 certifications in Acrobatic Arts and passed through the Aerial and Back Handspring course.
For the past several years, Miss Bree has been part of a not-for-profit dance troupe that practices every week and performs throughout Simcoe County. Miss Bree cannot wait to bend over backwards (literally) for her dancers at Fortitude Dance Centre!
Miss Brianna
Instructor
Miss Brianna’s journey in dance began at the young age of three and by the age of nine she had begun performing at a competitive level. She has had the opportunity to train in various disciplines, including hip hop, tap, ballet, jazz, lyrical, musical theater, and contemporary. Though Brianna appreciates every dance style, she is particularly drawn to the history and culture of the tap dance community, an art form that allows her to be both a musician and dancer at once!
She regards the intensive training she undertook prior to competing in Germany as a member of the Canadian Tap Team as one of her great accomplishments. She also recently studied with Heather Cornell during her Tap Labs, held over a three week period in Michigan. Brianna also recently received an invitation to participate in ‘ImproJazz Workshop’, held in Greece, along with four other tap dancers and twenty musicians.
With a strong desire to connect with others in the community, to be competitive and excel with the latest trends, Brianna is an active participant at conventions, workshops, and tap dance festivals. She has attended the Toronto Rhythm Initiative, Eastern Canadian Tap conference, Stockholm Tap Festival, and DC Tap Fest, to name a few. She feels fortunate to have received classes from well respected professionals such as Sam Weber, Brenda Bufalino, Michelle Dorrance, Derick Grant, Sarah Reich, Nicholas Young, Lisa la Touche, Star Dixon, Antony Morigerato, Chloe Arnold, Bril Barrett, Matthew Clark, and Danny Neilson.
To further her education as a dance instructor, she has completed a teachers course through the Tap Dance Center which explored the fundamentals of the newest Canadian tap syllabus. While aspiring to teach, Brianna will forever be a student herself, and so enthusiastically continues her studies at the Rhythm Ensemble. As an educator, she strives to create spaces which foster creativity, support, communication, vulnerability and collaboration within her classroom. She believes whatever her students may grow up to become, tap dance will continue to be a pursuit that guides them in all their future achievement! Brianna is thrilled to continue sharing her love for music and dance with her students at Fortitude Dance Centre... one click at a time!
Miss Alexis
Instructor
Miss Alexis is a trained musical theatre performer, dancer and dance teacher. She has been training in dance from the age of 3 in RAD, BATD and ADAPT and still trains regularly in ballet, jazz, tap, musical theatre, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, heels and Broadway style jazz.
Miss Alexis has been teaching for 8 years with a passion for ballet, jazz, tap and musical theatre and has just received her ADAPT teachers training certification in jazz and tap. After starting her own company at the age of 16 and gaining a business certificate, she has had the opportunity to perform in many theatrical productions, dance and work with astounding Canadian choreographers as well as attend school and secure an advanced diploma with honors in musical theatre performance from St. Lawrence College.
Through her 8 years teaching, she has done choreography for children’s musicals, competitive dance teams, taught music and facilitated concerts, vocal lessons, and many summer camps. She has been actively working and teaching students from the age of 3 to 20!
Aside from teaching and choreographing, Miss Alexis enjoys writing and playing music, yoga, meditation and is currently writing a new Canadian musical.
She can't wait to share her passion for dance and theatre with you at Fortitude Dance Centre!!
Miss Brianne
Instructor
Miss Bree is a long time dancer who started her training at age 4. Although she studied ballet, tap, musical theatre, and lyrical, it was in jazz and hip hop classes where she developed a deeper love of dance. She went on to dance competitively and assist in both these styles.
In her teens and early 20’s, Miss Bree attended conventions in Toronto and trained under Tyce Diorio, Brian Friedman, Dave Scott and Robert Hoffman. Miss Bree continues to take classes into adulthood, primarily in heels, contemporary, hip hop and jazz.
Miss Bree is excited to share her love for hip hop with her students at Fortitude Dance Centre and challenge them to try new styles and techniques!