Board of Directors: Who's Who at Dance Ontario

Dance Ontario Board members are active across their sector.

Peter Ryan

Chair
is fluently bilingual and has been involved in theatre and dance across North America and Europe as a teacher, performer and writer since 1975. He has taught and performed across North America and Europe and was a founding member of EDAM, Vancouver's innovative dance and music collective. Currently, he teaches in the Theatre Department at the University of Ottawa, trains dancers and actors in improvisation for performance in Ottawa and Athens, Greece and teaches public classes in Improvisation at Ottawa's Dance Network. Peter also works extensively in the schools, teaching dance and movement. He has served on the board of the Council for the Arts in Ottawa, and was a member of the Arts Advisory Committee to the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.

Jennifer Watkins

(Vice Chair)
holds a B.F.A. degree from York University with special honours in dance. Following graduation she continued her dance training at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre as well as exploring other modern and jazz styles in Toronto and New York City. She has served in administrative capacities for the Danny Grossman Dance Company, the Young Audience Division for R.H. Entertainments, Dance Umbrella of Ontario, Theatre Direct and CADA-ON, as well as Interim Grants Officer for the Toronto Arts Council. She received a Harold Award in 2000, worked with Moving Pictures Festival, and currently works with the Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Co. and Arabesque.

Catherine Carpenko

(Past Chair)
has been involved in the dance and arts community in Canada and the U.S. as teacher, choreographer, performer (in theatre, film and TV), producer (musical theatre and dance) and administrator for over 30 years. Starting as dancer/soloist with the Scarborough Ballet Company in her teens she has since then performed widely and initiated many successful arts initiatives including Studio 71, ( rural dance and theatre school), establishment of Theatre Orangeville, Valleyview and Wildrose Farm (organic) Artist Retreats, 'Children's Art Gallery' for the Headwaters Art Tour, 'Artist's in Schools Dance' programme for Dufferin Arts Council, numerous children's arts focused summer camps. She has choreographed for musical theatre, festivals and special events in Canada and the U.S. She holds a BFA in Dance (therapy) and M.A.'s in Psych./Ed and one focused on Creativity and Wellness. Catherine has a wealth of experience both in the non-profit and corporate sector being an innovator and invaluable resource in new initiatives for healthy organizations and communities. Currently she is the director of the highly successful Wild Rose Farm Artist Retreat, which has been hosting artists from Canada and around the globe for over 5 years. It's unique mandate to support self- directed creativity for individuals and groups with a commitment to environmental stewardship. Catherine works as a psychotherapist in private practice with offices both in Toronto and Orangeville.

Debbie Kapp

(Treasurer)
has been teaching Dance at L. B. Pearson School for the Arts, London, Ontario for the past 20 years. She is a graduate of York University's Dance Program (1979). Before moving to London, Debra taught ballet and Creative Dance at the Thornhill School of Ballet for four years. She has been writing Dance curriculum for the Thames Valley District School Board for 15 years and regularly presents workshops for teachers on how to teach Dance in the school setting. Outside of her role as Dance Educator, Debra is the Producer and Artistic Director of the show "Art Harvest". "Art Harvest" is an annual showcase of Dance Education programs in Southwestern Ontario, produced every fall in London as a benefit for the Jason Edmonds Emerging Artist Fund. As a member of the National Dance Educator's Organization Debra travels throughout the United States and Canada participating in conferences, workshops and Master Classes to continuously acquire new skills and to remain current in the field of Dance. In November of 2005 she won an Award of Excellence from the Jewish Community Centers Association of North America for the innovative and creative programming of the presentation Resilience in the Face of Trouble and Despair. Debra is a co-founder of The London Alliance of Dance Educators, an organization whose mission is to bring together studio dancers and school dance program dancers for Master Classes and performances. She is co-owner of Action Pak, a Resource for Dance Educators.

Jade Jager Clark

(Secretary)
is a studio owner and artistic director of Jade's Hip-Hop Academy Performance Company. She has served as a judge at dance and talent competitions and as a jury member for the Ontario Arts Council. Jade works with Dance Educators of Canada to ensure that misrepresentation of hip hop dance at competitions is minimized leading to a better understanding of the form. She created the SolPro (Solo Professional Perogram) funded by the OAC advancing selected dancers training and preparing for a career in the dance industry. Jade has won several dance and business related awards including a City of Brampton's Arts Acclaim Award (for her work in dance as well as representing Canada at the World Hip Hop Championships in 2006), Humber College School of Business Dean's Award and a recent Honorable Mention at the Zonta's Women of Achievement Awards 2008.

Jacque Foesier

a Licentiate of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance (Cecchetti Faculty Branch) began his dance training in Edmonton at the age of nineteen with Earla Grey at the Edmonton School of Ballet. Two years later he attended Jacobs Pillow on full scholarship where he studied with Ted Shawn, Myra Kinch, Isa Partch, Matteo, Carola Goya, Alfredo Corvino, and Margaret Craske. Following the advice of Margaret Craske, the next year and a half was spent in New York City where he attended the Metropolitan Opera Ballet School studying with Ballet Mistress Margaret Craske, Anthony Tudor and Alfredo Corvino. While residing in New York he also studied Modern Dance at the 92nd Street 'Y' with Betty Jones and Jose Limon, and performing with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet. Returning to Canada to obtain his certification, continuing his training with Betty Oliphant and later the National Ballet School, Jacque began his teaching career in Toronto, September of 1958 founder of the Leaside School of Dance, and in October of 1958 for the YM&YWHA. In 1974 after building the YM & YWHA Community School of Dance from a small class of eight students, to one of the finest and largest in Canada, he was appointed director of the new Koffler Centre School of Dance in 1974, a position he held until 2002. Jacque has served as President of the Canadian Dance Teachers Association (Ontario Branch), Chairman of Dance Ontario, founding advisor to the Ontario Arts Council, board member of the Original North York Arts Council and the Mayor's advisory committee on Arts Policy. In 1968 He initiated a children's summer arts programs for the City of Burlington, founded the Childrens Theatre School of Ballet in Burlington, the Koffler Centre School of Dance in North York, the Etobicoke School of Dance to financially assist, and in co-operation with the Danny Grossman Dance Co. Jacque's most recent accomplishment is the establishment of 'the Dance Place' a registered co-operative not for profit school of dance providing education and opportunity for new an developing talent to experience the beauty and joy of the art of dance, in a friendly and caring enviroment to grow and challenge their potential with the guidance of an outstanding faculty.

James Kendal

James Kendal began his formal dance training at the age of 13 with the Edmonton School of Ballet. He furthered his training with the Banff Centre for the Arts, Canada's National Ballet School and the School of Alberta Ballet over the next ten years. For the last six years James has continued to dance, teach and travel as an independent artist in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Poland, Cuba and the United Kingdom. Having a background of classical training in music, and knowledge of graphic design, construction and stagecraft has also allowed James to further work on the production and stage management side of the dance performance world over the past year.

Cynthia Lickers-Sage

is a Mohawk artist from Six Nations. She is the Founder of both, The Centre for Aboriginal Media and the internationally acclaimed imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival. She has spent most of the last decade working in the arts in the not-for-profit sector as the previous Executive Director at the Association for Native Development in the Performing and Visual Arts and in the governmental sector as an arts officer at the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts. She currently serves on the Cultural Human Resources Council, Dance Ontario, Kakawekwewin (Aboriginal advisory committee to the Canada Council for the Arts), Aboriginal Education Council at OCAD and the National Aboriginal Network for Arts Administration and has served on a variety of volunteer boards and arts service organizations, including Toronto Arts Council, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, Cultural Careers Council of Ontario and YYZ.

Kaylynne (Kate) Lowe

is a retired Halton District School Board teacher having taught Dance and Drama to intermediate students for the last fifteen years of her career. Throughout said career, Kate wrote Dance and Drama programmes and curriculum and ran workshops for her colleagues to help teach these subjects. She directed and choreographed numerous school musicals (several of which were student written) and coached school dance teams. Kate was part of the planning team which developed HDSB's "Creating A Scene" held annually at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga. She was the creator/founder of HDSB's annual dance festival "Florescence" celebrating International Dance day receiving an Award of Merit for her work. In retirement. Kate continues to nurture her passion for dance. She is a dancer with Burlington Footnotes (a senior's performance troupe), also designing and constructing costumes. Kate volunteers in several schools helping with their Dance and Drama programmes, choreographing musicals and developing original dance and drama pieces for festivals. Recently Kate began working with autistic children in an educational setting using the new Ontario Arts curriculum.

Tina Nicolaidis



Yasmina Ramzy

Yasmina Ramzy is a visionary and a choreographer committed to the expression of Middle Eastern dance as high art. The first half of her 30 year career was spent performing throughout the Middle East, often for royalty and heads of state. Yasmina then founded the critically acclaimed Arabesque Dance Company and Orchestra, Arabesque Academy and the International Bellydance Conference of Canada (IBCC). She received her key training in early 1980s from leading masters in Egypt and Syria including Aida Nour of the Reda Troupe and Mohammed Khalil, director of the National Folklore Troupe of Egypt. Her unique and highly creative choreographies have won numerous awards and commissioned by many dance ensembles internationally including the Bellydance Superstars. Today, she regularly performs, teaches and lectures in over 60 cities on 5 continents. Yasmina has produced 7 instructional and 9 performance DVDs as well as 8 CDs for Arabesque Orchestra. The "Ask Yasmina" column which is published in the world's largest Bellydance magazine is translated into several languages. As a mentor to many, she is well known for revealing the authentic, organic structure of Mid East dance and its relationship to Arab music. She is a member of the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists and has served on the Board of Directors for Dance Ontario since 1996.

George Randolph



Samara Thompson

is an independent choreographer and dance educator, specializing in the integration of computer technology with contemporary dance. She has presented her choreography across Canada and was the recipient of the 2004 Paula Citron Award. Thompson began her dance career in Alberta, trained in Canada and the United States with many notable artists, and went on to graduate with her MA and Honours BFA in Dance from York University. She currently teaches at York University and is also a co-host on the Toronto radio show Evi-Dance.

Anjelika Scannura

"Scannura's primary interests are flamenco and belly dancing. The 21-year-old (now 22) is so impressive as a dancer that she has been asked to join prestigious flamenco companies in Spain. A second-generation artist (her parents are Valeria and Roger Scannura of Ritmo Flamenco), she is a wild child of dance whose fusion performances radiate a passion that belies her age." - Paula Citron, Globe and Mail.
Anjelica began her dance training at the National Ballet School of Canada and her training in Flamenco at the family-operated school and company of Ritmo Flamenco. Her Irish heritage sparked an interest in Irish dancing and led her to compete worldwide championship caliber. Anjelica's modern dance training blossomed during her secondary school attendance at Etobicoke School of the Arts, where she had the privilege of studying with Danny Grossman and Milton Myers. Anjelica has appeared in National Commercials (Scotiabank, Swiss Chalet) as well as guest-starring spots on Canadian TV. She appeared in Disney's Camp Rock, alongside the Jonas Brothers and played Manson girl Susan Atkins in TIFF 2009 headliner "Manson, My Name is Evil. She has toured and competed in Toronto, Nashville, Boston, Malta, Spain, England, Ireland, Los Angeles, Sonoma Valley and Mexico. In May 2009, Anjelica developed a deep passion for Middle Eastern Dance and studied intensely at Arabesque Academy. A recipient of the Chalmer's Professional Development Award (OAC) in May 2011, Anjelica studied dance all over Spain. Anjelica premiered her first full-length choreography "Pasajes" at Dance Weekend, 2010. She a board member of Dance Ontario and is co-producing a new dance series alongside members of the Outreach Committee entitled "Dance Expeditions." Anjelica has choreographed and taught at various secondary schools and and for McMaster University. She travels to Spain annually to study and perform. Her most recent appearance was as a modern dancer in Diasporic Genius Productions' "Tumbling Into Light."

Dave Wilson

has been dancing for over 40 years and has founded or co-founded several modern dance companies that have performed in Canada, the USA and overseas, such as Australia and Sweden. His present companies are - Parahumans Dance Theatre, Dream Dancers, Hamilton Dance Company and McMaster Dancers. He is an Associate Professor in Kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton and directs the Centre for Dance which offers over 30 recreational dance classes to the campus and city communities. He has an M.A. from York University and is presently a Ph.D candidate at the University of Leeds in England. Dave's primary interests in dance are: dance community; the leadership development of young professional dancers; dance and the internet; improvisation; text and interdisciplinary performance; dance as a spiritual practice. He can be reached at dcwilson@mcmaster.ca

Sashar Zarif

Originally from Azerbaijan, Sashar Zarif is an acclaimed dancer, choreographer and teacher who has studied many dance forms. Artistic Director of Sashar Zarif Dance Company, he was a member of the Azerbaijan State Joshgoon Dance Ensemble, and received the title "Artist for People of Azerbaijan". A Chalmers Award recipient, he is the founder of Dancers For Peace and recipient (with Holly Small) of the Paula Citron Award for the Best New Choreography at fFIDA for his presentation of a work commissions by Dance Ontario.