TEAM EDC
Our Instructors
Stephanie Staniforth
(OWNER/DIRECTOR) (BFA (HONOURS), R.A.D.(R.T.S.), N.B.S. DIP.-TTP)
Stephanie started EDC in 2014, and is thrilled to be leading the studio’s students, staff and parent group into their 11th season in our beautiful space at 521 Gateway Road! Stephanie has been teaching dance for over 15 years, and to this day teaching remains her #1 passion within the business. She holds Registered Teacher’s Status with the Royal Academy of Dance, a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) from York University, and a diploma in ballet pedagogy from Canada’s National Ballet School. She is also a member of the Professional Adjudicator’s Alliance and is a certified ADAPT instructor in jazz and tap and is certified in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) and Alixa Flexibility (level 1). Stephanie has won numerous awards for her choreography and her students have won many scholarships and awards at competitions across Canada. Her students have performed for Mirvish, been accepted to summer programs at Canada’s National Ballet School, The Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and Ballet Jorgen, as well as full time dance programs at Centennial College, Harbour Dance Centre, Ryerson University, Simon Fraser University, University of Calgary and George Brown College.
Stephanie received her childhood dance training in Calgary and majored in dance at York University in Toronto. Stephanie is a graduate of the prestigious Teacher Training Program at Canada’s National Ballet School. It was there that Stephanie honed her teaching skills under the guidance of Anuschka Roes and Teresa Randall, taking daily classes in ballet pedagogy, methodology, music, history and national dance. At NBS, Stephanie trained in both the Cecchetti and Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) methods of ballet however, Stephanie’s specialization lies in the RAD syllabus where she has worked as a mentor for the RAD’s C.B.T.S. program (a certification program for aspiring ballet teachers).
While teaching has always been Stephanie’s main passion, she has also performed professionally. Her performance credits include Alliance Atlantis Films, Army of Sass, Much Music and Sarah Slean to name a few.
Stephanie is a member of the Dance Studio Owners Association’s prestigious Inner Circle, which allows her and EDC to continually innovate and stay at the top of their field, while receiving training and professional development opportunities from many of the dance industry’s top leaders and experts. Stephanie is looking forward to making season 10 the best one yet!
Alexa Clifton
(ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, JAZZ, LYRICAL, ELEMENTS, CONDITIONING)
Alexa grew up dancing in Calgary where she participated in many classes, workshops, and competitions, receiving numerous awards. She has travelled to New York city to take master classes at Broadway Dance Centre and Steps on Broadway, and of course to see her favourite Broadway shows! Alexa has trained in hip hop, jazz, contemporary, tap and ballet.
Alexa is ADAPT jazz and tap certified teacher, holds her Acrobatic Arts level 1, Alixa Flexibility level 1 and is certified in both pilates and barre fitness. She has won numerous awards for her choreography, and brings so much life to every class she teaches!
Alexa is the assistant director of Elements and runs the EDC Assistant Teacher Program She is very excited to return to EDC for her 10th season!
Abby Froslev
(EARLY EXPLORERS COORDINATOR, BALLET, JAZZ, LYRICAL, MUSICAL THEATRE)
ALESSIA EREMITA
(HIP HOP)
and rhythm. Training extensively in ballet, hip hop, tap, jazz, acro, modern, lyrical, and musical
theatre, she embraced a wide range of styles. Early in her career, Alessia had the incredible
opportunity to dance in the Moscow Ballet’s Nutcracker! A few years ago, Alessia made the exciting decision to specialize in hip hop with Illfx Education, leading her to some amazing experiences such as performing at Toronto Kids Fashion Week and on the Stampeders’ field.
An enthusiastic teacher, Alessia has experience in ballet, jazz, and hip hop instruction and has
spent summers as a camp counselor. She is dedicated to helping children discover their love for dance and creating a welcoming studio environment. Currently pursuing a degree in psychology with a minor in early learning & childcare at Mount Royal University, Alessia aims to deepen her understanding of children to enhance her teaching skills further. With each step of her journey, Alessia is committed to sharing the joy of dance, inspiring her students, and fostering a supportive community where everyone feels at home. She is very excited for her first year at Elements!
Alissa Lee
(HIP HOP)
Originally from Winnipeg MB, Miss Alissa moved to Calgary for her combined degree in Dance & Kinesiology. During this time, she realized that her true passion lies in teaching. This led her to enroll in a Bachelor of Education, Secondary stream at St. Mary’s University. She is so excited to combine the knowledge of teaching with the art of dance.
She has trained in various styles of dance including Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Musical Theater, Contemporary, Modern, Funk, and Hip Hop. Although she has trained in many styles, Miss Alissa took a special interest in Hip Hop and successfully auditioned for BOSS dance team and IllFX Education, which are both competitive Hip Hop crews. Miss Alissa has trained in old school hip hop, animation, vogue, tutting, locking, breaking, house, R&B, and choreography, and continues to love and learn from hip hop dance and culture to this day.
Miss Alissa started her dance career early, with many opportunities stemming from her arts-based high school, in which she was a dance major. At age 16, she choreographed at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet for Manitoba Dance Day alongside Genie Baffoe and Romeo Suban. When she was 17, Miss Alissa co-produced and choreographed for a city-wide charity dance show for environmental awareness. With an audience of over 300, the show raised almost $5,000 and included unique styles like aerial acrobatics and urban contemporary.
Teaching and choreographing are things Miss Alissa has loved to do since she started dancing in 2008. She started finding ways to teach and choreograph within her own studio and school, and she has now been teaching classes since 2015. She believes that dance can provide so many wonderful opportunities to those who are passionate and willing to work hard. It is a perfect balance between artistry, athleticism, and performance skills. Miss Alissa is very excited to be sharing her passion and art with the community at Elements Dance Co.
Brooke Mauro
(ACRO, BATON, JAZZ, LYRICAL, MUSICAL THEATRE)
Larissa Weigum
(MINI MOVERS, HIPPITY HOP, ACRO, JAZZ, DANCE DISCOVERY)
Larissa grew up dancing competitively at EDC and graduated in 2022. Larissa trained and competed in many different styles at the studio! Larissa is certified in Discover Dance Early Childhood Dance, Acrobatic Arts Module 1 and has completed her first year of ADAPT Teacher Training School.
Larissa is currently a student at Mount Royal University in their Physical Literacy Program!
This is Larissa’s third season teaching at EDC and she is so excited to share her love of dance with all the students at EDC!
Michelle Finch
(TAP)
Born and raised in Calgary, Michelle began dancing at the age of 5. She trained in ballet, jazz, tap, and contemporary dance but developed a particular passion for tap and the art of creating her own rhythm. With over 20 years of experience in teaching and choreography across Calgary, Airdrie, and British Columbia, Michelle has also performed and taken classes in New York, Australia, Chicago, Seattle, and Vancouver.
Michelle is dedicated to helping each student express their unique personality and style, enabling them to truly shine. In addition to her dance career, Michelle is a Registered Massage Therapist of 20 years, as well as a Certified Birth Doula, Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, Postpartum Doula and soon to be Certified Dancing for Birth Instructor. Miss Michelle is looking forward to her 10th season at Elements !
Morgan Pack
(BALLET, ACRO, AERIAL ARTS)
Morgan grew up in Saskatchewan and moved to Calgary 16 years ago. She is passionate about dance and moving your body daily. Morgan currently coaches a number of disciplines at Elements including acro, ballet, aerial arts, and yoga/barre. She is known throughout the studio for her numerous fun and silly leotards and her energetic personality. Miss Morgan encourages everyone to be both a student and a teacher at every time in their life, there is always more to learn and practice makes progress!
Miss Morgan holds certifications in ballet (RAD CBTS), acrobatic dance (AAT3), circus arts (AEC NRC.09), Aerial Hoop + Silks (AAC1), Gymnastics (AGF TRAMP C2, WAG C2, ACRO C1), Yoga (200RYT/50AIReal), and has recently graduated with her Bachelor of Kinesiology with a Minor in Dance (U OF C). This is Morgan’s 6th year of teaching at Elements and she is excited to teach all dancers from mini movers to seniors!
When she is not teaching Morgan enjoys being outdoors with friends + family and being upside down!
PAUL OTTERBEIN
(HIP HOP)
Paul is an internationally known hip-hop Choreographer, originally from BC but has resided in Alberta (Edmonton for the past 4 years) working with DTA Tigers Academy and now lives in Calgary. Paul loves to teach and build youth both in dance and life skills. His dance teaching career has been a 20 year journey. Inspiration for his choreography comes from superheroes, Movies, and life experiences. Paul is a firm believer that failure brings learning and to do everything with excellence even if you fail trying.
Paul was the Canadian National hip-hop choreographer for Canada’s IDO team that competed at the world championships in Germany 2014, Italy 2015, Austria 2016, Denmark 2017. Team Canada brought home the Silver and Bronze medals (Italy) as well as the Silver medal in the Battle category (Denmark). In 2015 and 2017 they were ranked #2 in the world rankings.
In 2013 Paul Co-Founded and Co-owned Street Kings Academy in Vancouver, BC for 4 years. As a choreographer, he has had the privilege of leading his teams to 6 Canadian National Hip Hop Championship Gold medals ( CNC, F8, Queen BZ, Tigers) and A World HHI Hip Hop Medal in 2017 (Queen BZ). HHI world rank #3 in 2011 (CNC) and #2 in 2017 (Queen BZ) Phoenix, Arizona.
Paul was the recipient of the Choreographer of the year award both in 2015 (DTA Tigers) and in 2019 (Venom, Fort McMurray) at the World renowned Hip Hop competition “Artists Emerge.” In 2019 he was also the recipient of the Choreographer of the year at Candance competition (Venom, Fort McMurray) in Red Deer, Alberta, and Choreographer of the year at Diamond Dance Challenge (Venom, Fort McMurray) in Edmonton, Alberta.
From 2009-2013 Paul choreographed “CNC” from Praise Team Studio in Vancouver, BC. CNC was a competitor on the hit tv show “Canada’s Got Talent” and won 3 Canadian HHI Gold medals in those 4 years.
Credits include:
Entertainment Tonight, 2010 Winter Olympics Cel-stage, Tribe Music video, Canada’s got Talent, World Hip Hop Championships 2009-2017, Americas Best Dance Crew Aud (F8 Fresh Groove Prod) 2018 USA National Showtime champions (JCEDA)
Paul is looking forward to his third season with Elements!
RAEGAN VANBERG
(CONTEMPORARY)
Raegan Vanberg is a creative and dedicated dancer, choreographer and teacher who takes pride in her innovation and inclusivity. From Airdrie, Alberta Raegan has trained at various studios and taken multiple workshops to support her technical development. Raegan furthered her dance education by attending Centennial College in Toronto, Ontario for the Dance Performance Program which allowed her to greatly expand her knowledge of dance and injury prevention.
With nearly two decades of training, Raegan is well versed in various dance styles specializing in contemporary, modern styles and acro. Raegan has performed in multiple charity events and shows while continuing to expand her knowledge of dance and its different disciplines. Alongside her training, Raegan has developed her teaching techniques through years of hands on experience and guidance. Now pursuing her professional career in dance, Raegan is drawn to contemporary movements combined with Acrobatic skills as it allows her freedom to express her unique style of movement. Raegan is looking forward to her first year on the Elements team!
Sarah Schulz
(IGNITE PROGRAM DIRECTOR, BALLET, JAZZ, LYRICAL, ACRO)
Suzanne Demers
(ACRO, BALLET, JAZZ, TAP, CONDITIONING, ELEMENTS)
Suzanne, or Suzy as she is known to her students, has been actively dancing and teaching in Calgary and surrounding areas with 20 years of teaching experience. Suzy is a celebrated dancer and instructor known for her lively choreography and unique style of teaching that incorporates both the physical and personal aspects and reasons why we dance, believing that anyone can dance, no matter what their shape, size or experience. Her love of dance is rooted in her desire to connect with students and explore movement and expression. A certified yoga and reiki practitioner in addition to dance, she uses her knowledge of the body and movement in these areas to bring a holistic connection to her teaching.
Calgary born, Suzy has trained and taught with many studios in the city and abroad and is encouraged by the talents she sees locally and loves that she can share her passion for dance in and around her home town. Suzy holds certifications in Acrobatic Arts (level 1 & 2), ADAPT Jazz and Tap, Progressive Ballet Technique (PBT), Alixa Flexibility, Mental Skills Teacher Training, and Youth Protection Advocates in Dance (YPAD). Suzy is also a certified Acro Dance Adjudicator.
Suzy is always looking to continue her growth as a teacher and dancer and has trained and traveled to many places including Vancouver, New York, Los Angeles and London. Suzy went back to University in 2018 and received her Bachelor of Education (2020) and will be teaching with the Performing & Visual Arts Program at Central Memorial High School with the Calgary Board of Education.
Miss Suzy is excited to be returning to Elements for her 7th season
VALENTIA DIMITRIOU
(BALLET, CONTEMPORARY, LYRICAL)
Meghann Michalsky
(GUEST CHOREOGRAPHER)
Meghann is an independent Dance Artist working in Calgary. She completed her BA in Contemporary Dance, concentration in Choreography and Performance from the University of Calgary. Since graduating she has rigourously pursued her dance technique training in Canada as well as in Israel, Portugal, Sweden, the U.K., the Netherlands, Germany, and Austria.
She recently received the 2019 RBC Emerging Artist Award at the Mayor’s Lunch for Arts Champions. She is the first Dancer/Choreographer to receive this award. Between 2014 and the present, Meghann has created nine new works. Five of these were major works between 20-35 minutes in duration.
All of them were professionally produced by dance organizations and festivals, or self-produced, in Alberta, and one piece was presented abroad at the 2016 artArtica Festival in Finalnd. Meghann has been awarded Choreographic Residencies from the University of Calgary, W & M Dance Projects, Theatre Junction and DJD Dance Centre.
Meghann is thrilled to be joining EDC for her fourth season where she will continue to choreograph for the competitive team.
Cinzia Eremita
(BALLET GUEST INSTRUCTOR)
EDC
OUR VISION | At EDC, we’re about more than movement - we endeavour to offer a purposeful community through dance.
OUR MISSION | Through creating in the studio, we strive to elevate and empower our students to achieve in all elements of their lives.
All Photos courtesy of Seidel Studios Photography
HOURS
Our office hours resume September 14.
Mon-Thurs 4:00-7:00pm
Sat 9:30am-2:00pm
CONTACT
P | 403-744-4141
E | [email protected]
A | 1021-521 GATEWAY ROAD NE, AIRDRIE AB, T4B 0J6