Meet Our Team

Samantha is a contemporary dancer, choreographer, and teacher based in Tkaronto. Her ancestry is Ktunaxa and Scottish. She grew up on Coast Salish Territories on the west coast of Turtle Island. Since graduating the Arts Umbrella Dance Diploma Program, Samantha has worked as a guest artist with Ballet BC, an Associate Artist with Red Sky Performance, and is currently an Artistic Associate with O.Dela Arts. She has presented her own solo works at many festivals and stages across the country. Some include the Matriarchs Uprising Festival by O.Dela Arts with presentations both in Vancouver and at the National Arts Centre, Sharing the Stage with The National Ballet of Canada, Night Shift by Fall for Dance North, Dance Made in Canada, and Weesageechak Begins to Dance by Native Earth Performing Arts. Samantha explores what aspects of her culture, history, and traditional knowledge can be pulled into her contemporary dance practice. She is inspired by the Ktunaxa Language and how the rhythm and story in the language can translate to movement. Finding ways to ground themes from a classical dance training with Indigenous values is what drives Samantha’s dance practice.

Chris Gallina is a dancer and choreographer from Toronto, On. Throughout his dance career, he has performed and choreographed for events by Hugo Boss, WestJet, Crystal Ball Foundation, Wal-Mart, Scotiabank and many more. Chris has featured in the Chapman's Ice Cream Sunday commercial, Megan Patrick's "Bow Chicka Wow Wow" music video, and Brett Kissel's music video for "Anthem". His recent tour of The Jungle Book Circus has taken him to China, Singapore, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. He has taught at a numerous studios across Canada and his choreography has won numerous awards at competition. Chris loves to share his knowledge with his students and loves to support their individual growth.

David Cox has been dancing since the age of 2, as he was brought into this world by a musical family; his father, a Motown artist, and his mother a dance teacher. Since becoming a professional, he has gone on to perform for and at the following: ‘Bojangles’ the show time movie starring Gregory Hines, the international sensation ‘STOMP’, The Duke Ellington Society, Save The Last Dance 2, Bravo Fact ‘The Hoofers Club’, and has performed for the speaker of the house, and Prince Charles to name a few. David shared his passion with the world as a featured dancer in the Opening Ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. He is on the faculty at the Tap Dance Centre where he directs DCC (one of the youth performing companies), and he is also a proud member of the band, Theatre Crisp, where he taps as added percussion. His happy go lucky and energetic attitude are contagious to those around him, and he urges others to pick up a tap and discover the music they can make. Here’s to the 2nd Balcony...Keep it copasetic.

AnnaLisa has been dancing since the age of four and fell in love with it the first time she hit the stage. She has studied dance in her hometown of Oakville at Canadian Dance Company and Across the Floor Dance Centre. She began assisting in 2012 and teaching in 2017. She starting dancing competitively at the age of 7 and has trained in Jazz, Ballet, Pointe, Contemporary, Lyrical, Tap, Acro and Hip Hop. AnnaLisa took her love for dance to St. Catherines when she moved to pursue her education at Brock University in 2018 studying Concurrent Education with a French Teachable. At Brock she participated in a club called Brock Dance. Brock Dance has a competitive dance team where she would compete in 3 university level competitions. After 4 years of being on the team in 2022 she took the lead in becoming the president of the club. Planning and organizing events such as the Brock Dance Benefit which brings local studios, high schools, and universities together to put on a show to raise money for the RAFT Niagara. She has also been one of the team choreographgers for the past 6 years. AnnaLisa loves to share her passion of dance and knowledge with her students while motivating them to become the best versions of themselves!

Lisa Auguste is a multi-faceted performer working in Toronto, Ontario. She is a highly sought after professional dancer specializing in ballet to hiphop, latin to breakdance (and everything in-between). Lisa can be seen on T.V. in “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”, “What We Do in the Shadows”, “The Boys”, “Shadow Hunters”, “The Expanse”,“Disney’s - Sneakerella”, and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Remake)”. She acted in feature films including “Silent Hill 2”, “Jean of the Joneses”, and “Shall We Dance” (starring Richard Gere). Lisa was honoured to be a finalist in the first season of “So You Think You Can Dance Canada”, after gracing the Mirvish stage as Cheetah in “The Lion King”. Lisa has also shown her prowess dancing in music videos for Katy Perry, Janelle Monae, Jully Black, Kreesha Turner, Shawn Desman and more. She has performed at the PanAm Games Ceremonies in Guadalajara and Toronto. She took to the Four Seasons Stage in “Nixon in China” and “Aida” for the Canadian Opera Company. When she is not performing, Lisa is teaching, working, choreographing and adjudicator across Canada.

Brendan De Santis is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, adjudicator and teacher originally hailing from London, Ontario. Brendan has graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Education and is an Ontario Certified teacher, currently teaching performing arts at the York Region District School Board. Since 2003 Brendan has been studying dance and continues to perform in theater, commercial and TV/Film projects such as, The Music Man and Fiddler on the Roof under the direction of Don Flexor. The Afters music video ‘Never Going Back to Okay’, Toronto recording Artist Teria Morado and Little Pear Garden.

Ashley Schofield is a passionate, motivated choreographer and teacher from Toronto, ON. She is the founder and choreographer for Opus Dance Collective, a contemporary company housing pre- professional and professional dancers. Her company debuted her work at the Capezio ACE Awards in both NYC and Los Angeles in front of an influential audience and panel of judges. They have since continued to train and perform across Canada and the US. Ashley’s choreography and company can be seen on NBC’s World of Dance Season 2, as her Opus dancers battled it out amongst the top dancers in the world. She also had the honour of being selected to present a piece of choreography at the APAP Conference in NYC. Thus far, Ashley and Opus Dance Collective are proud to have presented two full-length shows in Toronto - Volume 1: FORE/word and Volume 2: The Introduction. She has also choreographed, directed, styled, and produced multiple digital concept pieces. Ashley has been recognized for her creative concepts, artistry and choreography at both national and international levels of competition. Her choreography has been displayed across Canada and the US at the YAGP Finals in NYC, the Dance Awards, Global News Morning Show, charitable events and fundraisers, fashion shows, virtual concerts, promotional teams representing retail and media companies, along with numerous studio regional and national competitions. Miss Schofield attended, by audition, the National Choreographer's Intensive at Utah Valley University. While in attendance, she had the opportunity to work, study and create under the guidance of Nelly van Bommel. Ashley is a certified ADAPT & PBT teacher, and recently completed a course and examination by Intimacy Coordinators of Colour that allows her to act as an Intimacy Captain on set.

Jen Carter began dancing at the age of 10 in Peterborough, Ontario. She trained competitively with Premiere Studio of Dance until the age of 19, where she trained in many dance styles. It wasn't until age 13 that Jen recognized her great passion for urban dance, and decided she wanted to further a career in the dance industry. She then went on to participate in the Integrated Arts Dance Program at Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School, where she found her love of teaching and choreographing. Through out her high school journey she was presented with many opportunities including: competing in Hurley Walk the Walk in California, dancing on the Rick Mercer Report, 2 trips to New York City to train at Broadway Dance Centre and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, 6 different high school competitions (where she was awarded 2 scholarships and remembered for her many performances as well as pieces she choreographed), and multiple shows each year. She is now a member of the Toronto Dance Community after moving in September 2015.Fall of 2012 is when Jen’s teaching journey began. Her first opportunity was given to her at her home studio, where she began teaching ballet, jazz and tap to kids ages 3-5. Over the years her love for urban dance took the lead and she was hired to choreograph at several studios. Jen now teaches workshops for high school students, private lessons for special needs children, choreography for 3 competitive teams and subbing drop in classes at The Underground Dance Centre.Jen is currently at Centennial College in the Dance Performance Program, assisting Leah Totten and teaching at studios while building her name. With previous training in BOSS Dance Company (under the direction of Leah Totten), and Hot In Heels: The Company (under the direction of Angela Mahoney), she is very grateful for all of her opportunities. Jen has found that it is extremely important to take inspiration from everything and everyone around her as her goal has always been to inspire and touch those she comes in contact with. She looks forward to continuing her growth as a dancer, teacher, choreographer and person through her hard work and dedication to her craft.