Brianna Giles - Prof Dipl.
Principal & Artistic Director

Originally from North Vancouver, BC Brianna began dancing when she was 8 years old at RNB Dance & Theatre Arts. She trained in many dance styles including ISTD Modern & Tap and ISTD & RAD Ballet. Brianna is a graduate of theVancouver Goh Ballet and the London Studio Centre (UK) with a "Professional Diploma" in Classical Ballet. Brianna has trained with many prestigious dance schools including the American Ballet Theatre (New York), The National Ballet of Canada, The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, The Banff Centre and the Vancouver Goh Ballet. Brianna has toured the United Kingdom and Germany as a Soloist with the Images of Dance Co. performing roles such as The Milkmaid in Facade, Balanchine's Donizetti Variations & Jack Carter's Swan Lake. Following that she toured Japan & China as a soloist with the Vancouver Goh Ballet performing the Pas de Trois from Paquita and Principal role of Kitri in Don Quixote. Brianna went on to utilize her Jazz and Musical Theatre talents aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines with the Jean Ann Ryan Production Co. of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Brianna looks forward to many more years leading RNB and its dancers into the future!

Hayley Walker - A.I.S.T.D
Vice-PrincipaL

Hayley trained in England at The Arts Educational School, Tring Park (UK). She studied Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, ISTD Tap & Modern, Musical Theatre, Drama and Singing. Alongside her dance development she studied Dance History, Anatomy and teaching qualifications in Ballet (Cecchetti) and ISTD Modern & Tap. Hayley has continued exams in the ISTD work and has received her Diploma in both the Modern & Tap syllabus. Hayley was Artistic Director at Stage WestSchool of Performing Arts on Vancouver Island from 2001-2006. This is where she began to enjoy the idea of developing and creating a family friendly studio with the training to lead and direct students to reach their fullest potential. Hayley quickly realised BC was where she wanted to live & continue her career as Principal & Artistic Director of RNB Dance until returning to the United Kingdom for the 2021 season. Hayley continues to support RNB remotely and looks forward to the next chapter!

Charmaine Nobes - F.I.S.T.D
Co-founder & ADVISOR

Stephanie Johnson

Stephanie has been enjoying teaching dance for over 15 years. Originally from Edmonton, her Dance training began at the Edmonton School of Ballet followed by Shelley Tookey's School of Dance, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and New York City. Stephanie started her career as a competitive gymnast taking ballet classes on the side until her love for dance prevailed. She is a certified Gymnastics coach, an AFLCA certified fitness instructor and she holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Alberta. In Edmonton Stephanie taught dance, performed and choreographed for the Orchesis Dance Company and adjudicated at several local dance competitions until 2004 when she moved to Vancouver. She is now the proud mother of 2 and plays a huge role in mentoring the students at RNB Dance.

Brenna banks

Brenna started dancing at the age of 6 and instantly fell in love with it. She studied CDTA Acro, Jazz, and Tap along with Chechetti Ballet. Acrobatics quickly became her favourite class and at the age of 17 her teaching career began. She is a certified Acrobatic Arts instructor receiving over 95% in both Module 1 and Module 2 courses. Currently she in the process of completing her Acrobatque Certification. Over the years, Brenna has attended workshops and master classes at: The Dance Teachers Summit NYC, Northern Movement Acro Conference & The Vancouver Yoga Conference. Throughout her years Brenna has received choreography awards at Dream Team Dance Festival as well as Peak Invitational Dance Competition, Dance Power & Synergy. Brenna's students have also received numerous High Scores, Judges Choice, and Overall Acro of the Year.

AMY BURNS

Amy has trained and performed extensively in Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Modern Contemporary & Lyrical Jazz from a very young age, and has been teaching and choreographing Tap full-time for 28 years throughout the Lower Mainland, Northern B.C. (Smithers) and annual Summer School programs on Vancouver Island.  She has a long list of accomplishments and award-winning competitive performances in Canada and the U.S.   In July of 2009, it was with great excitement that she and 22 of her students participated in the “New York City Tap Festival” where they trained with world-renowned Masters and by audition, were chosen to perform their award-winning routines “Off Broadway” to a sold-out theatre.   That evening Amy was honored with being chosen as the recipient of the “2009 NYC Tap Festival Outstanding Teacher/Choreographer Award” for her “Outstanding Dedication and Commitment to the Art of Tap Dancing”.  It is with great joy and pride that Amy was able to nourish her own heartfelt passion and love of Tap for many years amid her hectic schedule, to perform professionally as a member of Vancouver’s “Urban Tap Squad Company”, throughout British Columbia and beyond.  In September 2006 they showcased part of their tour show, “Urban Interludes” to sold-out audiences at The Vancouver Roundhouse.  Her “passion” for Tap leads her to train extensively each year (for the past 28 years) in advanced/accelerated workshops and festivals throughout the U.S. and Canada, attending “Tappin With The Masters 1993” in Portland Oregon, “The Seattle Tap Festival” – 1994, 1995, “Minneapolis Tap Festival” - 1998, successfully auditioned and was chosen to attend an exclusive Residency Workshop in NYC in 1999 with Heather Cornell Manhattan Tap, “Minneapolis Legends of Tap” – 2000,  “The Edge” in Los Angeles – 2002, “The New York City Tap Festival”/NY City – 2004, “Edmonton Tap Giants Festival” – 2005,  “Maui Tap Festival” - 2006 & 2007, “The Chicago Human Rhythm Project” - 2007,  “Tap City Tap Festival in NYC” - 2009, “Third Coast Rhythm Project in Texas” - 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, and 2017, “Tappin in the Twin Cities” (Minneapolis) – 2015, 2016,2017,2018 & 2019.  In August of 2016 and June of 2019, she took the opportunity to travel to New York City, where she trained at Broadway Dance Centre and Steps on Broadway!  In 2020, Amy attended an amazing online/virtual experience of Chloe & Maud Arnold’s “DC Tap Festival” and in 2021, another wonderful online/virtual experience, attending the “Tap Dance Festival UK”.  All of these festivals have given her the priceless privilege to train with extraordinary historical world-renowned Tap Masters such as the late amazing legends of Tap - Jimmy Slyde, Harold Cromer, Cholly Atkins (Motown Choreographer), Robert Reed and Vancouver’s own, Jeni Legon.   Amy has also been privileged to train numerous times with  Heather Cornell (Manhattan Tap), Brenda Bufalino (American Tap Dance Orchestra), Dianne Walker (“Lady Di”), Skip Cunningham, Lane Alexander, Terry Brock, Jason Samuels, Lisa LaTouche, , Bruce Stegman,  Chester Whitmore, Leelah Petronio, Mark Mendonca, Johnson & Peters, Lynn Dally, Chloe Arnold, Grant Swift, Mark Yonally, Yukiko Sashimi (“Smiley”), Jimmy Payne, Acia Gray, Derick Grant, Tre Dumas and Nicole Hockenberry among many, many others.  In addition to her own passion for and dedication to ongoing training, Amy takes many of her students each year to Tap Festivals throughout the U.S. to experience and learn from the same historical Tap Masters and meet  other students from around the world who share the same passion. In 1998, Amy had the thrill of a lifetime, when she trained at the Minneapolis Tap Festival with “legend extraordinaire” Savion Glover and his brother Abron Glover (then performing on Broadway in “Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk”). She has also participated in the VTDS Tap Festival in Vancouver for 13 years and was privileged to perform in the 2003 VTDS Festival finale at the Vancouver Playhouse, “It’s About Time, It’s About Tap”.   Since its inception Amy’s students are so honoured to perform in the International Tap Day celebration in honor of the birthday of the legendary “Father of Tap”,  Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. It is Amy’s desire to share with her students of all ages, her diversified training, technique, musicality and rhythm, and most of all, her genuine love and passion for Tap Dance.  Her renowned and unique choreography comes from within her soul and captures the very essence of “Tap” and its beautiful rhythms speak to this beautiful and historical language.  With her love of teaching children of all ages and adults, she foremost encourages fun and embracing the love and joy of “Tap”, with patience and positivity.  She teaches and encourages her students to “un-tap” the joy of this wonderful instrument and music within them and to truly hear and articulate their own “joyful noise”.

Desiree Zurowski

Desiree enjoyed an extensive professional dance career dancing with several companies and working with renowned choreographers, both Classical and Contemporary.  Having danced with The National Ballet of Canada she has performed many of the full-length classical ballets,.  She also danced with The Anna Wyman Dance Theatre, Manitoba Dance Theatre, and as a senior student with the company of The Royal Winnipeg Ballet. The majority of Desiree’s ballet training was in the Vagonava method though she also has trained in the R.A.D., Checcetti, and Bournanville  syllabus.  She takes great joy passing on her knowledge and seeing her students grow in both their technical abilities as well as artistic expression. Desiree also has a successful acting career and has been in over 50 film and television productions.

Catherine Andersen

Catherine discovered dance in her teens, and was immediately hooked. She began her training with ballet and jazz, and discovered contemporary dance at the Grant MacEwan College Dance program in 2000, where she received her Dance Diploma and was awarded several scholarships and bursaries. She went on to receive her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Contemporary Dance in 2005 from Simon Fraser University, and graduated in the top 5% of her class.  Catherine studied pioneering modern dance techniques like Graham and Cunningham, with original Graham company member Judith Garay, and Cunningham from original company member Megan Walker-Straight. She has performed with contemporary dance companies such as Mascall Dance, Sirenscrossing UK, and with numerous independent artists in Vancouver. She has toured as a professional dancer throughout Canada, the US, and Europe. In 2013 she was awarded a Canada Council Grant to perform in Sweden at the Fallensdager Festival as a guest artist for the third time with Sirenscrossing. Catherine became a certified Pilates Mat Work instructor in 2008 at The Space, and was certified to teach Progressing Ballet Technique in 2019. She loves the art of dance improvisation, and the practice of asking questions just as much as she loves a sweaty technique class. She has taught for pre-professional training divisions and also loves to work with beginner dancers. During the summer she hosts "Creative Arts Camps" in collaboration with textile artist Katherine Mcdonald, and expressive arts therapist Julie Geremia. She enjoys creative writing, studies yoga, and more recently is enjoying the benefits of personal fitness training at Madlab School of Fitness. Catherine comes from a long line of educators and strongly believes in maintaining a creative and curious mind. She has been teaching dance for over 20 years, and she absolutely loves her job.

Celina Booth

Celina was born and raised in Vancouver BC and grew up in the Greater Vancouver area. She prides herself on being a versatile dancer and is trained in both classical and commercial styles. She has been dancing since the age of three and did most of her young training at Spiral Dance Co and Dance In Motion. When entering high school she decided she wanted to focus more on her craft during the day and started school at Langley Fine Arts where she first found her passion for choreography and teaching. She competed in a majority of competitions intensively throughout her youth and was awarded Modern Provincial Representative and competed at the BC Performing Arts Festival. After graduation Celina knew it was important to keep up her dance training and had found a passion for commercial/street dancing and hip hop. She then joined “Kill The Lights Company” run out of Harbour Dance Centre under the direction of Shauna Smith and Ken Yung, in which she learned valuable lessons on teaching, choreography, audition techniques, freestyle, videography and vastly expanded her hip hop knowledge. Since completing two years of the program she has been committed to teaching all over the Lower Mainland. Celina considers herself to be a dance educator who strives to give back to the next generation by providing a positive atmosphere and outlet in order for her students to grow and achieve their goals. Celina looks forward to continuing her work with teaching/choreography with various studios and companies as well as continuing her training as a dancer as well.

Tania Brossoit

Tania Brossoit was born in England and is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dancing Teacher Training Program where she gained extensive training in Ballet, ISTD Modern, National, Jazz, and Character Dance. As well as dance anatomy, dance history, child psychology and classical repertoire. Tania has had the good fortune to be taught and gained her extensive knowledge of the classical repertoire from many wonderful dancers of the Royal Ballet. Her 36 year teaching career has been inspired by many of the most renown dance experts to include Veronica Tennant, Anne Marie Holmes, Diane Van Schoor, Susan Toumine (to name a few) and many of the RAD top examiners, Anuschka Roes, Lynnette Kelley, June Mitchell, June Christian and Hilary Moss.  Ms. Brossoit came to Canada in 1985 and she owned and operated a highly successful dance studio on Vancouver Island from 1991 through the year 2000. She taught for thirteen years in Vancouver at the Richmond Academy of Dance, where Tania trained dancers of all ages, including those in the professional division training program. Tania went on to teach at Pro Arte for 5 years and co-founded The DANCE Conservatory, West Vancouver with Stephana Arnold in 2018. She stepped back from her director role to spend more time with family and her new Granddaughter but continues to teach at The Conservatory as well as on Bowen Island at the Kelly Konno Studio where she loves to give back to the community in which she resides. Tania has been sought after for many years as a guest teacher and adjudicator around BC, instructing in various summer schools internationally and within the province. Tania has studied at length the physiology and biomechanics of the body and strongly applies these principals to her teaching.  Known for her love and passion for dance and for her exceptional work with young dancers, Tania produces a high standard of training and exam results. An accomplished teacher and choreographer, her choreography is recognized for its diversity and annually receives honourable awards. She is also known for her dance rehab work and developing individual technique. Her inspirational teaching techniques have a reputation for not only enhancing a student’s technique but for enhancing a student’s dance performance. She is known for her gift to see the qualities in all who work with her and is able to build confidence in all the young dancers she teaches. Many of her students have gone on to dance in many Companies and Theatre Productions and have continued their training at some of the most respected institutes around the world. Tania has had the good fortune to work with some of the world’s leading dance experts and feels blessed to be able to share this wealth of knowledge with all the young dancers she has the good fortune to teach.

KIM DIXON - F.I.S.T.D

Kim Dixon began her training in ISTD Ballet, Tap, Modern, Jazz and AFSA Acrobatics at the age of six in North Vancouver at RNB Dance, under the direction of Charmaine Nobes and Sharon Ryan. She graduated from Simon Fraser University with a BFA in contemporary dance and joined Lamondance as a company member in 2010.  Over the past two decades Ms. Kim has studied a wide variety of contemporary techniques in Ghana, Brazil and the US.  As a teacher, Ms. Kim has been successfully entering students into Modern and Acrobatics examinations since 2013. Most recently she successfully obtained her Fellowship in Modern Theatre from the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance, under the direction and mentorship of Tereza Theodoulou, lead lecturer with the I.S.T.D and key member of the modern theatre creative team. Ms. Kim has worked with many well-known contemporary choreographers and dancers from around the world. A choreographer herself, her pieces have been commissioned and performed across North America and Europe at various festivals and galas where they have received recognition for their innovation and creativity. Having studied all styles of dance Ms Kim believes strongly in versatility and encourages young dancers to embrace a wide diversity of dance genre and technical training. It is her pleasure and passion to be able to invest in the next generation of artists so that they might reach their potential and amplify the importance of performing arts in our society.

Parisa Mehregan

Parisa discovered her love of dance at the age of five and never looked back! She began her training in Vancouver where she was born and continued training at several professional ballet schools across North America. From 2008 to 2010, Parisa trained as a year-round student at the School of American Ballet; allowing her to perform with the New York City Ballet in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker and Coppelia. In 2012, she graduated from the Pacific Northwest Ballet School in Seattle, WA where she had the opportunity to perform in an original work by Peter Boal and key roles in the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Nutcracker. Later that year, Parisa joined Ballet Victoria as an Apprentice, performing in roles in Dances with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, The Gift of Pandora’s Box and Ballet off-Broadway. Never taking a break from the art she loves, Parisa enrolled in several summer programs at the School of Alberta Ballet (2012-2014), Miami City Ballet School (2009), The School of American Ballet (2008) and the American Ballet Theatre (2007). From 2014 to 2016, Parisa danced with Ballet Edmonton (formerly Citie Ballet) for 2 seasons and has continuously been working with Ballet Edmonton as a teacher for their ArtsConnects program. This is Parisa’s 8th year teaching ballet and she currently holds Registered Teacher Status with the Royal Academy of Dance. She is always excited to share her passion for dance with her students! 

Alicia Bruce

Kiona Graham

Lindsay Harpham

Originally from Saskatchewan, Lindsay Harpham is an accomplished Contemporary Artist, Dance Educator, Choreographer, and Adjudicator based out of Vancouver, BC. Lindsay has trained in Classical Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Contemporary, Modern, and Partnering and has completed her R.A.D teaching certification, and Bachelor of Kinesiology, which both greatly inform her teaching. Lindsay choreographs for both competitive and recreational studios throughout Canada and teaches master classes internationally for youth and adults. Her post-secondary dance training started at Harbour Dance Center in Vancouver and later, Toronto, where she completed The Conteur Academy’s diploma program. Since graduation, she has worked with companies such as Red Sky Performance, Larchaud Dance Project, Gadfly, ACE Dance Theatre, Nimii Project, Hit and Run Productions, Nickelodeon, and Remai Modern. Grateful to have experienced professional dance tours throughout Canada, the United States, Europe, and Australia, she searches for opportunities that feel comparably inspiring. Amongst her most notable moments, CINARS opening, Australia Joint Dance Congress, performances with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, have expanded her perception of what is possible as an artist. While pursuing professional dance, she graduated with a Bachelor of Kinesiology, which she combines with her dance experience through teaching injury prevention and cross-training seminars to dancers at SFU, Modus, and Source Dance Company. She currently works at the Performance Clinic at Ballet BC headquarters, working with dancers and other athletes. Lindsay most recently co-founded wherewe collective with fellow dancer and sister Denae Harpham, which runs a sleep-away dance camp in Saskatchewan for students and teachers. Lindsay brings her passion for art to each professional experience and hopes to always make a positive impact on the young aspiring artists she has the privilege of teaching and adjudicating.

Costumes/Community Director: Jennie Cargill

Accounts: Carmen Chun

Administration: Elisse Beckett

Jr Administration: Sophia DiSpirito & Duda Oliveira