Alida Tromp

Head of Ballet, Pointe, Ballet Company

Alida’s dance journey began in South Africa at age three. She is trained in six dance genres including Ballet, Modern and Contemporary. Alida began competing at international competitions and European Summer Schools at age nine. At fifteen, she was awarded the Alan Hooper RAD Bursary to study at Elmhurst Ballet School in the UK. Alida graduated from the University of Cape Town in 1987, majoring in Ballet, Contemporary, Anatomy & Physiology, and Ballet Teaching Methodology. There, she was awarded her Solo Seal, RAD Ballet’s highest level. Her professional career as a soloist and first artist included performances in many classics such as Swan Lake, Nutcracker, as well as several Balanchine works. She trained under NYC Ballet principals Melissa Hayden and Bart Cook. She also starred in eleven musical theatre productions including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Over the course of Alida’s thirty years of teaching, many of her students have gone on to pursue professional dancing or teaching careers.

Amanda Vidito

belly dance

Amanda has always had a love of dance in one form or another. As a young adult, she found her true passion after stumbling upon Middle Eastern Belly Dance as a means of exercise. She was hooked! Amanda has been studying Middle Eastern dance for the past five years and has had many skilled instructors, most notably Wendy Schabrel, Cassandra Shore and Ildiko Gyarmati. Amanda has been teaching for three years and is excited to share this genre of dance with her students.

Beth Fedorov

ballet, Jazz, Tap, PBT, Combo, COmpany

Beth is originally from the UK, however commenced her dance training in Cape Town, South Africa in ISTD Modern and Tap, and also RAD Ballet.Upon returning to the UK, Beth went on to train professionally at The Hammond School in Chester – gaining her National Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre. In 2011, Beth went on to dance professionally across the world working in many shows such as ‘Spirit of the Dance’ (USA and Canada), Puttin’ on the Ritz (USA), New Jersey Nights (USA) and Santa Claus the Musical (Singapore). Then spent 10 years working onboard Cruise Ships as a soloist with companies such as P&O, Cunard and Holland America Line, taking on the role of Dance Captain and Company Manager.

Amongst her performing Beth gained her Teaching Qualifications for Ballet through both RAD and IDTA boards, and Tap and Modern through ISTD. She has been teaching across numerous schools across the United Kingdom and Dubai, as both head of RAD ballet and ISTD Modern and Tap whilst entering students into Annual Examinations with both examining boards. Beth has also won several awards for her Choreography for International competitions in Paris and New York throughout her teaching years. 

Charlene Hiscock

Tap, Hip Hop, Acro, Combo

Charlene started dancing at age five and has not stopped dancing since then. She has taken classes in a wide range of disciplines, competed in countless festivals and participated both onstage and behind the scenes in all of the DI Productions. In 1996, Charlene was fortunate enough to be among the first dancers in Canada to complete her Grade 9 Tap Exam with Al Gilbert. In addition to being certified in Al Gilbert Tap, Jazz and Ballet, Charlene has received certification in ADAPT, Acrobatic Arts, Alixa Flexibility and Zumba. She continues to take courses and attend workshops in order to bring new and exciting ideas to her classes. Charlene has over twenty-five years of experience teaching and choreographing for dancers of all ages and levels of ability.

Christine Penner

flamenco

Christine Penner has been dancing flamenco for many years and has often travelled to Spain for further study. She has also trained online with dancers and singers from Spain. Through travel and online work, she developed a deeper understanding of the flamenco dance form and culture. Her connection to music as a music educator for over thirty years has given her an understanding of the intricate rhythms that are performed through hands, feet and body. Because the complexity of flamenco can be overwhelming to students, Christine approaches this dance form in a sequential way, guiding her students to success. She recently gathered live musicians and created a performing group called Flamenco on the Prairies in which she both dances and sings.

Claire Bell

Adult exercise

Ms. Bell is an avid skater, skier, hiker and swimmer. She is the senior instructor for the ‘Learn to Skate’ program at the Brandon Sportsplex. Ms. Bell has served on the Board of Directors for the Brandon Festival of the Arts for many years.

Olga Melnyk

Ballet, Lyrical, Progressing Ballet Techniques

Olga started dancing at age seven at a children’s art school in Ukraine. After graduating from high school, she entered the College of Culture and then the department of Folk Choreography at Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts. While studying in Kyiv, she was part of a Spanish dance team. After graduation, she taught both classical dance and folk dance for seven years in a children’s art school. In 2017, Olga opened her own modern dance studio and in June 2022, she and her family moved to Brandon.

Olga Wins

hip hop

Olga has been teaching Hip Hop for over fifteen years and brings an extensive background in this dance genre. She taught Hip Hop in Germany for two years before moving to Manitoba. She led various summer courses in the community and became a Hip Hop instructor at the Brandon School of Dance in 2016. Her style includes a mixture of dancehall, afro beats, house, old school and modern Hip Hop. Classes are choreography based, but freestyle sessions are also part of the routine.

Vitaliy Fedorov

Ballet, Acro, PBT, Street Dance, Contemporary, Tots, Parent and Me, Creative Movement, Company

Vitaliy’s Dance training began in his home country at the National University of Culture in Kyiv, Ukraine, where he gained a Masters Degree in Choreography and Contemporary Dance.

Upon graduation, Vitaliy went on to perform at the National Ukrainian Musical Theatre as a Dancer and Choreographer. Simultaneously he was teaching at ‘The School of Arts’ on the Crimean peninsula and was responsible for training students in Jazz,Ukrainian Folk Dancing, Contemporary and Choreography.

In 2006 Vitaliy took his talents abroad and went on to perform in the Xua-Xia Theater, Zhen-Zhen, China in the innovative new concept show ‘Elements.’ A love for travel bought Vitaliy to dance across the world on Cruise Lines including companies such as Cunard Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Holland America Line as a Dancer/Aerialist and Dance Captain. Where he performed for over 10 years as a soloist specialising in Contemporary, Jazz, Ballet and Commercial Dance.

For the last 4 years Vitaliy has been working in Dubai as a full-time Dance teacher with a focus on RAD Ballet, Contemporary, PBT (Progressive Ballet Technique) and Jazz for several Dance Academies. Across his time here, Vitaliy has prepared students for their annual RAD examinations (Pre-Primary – Advanced 1), Acro and Jazz with successive pass rates as well as choreographing for several shows, competitions and events such as EXPO 2020.

Vitaliy is a proudly qualified Contemporary Dance teacher with Rambert Grades and cannot wait to bring his knowledge and experience to everyone!