Christine Walker
Director
Christine Walker recently won "Best Dance Instructor" with the Toronto Star 2019 for the Reader's Choice Awards with St. Clair Dance Collective. She is a professional dancer, teacher, choreographer, actor & model with over 20 years of dance experience. She began her training in ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop and contemporary at Sheila Parkins School of Dance, Ethel Bruneau’s Tap School & Ballet Divertimento. Walker then moved to Toronto and graduated from Ryerson University with a BFA in Dance (2013).
Christine has performed in contemporary dance with junior company in T-Danz Festival (2009) in France & Spain, performed with the Stella Adler’s Studio of Acting with the MADAIR project in NYC (2010) and worked with Louise Bedard at Springboard Danse Montreal (2010). She was an actress and dancer in Naught Theatre Company, Something is Wrong, in Toronto (2013). She has performed in music video 'This Wild Heart' by The Nursery and most recently dancer in music video by Hollerado (2017).
She worked as a professional dancer with Creativiva (2015-16), Bash Fx and Kulkat Entertainment (2018). A winner in Latin Ballroom in Bronze & Silver with Canada Dance Council (2016), and most proudly a hip hop dancer for the Opening Ceremonies for the Pan AM Games with Cirque du Soleil in Toronto (2015). She also was featured in a photoshoot for Seed9 magazine “Poor But Sexy” in Toronto.
She has also trained at many renowned summer camps such as Perry Mansfield, USA (on scholarship) with works by Nicholas Villeneuve & Sidra Bell; Domaine Forget, CAN with works by Edgar Zendejas; Broadway Theatre Project, USA, O Vertigo, CAN, Movement Invention Project, NYC & Kenny Pearl’s Emerging Artist’s Intensive, CAN.
With a passion in teaching, Miss Walker has taught in over 250 public/private schools, dance studios, community centres, daycares and arts camps teaching well over 1000 students in dance education. Her mission is to provide high-quality dance classes to all ages and abilities!
“A true educator at heart, Christine is bright, cheerful, charismatic and has a special talent for encouraging and inspiring others” – Former Colleague, Dance Instructor.
Deanna Lefort
Dance Teacher
Deanna LeFort’s love for dance began at a very young age through her classical training in Ballet. Training under Stephanie Landry and Wendy Holt, Deanna successfully achieved all of her Royal Academy of Dance Examinations, including her Advanced 2. She progressed by adding Jazz and Tap to her technical repertoire, and was a competitive dancer in Contemporary, Lyrical, Hip Hop, and Musical Theatre. Deanna became a dance assistant at the age of 12 and has 4 years of experience teaching children from 2 to 18 years of age. She is also a member of the BATD, as she completed her Teacher’s Associate Jazz and Tap examinations.
Deanna is currently studying at York University in the Psychology and Education programs. She is Co-Captain and Choreographer of Rise Dance Company, a team that competes annually with Universities across Ontario and Quebec. This team has enabled Deanna to further pursue her love for dance and learn new ways to express herself and the stories of others through movement.
Dance has led Deanna to her love for teaching both in dance and academics. She believes that every child learns in a unique way and is dedicated as a teacher to help each dancer flourish into the best dancer and person they can be. She is passionate about making dance more accessible and focuses on inclusion in her dance classrooms, believing every child should have the opportunity to dance.
Christian Bridges
Music Teacher
In the summer of 2008, Bridges accompanied Justin Nozuka on a three-month tour of 28 American cities designing promotional merchandise. It was after that tour that Bridges decided to take music seriously, forming a band Down By Riverside alongside brother Henry Nozuka and releasing an EP "From the Ground Up." Down by Riverside maintained a vibrant presence not only at local music venues, but among charities, women’s shelters, yoga studios, and the Occupy Toronto movement, as well as performing shows in Ontario, the U.S. and Japan.
Bridges since co-wrote Justin’s No. 1 single, “Heartless,” winning both brothers a Number 1 SOCAN award and a chart-topping NRJ award in France. Christian released his debut EP, From Within, on June 18th with a live music celebration at Toronto’s Lula Lounge. Produced by Thomas McKay, ex of chart-topping rock band Joydrop, this project was recorded old-school, live-off-the-floor to reel-to-reel tape over two days at the otherwise state-of-the-art Revolution Recording.
Christian and a few other members formed the PACT Music Program and has been running it for the past 5 years. It is a free program for at-risk-youth where the kids learn how to play various instruments, learn music theory and performs a song at the end of every session.
Through creative expression, Bridges found a sort of inner freedom he’s since continued to pursue and strive to perpetuate, as a spiritually uplifting singer-songwriter in the Toronto arts scene merging musicianship with social activism. “I want to be real and organic giving a place of comfort openness and happiness through my music,” says Christian.
Alexis Peddie-Jones
Dance Assistant/Admin
Alexis has been a dancer for as long as she can remember. She has a significant amount of experience in Arts programming and working with children.
She has developed her passion for dance by taking classes at Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts, and by attending Rosedale Heights School of the Arts majoring in Dance. She has assisted younger grades, choreographed dance pieces for school shows and is the captain of Rosedale's Dance Company. She has also worked at Centauri Summer Arts Camp in 2019 as a camp counselor, dance/theater program assistant and taught various dance workshops.
Alexis has won 2 dance awards, the Lauren Randolph Award for most improved dancer and the TDSB Black Student Recognition Award for the arts.
Through these experiences, she has learned a lot about herself and others and has come to feel strongly about the role that the Arts can play in people’s lives.