Lori Hall Brown - Artistic Director
Lori had been dancing, teaching and choreographing for thirteen years before starting Can Dance Academy nineteen years ago. As well as producing and directing the recital each year she teaches classes in ballet, jazz, modern, acro and musical theatre. She is a graduate of Ryerson Theatre School in dance as well as a member of the R.A.D., I.S.T.D. and C.D.T.A. She has entered students successfully in all exam levels, primary to advanced, in C.D.T.A. Lori has won many choreography and performance awards in both competitions and community theatre and has adjudicated at competitions.
Lori's goal is to achieve balance as a mother, wife, teacher and choreographer. Her philosophy in running Can Dance Academy is similar. She feels it is important that each dancer feels special as well as learning at their own level. Competition is a pleasure and an opportunity to get better. It should never be at the expense of a balanced life.
To this end Lori has received numerous awards for giving the most students the opportunity to compete.
Shawn Bracke - Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Lyrical / Contemporary
Shawn Bracke's career has taken him all over the world. He trained in Edmonton, Alberta and graduated from Victoria School for the Performing Arts. After graduating he moved to Vancouver to dance with The Source Dance Co. Following the season he worked with Royal Caribbean Int. for 3 contracts, the final being with C5 Productions in an all aerial show. After the completion of RCCL contracts, he moved to London, UK where he's been living for the past two years working as a dancer and choreographer with such brands as: BBC, ABC, Converse, Hot Chip, HP/Intel. Shawn gains teaching/choreography credits in Canada, U.S.A., Mexico, the Caribbean, the UK, Paris, Italy and the Netherlands. Shawn currently resides in Toronto, Canada"
Laura Furtado - Hip Hop, Lyrical/Contemporary, Company
Laura Furtado, a successful international Dancer, Instructor, Choreographer and Presenter, is the Founder and Owner of DivaGirl. With over 24 years of experience in the dance and fitness realms, she has made a presence across North America and Europe, including Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Ukraine and Portugal. Laura has been titled Canada’s Top Young Entrepreneur of 2010, one of Canada’s Top 25 Young Entrepreneurs of 2009, Nominee for the Arts Entrepreneur of the Year, Nominee for the Emerging Performing Artist of the Year, Lululemon Ambassador and Diva-Preneur. She is also the Co-Founder Women in Dance, a creative showcase featuring the top female Dancers and Choreographers in Toronto; she produced the show for three years. She sits on the committee for the National Ballet of Canada's Young Professional Group, Turnout, and is on the Board of Directors for the Dance For Life Foundation, a non profit organization that believes that dance can be used to bring global communities together to support and assist individuals in need. She is also an active mentor in Toronto for young entrepreneurs. Her teachings and dance styles have been featured in media outlets including CBC, Much Music, The Slice Network, Global TV, Cosmo TV, Omni TV, Daytime TV, Toronto Life, Toronto Star, CHUM FM, CHIN Radio, The Toronto Star, The National Post, Toronto Life Magazine, The Mississauga News, The Sheridan Sun & SNAP Newspaper.
Erin Hyde – Music Theatre Vocal Coach
Erin has been singing and performing for over 20 years. A classically trained singer, Erin has performed in Canada, Ireland, Holland and Italy in various professional choirs and musical groups. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from York University in 2002 with a focus in vocal performance.
Erin has been teaching grade 7 and 8 for the past seven years with the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board. She writes and directs musicals at her school.
Though she teaches by day, Erin performs in musicals throughout the GTA. Most recent credits include Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof (Theatre Unlimited), Eve in Ruthless (Encore Entertainment), the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Maureen in RENT (Brampton Music Theatre).
Erin loves to perform and is passionate about teaching. Her philosophy is that every child deserves a place to shine and strives to provide opportunities for young people to find and pursue their artistic dreams.
Lorraine Johns - Tap, Ballet, Lyrical/Contemporary, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Company
Lorraine began her dancing career at the young age of three. She studied in the disciplines of tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, hip-hop and modern and attended competitions on a national level. While dancing with Joanne Chapman School of Dance she received her Associate Member of the British Association of Teachers of Dancing and examined in ballet with the Royal Academy of Dance.
Alongside her competitive training, Lorraine also majored in dance at Mayfield Secondary School and currently holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Guelph.
Lorraine has been inspiring her students through her passion for dance over the past ten years. Her routines have claimed numerous special and overall awards at competitions throughout the GTA. In addition to choreographing competitive routines, Lorraine has also taught workshops and done choreography for parades and other events.
Lorraine is excited to have the opportunity to teach and share her passion for dance with the students at Can Dance Academy.
Agata Mirosz - Ballet, Modern, Pointe, Jazz Technique
Agata received most of her training while she lived in Poland. At the age of seven she joined the professional ballet institution National Ballet School of Poland. Agata attended this school for seven consecutive years receiving the best training in her country. She was honored to continue her training when she was invited to join the elite program with the Qunite Ballet School of Canada. Throughout her career Ms Mirosz has performed with several different ballet companies in Poland as well as Canada such as National Ballet of Poland, Ontario ballet theatre, OmO, DNA Theatre and many more. Her repertoire includes many famous ballets such as, Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadere and the Nutcracker. Agata had the privilege to perform for Pope John Paul II, president of Poland & First Lady and Princess Mathilde of Belgium to just name a few. Beside performing on stage Ms. Mirosz has also appeared on TV and Radio. Taking part in numerous television shows, music videos for Our Lady Peace, Hillary Duff and short movie “End of silence” along with dancers from American Ballet Theatre and National Ballet. For the past few years Agata has been an instructor throughout Ontario.
She enjoys her time instructing as much as she loves to dance and perform! Her passion for dance inspires all of her students to find their passion within and make their dancing dreams come true!
Vina Morland - Pilates
Vina has lived and worked internationally in over six countries and cultures, on four continents across Europe, Middle East, Africa and North America. Over the past twelve years, Vina developed a keen personal interest in health, fitness and body conditioning. In 2008 she completed her two-year training and certification as a Pilates Instructor and an Integrated Movement Therapist from Second Wind Pilates Plus Studio in Port Credit, Ontario. She also started practicing Yoga many years before at Ashrams in Pune, India and also in the Laurentians, Quebec. Besides feeling the enormous benefits of Yoga herself, she is passionate to also teach others. Therefore in 2009 Vina completed her Fitness Yoga Teacher Training (Module 1) and Anatomy & Physiology at Maureen Rae’s Yoga Studio in Toronto, Ontario.
As both Pilates and Yoga complement each other in so many aspects including the mind/body connection, Vina feels that it all flows together. She teaches with pride and pleasure. Connecting with her clients, giving and getting inspiration from them, is of the utmost importance to her.
She believes that feeling fit and strong as we age brings a certain confidence that everyone who works hard should be entitled to; Joseph Pilates was known to have said, “Physical fitness can neither be achieved by wishful thinking nor outright purchase”.
Ashley Wong-Ribeiro - Lyrical Jazz and Hip Hop
Ashley has been dancing since the age of 3 and dancing competitively since the age of 9 in ballet, pointe, jazz, hip hop, modern, lyrical/contemporary, and musical theatre. She has played leading roles in her studio’s year-end productions. She has completed the Cecchetti Society of Canada exams up to Intermediate with extensive knowledge and training in Advanced 1 and Advanced 2. Ashley has graduated from Cawthra Park Secondary School with a Regional Arts certificate, where she majored in dance. During her time at Cawthra, she has been a cast member for multiple musicals, choirs, as well as a member and leader of the “Mosaix” dance team.
Alongside performing in studio and high school productions, she has performed at the FIFA Under 20 Opening Ceremony. She has been studying Criminal Justice at the University of Guelph where she is also a member of the University of Guelph Gryphons Dance Pak. She teaches preschool and dance classes/camps for the City of Mississauga.
Ashley has had a passion for dancing and performing ever since she was a toddler. Teaching is a big part of her life and she enjoys every minute of it; seeing the growth from the first time a child steps foot into a dance class to the final class of the year continues to inspire her.