Abby Crawford has been studying dance since the age of three. She has trained in all genres including ballet, jazz, hip hop, contemporary and acro but has won numerous awards for Tap. She has had the opportunity to study with many talented artists including Diane Walker, Travis Knights, Ryan Foley, David Cox, Jonathan Morin, and Andrew Prashad, among many others. Abby has performed with The Tap Dance Centre, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Risa Productions and in several independent music videos. Abby has also danced in two professional shows as a part of the Rhythm and Sound cast in their productions “Illumination” and “A Night Out” working alongside many professional tap dancers and choreographers. She has won recognition and numerous scholarships for her Tap and choreography including the Canadian Scholarship Winner to the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, The Eastern Canadian Tap Conference, CDX, and 24/7 among others. Abby is currently studying at the university of Guelph while dancing on their varsity dance team. Abby is always seeking to further her knowledge by attending workshops and intensives such as the Toronto Rhythm Initiative Pre-Professional Tap Intensive and is passionate about sharing her knowledge with her students!

Faith Jade is an up and coming dancer and choreographer from Whitby, Ontario. She has completed a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in Dance and is currently completing her B.Ed (Bachelor of Education) at York University. Faith is the former co-director and choreographer of York University’s hip hop team, IE Crew. She led the team to their 2019/2020 victories at The Academy (2019), BYOB (2019), and OUCH (2020). She has also showcased her work in HER Creative 2020 as well as The Kindred Culture Awards in 2019. Faith Buchanan is currently training with Boss Dance Company working closely with Leah Totten as Junior Programming Assistant.

Faith is working to create her own brand as a hip-hop dance educator for children across the GTA, working with various dance studios and high school dance programs. She teaches drop-in classes across the GTA including a recent charity workshop at Kindred Culture in Mississauga.

While continuing to advance her career as an arts educator, she simultaneously continues to pursue her passion as a dancer within the Toronto dance industry. Faith continues to expand her movement repertoire by learning from esteemed choreographers across the globe.

Heather Stewart is an accomplished dancer, performer and choreographer. She grew up training in Whitby in a variety of genres, participated in the competitive dance world and was a choreographer and featured performer with the Sinclair Dance Company. In 2014, Heather moved to Toronto where she became heavily involved in the Heels Dance community. By 2015 she became a member of the Hot in Heels Dance Company, directed by Angela Mahoney-Jones.

Working in creative environments has made Heather value how dance gives people the opportunity to connect with themselves and improve their overall well-being.

Currently, Heather is completing her Masters of Teaching at the University of Toronto, with research focused on how arts education can improve the social-emotional development in children and leads the Hip Hop and Contemporary programs at Jennifer’s Arts in Motion.

Josh Taylor is a Hamilton-based dancer, choreographer and artist-educator, and is the owner and artistic director of Defining Movement Dance, a hip-hop and street dance-focused studio. In his artistic practice, Josh pulls his influences predominately from his hip-hop and street dance roots and training, but also uses elements of contemporary and Latin dance. He incorporates strong narratives and themes in his choreography and performances, exploring hip-hop and pop culture, and sociopolitical and social justice issues.

Josh was the 2020 recipient of the Hamilton Arts Award for Dance and Performing Arts and was the 2015 recipient of the John C. Holland, Jackie Washington Award for Arts Excellence. Josh is also a hip-hop instructor at Burlington Dance Academy, a movement coach and mentor for Hamilton Youth Poets, and a consultant at Industry theatre and media company.

Instagram: @josh.g.taylor @steecityDMD

Julia began her journey in the performing arts at age 2 at her local dance studio in Whitby, Ontario and has been hooked ever since. She has studied multiple different genres of dance such as tap, ballet, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, modern, acro, musical theatre, song and dance, and partnering. Julia has also trained in both classical and pop vocal techniques.

Upon getting more heavily involved in the tap dance community, she has had the opportunity to train and perform numerous times with Toronto Rhythm Initiative, the Tap Dance Centre, the Canadian National Tap Team, Rhythm & Sound Productions, as well as study with NYC based tap master, Heather Cornell. Her most recent credit includes participating in the Toronto International Tap Dance Festival’s tap dance residency under the direction of Allison Toffan, Tanya Knights and Broadway choreographer, Ted Louis Levy, where she had the opportunity to work with the Toronto Jazz Orchestra. She has performed alongside some of Ontario’s best tap dancers as part of new work, commissioned by Allison Toffan, in the Toronto Dusk Dances Festival. Working with live music is something near and dear to her heart since she believes it utilizes more than just dance skills, including improvisation, music theory and musicianship.

More recently, Julia has expanded her love of the arts into the musical theatre realm. Her high school theatre shows exposed her to this new area of performance and allowed her to perform, choregraph and direct by her senior year. She is currently attending Sheridan College for the Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance Degree, with a specialization in Commercial Performance, where she studies everything from dancing, acting and singing, to music theory, ear training and clown.

Julia loves to participate and learn about all different types of artistic expression and looks forward to continuing this trend when she graduates. She is passionate about teaching students of all ages and abilities and continues to reach them through her constant encouragement and enthusiasm about the performing arts.

Katelyn started dancing because she wanted to be just like her big sister. Little did she know that it would become a massive part of her life.

Katelyn grew up in Whitby, Ontario and trained at Hoofer’s Performing Arts in all genres. She trained under the ADAPT syllabus, and proudly achieved her Advanced 2 in RAD ballet. She is an Honours Graduate of Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts where she trained in singing, acting & dancing.

She is passionate about keeping a positive mindset, and a healthy environment in the studio/ professional world. She is currently studying positive psychology and working towards her Positive Psychology Practitioner Certification.

Katelyn has been working professionally since she was 8 years old. She appeared in multiple national commercials & print ads. She danced for the Junior Raptor’s Dance Pak & appeared in the Toronto production of “The Wizard of Oz.”

Katelyn had an audition post graduation that changed her life forever. She auditioned for Disney Cruise Line in Toronto, and has gone on to have an almost ten year career with the company. Katelyn completed 4 contracts onboard the ships. She performed two as a Mainstage dancer, and two as a swing/ dance captain. She was a two-time recipient of the Mainstage Performer of the Year award. During her time onboard Katelyn was able to choreograph opening/ closing numbers for the Crew Awards, which opened the doors for her to find her true passion.

After her fourth contract Katelyn transitioned to the other side of the creative process. She was able to choreograph, and teach the auditions for Disney Cruise Line & Shanghai Disney. She then was brought on as a part of the creative team as a Dance Supervisor for Disney Cruise Line’s rehearsal facility in Toronto. Katelyn teaches the choreography for the shows in the Walt Disney Theatre & ship wide. She was thrilled to be a part of the opening team for the Disney Wonder’s Dreams Refresh. She also was given the opportunity to choreograph the new opening number for Marvel Day at Sea. She is a very proud employee of the company.

Outside of Disney Katelyn is the resident choreographer for Virtual Venue Theatricals. She has choreographed “Heathers”, “Peace, Love & Cupcakes,” “VVT Christmas” and “VVT Benefit Concert.”

Katelyn also has worked with Opus Dance Collective (World Of Dance) as their theatrical coach for their shows Introduction & Foreword.

She teaches and guest choreographs for many dance studios. She cannot imagine her life without dance!

At the age of 6 Madison Williams or better known as MadMovement, started her journey as the powerful performer she is today. Madison began her training at Durham Dance Centre in Pickering focusing on Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Hip-Hop and Contemporary. She credits her amazing teachers for her strong technique, athleticism and most importantly performance skills. DDC as well as Lindsay Daniels, during her time with the Sinclair SS Dance program, inspired her to be the strong, captivating performer she is today.

During her competitive years, both high school and university, Madison won many special awards among all her competitors. This includes scholarships to train at Broadway Dance Centre (NYC), regional titles awards at competitions and conventions and many more. After various accomplishments, Madison moved on to the professional world at the age of 18 while attending the University of Guelph, studying Psychology and Marketing Management and dancing for the Gryphons Dance Pak team.

Madison also works in film and television. She starred as the principal dancer in 5Gum’s “You’re On in 5” choreographed by Luther Brown, has been featured as an actress/dancer on Netflix Series, Lifetime movies, and OUTtv (USA) to name a few.

Madison’s truest love is performing but in the past few years has also found a love for teaching. MadMovement currently teaches at many dance studios across the GTA, does Hip-Hop drop-in classes for The Movement Project and would like to expand MadMovement to Toronto studios. She teaches and choreographs not only in hip-hop but also strength and conditioning classes, lyrical, contemporary, and jazz classes.

Madison will continue to work hard towards her goals while sharing her love for dance, performance, and teaching among her students and peers.

“You Can’t Be What You Can’t See” — Marian Wright Edelman

Renee Smith is an Ontario-based artist. At a very young age, she quickly developed an interest in movement detail, versatility, and how the expression of dance is a unique and personal expression. Renee trains and teaches in various styles such as Contemporary, Modern, Ballet, Jazz, Acro, Tap, and Hip hop. She has received numerous awards, scholarships, and performance opportunities in both commercial and theatre settings in NYC, Toronto, in gala performances, on television, and within film industry. Renee has performed in the Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival, New Blue Emerging Dance, Choreographers Ball, CRAM, Dance Ontario, and in “A Gathering,” a 2020 Fall for Dance North commission created by Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Meir Schraiber. She has interpreted stage works by Kelly Shaw and Alysa Pires, and has performed the repertoire of David Earle’s “Sacred Garden.”

Ms. Smith is studying at Ryerson University’s School of Performance. She is completing her studies with a BFA in Dance Performance.

Striving for new heights, Renee has pushed herself to become as versatile and outgoing in her training as possible. She implements goals as a performer and as a teacher and creator. She has made works for Ryerson’s Dance Pak, and for the competitive dance industry. Her choreographic body includes: “in a constant state of…”, “I’ll be your Anchor,” a collaborative work with Kaylee Cacciotti titled, “BODY” and “Merging Endurance” made with Sofia Ontiveros. Renee has showcased her creative work at the National Ballet of Canada for “Outside Looking In.”

Renee is committed to sharing her craft, believing that it will lead to an opportunity for growth and inspiration. As a teacher and choreographer, she is dedicated to positive practice and challenges dancers to step outside of their comfort zone to receive new information that will carry into their own artistry. She continues to explore and translate new ways of moving in her performance and choreographic practice while sharing her passion and knowledge with others.

As an emerging dancer, choreographer and instructor, Shakeil is proud to call Toronto his home. Starting dance late at the age of seventeen, he mainly trained in urban styles and later was influenced to train in modern, ballet, contemporary and jazz techniques. As a graduate from the School of Toronto Dance Theatre, Shakeil has developed his experience through working with artists such as Allen and Karen Kaeja (Kaeja d’Dance), Draico (Step Up Franchise), Hollywood Jade (Jully Black Entertainment), Julie Pérron (Cirque du Soleil) and Debra Brown (Cirque du Soleil). Shakeil has also been been forutnate enough to work within the Afro-Contemporary Diaspora with Esie Mensah (Esie Mensah Dance) and Lua Sheyenne (Lua Sheyenne Dance Company). After years of independent and company work, he’s grateful to have ventured into the world of Musical theatre, finishing a contract at The Grand Theatre performing in Disney’s Mary Poppins. Most recently Shakeil has been working with Emilio Dosal (In the Heights) and Ebony Williams (Beyoncé) on a new Disney+ project. His love for dance extends beyond performing seeing that he’s one of Theatre Passe Muraille’s 2020 BUZZ residency creators and BCurrent’s 2020 resident artist. Check him out at shakeilrollock.com.