Kristi Christian - Middle Eastern Dance:

Kristi has been dancing most of her life and studied tap, modern, jazz and mainly ballet. Later, Kristi studied dance with Susan Paisley in Salmon Arm.  After graduating from high school, Kristi ventured off to Grant MacEwan College and received her diploma in modern dance in 1998.  While in Edmonton, Kristi discovered the beautiful artform of Middle Eastern Dance.  After college, Kristi moved back to the Okanagan and started dancing with the Desert Moon Dancers in Vernon. - performing in numerous venues throughout the region.  In 2000 Kristi started her own dance studio in Enderby called Little Goddess Danceworks offering creative movement for children and belly dance to youth and adults.  Kristi has been busy the past number of years raising her family, and is now ready to beg back to teaching to share her love of the ancient and beautiful art of Middle Eastern Dance.

Laurisa Defehr - Jazz and Tap Teacher:

Laurisa began her 8  years of RAD ballet training at the Judy Hunter School of Dance in Kamloops at the age of 5.  She started tap and jazz at the age of 7 and continued these in Kelowna at the Robb Card School of Dance until 1986.  Laurisa has danced on stage in numerous performances for dance recitals, festivals and theatre productions in Kamloops and Kelowna, and won awards in both tap and jazz at the festival level.  She has taught and choreographed both tap and jazz at the Okanagan College and for theatre productions in Kelowna.  Recently moving to Armstrong she is thrilled to be associated with the Susan Paisley School of Dance. 

Carole McMillan - Jazz and Tap Teacher:

Carole was born and raised in Saskatoon Saskatchewan.  After graduating from high school, Carole moved to Edmonton and successfully completed her dance teachers degree at Grant MacEwan College.  She continued her dance training, and became a certified ADAPT teacher (Associated Dance Arts for  Professional Teachers and is fully qualified to enter students into tap and jazz examinations.  Carole has over 20 years teaching experience in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical and musical theatre, and is looking forward to teaching your children!

Nadine Tataryn - Adult Jazz:

Nadine recently moved from Kelowna to Armstrong with her husband and 3 children.  Nadine has a background in dance, gymnastics, acrobatics and musical theatre.  She has taught in reputable dance and gymnastic studios such as Robb Card Dance Studio in Kelowna, Canadian Union College in Alberta, Okanagan Gymnastics Club in Kelowna and Lake Country School of Dance in Winfield. 

Fiona Vandergucht - Highland Teacher:

Fiona started ballet lessons with the Susan Paisley School of Dance in Salmon Arm when she was four years old. At eight she started highland dancing and soon afterwards began highland dancing competitively throughout British Columbia, Alberta and Washington State. She was 3rd runner-up in the BC Closed Provincial Championship in 2001, 4th runner-up at the BC Open Championship in 2002, and 3rd runner-up at the Calgary Chinook Open Championship in 2003. In addition to winning numerous trophies throughout her ten year competitive dance career, Fiona has completed all of her highland exams and is a certified Associate highland dance teacher with the Scottish Dance Teachers Alliance. Fiona looks forward to teaching dance and hopes to nurture in her students a love and appreciation for the joy and fulfillment that dance instills.