Carolé Martyn was a member of CAPAB and PACT Ballet Companies in South Africa where she performed corps de ballet and solo roles in many of the classical ballets. Some of her favourite roles were Poll in Pineapple Poll, an Ugly Sister in Cinderella and one of the four Cygnets in Swan Lake.

Miss Carolé has been teaching for the past 33 years, entering thousands of students for exams, mentoring young dance teachers and being well respected in the dance world as a professional, talented and generous person.

She is thrilled to have the chance to one day pass on her legacy to her daughter and her granddaughters.

Being Carolé and Lindsay’s daughter, dance has always been a part of Bev’s life. As a young child she played around the dance studio, just as her own daughters do now. She helped in class, was always at the round table for production discussions, was a peer helper and then began teaching at the studio at an early age. Not only has she danced in every production by Kirkwood but she has also been involved in the planning, design and painting of scenery, costume design, creation of posters, T shirts and programs, stage management, scheduling and administration as well as the rehearsal process and the performances.

As Director of KYDC she has successfully taken dancers to perform in Disneyland and New York and is planning a trip to Disneyworld in December. She also encourages dancers to give back to the community by taking them to dance at Senior Citizen’s Homes, and has decorated floats and rehearsed our dancers for Parades, Empire Day Teas, Bathtub Days, Musical Evenings and other Fundraisers.

Chantelle completed her formative ballet training in Calgary, Alberta, under the guidance of respected classical educators such as, Tara Silvaggio ( Alberta Ballet School & RWB ), Elaine Werner Hutchison ( former teacher with the RWB ), and ballet master Brian MacDonald ( former Artistic Director, Royal Swedish Ballet). As a dancer, she was awarded various scholarships, such as, the ‘Most Promising Artist’ scholarship from the Wild Rose Dance Arts Association, ‘ Outstanding Classical Dancer’ from Expressions the Dance Gallery, and ‘Recognition of Excellence’ from the Mayor of Calgary.

Before locating to Vancouver Island in 2006, Ms. Norris was ballet Director of “Expressions the Dance Gallery” in Strathmore, AB. There she began her CBTS with the Royal Academy of Dance under the detailed guidance of Umran Sumen, former leading soloist with The National Ballet Company of Turkey. In 2006 she was awarded Associate of the Royal Academy of Dance, then continuing on to obtain her Associate Diploma of the Imperial Society of Teacher’s of Dancing under Lorraine Blake ( FISTD/Examiner). Chantelle had the privilege of travelling to Chichester, England in 2009, 2011, and 2019 to obtain direct mentorship from ISTD syllabi creators Lyn Richardson( ISTD Senior Examiner ) and Teresa Theodoulou ( Vice Chair of the ISTD Modern Committe). She has recently obtained her Intermediate and Advanced 1 Cecchetti examinations, as well as her Progressing Ballet Technique certification(2017), and completed the ISTD Contemporary syllabus course(2019).

Over her 12 years on Vancouver Island, Chantelle’s creative, award winning choreography and classical knowledge has gained her respect in the community, classroom and on the stage. Many of her students have gone on to dance full time with prestigious ballet schools such as the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada, and have received coveted top placements at international ballet competitions such as, the Youth American Grand Prix. She is currently Artistic Director of the Kirkwood Academy Pre-Professional Program, and owner of both Nanaimo Contemporary Ballet, and Shoreline Dance Academy.

Sarah was raised on a farm in northern Alberta. In true Canadian fashion her very first dance class took place above the local curling rink. She was fortunate to have parents who drove her to the city to take ballet lessons, to train under a teacher from the School of Alberta Ballet, and to spend her summers dancing at The Banff Centre. Though her first love was for ballet, her interest in modern and contemporary dance led her to pursue her education. Sarah earned a diploma in modern dance from Grant MacEwan as well as a BFA from Simon Fraser University. She is also a registered teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance. Sarah has been teaching ballet and modern for over ten years in several schools on Vancouver Island. Many of her students have been accepted into professional schools (RWB, NBS, Arts Umbrella) and have gone on to careers in dance. Currently, Sarah is in her fifth season at Parksville Ballet School, and her second season at Kirkwood Academy. She loves the daily rewards that teaching brings as well as the opportunity to create work that is both challenging and accessible for students of all ages.

Mike is an international dance teacher and choreographer, well known for his innovative choreography, and strong technical background.

As a dancer Mike has worked in many aspects of the dance industry including television such as being a dancer on ABC’s “Kyle XY” and commercials for the Sci-Fi channels “Eureka” and Virgin Mobiles “Random Acts of Love”. Industrials such as the “MARNA Convention”, “Envy My Music” and “Disco Fever” put on for Electronic Arts. Mike has also enjoyed working on cruise ships, he was a dancer for Royal Caribbean International, and a dance captain for Celebrity Cruise Lines.

As a Teacher Mike is extremely dedicated to constant growth and learning. He has spent time studying Exercise Science, Anatomy and Bio-Mechanics, learning a great deal about improving body alignment and posture. Combining this information with his constantly growing knowledge of dance technique, he has created his own unique methods for training dancers in a more efficient and effective way. As a Choreographer Mike has worked all across Canada and Australia, recently Mike has returned from Australia where he had the pleasure of working with Sydney Dance Company Studios, as well as ED5 International. He was also selected to be a contributing choreographer for the Australian Dance Association’s update of their Contemporary syllabus, and his work is now taught throughout Australia.

Mike views artistry as being one of the core values of dance, he is constantly encouraging dancers to find their own voice and let out their inner artist. As a Teacher and Director, Mike draws on his knowledge and experience, bringing much information about the professional world into his classes. His goal is to create dancers with the perfect balance between artistry, athleticism, and technique while giving them the tools they need to succeed no matter what path they choose.

Heather has trained extensively in dance for over thirty years. Originally from Vancouver, she trained in Los Angeles at different facilities, including Edge performing Arts Center and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Heather also performed with Nike’s hip hop dance troupe at Universal Studios and numerous movie premieres. In Thailand she performed for Telefilms International. Heather has danced for MAC cosmetics, toured Canada twice with Warner Canada, performed for X ‐Box in Toronto, and choreographed and performed in numerous local music videos, productions, and fashion shows. She also worked as a feature dancer on the feature film “White Chicks”. Her acting career has included roles in “Josie and the Pussycats”, the Touchstone pilot “Just a Phase”, Toyota national commercial, “Jake 2.0″ and “John Doe” as well as independent feature film and commercial work. Heather’s extensive teaching experience has given her the opportunity to choreograph a wide variety of dance styles. Her involvement in the world of competitive dance has spanned her entire career and she continues to enjoy the learning experiences that each dancer offers.

Cassandra Naud is a professional dancer and public figure born and raised in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. She attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Theater.

Credits include Nickelodeon’s movie Rags starring Keke Palmer, a Saturday Night Football promo collaboration between ESPN and Maroon 5, and is also a featured soloist in Leona Lewis’ music video Fire which stars top male supermodel Shaun Ross. She has worked with renowned director Kenny Ortega in the television series Bandolero as well as Disney’s Descendants 2 and 3 (Tony Testa & Jamal Sims). Other credits include The Magicians choreography by Paul Becker, and The Flash under the choreography of Zach Woodley and Kelly Konno.

Stage credits include four times at the prestigious Choreographers Carnival at the Avalon Theater in Hollywood, including a flash mob for rap artist Missy Elliot, and Canadian tour dates with Illustrative Society dance company. She also made her acting debut in a recurring role in Netflix’s Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, to be aired in 2018.

Cassandra is also a dance educator, mentor and public speaker. She has taught all over California and Canada, including the renowned Harbour Dance Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2016 she was asked to speak at the TEDX University Of Piraeus conference in Greece, where we spoke about embracing uniqueness. She wishes to continue her journey as an artist and is excited for what’s to come.

Bio coming soon

Emma began her dance training at the age of four at Kirkwood Academy of Performing Arts where she trained in ballet, modern, contemporary and jazz for 12 years under Artistic Director, Carole Martyn. She had the pleasure of attending summer intensives inclusive of Boston Ballet School, Arts Umbrella and Pro Arte Summer programs. During the last two years at Kirkwood, she also traveled to Vancouver on weekends to train. Emma’s love for classical ballet moved her to Vancouver in 2015 to train full time at Pro Arte Centre in the Professional Training Program under Artistic Director, Astrid Sherman and the many talented faculty members Beverley Bagg, Tania Brossoit, Stephana Arnold, Kim Dixon and Alicia Bruce. While at Pro Arte Centre, Emma was a company member of the Catching Art Contemporary Ballet Theatre where she was privileged to work with artists such as Candice Michelle Franklin (Joffrey Ballet), Andrea Pena (Andrea Pena and Artists Company), Rachael Poirier (Poirier Productions Dance Studio) and Andrea Downie.

Emma also had the opportunity to be part of many performances and productions both at Kirkwood and Pro Arte Centre. She danced the role of Clara in Kirkwood’s 2012 production of The Nutcracker, Swanhilda in Kirkwood’s 2014 production of Coppelia, and was soloist in La Jardin Anime from Act Three, La Corsaire with Pro Arte Centre. Emma was the classical ballet winner at Vienna International Ballet Experience Competition 2017. Emma received Distinction in graded and vocational RAD exams and in ISTD Ballet Intermediate and Advanced exams.
Emma recently received Progressive Ballet Technique certification.

Emma is excited to be part of Kirkwood’s faculty for 2018-2019 season.