Carolé Martyn ARAD, RTS

Artistic Director & Owner Kirkwood Academy
Director Academy Pre-Professional Program
Director KYDC

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.

Bev Martyn

Bev Martyn BSc, BEd, RAD RTS

Director Academy Pre-Professional Program Academics Coordinator
Senior Faculty Early Beginnings
Senior Faculty Open Division Junior Ballet & Tap
Director KYDC

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.

Bev attended Wellington School in Nanaimo where she was the school Valedictorian, the winner of the Premier’s Award, Governor General’s Award, Shad Valley Enrichment Program, Heart and Stroke Foundation Research Award, and was awarded scholarships to UBC. She earned a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Education from UBC. She spent a year travelling in Asia where she worked with refugee children (in India) and taught ESL (in Nepal and South Korea). She is a qualified member of the Royal Academy of Dance. She is passionate about teaching children, both in school and dance. At Kirkwood she loves to have the opportunity to help children understand dance and find ways to express themselves through it. As well as working with the Day Program Students on Academics, she also works with the General Program on the preparation for dance examinations and festivals. Bev is excited to work with Pre School and Primary students on our program called Early Beginnings.

Christina Langelier

Kirkwood Office and Studio Administrator
KYDC Director (travel)
Registration, finances, scheduling, costuming, festival/competition entries, studio bookings

Christina (aka Stina) has been a part of the Kirkwood team since her daughter Jessica first started dancing. She started volunteering with the original KYDC website and making posters for Nutcracker; this grew into volunteer hours in our consignment room and over the years, started working with Bev and Carolé assisting with schedules and workflow in the studio.

Stina is now our Kirkwood Office Manager & Administrator working with all aspects of the studio (except teaching dance – she leaves that to our amazing faculty).

Bernice Van Dyken RAD RTS

Open Division Ballet
KAPP Ballet, PBT

Bernice van Dyken was born and grew up in South Africa, where she was classically trained in both the Royal Academy of Dance and Cecchetti methods of ballet. She is a registered and certified teacher with the R.A.D., as well as a member of the American Academy of Ballet.

In South Africa she owned a large ballet studio for 15 years, where her students successfully participated in R.A.D exams, American Performance Awards, annual shows and competitive festivals. Bernice also worked as Ballet Mistress for the Johannesburg Youth Ballet for numerous years.

In 2008 Bernice and her daughter moved to Dawson Creek, BC to take up the role as ballet instructor. Here her students also successfully participated in R.A.D Exams, American Performance Awards, Competitions and workshops in BC and Alberta. Numerous ballet students have received scholarships to study at the American Academy of Ballet summer intensives in New York.

Moving to Nanaimo in 2016 and now residing in Parksville, Bernice has continued her teaching career with a strong focus on safety and strength of dancers both adult and youth.

Bernice has instructed adult ballet and Barre Fitness classes throughout her teaching career. Bernice loves to assist dancers, young and mature, grow in their love of dance and in their self esteem and confidence.

Karin Forbes RAD RTS

Open Division Ballet, Tap, Theatre
KAPP Ballet, PBT

At the age of 4, Karin began her training at Kirkwood Academy in New Westminster. She trained intensively in RAD Ballet, CDTA Tap, Jazz and Musical Theatre. She performed for many years locally with Royal City Youth Ballet and Royal City Musical Theatre. After Graduation, Karin spent several years dancing on board Royal Caribbean cruise ships and for many different production companies throughout Canada. Karin was brought back to her ballet roots in Chiang Mai, Thailand where she taught RAD ballet and led company rehearsals and classes for the Chiang Mai Ballet Company. In 2008 Karin became a registered RAD ballet teacher and in 2012 a 200hr certified yoga teacher.

Karin is so excited about this new island adventure and to be sharing her love of dance with a different Kirkwood Academy family.

Jennifer Quibell, ARAD, NBS TTP

KAPP Ballet, Pointe
Open Division Ballet, Pointe

Jennifer Quibell began her dance training at Kirkwood Academy of Performing Arts in Nanaimo studying Ballet(RAD), Jazz, Tap(CDTA) & Modern. During these early years she furthered her training at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Summer School sessions and L’Ecole de Superieure de Danse in Montreal.

Jennifer is a graduate from the 3 year Teacher Training Program at the National Ballet School in Toronto. She obtained her teaching qualifications in both the Royal Academy of Dance and Cecchetti syllabi with Distinction and was a recipient of the Carol Chadwick Award. Jennifer celebrates 25 yrs of teaching in 2022 and has had the pleasure to work with students all over Vancouver Island and Mainland in a variety of dance disciplines and companies’. Throughout her career, Jennifer has had the opportunity to be rehearsal mistress for various youth companies and ballet productions locally and with the Alberta Ballet and Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” productions in Vancouver, Victoria and Nanaimo as the Children’s Rehearsal Mistress and Communications Liaison.

Jennifer’s focus on strong technique accompanied by musicality and performance has enabled many students to follow their passion of dance to study at international schools for Summer Intensives and full-time study in Canada, Europe, USA, Russia and Australia. She encourages students to follow their love for dance in any form while providing nurturing guidance along the way to aspiring performers of the future.

Heather Robertson

Heather Robertson

Open Division Jazz
KAPP Jazz

After training as a young dancer and actor in Vancouver, Heather 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. Recently Heather has completed her Master’s degree of Occupational Therapy from UBC and is looking forward to applying her extensive learning experience and knowledge to her role as dance trainer. 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.

Emma Dewar

Emma Dewar PBT

Open Division Ballet, Jazz, Pointe
KAPP Ballet, Jazz, Pre-pointe

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.

Jessica Langelier

Jessica Langelier BFA (Hons)
PBT, PCT, Acrobatic Arts Certified (AAC1, AAC2 in training), ADAPT certified, Rambert Grades

KAPP Modern & Jazz
Open Division Acro & Tap

Jessica called Kirkwood her second home for over 11 years and loves every genre of dance available to her including ballet, pointe, modern, contemporary, jazz, tap and hiphop. In 2020, she also became the first graduating dancer from KAPP, Kirkwood Academy’s Pre-Professional program. In addition to her Kirkwood dance training, she trained under Geraldine Fuller, Sarah Devito (Helix Dance Theatre), Chantelle Ristine (Nanaimo Contemporary Ballet), and Samantha Mason ( & Katie Deelman, Prism Dance Connections).

Outside of dance, Jessica trained with Andrea Bertram Vocal Studio and Flipside Gymnastics. She has been fortunate to have performed in many musical theatre productions as well including Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Cinderella, Seussical and Nutcracker.

Jess also had the experience of travelling to numerous professional summer schools including the School of Alberta Ballet (2014), Joffrey West LA (2015), Joffrey NYC (2016), the Joffrey San Francisco (2017), Hubbard Street Dance in Chicago, IL (2018), Complexions in LA (2019), Brea Space (2019), Modus Operandi (spring 2020 & 2021, summer 2022), Inverso (2023), and Martha Graham NY (2024). Jess has also toured to California, New York and Florida with the Kirkwood Youth Dance Company (KYDC) enjoying performances in Disneyland, Times Square and Disneyworld.

In June 2018, Jessica was honoured to participate as an Intermediate Modern representative at the Performing Arts Festival in Victoria. In 2020, she was also chosen as a Senior Stage representative for the Performing Arts Festival in Cranbrook.

Jessica has received certification in Progressive Ballet Technique (PBT), Progressive Contemporary Technique (PCT), and is Acrobatic Arts Certified (AAC1 & completing her AAC2). Jessica has just completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts honours at Simon Fraser University where she received an elite entrance scholarship with distinction.

Jessica is elated to be teaching at Kirkwood Academy and to contribute to the studio she grew up in.

Tosh Sutherland

Open Division Tap

Tosh Sutherland is a dancer, performer, and educator based out of British Columbia, Canada. He began his training with Bonnie-Jean Anderson in a local studio in the Lower Mainland and his passion for the dance only grew. He has trained with various instructors from all over North America, most notably attending the prestigious School at Jacob’s Pillow under the direction of Dianne Walker. At 16, Tosh was awarded the bronze medal for male soloists at the World Tap Dance Championships in Riesa, Germany.

Immediately following graduation, Tosh moved to Toronto and within the year, he was performing in the all-tap dance production ‘i Think i Can’ with the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People (now known as Young People’s Theatre). Since then, he has had the privilege of taking his career all over the world. After several contracts at sea as a principal dancer with Princess Cruises, he landed back in British Columbia to begin making waves of his own.

Tosh has worked with many companies in Vancouver and in a variety of art forms. From a lead in a Tap Dance and Flamenco adaptation production of ‘West Side Story’ and ‘Grease’ with Karen Flamenco to the likeable ruffian Tommy in Gateway Theatre’s musical ‘The Music Man’. He also developed and directed a program in Vancouver aimed at helping students transition from their dance studio career to a career as a professional tap dancer and artist focusing on both the art form as well as the administrative side of a life in the Arts.

When not teaching or performing, you can find Tosh in the wildness of British Columbia; most likely with a fishing rod in hand.

Lindsey Larre

Open Division Ballet & Modern
KAPP Ballet, Modern & Conditioning

Lindsey Larre grew up in Sooke, BC, and received her early training in ballet and modern dance under Kristine Letson at The Academy of Ballet in Victoria. A graduate of the School of Toronto Dance Theatre’s Professional Training Program, she has had the great privilege of learning from master teachers and choreographers such as Patricia Miner, Patricia Fraser, Sasha Ivanochko, Darryl Tracy, Peggy Baker, and Helen Jones, and of performing classic repertory by Christopher House, Murray Darroch, and Danny Grossman, among others. After graduating from STDT, Lindsey continued to work and study in Toronto, where she was a founding member of the Crazyfish Collective, and performed in original works by choreographers such as Sylvain Émard, Sasha Ivanochko, David Kraft, and Michael Caldwell. Her own choreography (created under the moniker Mercenary Dance Theatre) has been presented in Toronto, Victoria, and Durham, NC, and was praised as “rich and deep. . .movement that speaks volumes through its images” (Paula Citron, The Globe and Mail) and “extraordinarily choreographed . . . particularly virtuosic pieces of sustained, intricate, emotionally charged choreography” (Eye Weekly). Lindsey holds a PhD in English Literature from Duke University, and has many years’ experience teaching ballet and modern dance to students of all ages. She is grateful to once again be able to call Vancouver Island home, and honoured to be welcomed as part of the Kirkwood family.

Jillian McBride-Norman

Open Division Ballet & Modern
KAPP Ballet, Modern & Conditioning
Adult Ballet & Lyrical

Jillian began her early training at the Goh Ballet, Arts Umbrella and Pacific Dance Arts in Vancouver, B.C. She toured with dance companies and theatre companies throughout the lower mainland which ignited her passion for performing at a young age. She attended Capilano College for Opera and Musical Theatre, and finished at the University of British Columbia in Women and Gender studies. More recently, as a returning adult, she has studied at the Scotiabank Dance Centre, Ballet Lounge, and Harbour Dance Centre in Vancouver, B.C.

Jillian is a 500hr certified yoga teacher and an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer. She has also completed her teacher training in Progressing Ballet Technique.

Jillian loves sharing the joy of dance with people of all ages and abilities. She is most passionate about adult dancers learning pointe. Her classes are informative, educational, and most of all fun! Come and find the joy of dancing again!