Faculty
All of our instructors are qualified and highly skilled at their craft. They are trained to provide safe and structured classes to students of all ages. We at WAPA understand that no two bodies are alike and will work with each individual to create beautiful technique and artistry.
“Miss Dana is a wonderful teacher - encouraging, patient, fair yet disciplined, holding her students to high standards because she knows that they can achieve them. Miss Dana takes a balanced approach of both pushing her students to where she knows they can go - which she intuitively senses - and supporting them until they can go where they are not yet ready. I know that my daughters are not only getting an excellent teacher of dance but also, and perhaps more importantly, someone who is helping them to develop as people as well as dancers”
- Catherine Poole, parent
Dana Fry
Royal Academy of Dance Global Ballet Examiner, ARAD RTS, AISTD Dip, Dip in Dance Ed.
Owner, Artistic Director, Instructor
Specializations
RAD Ballet Vocational and Solo Seal
ISTD Modern
Progressing Ballet Technique
Dana is the mom to a spunky daughter and is born and raised here in Victoria. With over 20 years of dance teaching and studio directing, she has come to understand the most important aspects of dance training: care, confidence and consistency.
While dance training (ballet in particular) used to be overbearing and hard on the body, Dana has transformed all of the current knowledge about body mechanics and success psychology to create a safe, positive environment where dancers can grow to professional levels with care and respect.
Dana dreamed of being an examiner all her life, and her dreams came true in December 2017 when she was invited to complete training to become a Royal Academy of Dance Global Ballet examiner (one of only 200 in the world). Daily she shares her wealth of knowledge with her students.
Dana has directed WAPA from 2004 (it’s founding year) until 2007 when she purchased the business, making WAPA a name to remember within the dance community. Her students have gone on to SEAD Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance, the National Ballet Teacher training program, Modus post grad modern program, RAD certificate in ballet teaching studies, RAD BA Honours in Ballet, physiotherapy masters, medical school and law school. With high expectations, individual approach and a positive manner she is able to get the best out of each dancer she works with.
in 2015 Dana founded Convergence Contemporary Ballet Company, Victoria’s premier contemporary ballet company. By connecting her love of teaching with her desire to see more professional dance in Victoria, Convergence provides a perfect stepping stone for her pre-professional dancers to launch their careers.
As a young dancer Dana trained in RAD Ballet, ISTD Modern, Jazz, Tap, Flamenco, Voice and Drama here in Victoria BC Canada at Sinclair Academy of Performing Arts until the age of 18. After graduating high school she moved to Vancouver and danced with the Goh Ballet Youth Company training for RAD Advanced 2 and Solo Seal with accomplished RAD examiner Lynette Kelley. Dana danced in the Nutcracker for 7 consecutive years (one of which she danced the role of Clara), in the musical Carousel with the Victoria Operatic Society and competed at the BC Performing Arts Festival 6 consecutive years for Ballet and Stage.
Dana’s dedication to each individual process and goals makes her an amazing instructor for all dancers.
Gina Sinclair Davis
ARAD RTS, BBO, AISTD, Adjudicator
Specializations
RAD Ballet
Open Ballet Classes
Teaching qualifications include:
Royal Academy of Dance Associate (Advanced Certificate), Registered Teacher Status, Life Member and CBTS Mentor.
BBODance Registered Teacher Status in Ballet, Modern, and Musical Theatre.
Canadian Dance Teachers Association Registered Teacher Status with Licentiate in Ballet, Modern and Multicultural Dance.
Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. Associate in Ballet, Modern and National.
Gina is also a registered member of Healthy Dancer Canada, and BC Dance Educators' Association for Dance Professionals and is also an Adjudicator at dance competitions in all dance styles.
Gina Sinclair Davis is a Ballet and Dance Major graduate of Arts Educational college in London, UK which at that time fed into the London Festival Ballet Company which is now called English National Ballet.
She grew up not far from London attending a stage school from the age of 7, and first performed professionally in a London UK west-end show at the tender age of 8 years old.
Gina later danced in professional shows as well as ballet and modern dance companies both in the UK and in Canada.
She is also a Guest Master Teacher working in both University and studio settings in Mexico, UK, Europe, Canada, and USA.
Studio director and proud owner of Sinclair Academy of Performing Arts for over 20 years, Gina also spent many years as a Rehearsal Assistant for Russian, American, and Canadian ballet companies teaching roles for Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Cinderella and The Nutcracker.
Gina was named as one of the world’s 17 finest and most respected master ballet teachers by Dean Speer in his book ‘On Technique’.
With such a huge love and passion for ballet and the performing arts Gina enjoys every moment in the studio, backstage, at the side of the stage, in the audience or even on-stage dancing in mature character roles. She feels blessed both to have had such a wonderful lifelong career and to still be learning and sharing.
Olivia Widenmaier
Acrobatic Arts Certification
Specializations
Acrobatics
Youth Dance Classes
Olivia Widenmaier is a lifetime dancer through WAPA and has been with the studio since she was 2 years old. She grew up dancing RAD ballet and ISTD modern, along with more competitive styles of dance such as jazz, hip hop, and tap.
She went to Spectrum Community School for grades 9 through 12 where she was a part of the Advanced Dance program led by Lia Shannon. In the program, Olivia was able to learn specialized styles of dance such as Fosse jazz, Street Jazz, Bollywood, Waacking, hip hop, Lyrical, and Acrobatics. She was also the teacher's assistant for different levels of classes where she was able to create her own choreography, which was entered into competitions where she won 3 specialty awards for her choreography. She graduated from Spectrum with Honours, a Fine Arts award, and a Service with Distinction award.
During her years at WAPA, she completed many exams with distinction and has won specialty awards from multiple competitions for her outstanding passion, and performance skills. Olivia is excited to continue her education in the UVIC Psychology program as well as Teacher Diplomas from multiple institutions of dance education. She is currently certified in acrobatics up to pre-professional level and is excited to bring in new tricks to the studio.
Olivia’s passion for teaching is what drives her to ensure that every student she works with leaves the studio with a positive mindset and strong confidence in their abilities.
Sara MacKenzie
ARAD
Specializations
Ballet
Pot-Modern Dance
Angela Mousseau
BA Modern Dance
Specializations
Horton
Limon
Choreography Composition
Born and raised in Victoria, BC, Canada, Angela Mousseau is a contemporary dance artist, living and working on the traditional territories of the Lekwungen (Esquimalt and Songhees) peoples. Ms. Mousseau has been teaching and choreographing contemporary and modern dance for over 20 years She is a 2002 graduate of The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA where she majored in modern dance focusing on Horton, Limon and Taylor techniques. At the University of the Arts, she studied with directors, choreographers and dancers from The Paul Taylor Company, The Limon Company, PHILADANCO, Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, The Martha Graham Dance Company, Koresh Dance Company, Momix and many others. Angela has performed in Philadelphia and New York Fringe Festivals, at the National Dance Day in Philadelphia, and with The Next Stage Project (directed by Jana Hicks) and AKRNYM Dance Company in New York City. Following graduation, Angela travelled between Canada and the US to continue training and performing in New York, studying at the Taylor school, Peridance, The Dance Space, Dance New Amsterdam, Steps and Broadway Dance Center. After settling back in Victoria, BC in 2007 she began to shift her focus from performing to teaching and choreography. Angela is currently on faculty at Westcoast Academy of Performing Arts, the Victoria Academy of Ballet and is the co-director of Convergence Contemporary Ballet. She is a guest choreographer with the Nanaimo Contemporary Ballet and at The Landing Dance in Vancouver. Many of her students have gone on to join the company or study at The National Ballet, The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Toronto Dance Theatre, Ryerson University, Modus Operandi Contemporary Dance Program, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Alvin Ailey, Lines Ballet in San Francisco, SEAD (Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance), Kibbutz Dance Company (Israel), Trinity Laban in London, Ballet Oklahoma, Ballet Edmonton, Orlando Ballet and The University of the Arts. In 2017 and 2019 at Dance Victoria, she was one of 3 choreographers selected to participate in a 2 week choreographic lab directed by Wen Wei Wang (2017) and Justine Chambers and Susan Elliott (2019). In January 2018 and February 2020, Angela was invited to do a Choreographic Residency at Dance Victoria where her original work was presented as a part of Rough Cuts at the Metro Theatre. She continues to train in Counter-technique with Charles Slender White, Artistic Director of FACT/SF in San Francisco.
Angela’s work is based off of an inquisitive and curious look at the world. She gravitates towards patterns found in everyday life and tries to enhance or bring light to moments that are part of our everyday routine. She values the creative collaboration between artists and loves to play and discover happy accidents. In June of this year she went to study with the Trisha Brown company learning one of Trisha's early works, Solo Olos (1976) and diving into the many layers of Trisha Brown. Solo Olos covers it all: integrating the simple directive, “line up,” creating movement from a written score, working through complex retrogrades, and live composition of a form, all in Trisha’s iconic language of movement.
Alicia Gauthier
International Dance Teachers Society Teacher Certification
Specializations
IDTS
Youth Dance Classes
Born and raised on Vancouver Island, Alicia has loved dancing since her first annual theatre performance in elementary. Her enthusiasm for choreographing and helping others allowed her early opportunities to create dances for both school productions and Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival (GVPAF).
During her youth she trained at multiple local studios, school dance programs, and attended additional intensive training opportunities in Vancouver. Experienced in performing a variety of styles including: jazz, street jazz/ funk, lyrical, ballet, contemporary, modern, and tap, she excitedly took to the stage during annual recitals, studio-company tours, and festivals. Widely recognized for her work ethic, dedication, and attention to detail, she earned a studio scholarship, many years of assistant teaching, and multiple offers of acceptance into university dance programs - both in Canada and the UK.
A lifelong learner, she enjoys keeping up to date with dance-medicine science and furthering her knowledge of technique. Having personally worked with several kinesiologists, physiotherapists, and other health professionals for her own health challenges, she brings a special interest in safe and inclusive practice, strength, and mobility. Having spent many years teaching in recreation, Alicia has worked with many different types of learners, stages, and abilities. She creates an encouraging and supportive learning environment where dancers feel supported, challenged, and respected. Her intention is to help dancers reach their goals inside the studio while protecting their health for a long life of movement outside of it.
Certified through International Dance Teaching Standards (IDTS), she has completed courses in pedagogy, anatomy, injury prevention, choreographic principles, and more. Continually seeking professional development, Alicia has additional training in neuro-dynamics, active-flexibility, early child curriculums, and First-Aid CPR-C. She can still be seen taking classes and working on her technique at a variety of local studios when possible.
Kaisha Rogers
Specializations
Pre School Dance Classes
Youth Dance Classes
Kaisha started dancing at 2 years old. She trained in ballet, pointe, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, lyrical, tap, acro, and fosse at Stages Performing Arts School for 16 years. Throughout her time at Stages she was able to travel across BC performing in numerous events such as, basketball halftime shows, commercials, and movies. Kaisha attended spectrum High School where she participated in Spectrum’s Advanced Dance program. In this program she assisted and taught classes and competed at various competitions across Victoria and Vancouver. She graduated spectrum with honours, multiple fine arts awards, and choreography awards.
After Graduating high school Kaisha moved to Vancouver BC where she was able to train more intensely at Harbour Dance Centre, focusing on hip hop and commercial style dance. While in Vancouver she also taught across the city in many different studios and community centers, allowing growth and development to her teaching style.
Kaisha recently moved back to Victoria after being accepted into the University of Victoria. She’s studying elementary education as her true passion is teaching children.
Emily Eymundson
Bachelor of Education [2025] - Performing Arts & English (Secondary School)
Bachelor of Creative Industries [2018] - Acting & Dance Studies
Specializations
Musical Theatre Classes
Dance & Drama Classes
Emily Eymundson began her lifelong passion for the performing arts through figure skating and ice dance, in which she competed for over 10 years and finished her career by winning the BC/Yukon Provincial Title in the Interpretive Event in 2011. Off the ice, she trained in gymnastics and dance throughout her childhood to supplement her on-ice performance and technique, taking classes in ballet, jazz, tap, modern, hip hop, voguing/waacking, contemporary, lyrical, and tango, among others.
At age 10 she discovered her love of musical theatre when she was cast as Violet Beauregarde in a community theatre production of Willy Wonka, and then as The Cowardly Lion in a school production of The Wizard of Oz the following year. After that, Emily pursued training in acting and voice in addition to dance and figure skating. At age 16 she left the ice to focus on dance and drama, achieving several awards and titles as an adolescent for her dance performances and choreographic creations.
At the age of 19, Emily acquired a position teaching dance at a college in rural China, and leveraged the position to gain additional opportunities with festivals, choreographing for and performing in troupes travelling around the east coast of China. In addition, she held a summer contract with a Barcelona-based dance academy, teaching contemporary, jazz, hip hop and musical theatre in their pre-professional program.
Emily completed her Bachelor of Creative Industries in Acting & Dance with a minor in Business Management at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) in 2018. She also trained in ballet at Canada’s National Ballet School for two years. During and after her four-year degree, Emily worked as a choreographer and in various other creative roles in companies across Toronto, including Creativiva Entertainment Producers Worldwide, Lionsgate Canada (formerly eOne Entertainment), Toronto Metropolitan Theatre Company, The Musical Stage Company, The Canadian Stage, and Buddies in Bad Times Theatre Company, The Coalmine Theatre, among others.
Since coming to Victoria in 2019, Emily has worked on several musical theatre and dance productions (notably as the choreographer and co-director of The Rocky Horror Show, presented by VOS Musical Theatre in 2022). In addition to WAPA, she currently teaches dance and physical theatre at Passion & Performance Arts, acting and dance at Amber Academy in Sooke, and dance and drama workshops at various public high schools throughout Victoria. In addition, she has completed additional studies in applied theatre and directing at UVic, and is currently in her final year of her Bachelor of Education in Secondary School Performing Arts and English.
Emily hopes to inspire curiosity and creativity in her students, in addition to instilling the technical skills of the styles she teaches. Emily hopes her students will develop a lifelong passion for learning and the performing arts, just as she has!
Suzy Vining
Graduate of Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Cecchetti Associate Teacher
Specializations
RAD & Cecchetti Ballet
Open Ballet & Pointe
Progressing Ballet Technique
At the young age of 5, Suzy trained in the Royal Academy of Dancing and completed her exams with honours. Growing up in Victoria BC, Suzy performed in competitions and received multiple certificates and awards, being awarded a provincial winner at age 12. Within these years, she danced distinguished roles with professional companies including, The Alberta Ballet, The Eugene Ballet, and the Sacramento Ballet. As a teenager, Suzy continued her training at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Professional Division, with the guidance of world renowned artistic staff studying the Vagonava method of ballet.
Suzy danced professionally from 2013-2019 as a soloist and principle dancer with Ballet Etoile Canada, where she performed many ballets including The Nutcracker, Les Sylphide, The Firebird and many more. Her favourite roles include The Dying Swan and Vivaldis Four Seasons. Suzy joined Convergence Contemporary Ballet Company in 2015 for their premier performance, where she dance for two seasons.
Teaching at local studios for over twenty years, Suzy is fortunate to share her love for ballet to her students in Victoria, and many of her students have continued to have successful careers in dance all around the world. Along with her expertise of the R.A.D syllabus exam preparation and Progressive Ballet Technique, Suzy has received her Cecchetti Associate teaching diploma in classical training.
Suzy's teaching style is to inspire passion for ballet with professional technique and safe training for all her students, but mostly to instill the love of dance.
Kayla Henry
Specializations
Post Modern Dance Dance
Creator
Kayla Henry is a mother, performer, creator, and movement educator based on the unceded Coast Salish Territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ nations, in Victoria British Columbia.
Independently, Kayla has been creating solo work since 2013 with performances in Austria, Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria, and Winnipeg. Her creations have so far been supported by the BC Arts Council, The Province of British Columbia, CRD Arts & Culture, Dance Victoria, Constance Cooke (Victoria BC), Good Women Dance Collective (Edmonton AB), Impulse Theatre (Victoria BC), Jennifer Mascall (Vancouver BC), Springboard Performance (Calgary AB), Theatre Junction Grand (Calgary AB), The Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna, (Austria), and Xchanges Gallery & Studios (Victoria BC).
Kayla has performed in works by renowned choreographers including Rachel Browne (Winnipeg MB), Constance Cooke (Victoria BC), Ming Hon (Winnipeg MB), Helen Husak (Calgary AB), Odette Heyn (Winnipeg MB), Sasha Ivanochko (Montreal QB), Brent Lott (Winnipeg MB), Christina Medina (Vienna Austria), Roger Sinha (Montreal QB), Paras Terezakis (Vancouver BC), Menaka Thakkar (Toronto ON) and others. Kayla has performed in hundreds of professional shows across Canada, Europe and the USA.
Kayla graduated from The School of Contemporary Dancers (Winnipeg MB), receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts. Upon graduating in 2011, Kayla joined Canada’s longest-running contemporary dance company, Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers, where she danced for three seasons.
Additionally, Kayla has worked with Xchanges Gallery and Studios (Victoria BC) as a moving model for their “Life Drawing” series.
Kayla is the Founder and Artistic Director of Noble Riot Dance Theatre in Victoria BC (2021).
Kiera Shaw
BFA Dance Performance & Choreography
BA Kinesiology
Specializations
Post Modern Dance
Kiera Shaw, (she/her) is a moving, thinking dance artist. She holds a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography/BA in Kinesiology with a certificate in Dance Science from York University. She joined Dance Victoria’s team in 2020 and is currently their Artist Programs and Studio Manager and the incoming Artistic Director for Dancestreams. In 2023 she received mentorship through New Work’s Cohort program focusing on producing and grant writing.
Kiera’s artistic practice spans dance/choreography, production, and education. Supported through Dance Victoria’s residency program, her choreographic work has been presented throughout Canada at the National Arts Center’s Matriarchs Uprising (Ottawa), Dancing on the Edge Festival (Vancouver), and at Nextfest (Edmonton).
Maija Stewart
ARAD
Specializations
Ballet
Trained in all styles
Maija started dance at the age of 2. She trained exclusively at Allegro Performing Arts Centre, where she developed a comprehensive skill set across a wide array of dance styles, including ballet, modern, lyrical, pointe, contemporary, jazz, tap, acro, national and hip hop. Her achievements in dance are notable, having completed RAD examinations up to and including vocational Advanced 2 with distinction. Her exceptional skills earned her a place in the Solo Seal Award and the Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition where she was a semi-finalist. This experience included participating in a commissioned piece choreographed by Valentino Zucchetti from the London Royal Ballet Company, performed at His Majesty’s Theatre in the West-End of London, England. Furthermore, Maija was one of two international semi-finalists in the prestigious International Grad Pro Competition also in England, highlighting her global recognition and talent. Maija's experience extends to ISTD exams in tap and modern, up to the advanced level, where she also received distinction. She is currently working on her teaching qualifications with the British Ballet Organisation. Beyond her dance accomplishments, Maija is an outstanding academic, excelling in science and reflecting her intellectual bilingual versatility. Her abilities and genuine love for teaching enhance her effectiveness and engagement as a dance educator. Maija combines her rich experience and academic excellence to inspire and guide the next generation of dancers.
Ursula Szkolak
Specializations
Ballet
Conditioning