About Us
Our Studio
Elegance Ballet Studio is a training ground for students of all ages. Our Studio focuses on teaching students to consistently act with integrity and respect, encourages continuous improvement and foster teamwork. Each class is innovatively designed to provide creative and progressive training techniques taught by highly qualified dance teachers who focus on developing artistic growth within every student.
The Studio is recognized for its high standard of training based on the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) Syllabus, dedicated and qualified staff and its modern convenient dance facilities. We encourage students to attain a strong background in Classical Ballet. Our studio also offers Technical Training Programs in National Dance, Lyrical, Contemporary, Hip-Hop and Jazz. The foundation of all dance techniques are to develop poise, encourage good posture, and improve coordination and body core strength. Our primary goals is to build elegance, confidence and a love of dance while encouraging teamwork, fund and friendships.
Our Mission
Our studio provides a caring and equal opportunity environment with artistic and academic training of the highest possible caliber, offering all students a positive learning experience that is constantly monitored for potential growth and improvement. We strive to achieve excellence through recognized accreditation and training via a curriculum designed to provide students with as many opportunities to perform as possible.
Our studio is an equal opportunity employer who recruits, trains, learns from, grows with, and promotes professionally accredited employees through fair and equal hiring practices that are respective of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, age, orientation, and physical status. The Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) is our primary guideline for hiring in Canada, following all Ontario Employment Standards, and guidelines of the International Mobility Program Get to know your rights while working in Canada for foreign employee awareness of employment rights and workplace protections in Canada.
Faculty
ELEGANCE BALLET STUDIO programs are directed and taught by professional dance teachers.
Amanda Zhang
Artistic Director, Founder and Director
RTRAD / RTISTD / PBT
Amanda is an artistic director, founder and director of Elegance Ballet Studio. She has been dancing since the age of four. Five years full time ballet training in Beijing Academy of Dance. Amanda used to perform on various stage as proferssional dancer, such as participating in 1996 CCTV (China Central Television) Spring Festival Gala.
Amanda is a Royal Academy of Dance Registered Teacher (RAD), a certified member of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) and Chinese Dance registered teacher of Beijing Academy of Dance. She has been teaching dance for over 15 years and many of her former students obtained Distinction in different levels of RAD exams, received many awards from competitions, and performed many programs in community and the National Ballet of Canada's production of the 'The Nutcracker'.
Amanda dedicated her life to the world of Ballet. The Elegance Ballet Studio is a major part of Amanda's life. Her students and their families are what makes Elegance Ballet Studio what it is. She cannot imagine her life without this studio and is grateful for the continued support of her friends and family.
Paola Haro
ARAD /Solo Seal / RTRAD / RAD CPD Tutor / RAD CBTS Tutor / RAD Examiner / Autism Movement Therapy Certified Provider / Silver Swans License
Paola was born in Mexico City and started studying ballet at the age of 3 with Ms. Diana Alanis and Ms. Perla Epelstein. She completed all the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) levels gaining the Associate status of the RAD (ARAD) and later obtaining her Solo Seal, which the highest title awarded by the RAD.
Since young, she focused her studies in the teaching of classical ballet. She got certified as an RAD Teacher with Distinction and later she expanded her studies in various areas of dance like: anatomy, music, history and psychology.
the age of 27, she was selected to become an Examiner for the RAD to travel around the world examining children and adults. She was the first Mexican to be selected for this position, reason why she got the recognition of the Mexican Government.
In 2011 she became a Tutor for the Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies (CBTS) program and a few years later, she was selected as a Tutor for the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program to deliver courses for teachers around the world.
In 2019 she was certified in Autism Movement Therapy to be able to give dance therapy to people with disabilities, and she got the Silver Swans License to teach dance to senior learners (55+).
For many years she has been a guest teacher in various countries and has taken part as a member of the faculty at RAD Dance Challenge USA.
Jeremy Nasmith
Ballet Teacher
Jeremy Nasmith danced with Opera Atelier starting in 1986 and joined the National Ballet of Canada in 1995 achieving the rank of Second Soloist in 2000. He moved to Japan to pursue a freelance career in 2001, but kept ties with both Toronto companies, returning regularly to guest. He began to teach ballet at Architanz in Tokyo and DanceTeq in Toronto in 2001. Jeremy retired from the National Ballet in 2008, and from Opera Atelier as a dancer in 2019, although he still sings Baritone in their chorus. Jeremy has been artistic director of DanceTeq since 2017.
Carmen Cairns
ARAD / RTRAD / RAD Tutor
Carmen Cairns is an internationally celebrated dance teacher, known for her accessibility, humour, and ability to empower her students. The UK native graduated from the 3-year Teacher Training at the Royal Ballet School. She also holds a Degree in Dance Education from the University of Surrey and is a Benesh Movement educator.
With over 24 years of experience, Ms. Cairns has taught worldwide from as far as Cyprus to Canada. She is also a busy tutor for the Royal Academy of Dance, travelling across North America to teach both student and teacher courses. With a passion for Teacher Training, she has been teaching at Canada’s National Ballet School for the past 12 years and was Manager of the Teacher Training Program for 3 years. Her aim being to foster artistic, cultural, and academic growth in every possible way.
Since arriving in Canada 17 years ago she has been an integral faculty member for Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre, both as a ballet teacher and as Associate Artistic Director. Ms. Cairns has seen many students through their RAD examinations, and in every class her promise is to nurture both technical and artistic development, while ensuring that students feel a sense of accomplishment in themselves.
Charlotte Yeung
ARAD / RTRAD / BA(Hons) Ballet, HKAPA
Charlotte was born in Hong Kong and graduated from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) Degree in Dance majoring ballet with First Class Honour in 2018.She then went to the Chongqing Ballet as a professional dancer in the same year.
Charlotte has completed ballet Advanced 2 with distinction and finished the RAD Certificate of Ballet Teaching and become a RAD registered teacher.
She participated actively in both local and international ballet competitions.
- The Genée 2014
- The 44th Open dance competition - Gold Medal
- The 8th Taipei International Ballet Grand Prix - 5th Place
- 2017 Asian Elite Dance Competition (Open group solo) - 2nd Place
Heather A. Cook
RTRAD / Acrobatic Arts / NCCP L1; L2 / ISTD Assoc. Nat. / BFA Spec. Hons (Dance) / NBS TTP Dip. / First Aid Certified / CPR (First Responder)
In addition to over 15 years teaching and coaching experience, Miss Heather-Ami performed professionally for 10 years in contemporary and classical ballet companies; touring Europe, North America, South America, Japan and Israel.
She holds a BFA Spec. Hons in Dance from York University, Toronto (specializing in Kinesiology and Dance for the Young Child) and Diploma from Canada's National Ballet School - Teacher Training Program.
Her students have been accepted to company schools including: Joffery Ballet, Boston Ballet, Canada's National, Alberta Ballet, Royal Winnipeg, Ryerson University, Y.A.G.P., Harvard Law School, Radio City Rockettes, Bolshoi Ballet D.C., and Butler University.
She is a certified competitive adjudicator with both Acrobatic Arts, and A.D.T.A., CDL, and Comix Method, and judges across North America.