Our Team
BA Honours, University of Calgary
BEd, University of British Columbia
CDTA Jazz, Tap, Modern, Ballet
10th Season at BDA
Canadian Dance Teachers Association - Junior Jazz Syllabus
Acrobatic Arts Preschool Certified
Mental Health First Aid
Working Performer for 13+ Years
7th Season with BDA
Phoenix - Owner & Director
This is Miss. Phoenix’s 3rd year as the owner of Bella Dance Academy, but her 10th with the studio! Her love for dance began her own childhood, taking tap and musical theatre in a small basement studio in Alberta.
Miss. Phoenix loves working with the littlest people in the studio - watching their growth as dancers and individuals throughout the season and beyond, but she also loves to see adults in the studio, stepping out of their comfort zone and taking an opportunity to try something new, fun, challenging, or simply finding the joy in movement.
She is dedicated to ensuring that Bella Dance Academy remains a nurturing and inclusive place where everyone feels welcome.
Administrative Assistant Diploma
Youth Protection Association for Dance - Intro to Preschool Dance Certificate
Strength Training & Injury Prevention Certificate
Choreography & Composition Certificate
Legal Secretary Diploma
Acrobatic Arts Module 1 Certified
Acrobatic Arts Preschool Certified
Gymnastics Canada Foundation
Gymnastics Canada Trampoline
Gymnastics Canada Active Start
Rambert Grades Level 1 - 2 (training)
Jas - Student Services Director & Instructor
Miss Jas has been dancing since her mid-30s. Growing up in a small city without a dance studio, she was introduced to it later in life. Although she teaches Hip Hop & has spent time learning K. Pop, her favorite style is Contemporary. She graduated with a 4.0 GPA in her Legal Secretary Courses. Has spent time working in retail management, animal shelters, and vet clinics. She loves working in the studio, watching the next generation grow.
Coming Soon!
BFA in Theatre
Trained Educator with Specialization in Inclusion
Coming Soon!
B. Env. D.
3rd Year Communications & Media Studies, University of Calgary
17th season at BDA
Gabbi - Instructor
Coming Soon!
Iona - Instructor
Miss. Iona began her dance journey at the age of 3 and danced until she was 12. Fortunately, she rediscovered dance after training in theatre and has since continued to practice and perform with various groups. She began instructing dance and gymnastics in her 20s and is so happy to have the opportunity to return to BDA for another year of teaching dance.
BFA Honours in Dance
Karen - Instructor
Miss. Karen is a performer, choreographer, instructor, and dance leader in Yellowknife. Karen was the co-artistic director of Crazy Legs Contemporary Dance, a community-based dance company founded in Yellowknife, NWT, in 2004 and ended in 2011. For over thirty years, Miss. Karen has fostered the development of dance, creating and producing pieces performed by northern artists that reflect and engage with contemporary life in the North of 60. Miss. Karen also provides movement instruction classes for all ages, abilities, and genders. She received the 2024 Sparkly Devil Memorial Scholarship to the Burlesque Hall of Fame and the 2022 Minister's Cultural and Heritage Circle Individual Award.
Coming Soon!
Kenzie - Instructor
Miss. Kenzie started her dance journey with BDA as an infant and has trained in various styles of dance. She has been a member of the Bella Beats Dance Company since 2019 and has performed across North America, including dancing in Disneyland. She has been training with Bella as a Leader in Training for the past three years and has now stepped into the role of being a dance instructor.
Canadian Dance Teachers Association - Modern Instructor
15th Season at BDA
Keri-Lyn - Instructor
Miss. Keri-Lyn began her dance journey at age four as a Highland dancer. As she moved across Canada and Europe with her family, she continued to dance into her teenage years. Miss. Keri-Lyn happily reconnected with dance as an adult and now enjoys participating in Ballet, Modern, Contemporary, and Tap classes. She is now involved with the Yellowknife Dance Collective as a choreographer and dancer.
Morgan - Instructor
Miss Morgan has been a dance instructor for five years. She started taking creative movement and Modern dance when she was four. As a teenager, she fell in love with Contemporary, Hip Hop, and Tap. She believes in dancing and exercising for the joy of movement and that it is a great way to stay active.
Pre and Postpartum Training Certificate
Sara - Instructor
Coming Soon!
Jasper - Instructor
Coming Soon!
High Five - Principles of Healthy Child
Development for Ages 4 - 12, Jack.org Be There
Darkness to Light - Stewards of Children & Protecting Children in Crisis
Founders Journey Entrepreneurial Certificate
Ady - Mental Health Liasion & Instructor
Mx. Ady’s first dance memory is covering themself with a scarf during a movement class at their local community centre and pretending to be a rock. Since then, they have trained in multiple styles of dance and theatre! When they are not teaching and playing at the studio, Ady travels to perform and teach across North America.
Quin - Legacy Coordinator, Competition Director, & Instructor
Miss. Quin started dancing at Bella in 2009, after spending her childhood doing competitive gymnastics. As a teen she spent her time dancing at Bella Dance Academy and throughout North America as a member of the Bella Beats Dance Company. Since returning to the studio in 2020, Miss. Quin has been helping grow and develop our Acro Program!
Janessa - Social Media & Marketing Coordinator
Starting her dance journey as a student in 2007, Miss. Janessa has been with BDA for over 17 years. Throughout her time with Bella, she has been a member of the Bella Beats Dance Company, an instructor, and an administrative assistant. During BDA's 18th season, Miss. Janessa stepped into the role of Bella's Social Media and Marketing Coordinator and has continued this role while studying Communications and Media Studies at the University of Calgary.
Hannah - Administrative Assistant
Miss. Hannah has been with BDA for 16 years. Her roles at the studio have included student, member of the Bella Beats Dance Company, Leader in Training, and instructor. Miss Hannah is headed into her first year of university, where she will study Business at the University of Victoria. While away at school, Miss Hannah will work remotely as our Administrative Assistant.
Benji - Instructor
Mr. Benji is a dancer from Kampala, Uganda. Trained in Hip Hop, Krump, and Breaking styles, Mr. Benji started dancing at 13. He joined B.O.S.S. (Built On Self Success) Dance Team in 2017 and has performed in numerous competitions and showcases. He also has dance battle experience and has represented the B.O.S.S. dance team at many dance battle events in Winnipeg, such as Heat the Streets, Downtown Moves, and Flow Down. This will be Mr. Benji’s sixth year teaching, previously working with Graffiti Art Programming (GAP), a non-profit organization that provides after school programs that focus on music, dance and art to youth.
Chelsea - Instructor
Coming Soon!
Miss. Sara has been dancing with Bella Dance Academy since she was four years old! Over her many years at the studio Miss Sara has traveled as a member of the Bella Beats Dance Team, which has brought her all over North America. From Calgary and Vancouver to Long Beach and Disneyland California. This is Miss. Sara’s second year teaching with us and she hopes to see you in her Ballet and Tap classes season!
Shannon - Instructor
Miss Shannon has a background in Musical Theatre training and performance, as well as Jazz and Tap. During the pandemic, she rediscovered her love for Ballet. Through BDA and various online classes, she has been working on her Ballet technique to achieve her goal of dancing en Pointe.
Current Student at the National Ballet School of Canada
Training in Voice, The Royal Conservatory
Training in Conflict Resolution, Justice Institute of British Colombia
Coming Soon!
Tomiko - Instructor
BAS Honours, McMaster University
BEd, University of British Columbia
Diploma of Dance Teaching Studies, Royal Academy of Dance (London)
Royal Academy of Dance Registered Teacher Status
YPAD
17th Season at BDA
Kristen - b.class Leader
Kristin started at Bella Dance Academy as a student for the inaugural season in 2004 and then joined the faculty in 2005. She has taught a variety of dance classes at Bella including Ballet, Jazz and summer intensives. Prior to the opening of Bella Dance Kristin was a competitive Highland dancer, a member of the Aurora Ukrainian Dancers and competed as a varsity synchronized swimmer. She also studied Ballet and Modern dance with Karen Wasicuna through the City of Yellowknife programming. Kristin fell in love with b.class when she started as a participant in 2014, and then loved it so much that she became a certified b.class leader 2017!
Miss. Tomiko first took a ballet class at the age of six and has been dancing ever since. She completed her Royal Academy of Dance examinations in ballet as a kid and then fell in love with contemporary dance at university. Since moving to Yellowknife in 2006, Miss. Tomiko has been an active presence in the Yellowknife dance community. She has taught ballet at Bella Dance Academy since 2007. Miss. Tomiko also co-founded the Yellowknife Dance Collective (YDC) in 2011 and has directed, choreographed, and performed in numerous YDC productions and collaborations, most recently YDC's North of 60X60 show in May 2024. Other recent dance projects include choreography and performance for France Benoit’s award-winning short film “Three Drops” (2018), choreography for Echo Chamber's performance of "I Can Finally Feel the Sun” as part of their Western Canada tour, Portraits of Home (2023), and choreography and performance in the short film @tension (2024) with Fia Grogono.
Coming Soon!
Coming Soon!
Tina - b.class Leader
Coming Soon!