Howe Sound Dance Academy

Instructors

Alicia Fortin

As Director of Howe Sound Dance Academy, Alicia is dedicated to fostering a space where students can develop a lifelong passion and love for dance. Together with her talented faculty, she has built an environment that emphasizes both technical excellence and personal growth.

Alicia has been teaching dance for over 20 years. She began dancing at the age of three and has trained extensively in RAD Ballet, Jazz, Musical Theatre, AIDT Modern, Lyrical, and Hip Hop. At 18, Alicia began her teacher training with the Association of International Dance Teachers (AIDT) under the mentorship of Susan Ford. She is now a certified instructor specializing in the AIDT syllabus, with many of her students consistently achieving top marks and receiving special recognition for their work.

Committed to continuing education, Alicia has participated in numerous dance physiotherapy and mental health workshops to ensure she provides her students with not only the highest standard of dance instruction but also the tools and knowledge to care for their bodies and minds.

As a dancer, Alicia has competed in workshops, competitions, and festivals across the Lower Mainland, earning numerous high-scoring medals and awards in groups, duos, and as a soloist. She has also attended conventions throughout British Columbia to continually refine her skills as a dancer, instructor, and choreographer.

Above all, Alicia is passionate about creating a supportive and inspiring environment where students feel confident, motivated, and proud of their accomplishments. She believes in nurturing each dancer’s potential while celebrating their individuality, hard work, and dedication.

Kaitlyn Ziegler

Miss Kaitlyn is a very versatile dancer, trained in jazz, lyrical, stage, hip hop, ballet, acro and more. Throughout her studio training she focused on ballet, achieving very high marks for her Royal Academy of Dance exams, and competitive ballet solos and variations. She was fortunate to have attended summer schools with Alberta Ballet and the Joffrey in New York City. During her competition years, she achieved many awards and medals from competitions throughout Canada.

Kaitlyn began assisting in classes around the age 14, and by the age of 16, was teaching baby ballet and jazz. Now a full time teacher, she enjoys being able to watch her students grow and learn new techniques, tricks, dances, and more.

Kaitlyn has completed her level 1 teacher’s certification with Acrobatic Arts. She has a keen focus on helping dancers attain their skills while maintaining a safe environment as well as safe training. With a focus on tumbling and flexibility, she loves teaching new variations of tricks and creative sequences.

Lyndsay Westall

Lyndsay began dancing at the age of seven, starting with ballet before expanding her training to encompass all disciplines of dance. She is fully certified in Acrobatic Arts and holds additional certifications in Aerial Hoops and Silks, bringing a dynamic and well-rounded skill set to her teaching.

Throughout her training, Lyndsay has consistently excelled, earning top marks in all AIDT Jazz examinations as well as in the Royal Academy of Dance Graded and Vocational exams. She has also received high accolades for her ballet solos, contemporary solos, jazz duets, and original choreography.

Lyndsay began assisting classes at the age of ten under the guidance of HSDA faculty in Creative Dance, Ballet, Jazz, and Acro. She has a natural, nurturing teaching style and is dedicated to fostering a positive and inspiring learning environment for her students. Lyndsay Is very pleased to bring her talents and abilities to HSDA and its students.

Kelsey Visser

Kelsey Visser fell in love with dance during her first Ballet lesson at the age of 3. Since then, she has also trained in Jazz, Lyrical, Acro, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Tap, Stage, Irish Dance and 13 styles of Ballroom dancing.

Kelsey has 9.5 years teaching experience, preparing students to successfully complete their RAD Ballet examinations. She is also a Certified Acro Dance Adjudicator, a proud member of Youth Protection Advocates in Dance, and Certified with Acrobatic Arts and Alixa Flexibility. Kelsey loves continuing to expand her knowledge and share her love of dance with her students.

With over 24 years in the dance and performing arts industry, Kelsey has performed in many professional productions including on the field for the BC Lions, BC WhiteCaps, Grey Cup Championship Half-Time show and alongside Nickelback. As well as Opening Ceremonies for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

She has trained with talented instructors and choreographers in L.A. and Las Vegas such as Tyce Diorio, tWitch, Blake McGrath, Luther Brown and Nappytabs. Kelsey is very excited to share her knowledge and creativity with the students at Howe Sound Dance Academy.

Elias Siemaczeski

Elias is a Howe Sound Dance Academy alumni and has trained with us since the age of 12. Elias has had extensive training in Ballet, Contemporary, Lyrical, Jazz, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, Jazz Funk, and other various styles such as Heels and Line Dancing. He has completed his senior most RAD Ballet exams and has also trained with the vocational syllabus. Elias is no stranger to the competitive dance world, having completed in several competitions winning top scores for the studio as well as a national title his senior year. Competitive dance has given him several opportunities to dance internationally, Elias was able to train and perform in Greece his senior year summer.

Elias is currently pursuing a career as a professional dancer in Vancouver. Elias's passion for dance shows in his teaching, he is an incredibly caring and driven teacher. Elias is very excited to be a part of the HSDA team and to instill a passion for dance in all of his students.

Joni Lynn

Joni Lynn is a passionate and dedicated dance educator with training in both classical ballet and contemporary dance. She began her training at Howe Sound Dance Academy, where she completed her RAD graded exams 1-8, and her RAD vocational exams to the Advanced 1 level. She holds a BFA in Contemporary Dance through Simon Fraser University, where she was able to expand her dance horizons to include Modern, improvisation, and a variety of contemporary dance techniques.

As a graduate of the National Ballet School of Canada’s Teacher Training Program, Miss Lynn holds her Registered Teacher Status with the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and has experience teaching ballet, conditioning, repertoire, and contemporary dance to students of all ages. While studying at NBS, Miss Lynn completed her Cecchetti Intermediate and ISTD National Dance Intermediate examinations, and received certification in the Discover Dance Method for young children. Her teaching journey has taken her from Canada to Mexico, where she earned her teachers certification in the American Academy of Ballet, prepared students for their AAB Performance Awards, and choreographed for large-scale productions. Miss Lynn has also worked with adaptive dance programs, including Dance with Parkinson’s and Dancer Not Dementia, making dance accessible to all.

With a strong foundation in ballet history, teaching methodology, and movement analysis - combined with a creative approach inspired by her contemporary training - Miss Lynn brings both expertise and enthusiasm to every class she teaches.

Christina Emmerton

Christina began ballet at the age of 3 and has been studying movement ever since. She is a seasoned professional who has trained in a wide range of dance styles including ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, tap, and musical theatre. Christina is a passionate dancer, with an uplifting and enthusiastic approach to teaching!

In addition to her dance expertise, Christina also boasts over 10yrs of experience instructing yoga, with teaching certifications in hatha, hot, vinyasa, and restorative techniques. She has led multiple teacher training programs and spent 2 years instructing students and teachers alike in Bangkok. This deep understanding of yoga allows Christina to incorporate elements of core engagement, breath work, and a deep mind-body connection into all of her movement classes.

Christina has showcased her talent and passion for dance performing with multiple semi-professional dance companies and competing on the international stage. While touring BC schools with the Artstarts program, she has helped to bring the joy of dance to students of all ages. Christina’s diverse background in movement and charismatic personality create a uniquely engaging and positive learning environment for all of her students.

Niki Thrift

Niki is an instructor with a rich history of training, performing and teaching. Her love for dance began at the age of 4 and she quickly added style after style to her training such as tap, jazz, RAD ballet, musical theatre, hip hop and lyrical at the esteemed Peggy Peat School of Dance. Niki has performed in many professional productions for the BC Lions, Vancouver Whitecaps, Grey Cup Championship Half-Time shows and the Opening Ceremonies for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games!

Niki continues to train and perform allowing her to bring fresh new inspiration to the studio. After graduation, she continued to train in adult competitive jazz, hip hop and tap. A few years ago she joined Luminesque Dance in Vancouver and began training in heels jazz. Niki continues to perform with Luminesque while teaching throughout the lower mainland and Squamish.

Outside from teaching, training and performing, Niki loves spending time with her two girls, (age 4 and 3), and she brings a rich understanding of diverse learning styles to her students. Dance has always been Niki's happy place and she’s excited to share space with everyone and continue to inspire their love for the art of dance.

Available Classes

Currently we offer both performance and competitive classes, and exams in the following styles:

Ballet
Jazz
Modern
Hip Hop
Acro
Tap
Contemporary
Lyrical

If you are interested in enrolling in a course, or just want more information, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Contact

Testimonials

"HSDA has taught my daughters so much more than just dance. Being a student at HSDA means setting goals, learning about discipline and commitment, working hard and never giving up. It also means growing in confidence, making lasting friendships, and most of all having a lot of fun. The teachers are incredibly talented, and are so committed to their students. They have been mentors and role models to my girls for nine years and counting! We love being part of the HSDA family."

-Christina Moore

"We moved to Squamish 2.5 years ago and HSDA was recommended to us as "the dance school" in Squamish; we have never looked back. My daughter is going into her third year there and loves it. She did her first RAD ballet exam last year and was very nervous about it. The teachers were amazing with her and she was able to successfully complete the exam last February. The confidence and self esteem she gained from that experience is priceless. Thanks HSDA for being so dedicated and patient with our kids, it doesn’t go unnoticed."

-Kim Habgood

"HSDA has been a part of Emily's life for the past 11 years. Her love for dance grows each year, and It keeps her active in a safe, supportive environment. I couldn't have asked for better friendships and mentors than what she has at HSDA. It truly is her dance "family".

-Linda Rempel

"My daughter started dancing at HSDA at the age of 4. 11 years later and she still adores her HSDA family. I am particularly grateful for the important lessons she has learned through dance; dedication, hard work and the ability to express herself in an art form she loves. We are so lucky to have a studio of this caliber in our community.".

-Chelsie Brubacher