Our Faculty

The DANCE THEATRE is proud of our highly qualified teachers. Each of our senior faculty holds a post-secondary diploma or degree in their specialized discipline and all have extensive professional and semi-professional performing and teaching experience.

BRANDY GAGNON

Being raised in a dance family it is no wonder that Miss Brandy started dancing as soon as she could walk. She became active is all aspects of dance training in tap, ballet, jazz and modern under the direction of Lee Porta, Gail Ledger, Eve Noonan, Stephan Findley, Loretta Beamish, Vicky St. Denys, Al Gilbert, Heidi Bunting and Brian Webb. She continues her education by attending many workshops and conventions where she has worked with many exceptional instructors such as Joe Tremaine, Peggy Baker, Tyce Diorio, Sho-Tyme, Lil’ C, Jason Janas , Nappy Tabs and so many more. Brandy graduated from the dance program at Grant MacEwan University where she focused on modern dance, ballet and choreography. As well as winning many medals, scholarships and Most Promising Awards, Brandy was the first recipient of the Ramsankar scholarship from Grant MacEwan, for her efforts in supporting families and promoting education through the Dance Theatre. Brandy is the owner and operator of The DANCE THEATRE. Choreography credits include The Wizard of Oz, Hans Christian Andersen, Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins, The Scarecrow, Annie, Babes in Toyland, and Cinderella.

SUZANNE SLADE

Miss Suzanne wears two hats at The DANCE THEATRE. She teaches our Musical Theatre program (vocal training) and is also our tumbling coach. Suzanne studied voice at Grant MacEwan under Sam Lancaster and Jocelyn Rasmasson. She sang in a number of choirs including The Columbian Girls’ Choir and the Cosmopolitan Music Society Choir. She started tumbling while attending McNally High School, and was a member of their gold medal winning team for three years. At the U of A she trained under Francis Callie. Suzanne holds her certification (Level 1) in Artistic Gymnastics and is looking forward to completing Level 2.

KATIE HUDSON:

Miss Katie is an Edmonton based theatre artist with a BA degree in Drama (Honors) from the University of Alberta. She is the co-artistic director of Blue Sky Theatre Emporium whose focus has been producing new work. Recent directing credits include Horace Porridge Goes to Work (Blue Skye Theatre Emporium, 2012) The Juvyline Cubangbang Show (Punctuate! Performance series 2012.) Katie’s favorite projects include performing in Found Space Shakespeare with Thou Art Here Theatre, Murder Mysteries with the Clown Cartel and improvised musicals with Grindstone Theatre and the 11 O’Clock Number. Katie recently graduated from the Television Arts program at NAIT and currently writes for the news department at CFRN TV.. Katie’s cleaver scripts and staging of our drama students has resulted in numerous accolades and high mark awards at Festivals and performances.

Recently, Katie has started up her own video company, Katie Elizabeth Studio. Her work was recently seen in our 2016 production of Annie, where she and the drama class created a movie as part of the show.

RACHEL FAIRBANKS

Miss Rachael was born and raised in St. Albert and started her dance journey at the age of 3 at Dansation. Once older she moved from Dansation to Shelley’s Dance Company to complete her competitive dance career before moving onto teaching. She has been dancing in the genres of tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, lyrical, contemporary, modern, musical theatre, and hip hop for the past 25 years.

She has travelled from New York all the way to Los Angeles for auditions and jobs for Broadway to Disney as well as taking classes from some of the best choreographers in the industry to perfect her abilities as a dancer and a teacher. She has back up danced for music artists that have toured on stops in Edmonton. For the past 15 years she has taught at studios such as Image School of Dance, Dance Co, Art for Dance, Dance Theme and 3rd Street Beat.

“In my teaching career, my students have reached overall high marks in the entire competitions, made it to many finals, gained top marks and overall choreography awards.”

She has been teaching jazz, lyrical, contemporary, street jazz and hip hop for the ages of 3-yrs to adult. Rachael strives to be the best teacher and role model she can be to her students and is passionate about working her students to the best of their abilities and is looking forward to a new season.

DELANIE TIEDEMANN

Miss Delanie is a theatre and film artist from Edmonton, Alberta. She has an Applied Degree in Motion Picture Arts from Red Deer College, majoring in acting and she has studied musical theatre and acting at the Citadel Foote Theatre in Edmonton. She was part of the Citadel’s Young Musical Theatre Company, doing productions such as Into the Woods. She has directed and acted in short films in Edmonton and has acted in theatre performances such as Titanic: The Musical with Two One-Way Tickets to Broadway and Wyrd Sisters with the Walterdale Theatre. Delanie also has a diploma in Interior Design Technology from Lakeland College and has worked as a designer for La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries in both Edmonton and Vancouver, BC. She completed her Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta, majoring in drama. She has worked on school productions of musicals such as Little Shop of Horrors and The Sound of Music in Edmonton and Camrose, working with students on stage management, characterization, and vocals.