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.

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.

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.

DENISE FISHER

Denise has over 25 years of experience in competitive and performance rope skipping as an athlete, coach, official and choreographer. As an athlete, she won several provincial and national championships in single rope, Double Dutch and group routines. Denise translated her passion for rope skipping to a career in amateur sport that has seen her be named as a Team Leader for Alberta at three Canadian Olympic Games teams and a Torchbearer for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. She currently conducts rope skipping workshops across Alberta for athletes in a variety of sports to enhance their training and performing skills. The classes for The Dance Theatre will include both cardio and performance components. A variety of styles will be introduced including single rope, multiple long ropes, topics and precision skipping. Participants will be introduced to freestyle and endurance jumping, both for fun and as a compliment to the dance training.

DEANNA FISHER

Coach Deanna has been skipping since the age of 10. Her dream was to launch a competitive jump rope club in Edmonton so that others in her home community could enjoy the sport of Jump Rope. Deanna has won many Canadian Championships from 2016 – 2019. She also finished 3rd place in the Grand Championships for the Masters Freestyle event at the 2019 Rope Skipping Canada National Championships. Deanna completed the personal Fitness Trainer program at NAIT and is currently studying at the University of Lethbridge. She believes in the benefits of physical literacy and encouraging children and youth to participate in multiple activities. She coined the phrase, “Have fun – jump rope!” as the club’s motto. An active volunteer in the community, Deanna can often be found volunteering at the YMCA, leading workshops or supporting causes within the community. Deanna also competes in the sport of Triathlon and was named to the 2020/21 Canadian Triathlon Team for the Age Group World Championships.

DEANNA CLEE

Deanna is an Edmonton based voice and piano teacher. Though classically trained, her professional singing experience has been mainly musical theatre, jazz and pop. She toured Western Canada with Alberta Opera, performing children’s theatre in schools, has appeared in multiple Fringe productions, has produced several original plays and taught musical theatre summer workshops for kids at MacEwan University and other schools. She is a member of the vocal group ALLMOST JAZZ.

Deanna currently directs The Young at Heart (seniors) Choir and the Touchmark (seniors) Glee Club. Deanna’s TV/movie credits include commercials, background in feature films, and her favourite was playing Clare in the children’s TV series “Be Alert Bert”.

Professional affiliations: ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists), Canadian Actor’s Equity Association, NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing)