Cindy Winsor is a former first soloist with Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, whose career spanned sixteen seasons with RWB. During that time, Cindy danced many lead roles while travelling the globe and performing in some the world’s most famous theatres. It wasn’t long after retiring from the stage that she found herself back in the studio, this time in a teaching role. Cindy has taught master classes for both Ballet BC and Ballet Victoria, and is now sharing her passion, knowledge and experience of this art form with SEDA.

Kayla is a mother, performer, creator, and educator based in Victoria. Upon graduating from The School of Contemporary Dancers (Winnipeg), Kayla joined Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers as a company dancer. Kayla has performed in hundreds of professional shows across Canada, Europe, and the USA since 2011. Kayla is the Founder/Artistic Director of Noble Riot Dance Theatre here in Victoria (2021).

Layla has an extensive background in professional dance in Europe and in Canada. Her performance experience includes the Tanz Atelier Wien Company in Vienna, Austria and here at home performing works of Lynda Raino, Marlise McCormick, and Connie Cooke. Layla performed in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games, closing ceremonies for the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, and professional shows throughout Victoria. Her dance training started at the age of 4 in The Royal Academy of Dance Ballet syllabus and brought her to a love of dancing Hip Hop and Contemporary. Over the years she has travelled multiple times to the ImPulsTanz Festival in Vienna, Austria, where she trained with world renowned choreographers and dance artists. She is a Canada Council, BC Arts Council, and National Ballet of Canada award recipient. She recently sat as the Vice Chair on The Board of Directors for The Scotiabank Dance Centre.

Known for her approachable and positive class environment, students of all skill level feel safe dancing with Layla. With over 25 years teaching experience she brings a kind, knowledgeable, and fun energy to every student she works with.

Originally from England, Tiffany has been dancing since the age of 2. With a passion to further herself, she was accepted to The Arts Educational School, Tring Park. Immediately upon completing her training, she was hired by the world’s largest cruise line and had the opportunity to travel as both a dancer and an Adagé couple. Her incredible technique and style always made her stand out from the crowd. Since moving to Victoria, Tiffany has taught all across the Island and also the Mainland. She has also adjudicated many competitions. Tiffany still finds any opportunity to get back on stage with performances for the Victoria Union Club, Big-O Tires commercials, and a BC Transit dance campaign.

Jen grew up in beautiful BC (Penticton), before moving to Winnipeg to dance at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet school when she was 14. Upon graduation Jen was offered a job in the RWB company and danced professionally for 13 years. She retired in 2011 and pursued yoga, travelling back to Victoria to take the 500hr Yoga Training with Modo Yoga International. She taught at the Modo studios in Winnipeg for several years and was part of the creation team for its Barre classes. Jen is also a certified Prenatal Yoga Instructor, Barre Instructor, and Mutu Certified Pro™. 

Jen is currently a (mostly) stay-at-home mom and instructor at Annex Fitness, Yoga Lab Victoria, and Yoga Lab Westshore. She has a passion for creating classes that inspire people to move their bodies, and loves to offer a challenging class while realizing that every body and everyday is different.

Originally from Victoria, Kiera is a moving, thinking dance artist. She deepened her performance and choreographic practices with the York Dance Ensemble where she collaborated with choreographers Susan Lee, Tracey Norman, Julia Sasso, Michelle Silagy, and Holly Small. These artists sparked her interest in improvisation and play, which has formed the foundation for her artistic voice. 

Kiera has continued to explore and expand her movement practice at leading dance intensives, including TransFormation Danse (Montreal), ImPulsTanz International Dance Festival (Vienna), Batsheva’s Gaga Intensives (Tel Aviv), HASADNA (Tel Aviv), and Vertigo Dance Company Masterclass (Jerusalem). 

Vitor Freitas hails from Saquarema, Brazil. He has studied contemporary dance, ballet, and ballroom, and has had the opportunity to appear in several TV shows and in a Netflix movie. Given the increasingly difficult situation in his home country, Vitor immigrated to Canada in 2019, just before the pandemic. He was recently supported by Suddenly Dance Theatre’s Fountain of Youth Program and also won Dance Victoria’s recent “Let It Move You” dance contest.

For over 30 years, Farley has referred to himself as a kinetic chameleon, moving from classical ballet to contemporary dance, capoeira and contact improvisation. Farley’s safe and gentle approach to large movement and his witty delivery makes his class a wonderful experience! Throughout his career in dance, he has experienced a broad spectrum of injuries. It was those experiences that lead him to become a RMT with a strong interest in treating orthopaedic and sport-related injuries. Farley’s vast dance experience and medical training equip him with great knowledge on exploring movement creatively and safely.

Shannon studied at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and the Rudra Bejart Ballet in Switzerland. She has worked in Canada, Sweden, Germany and Brazil as an independent teacher, dancer and choreographer for over 25 years. She has most recently graduated from West Coast College of Massage Therapy.

Her barre class builds on fundamental movement principles from ballet to help build postural awareness, increase articulation and coordination. Students learn to transfer weight more efficiently, building toward more complex movement patterning. 

Brandy’s training over the past decade has been in Iyengar Yoga. This style of yoga works specifically with sequencing, timing, precision and alignment. It accounts for different factors that may be affecting the student and works to bring balance to body, breath and spirit. Brandy is looking forward to sharing some of this practice with SEDA dancers, and will be focusing on parts of the practice that nourished her dance life.

Brandy has worked and preformed with Lynda Raino, tripod collective, Suddenly Dance Theatre, Mascall Dance, Kokoro Dance, Constance Cooke as well as creating her own work. Her work has been shown at The Metro,The McPherson Theatre, Bounce (Victoria Event Centre and Dance Victoria), Upstairs Dances, and in Vancouver at 12 Minutes Max.

Makaila started her dance training with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and danced with the RWB company as an apprentice before moving to Stockholm, Sweden to join the Royal Swedish Ballet. On returning to Canada, she joined Ballet BC where she danced as a principle dancer for more than a decade. Dancing nationally and internationally, her personal performance highlights have included works by choreographers  Johan Inger, John Alleyne, Crystal Pite, Twyla Tharp, Aszure Barton, Serge Bennathan, Jorma Elo, Jiri Kylian and Medhi Walerski, among others. She has worked with Roberto Campanella and Robert Glumbek (ProArte Danza) in Toronto, Canada.

Since departing from Ballet BC as a dancer, Makaila has lead a number of classes at some of the world’s leading companies (including both the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company and Ballet BC). She has also facilitated regular classes through Harbour Dance in Vancouver and has taught adult Creative Exploration and ballet workshops as part of Ballet BC’s outreach program.

In 2017 Makaila joined Ballet BC’s artistic staff as a part time rehearsal director (under the direction of Emily Molnar). In 2018 she began the Gaga teacher training program in Tel Aviv and is continuing training this year.

Makaila has extensive experience teaching and coaching ballet at both recreational and professional levels. As a teacher and coach, she is dedicated to creating a positive environment where she hopes those participating will have the opportunity to explore their connection to movement in an open and creative space.

Lia has trained extensively in ballet, jazz, and hip hop both locally and across North America and continues to train, travelling to numerous conventions for master classes and intensives with some of the world’s most recognized talents. Lia is also a licensed fitness instructor, has her Teaching Degree from UVIC, and runs the dance program at Spectrum Secondary School. Lia’s talents as a dancer and choreographer have made her one of the most popular, sought-after and busiest teacher/choreographers in Victoria.