Monica has been teaching in the Ottawa area since 1980. Before opening the Canadian School of Dance in 1986, Monica performed with the Ottawa Dance Theatre, Ontario Ballet Theatre and in the Canadian Opera Company’s production of ‘The Merry Widow” and “Rinaldo” with Marilyn Horne. Monica’s formal dance training was with the National Ballet School, The Canadian School of Ballet, and the Canadian College of Dance at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute. Monica attended summer schools at Les Grands Ballet Canadien and the Banff School of Fine Arts. She was instrumental in the Canadian School of Dance receiving the Youth Achievement Award in 1988.
Fran has been teaching in the Ottawa area for over 30 years. Her early training with the founders of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) prepared her to attend renowned summer schools at the RWB and The Banff School of Fine Arts before graduating from the Canadian College of Dance at Ryerson Theatre School. Having danced professionally for several years she decided to open the Canadian School of Dance to pursue teaching and pass on the passion for dance she herself enjoyed as a child. Her love for technical precision in training has pushed many of her students to reach the highest of achievements in their careers. Ms. Coyle’s award winning choreography has received many accolades and she was a recipient of the ‘Gloria Jean Cuming Award of Excellence’ at the 2011 American Dance Awards National competition in Boston for the Junior level (10-12), as well as a nomination for the ‘Choreographer of the Year’. Through Fran, CSD has bragging rights as the only Ottawa dance studio with three successful RAD Solo Seal Award candidates.
Cameron began his dance journey at the age of 8 years old, taking a Hip-Hop class designed for brothers of dancers at a local dance studio in Manotick; Pique Dance Studio. He quickly found his love and passion for dance and continued on to study Ballet, Contemporary, Tap and Jazz which ultimately led to him attending the Canterbury High School Dance Program. During his summers, he would spend his time in upstate New York, training at Perkins School of the Arts Intensive Programs. From there, Cameron moved on to study at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in New York City, honing his skills in Modern, Ballet, Contemporary, West African and, of course, Hip Hop. He then attended Ryerson University’s Performance: Dance Program in Toronto, all while taking classes at dance studios all across the city. Cameron is qualified to teach ballet for the BATD, has taught Hip Hop classes at various studios in Ottawa, danced at festivals including EDANCO in Santo Domingo, and has back up danced for influencers including Shawn Hook and Kimmy Couture. Cameron strives to share his love and passion for dance, with the goal to spark the same passion in young dancers.
Emily Missios has 17 years of experience and will continue to grow and flourish with the determination her personality holds. Emily is Acrobatic Arts Certified (ACRO) and is trained in the Royal Academy of Dance Syllabus, along with the A.D.A.P.T Syllabus for Jazz and Tap. She successfully completed all levels of A.D.A.P.T and completed her Advanced 2 Ballet examination. She is trained and knowledgeable in the following styles; Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, and Acro. In 2017, Emily performed in a Toronto Based Tap Company entitled “Rhythm and Sound”. Her knowledge of Tap has grown over the years, enabling her to offer a unique class by providing a diverse understanding of Tap. Emily competed on the CSD competitive team for many years, and has been awarded with eight regional titles, and has also won multiple high score choreography awards for the work that she has created over the past few years! Emily’s goal is to spread love through dance, she works with every dancer’s learning style to create a passion and drive that will never weaken.
Jennifer studied Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop and Ballet at Canadian School of Dance for 12 years, including being a Senior member of the CSD Performing Ensemble and the CSD Competitive Team before becoming a dance teacher and choreographer with CSD. Jennifer has taken workshops with Tap Dogs, Riverdance, The Radio City Rockettes and in 2000 appeared in a music video for a Canadian singer for the song “Lately”. In 2002, she danced in Las Vegas with the CSD Competitive team and was the Captain of the Canadian Dance Team at Footloose International Dance Championships. In 2010, Jennifer became a certified dance teacher under the Associated Dance Arts for Professional Teachers (ADAPT) and since then has entered countless successful dancers to complete their ADAPT exams, including Advanced candidates. Jennifer is proud to choreograph for CSD’s full-time and part-time competitive teams. Jennifer’s work has been seen on regional and national competition stages and has won several high score overall awards at the American Dance Awards, CanDance, Onstage, Believe, Move and Thunderstruck, including High Score Junior Small Group at the American Dance Awards National Championship. Jennifer has had the opportunity to work with exceptional guest choreographers and teachers from throughout Canada and the United States. Several of her students have gone on to train and work professionally in the dance industry. In 2004, Jennifer obtained a BA Honours in Communication from the University of Ottawa. Jennifer has been a teacher with Canadian School of Dance for 20 years and enjoys teaching all ages. Jennifer believes that the bonds, friendships, and memories that are created through dance will last forever and her passion for dance will continue to shine through her students.
Jessica is ADAPT (Associated Dance Arts for Professional Teachers) certified. Jessica trained in Ballet, Tap and Jazz for eleven years at the Canadian School of Dance (CSD) and was a teaching assistant in all disciplines for seven years before becoming a teacher with CSD. She was a member of the CSD Performing Ensemble and a senior member of the Competitive dance team. As a student and assistant teacher, Jessica attended CSD’s intensive Summer Convention, working with many guest teachers and choreographers. Jessica has also assisted with and taught at CSD’s Summer Camp and March Break Recreational Camp. Jessica has participated in many regional and international dance competitions, performed in Ballet Jorgen’s “The Nutcracker” at Centrepointe Theatre for four years, and participated in Project Hellas, a fundraiser for CHEO also held at Centrepointe Theatre. One of her adventures was starting a dance team at Monsignor Paul Baxter Elementary School in Barrhaven where Jessica, along with two other dancers, taught over 50 students aged 10 to 12 years old. Jessica has also obtained a B.Soc Bachelor of Sociology at the University of Ottawa
TTP-DIP (NBS) CC-CICB (Cecchetti), C.D.T.A National
Kailey Sanford grew up in Middle Sackville, Nova Scotia, and began dancing at the age of five. She trained in multiple dance styles at Maritime Dance Academy before attending the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, where she earned a Teacher Training Diploma. During her time there, she gained extensive experience working with young dancers and became certified with the Canadian Dance Teachers’ Association in jazz, tap, and ballet.
Kailey furthered her studies at Canada’s National Ballet School in Toronto, where she spent four years specializing in Classical Ballet and Music. She graduated from their Teacher Training Program with certification in the Cecchetti Society of Ballet and additional training in the Vaganova and Royal Academy of Dance syllabi. She has also completed courses in ballet conditioning, early childhood development, preschool dance, and creative movement.
With a passion for fostering growth in young dancers, Ms. Kailey strives to create a supportive and knowledgeable environment where students feel encouraged to express themselves and develop their love for dance.
Lauren Midali is Acrobatic Arts Certified (ACRO) and is trained in the Royal Academy of Dance Syllabus as well as in A.D.A.P.T. Jazz and Tap; completing the advanced levels in both syllabuses. She grew up training at the Canadian School of Dance and started her journey in dance at the age of 4. Over those years she had the opportunity to train at the National Ballet School of Canada in their full-time professional program, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s summer school program, perform with Les Grands Ballet Canadiens in “The Nutcracker“ as well as perform the role of Clara in Ballet Jorgen’s “The Nutcracker“. More recently Lauren worked professionally as a Dancer/Dance Captain for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and Dancer/Aerialist/ Character Performer for Disney Cruise Line travelling the world for over seven years. Lauren was a member of the Canadian School of Dance Competitive Team and has received awards such as American Dance Awards Regional Dancer of the Year, and Senior Miss CanDance. Lauren also completed her studies to be an Early Childhood Educator.
B.A. (Carleton), TTP.Dip (NBS), Licientiate CC-CIBC, RAD RTS RAD Teaching Diploma
Nancy Pidgeon’s initial training was in the Royal Academy of Dance method. Upon graduation from Carleton University, she began the Teacher Training Program at Canada’s National Ballet School. After completing the program, she worked at NBS as an assistant teacher and completed her Cecchetti Licentiate Exam. She also auditioned successfully for a Canada Council Grant for the Arts to study Creative Movement at Salt Lake City’s University of Utah.
Since returning to Ottawa, her teaching experience has been diverse and extensive. In 1986, she and three partners established National Capital Dance Educators, and she worked there for fifteen years, as well as in a variety of dance schools in the Ottawa area, and at summer schools around the country.
Nancy has examined students in the dance departments of Canterbury High School and Ecole Secondaire De La Salle in Ottawa, and has also worked for the RAD as a Practical Teaching Supervisor in their distance learning program for several years. After serving on Cecchetti Canada’s Provincial Committee for many years, she was elected Provincial Representative, a position she held for five years. In 2019, Nancy became a Life Member of both the Royal Academy of Dance and Cecchetti Canada.
More recently, Nancy completed level one of Progressing Ballet Technique, and has also taken the first level of Dance for Parkinson’s training with David Leventhal and Sarah Robichaud.
Miss Pidgeon is proud to have been a founding faculty member of the CSD Part Time Competitive Team.
Faculty Member CSD since 2004.
Rachel Adjeleian quite literally grew up within the doors of CSD, dancing at the studio for 15 years before taking on a teacher role in 2016. She danced competitively at CSD for 12 years, and completed both ADAPT Jazz and Tap exams and RAD Ballet exams throughout her tenure at the studio. She has been part of winning numbers at both the regional and national levels, most notably winning the Gloria Jean Cuming Award of Excellence for ages 12 & Under at American Dance Award’s National Championships in 2011, and the George Lon Memorial Award for ages 13 & Over in 2016. Since completing her competitive dance career, she has continued her dance education by becoming a Certified Acro Dance Teacher with Acrobatic Arts, as well as a Certified Flexibility Instructor with Alixa Flexibility. In her teaching, Rachel maintains a commitment to a high-level of dance training, through an emphasis on proper technical execution with the use of safe teaching methods. She strives to help her students develop their dance technique by following systems of progressions that focus on injury prevention and will foster longevity in her students dance careers.
Cassie’s passion for dance has shaped her into a highly skilled and versatile artist. Trained in a wide range of styles, including contemporary, jazz, ballet, tap, and more, she has mastered the technical foundations of movement while continuously pushing creative boundaries.
Cassie has been a proud member of the PNT family since 2013. Her expertise has led her to incredible opportunities, including working as the assistant choreographer for the Emmy Award-nominated Nickelodeon movie Snow Day. She has also worked with world-renowned productions such as Cirque du Soleil and Cirque Éloize, performed in Saturday Night Fever the musical and contributed to popular television programs in Quebec like En direct de l’Univers and Vrak TV.
Beyond the stage and screen, Cassie is an inspiring educator. Her knowledge spans all technical styles, and she has successfully worked with dancers of all ages and levels. Under her guidance, every dancer experiences growth, both in their technique and confidence.
With an unwavering dedication to the art of dance, Cassie continues to share her talent, passion, and expertise with both performers and students alike.
A multi-faceted artist, Kristian’s hard work and passion have led to a successful and fulfilling career in dance. Originally from Brampton, Ontario, Kristian spent the majority of his time in Montreal while making stops in Toronto and Los Angeles, training under industry icons such as Rhapsody James, Hollywood-Jade, Mark Samuels, Mel Charlot and Alexandra “Spicey” Lande.
Kristian’s performance experience spans both locally and internationally, with tours and performances across Canada, France, Belgium, and Switzerland. He has danced for artists like Ariana Grande, Rihanna, Drake, The Jackson 5, Kiesza, Marianas Trench, Veronic Dicaire, Marie Mai, and many more. Additionally, he has had the opportunity to perform with world-renowned productions such as Cirque du Soleil and Just for Laughs, while gracing prestigious stages like the iHeart Radio Much Music Video Awards (MMVAs), Canada Day on Parliament Hill, and CityTV’s New Year’s Eve Bash. Kristian has also been featured in musicals, music videos, commercials, print ads, and TV shows such as Star Académie, La Voix (The Voice), and Chanteurs Masqués (The Masked Singer).
In addition to his performance career, Kristian is an accomplished choreographer and educator. He has choreographed for tours, commercials, TV episodes, and music videos. Notably, Kristian served as Assistant Choreographer for the Emmy-nominated Nickelodeon film Snow Day, working alongside award-winning Choreographer Heather Laura Gray. With over 20 years of teaching experience, Kristian has worked with dancers of all levels, ages, and cultural backgrounds. He has also been an adjudicator across Canada, taking pride in guiding young dancers toward their truest selves through movement and creativity.
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