SHARRON WILLIAMS FLEET. Artistic Director, Co-Founder, Owner
Associate Diploma CSC-CICB
MSDTA Scottish Dance Teachers Alliance
September 30 , Sharron Williams Fleet received the 2011 Arts and Culture Award. This individual award is given to those who have demonstrated exemplary achievement in the field of Arts and Culture and extraordinary commitment to furthering Arts and Culture in Collingwood. Article and Pictures click here.
Sharron Fleet is an accomplished choreographer and teacher. She has taught highland, ballroom, jazz, theatre dance, modern and Cecchetti ballet for over 35 years. She holds her Member Degree from the Scottish Dance Teachers Alliance of Scotland, and her Associate Diploma in Ballet with the Cecchetti Society of Canada, Grade 8 Piano and Grade 2 Rudiments with the Royal Conservatory of Music, and Y.W.C.A. Fitness Leadership Certificate. Sharron is a member of the Cecchetti Socity of Canada. (www.cecchetti.ca). She was also a member of the Ontario Branch of the Cecchetti Society of Canada serving as Editor of the "Enrico Review"for many years.
Sharron is also an avid disciple of Irene Dowd, neuromuscular specialist who holds a private practice in New York City, and a faculty member of the acclaimed Julliard School (Fame). Sharron travels yearly to study with Dowd at the Teachers Intensive Summer School held at the National Ballet School, Toronto as well as Canada’s yearly Cecchetti Ballet Teacher’s Seminar. Sharron is currently advancing her teaching credentials to that of Licentiate. While teaching in B.C. her students danced at Expo '86 at the Plaza of Nations and the B.C. Pavilion. Her students won many awards with the BC Music Festival as well as two provincial championships. In 1990 she moved to Ontario and joined forces with Jane Wooding in 1994. Her family has chosen Wasaga Beach as their retirement home.Sharron performed professionally in Victoria B.C. She has also studied and been inspired by teachers from Merce Cunningham, Luigi, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Les Ballet Jazz, Alvin Ailey, The National Ballet School, the Royal Winnipeg School and The Toronto Dance Theatre. Student Teena Walker, graduated from Toronto Dance Theatre in 1996 and performed with Kaeja Dance, kaeja@kaeja.org Toronto, Ontario. Most recently two of her former students, Lauren O'Neil White and Rachel Prince performed at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympics in Vancouver.
Sharron's choreographic experience in Musical Theatre includes Grease, The Wizard of Oz, Fiddler on the Roof, Tom Sawyer, Reflections on Crooked Walking, Moonshot, Coming of Age, and Theatre Collingwood’s Some Enchanted Evening, The Last Resort, Unsung Cole and Nunsense I and II, I Do I Do and Side by Side Sodheim.
In addition to the adminstrative anplanning and operation of Fleet-Wood Dancentre, Sharron teaches the pre-professional A Stream program, and the Cecchetti Exam program. In 2003 she was also nominated as Teacher of the Year, followed by two nominations for Business of the Year in 2010. In 2011 she receive the first Arts and Culture Award for exemplary achievement and extraordinary commitment to furthering Arts and Culture in Collingwood, On.
JANE WOODING, FISTD
Artistic Associate, Co-Founder
Jane Wooding was born in Ottawa, Ontario. She graduated from Canada’s National Ballet School in Toronto in 1970, and went on to study in England, Holland and Germany. Entering the National Ballet of Canada in 1972, Jane performed Romantic, Classical and Contemporary repertoire, working with such exceptional mentors as Celia Franca, Karen Kain, Veronica Tennant, Erik Bruhn, Rudolf Nureyev, and Mikhail Baryshnikov.
Joining the National Ballet School staff in 1978, Jane taught ballet, repertoire, pointework and pedagogy for 8 years. She also rehearsed young dancers for National Ballet of Canada’s Nutcracker from 1979 until 1992, including two months in Tokyo and Osaka, preparing Japanese students for the Company’s tour of the Orient.
Presently on staff at The National Ballet School and Sean Boutilier, Jane has also taught on the faculties of the Quinte Ballet School of Canada, York University and George Brown Dance, teaching ballet, pointework and repertoire. A popular guest teacher, Jane has also taught for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, L’Ecole de danse de Quebec, Dance Teq, Dance Fuzion, Boston Ballet Summer School, Balletmet Summer School in Columbus, Ohio and is a founding Director of Fleet-Wood Dancentre in Collingwood, Ontario.
Ms. Wooding is a Fellow and an Examiner for the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, Cecchetti Faculty. Past Chair of the Ontario Branch, Jane was elected to the National Executive Council of the Cecchetti Society of Canada serving from 2000 – 2005.
In 1997, Jane received the Paul Harris Fellowship Award for outstanding community service in the Collingwood area. She is an Advisor to the Muskoka Ballet Scholarship Fund, and has served on the Board of the Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts.
ELIZABETH LOUGHEED, Senior Associate
Elizabeth graduated from George Brown College's Dance Program in 2000 with a Diploma in ballet, modern, jazz, voice, and dance pedagogy. She returned to teach full time at Fleet-Wood and implemented a modern program. An accomplished dancer and performer she danced her whole life taking years of classes with Jane Wooding and Sharron Fleet. Her training also includes scottish and folk with Lois Musselman. She holds her Intermediate Certificate in Cecchetti ballet. Elizabeth is known for her emotional choreography as show cased in many Fleet-Wood Recitals. She has danced the role of "Snow Queen" for the last two Fleet-Wood Nutcracker performances. Elizabeth teaches all levels of classes in addition to the pre-professional ballet and modern programs. She was promoted to "Associate" in 2004 as a senior member of the Artistic Staff. Ms. Lougheed Brown moved to Trenton in the summer of 2010 but continues to teach at Fleet-Wood as a Guest Teacher.
JONATHAN FLEET, Jazz Teacher
Jonathan Fleet is a Senior Teacher at Fleet-Wood Dancentre. His training includes ballet, jazz, modern and theatre dance for over twenty years. He attended The Quinte Ballet School of Canada's summerschools 2001, and 2002 studying jazz with Anne Marie Wood, and ballet with Frank Augustyn, Joyce Shietze, Gizella Witkowsky, and Brian Scott. He holds his Intermediate Cecchetti Ballet Certificate, 2004 now studying at the Advanced One Level. Jonathan has been a Senior Teacher at Fleet-Wood Dancentre since 1999, working with the pre-professional students in jazz technique as well as beginner classes for ages 4 and up. During his many years at Fleet-Wood Dancentre, he has enjoyed dancing the role of The Nutcracker Prince for several productions. In 2003-2004 Jonathan received additional intensive training at George Brown College and Dance Teq in Toronto studying jazz, ballet, modern and voice from a variety of teachers including National Ballet of Canada Kevin Pugh, Glenn Gilmour, jazz with Derek Sangster, Timothy Spain, Stephen Findley, and Vicky St.Dennis. Jonathan has passed the written exam for the Level One Fitness Instructors Course and is also a Level One Ski Instructor with the Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance, teaching skiing with the the Base Borden Ski Club since 2002.
MELISSA TISDALE-MILLS, Tap Teacher
Mrs. Tisdale-Mills has extensive training in jazz, tap, tap/jazz and classical ballet. Coached by the late
Dot Blakeley at her private dance studio in Simcoe, Ontario she was part of a "semi-professional"
dance team, and competed quite successfully across Ontario and parts of the USA. Choosing to
follow an academic, music and team sport path she graduated from Western University with a degree
in Biology, Sheridan College as a Chemical Technician and Georgian College "Teaching and Training
Adults" program.She also coaches soccer in all age groups and facilitated an after school science
program with Elephant Thoughts. She currently helps direct a children's choir. Melissa has enjoyed teaching tap at Fleet-Wood Dancentre for the past three years, and looks forward
to returning to dance and sharing her passion for music and movement with young tappers.
PAULA SCHRYVER Modern and Hip Hop
As a student of dance from the age of 4, Paula immersed herself into the study of ballet, and jazz through Mississauga’s Recreation and Parks dance programs. She also attended Marie Ann Longlade School of Dance where she studied ballet, pointe and hip hop. While attending Cawthra Park Secondary School, she majored in dance studying with Fanny Ghorayeb, Jill Hollingsworth and Jody Miller. This allowed her the opportunity to develop her creative and technical skills through the study of ballet, jazz, modern dance, composition, and performance practice as well as study ballet and modern terminology, kinesiology, history of dance, composition, criticism, and injury prevention.
Jessica Ryerse, Student Teacher Pre-Ballet Jazz and Hip Hop
Jessica attends Collingwood Collegiate Highschool and has been dancing at Fleet-Wood Dancentre since the age of seven. As a Senior Student at Fleet-Wood, Ms. Ryerse assisted Sharron Fleet for many years as part of the mentoring program and joined the teaching staff for the pre-ballet jazz program in 2009. Ms. Ryerse has danced the role of Clara in Fleet-Wood's Nutcracker 2007 and the Spanish Princess in 2009. That year she also performed with Ballet Jogen in their November performance of Anastacia and Cinderella in Meaford. Ms. Ryerse's training includes jazz, modern, hip hop as well as Cecchetti Ballet. In June of 2010 Ms. Ryerse passed the Grade Five Cecchetti Exam and is currently working at the Grade Six level. Jessica currently attends Collingwood Collegiate.
DANIELLE LANGLOIS Student Teacher, Pre-Ballet Jazz, and Hip Hop
Danielle Langlois is also a Senior at Fleet-Wood Dancentre and has been an assistant for many years with Miss Sharron, sharing her love of dance with little ballerinas. Danielle has extensive training in jazz, modern, hip hop and Cecchetti Ballet. In 2009 and 2010 she performed with Ballet Jogen in their November performance of Anastacia, and Cinderella in Meaford. In December she danced the role of Sugar Plum Fairy, in Fleet-Wood's 8th Nutcracker Ballet. Danielle is currently working at the Grade Six Level of the Cecchetti Syllabus having passed her Grade Five Exam in June of 2010. Danielle also volunteers her time at Fleet-Wood in addition to teaching and dancing at the senior level. She currently attends Collingwood Collegiate.
TESSA VINTAR, Teacher jazz/hiphop/contemporary, modern, ballet, tap
Tessa Vintar is a dancer, teacher and choreographer from Toronto. Tessa began her training at The Dance Extension and later moved to The Dance Place where she was on the competitive dance team "Toronto's Dance Machine" for seven years. First trained as a hiphop dancer she began classical training at age twelve and has since been studying contemporary, lyrical, ballet, tap, and jazz, continuing with hiphop throughout. As well as teaching at The Dance Place and performing and choreographing for recitals, her choreography has also been competed at provincial competitions for the past six years, winning numerous awards including high score awards, awards based on style and choreography, and overall awards. She has been the choreographer for two community musicals, has worked with Luther Brown and Tre Armstrong (from SYTYCD), taken workshops with members from Kabba Modern dance crew (From America's Best Dance Crew) and has most recently worked with "The Black Atlantic", a folk, acoustic band from the Netherlands, choreographing and dancing in their latest music video. Tessa will begin attending George Brown College Dance in the fall of 2011, visiting Fleet-Wood as choreographer and performer.
GUEST TEACHERS
STEPHEN FINDLAY, Guest Teacher: Jazz
Most recently completed performing in Mirvish Productions The Sound Of Music where he also acted as Resident Dance Captain.
He began his career with the Alberta Ballet then later with Ballet North where he spent four seasons as a soloist. Some past theatre credits include; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, three seasons with the Charlottetown Festival where he played in Anne of Green Gables, Guys and Dolls and Puttin on the Ritz, Peter Pan and Robin hood the Pantomimes at the Elgin Theatre, Forty Second Street and Crazy For You at Huron County Playhouse, SwingStep an original Canadian Musical and numerous others.
Movie and Television credits include; Queer As Folk, The Gemini Awards, Stormy Weather, SuperStar, Once Upon A Mattress, and HairSpray with John Travolta. He has had the good fortune to work with great artists such as Donny Osmond, Shania Twain, Ernie Coombs,( Mr. Dressup), Rex Harrington, Traci Ullman, Louise Pitre, Carol Burnett, Tony nominated choreographer Arlene Smith and Tony Award winning choreographer Kathleen Marshall.
Recent choreography credits include West Side Story and Gypsy, both for Sheridan College, and the Mary Kay Awards. Up coming, Once Upon A Mattress for Sheridan College.
Also a sought after teacher, he has taught and guest taught for various centres through out Canada including Dance Fuzion, The Edmonton School of Ballet, The Alberta Ballet School, The Young Canadians, The Charlottetown Festival Young Company, Harbour Dance, George Brown College, Sheridan College, Metro Movement and Dubo Force, (Monterrey Mexico).
He would like to share the following....
"I spent 14 years of my life dancing at Fleet-Wood, and thanks to the studio I have had an excellent 14 years. The end of my years as a student at the studio seemed odd in that I was closing a really long chapter in my own book and moving on to a new one - and it's been difficult telling myself that this change was going to happen. I want to thank the generous people - and all of Fleet-Wood, for that matter - for giving me a wonderful send-off at the recital. I Hope to help the studio in the future musically, and maybe I'll eventually be playing the Cecchetti exams.... I hope to use the wealth of knowledge I found at the Fleet-Wood Dancentre to compliment the skills I will leearn during my time as a student in the field of music and piano studies. I wish you all the best for this coming season, and for future seasons to come. I will see you when I see you (and perhaps that will be on-stage, again), and I look forward to the day!"... Colin Eccles
CHANTELLE HARTLE Guest Teacher Jazz/contemporary/Hiphop
Chantelle Hartle is a senior teacher at Fleet-Wood Dancentre. After starting dance at the age of 4, Chantelle has spent her time studying jazz, ballet, point, modern, and hiphop. Apart from studying at Fleet-Wood, she has spent countless summers going down to Dance Teq (Toronto) learning from some of the most inspirational teachers in Canada including Anne Marie Wood, Gizella Witkowsky, and Derek Sangster. Chantelle's choreography and endless energy makes her work exciting to watch!
SHANNON ROBERTS, BFA Dance Ryerson, Alumni, Guest Teacher
Hiphop/jazz/modern
Shannon graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ryerson University in Performance Dance under the direction of Nadia Potts. She recently returned from China where she taught dance, and helped design the program. She was accepted into the Master of Fine Arts program at York University for Dance Choreography and Dance Dramaturgy. Recently Shannon began choreographing for several important festivals in Toronto such as Talent Defined and the Dance 2 Danse Festival. She also been in several hip hop music videos, bollywood pieces and African dance performances broadening her training. Ms. Roberts worked with Holly Small, Louis Laberge Cote, Kenny Pearl and David Earle. She looks forward to returning to Fleet-Wood Dancentre where she began her training with Sharron Fleet and Jane Wooding.