It’s almost time for Season 24 at GRAD which means it’s time to get to know your teachers for the year!! Read below to find out more about your dance teachers for the 2025/2026 dance season:
Miss Laura – Director
- How many years have you been teaching at GRAD?
- This will be my 21st season as a teacher at GRAD, and 11th season as owner
- How old were you when you started dancing?
- I started dancing when I was 3 years old
- What’s your favourite style of dance?
- My favourite style of dance is ballet
- What was a favourite dance of yours from when you were a kid?
- My favourite routine from when I was a kid was when I did a jazz duet to “Vogue” with my fried. I loved it because it was my first duet, and we got to choreograph a lot of it ourselves
*Fun Fact: Miss Laura’s cousin is the mailman for Lewis Capaldi in Scotland!
Miss Emily – Assistant Director/Choreographer
- How many years have you been teaching at GRAD?
- This will be my 12th season as a teacher at GRAD
- How old were you when you started dancing?
- I started dancing when I was 4 years old
- What’s your favourite style of dance?
- My favourite style of dance is jazz
- What was a favourite dance of yours from when you were a kid?
- A favourite routine of mine was a ballet dance called “Beach Beauties” when I was in high school. It was a retro-themed beach look complete with a flower swim cap, and was set to big band music. I loved the creativity and character that went into this piece!
*Fun Fact: Miss Emily did a few years of competitive figure skating as a child, and one of her coaches was a former Olympic athlete!
Miss Carrie – Teacher/Choreographer
- How many years have you been teaching at GRAD?
- This will be my 6th season as a teacher at GRAD
- How old were you when you started dancing?
- I started dancing when I was 3 years old
- What’s your favourite style of dance?
- My favourite style of dance changes ever year, but this year I’m feeling hip hop
- What was a favourite dance of yours from when you were a kid?
- My favourite dance routine I ever did as a kid was called “Big Noise”. I worked my little butt off to be in that jazz routine because we had to audition to be considered in the order girls’ dance. One of my favourite memories is making that dance with my best friend.
*Fun Fact: Miss Carrie’s childhood home was almost selected to be in Celine Dion’s documentary about her childhood!
Miss Stephanie – Teacher/Choreographer
- How many years have you been teaching at GRAD?
- This year will be my 6th season as a teacher at GRAD
- How old were you when you started dancing?
- I started dancing when I was 6 years old
- What’s your favourite style of dance?
- My favourite style of dance is ballet
- What was a favourite dance of yours from when you were a kid?
- One of my favourite dances that I did as a kid was called “The Lonley Goatherd” from the Sound of Music. It was a very silly, funny, musical theatre dance and I got to be a goat!
*Fun Fact: Miss Stephanie spent some time this summer teaching at the National Ballet of Canada!
Miss Julia – Teacher/Choreographer
- How many years have you been teaching at GRAD?
- This year will be my 5th season as a teacher at GRAD
- How old were you when you started dancing?
- I started dancing when I was 3 years old
- What’s your favourite style of dance?
- My favourite style of dance is ballet
- What was a favourite dance of yours from when you were a kid?
- One of my favourite dance routines I did as a kid was a lyrical group called “Home”. It was a super fun routine, and everyone in the group loved learning and performing it
*Fun Fact: Miss Julia danced in a Disney World parade when she was a child!
Miss Kristen – Teacher/Choreographer
- How many years have you been teaching at GRAD?
- This year will be my 11th season as a teacher at GRAD
- How old were you when you started dancing?
- I started dancing when I was 3 years old
- What’s your favourite style of dance?
- My favourite style of dance is contemporary
- What was a favourite dance of yours from when you were a kid?
- My favourite dance routine was called “Le Jazz Hot” – it was the first time I learned fosse and it was so different and fun at the time, that it stood out to me to this day!
*Fun Fact: Miss Kristen has a family connection to Sidney Crosby!
Miss Payton – Teacher/Choreographer
- How many years have you been teaching at GRAD?
- This year will be my 8th year as a teacher at GRAD
- How old were you when you started dancing?
- I started dancing when I was 4 years old
- What’s your favourite style of dance?
- My favourite style of dance is jazz
- What was a favourite dance of yours from when you were a kid?
- My favourite dance routine growing up was a tap group to the song “Hello Dolly”. It’s still my favourite costume to this day, and definitely where my love for theatrical tap started.
*Fun Fact: When Miss Payton lived in New York City, she lived on the same street as Lady Gaga’s parents!