As we enter into a new year of dance in Woodstock at Footprints we are excited to begin introducing our staff to you. Each one of our dance teachers have done a little Q&A to help you get to know them better. In this blog post you will meet Miss Kristen!

With over 20 years of dance experience, Kristen started dancing at the age of three and has trained extensively in such styles as jazz, ballet, tap, modern, lyrical, acro etc. Kristen is a graduate of the Integrated Arts Program at Eastwood Collegiate Institute in Kitchener, Ontario, where she majored in dance, dramatic arts, and music. It is here that she found her love of choreography and was fortunate enough to showcase her abilities throughout her high school career. While at Eastwood, Kristen performed throughout Southwestern Ontario with Kinesis Dance Company, a modern based dance company.

Kristen continually finds ways to improve and update her dance and teaching credentials through certifications and workshops. Kristen is a York University graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance with honours specializing in choreography and performance, a graduate with distinction from Conestoga College’s business program, and most recently a fully certified teacher with Acrobatic Arts. Throughout her post-secondary education, she trained largely in ballet and contemporary and was fortunate enough to be a member of York Dance Ensemble, a contemporary company at York University.

Kristen is very excited to share her love and passion for dance at Footprints Dance Centre this dance season!

Check out Miss Lainy’s Q&A with Miss Kristen below to learn a bit more about her passion for dance!

Q) How did you become interested in dance?
When I was three, my mom took me to watch my older cousin’s dance recital. When officially asked if I wanted to take dance classes like my cousin I said yes, and the rest is history!

Q) What do you feel is the biggest lesson you learned from growing up as a dancer?
The dance studio has always been my safe haven. Growing up, I was that shy kid that never talked to adults and literally hid behind my mother’s legs in public. The biggest lesson I’ve learned from dance is confidence. Throughout childhood, dance has allowed me to be my crazy self and I’ve been able to explore who I am as a dancer and as a person. It’s because of my shy past that I’ve always made it my goal to find that shy kid in any of my dance classes and get them dancing and chatting up a storm by the end of the year.

Q) What is your background in dance/childhood education? What did you learn from this experience that you apply in the studio?
I started dancing at age 3, began competing at age 5. Name a dance style and I’ve at least attempted it. I was fortunate enough to attend the Integrated Arts Program at Eastwood Collegiate Institute in Kitchener, Ontario where I majored in dance. I hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts specializing in choreography and performance from York University, and am fully certified in Acrobatic Arts. I can honestly say I have trained with some of the best teachers, and some of the more unique teachers throughout my 20 plus years of dance experience. My past experiences have allowed me to really explore what kind of dance teacher I want to be, and how I want to inspire current and future students.

Q) What is your favourite part of teaching dance?
I love watching that lightbulb go off and a daunting task becomes simple. Some of my favourite dance memories have been watching kids skip for the first time, get into their full splits after months and months of stretching, or finally nailing that single pirouette. Hard work really does pay off!

Q) Why did you choose Footprints Dance Centre?
It took me one visit to the studio to understand that to everyone I have met, Footprints is a home away from home. In this kind of setting, the studio may be small, but the dancers are always giving maximum effort, the parents and families are always friendly and welcoming, and the staff are nothing less than excellent. This is the kind of environment I thrive in! Words cannot explain how excited I am to be a member of Footprints Dance Centre this year!

Q) What do you want your students to have learned by the end of the year?
That it’s ok to step outside of your comfort zone! Not only will your technique improve, you will grow immensely as an artist!

Q) What are you most looking forward to this year?
I’m excited to inspire and be inspired, and have a lot of fun in the process.