Our Staff

Our dedicated staff have countless hours of training behind them, allowing them to fully support and encourage the growth of all students. Many of our staff members are teachers and social support workers in their community at large. This allows them to confidently provide safe, inclusive classrooms and for students of all ability levels to be challenged, ultimately finding success.  

Our Mission

To provide a quality dance education to any dancer, of any ability level, in whatever time we spend with them in the classroom. We will continually work with and on our curriculum to ensure that class time is spent efficiently, that progressions and goals are consistent and attainable and that all students are able to experience success. Above all else, we will ensure that every student is noticed, valued and welcomed, creating a safe space for dancers, young and old, to explore their creativity, physicality and expression!

Photography by Artistic Creations

Studio Director: Kirsten McOuat

B.A.

(She/Her)

Kirsten McOuat is a lifelong resident of Spruce Grove who is realising a dream by becoming a business owner in the community! Kirsten and her husband Jon have two children, Wyatt and Brynlee, and love to spend time together as a family.  Since the age of 3, when Kirsten started her dance career at Ward, she has dedicated her life to the arts. Kirsten started teaching dance 20 years ago and in that time her groups/choreography have won numerous awards and accolades. Along with her passion and love of dance, she has sung in a variety of choral ensembles.

Kirsten graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. Her degree focused on the development of children and youth, which has been a wonderful complement to her dance instruction. Along with being a dance instructor, she has worked with the City of Spruce Grove as a Community Development Coordinator (Youth) focusing on preventative social programming. Kirsten has had the opportunity to work with various schools in the Parkland area providing choreography for choirs, musicals and dance teams.

Kirsten is a certified Intellidance instructor and loves teaching this program at the studio as it brings together her two most favourite things to do, singing AND dancing! Fostering healthy development in children and youth is one of the reasons she chose to study psychology in university. Intellidance is an amazing program that supports critical development in children ages 0-5 along with fostering a love of dance and music. She is continuously inspired by the joy Intellidance brings to so many children and families in the community!

Kirsten is also certified in Pilates mat (levels 1, 2 & 3), reformer (levels 1&2) as well as chair (levels 1&2). She along with Miss Janine, Miss Kim and Miss Robyn make up the Dance Conditioning team within the studio. Kirsten has a passion for helping people of all ages to build a strong movement foundation.

Kirsten’s goal is to inspire love and passion for dance and music in people of all ages. She feels so blessed to have the opportunity to give back to the community that has given so much to her! 

Studio Director: Kirsten Williams

BSc & BEd

(She/Her)

Kirsten Williams began her dance career at the age of 3 at Ward School of Dance. After moving to Edmonton she maintained her relationship with Mrs. Ward, often reuniting at competitions and dance performances in the Edmonton area. As a lifelong student of dance, Kirsten has had the pleasure of training under some of Canada’s most renowned instructors and choreographers, at studios such as Casey’s, Sandra Gray’s, Shelley’s, and Dance Unlimited. Kirsten has won awards, studied and performed throughout Western Canada as well as on Princess Cruise Lines. Kirsten successfully pursued a degree in Neurobiology, with a minor in Biology. During her first year of university, Kirsten became the sole ballet teacher at Ward. Soon the ballet program doubled in size and since then, Kirsten has received numerous choreography awards for her work as a ballet, lyrical, jazz and contemporary teacher. Her studies in the areas of anatomy and cognition have made her a valuable asset to the development of Ward’s Dance Conditioning program. Kirsten’s after degree in Education provides her with a unique perspective on dance instruction and the most effective methods to meet her students’ needs. Currently working for Edmonton Public Schools, Kirsten spear-headed the dance program being offered at M.E. LaZerte High School before returning to a Biology position. Kirsten is dedicated to her craft; she believes that dance is a sport that instills a strong work ethic and sportsmanship while developing creativity, confidence and technique. Kirsten feels strongly that dance educators should be guiding and supportive role models to this end. She could not be more excited for the upcoming dance season! 

Ally McDermott

(She/Her)

Ally began dancing at the age of three at the Camrose Academy of Dance. She then continued her dance career at Ward School of Dance where she trained in multiple disciplines such as Ballet, Contemporary, Lyrical, and Jazz. She has performed at community events along with excelling in many festivals in the Edmonton area. She continued to train with us until she began teaching at the studio. Ally has always had a passion for helping others and her natural teaching abilities and extreme patience make her an excellent asset to our pre-school and primary programs. You can often see her at community events or even hosting our Ward School of Dance Birthday Parties. As well as being part of our Ward School of Dance team, Ally is currently in her third and final year of Respiratory Therapy at NAIT. She cannot wait for what this year brings!

Daniel Andries

(He/Him)

Daniel Andries is one of the driving forces behind the Hip-Hop dance scene in Edmonton, as a choreographer for many studios across Canada and as a member of the professional crew White Chocolate. White Chocolate has performed for numerous recording artists such as; Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Ashanti, Ginuwine, Sean Paul, Kreesha Turner, The Game, Nelly Furtado, Obie Trice, 112, Boyz II Men, Fabolous, K-Ci & JoJo, Chingy, Sean Desmond, Massari, Gary Beals, Rochester, Fabolous, and Snoop Dogg. White Chocolate have been featured as the only Hip-Hop group set to perform for Alberta’s Centennial event where the Queen of England was in attendance. White Chocolate have performed alongside Jabbawockeez, Supreme Soul, Fanny Pak, and Super Crew from America’s Best Dance Crew. Daniel has starred in the hit music video “Bounce With Me” by Kreesha Turner which was directed by world renowned director Little X. Daniel was a part of the tour called Hip-Hop Saved My Life which toured across mainland China. Daniel teaches at workshops across Canada, U.S.A , and China and continues to help educate and teach across his hometown of Edmonton. Daniel was also a featured dancer in the movie "Lullaby For Pi".

Janine McNerney

M.F.A., Pilates CPT

(She/Her)

Originally from Stony Plain, McNerney trained in all forms of dance, and continued dance into post secondary education where she completed her B.F.A. Honors in Dance in Toronto, Ontario at York University in 2005. Her educational focus was in the modern genre, both Graham and Limon techniques, in addition to Checcetti ballet, Dance Writing, Dance Science, and Injury Prevention.  McNerney was part of the York Dance Ensemble from 2003-2005, traveling and performing at various venues across the Greater Toronto Area, studying under Holly Small, Susan Cash, Donna Krasnow, and Randy Glenn.  

McNerney continued her education, attending the School of Dance at the University of Arizona, completing her M.F.A. in Theatre Arts with a dance performance focus, in a triple track program of study influenced here by internationally recognized teaching artists Doug Neilson, James Clouser, Suzanne Knosp, and Amy Ernst.  In 2006, McNerney performed at the China-Shanghai International Performing Arts Festival as a company member for Theatrical Mime Theatre, and was a full company member of the NEW ARTiculations dance company until 2009.  In Arizona, McNerney joined a cutting edge arts education program as an OMA movement artist (Opening Minds Through the Arts) for the Tucson Unified School District, connecting movement to the school curriculum for second grade.  McNerney brought this program into the Parkland School Division in 2009 for 6 years as Move Your Mind.  

McNerney’s thesis in dance science led her to an internship at Fort Lowell physical therapy in Tucson, Arizona, in addition to graduating from the Fletcher Pilates program of Study in 2009.  Moving back to Canada in 2009, McNerney founded Core Movement Pilates Studio in Parkland.  She has been faculty lead for Pilates teacher training, helped implement the Dance Conditioning program at Ward School of Dance and is currently in school for Manual Osteopathic Therapy.  McNerney is excited to be working with the XDA program teaching modern and to back for another year at Ward for Dance Conditioning!

Kelsey Hamilton

(She/Her)

Kelsey began dancing at age 3 with Ward School of Dance and has trained in Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Musical Theatre, Irish, Pointe, Contemporary, Lyrical, Hip Hop, and Modern. As a dancer, Kelsey was consistently recognized with onstage scholarships, and she gained valuable experience from renowned choreographers at conventions such as Triple Threat and Feats Festival of Dance. Also, she has performed in Bridal Fantasy, Hip Hop for Hope and many other community festivals. She has also successfully completed grades 1 through 7 of the Al Gilbert tap exams, and volunteered extensively with children’s programs including Musical Theatre workshops at Festival Place and summer camps for ages 3 and up. 

Throughout her training Kelsey developed a passion for Musical Theatre. Performance and choreography opportunities have included various productions with St. Thomas Aquinas High School, during which time she was nominated as “best dancer” and “best choreographer” by the Edmonton Journal Cappies and the Edmonton International Fringe Festival. 

With 8 years of teaching and choreography experience, Kelsey has had the opportunity grow with Ward School of Dance and continue her work in Theatre. She strives to inspire her students, and her work with Ward School of Dance has been recognized with numerous choreography awards. Selected Theatre choreography credits include “Footloose”, “Beauty and the Beast” and “Grease” with St. Peter the Apostle High School, “Spearsical 1 & 2” with Raw Meet Productions and “Anne of Green Gables” with Horizon Players. 

Kelsey is currently enrolled in NAIT’s Medical Radiology Technology program where the key focus in anatomy and physiology has enhanced her understanding of the body’s movement in dance and injury prevention. Kelsey is excited for another great season at Ward and can not wait to see what the year holds!

Kinsey Morgadinho

(She/Her)

Kinsey first began her dance education with Ward School of Dance at the age of 5, where she developed her lifelong passion for the art. She continued training in several disciplines such as tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, musical theatre, hip hop, contemporary, and lyrical. She has performed for many benefit events in addition to several festivals throughout Edmonton and its surrounding area and has been given many scholarships and awards for her competitive performances. Kinsey’s dance training gave her the opportunity to choreograph and teach dance to local high school drama students for the productions of 13! The Musical, Aida, and Seussical. She received two Cappies nominations for best choreography for these productions. Kinsey has since expanded her dance training to include traditional dancing from the coastal and sierra regions of Ecuador. She continues to learn and perform with the Aymara Nuca Llacta Dancers at various venues and cultural events in Edmonton including annually at Heritage Days and Canada Day. In addition to working as a camp leader for Spruce Grove’s ‘Summer in the City’, Kinsey has volunteered and worked with children to a great extent throughout her life. Kinsey is entering her fourth year at the University of Alberta working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a focus on child development and mental health. She hopes this degree will compliment her love of working with children and her desire to help make a difference in peoples’ lives. Kinsey is excited for another wonderful year with Ward.

Megan Toews

(She/Her)

Megan began her dancing career at the age of 7 in the small town of Wabamun, and later in Stony Plain and Onoway. There she starting doing small festivals and began training in Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, and HipHop. She moved to Ward School of Dance at the age of 13 where she became more active in competitions, and advancing her training in technique. She has been with the ward family ever since! Megan flourished with her team members and teachers at Ward and continued to dance even after High School. Through dance Megan learned the importance of our body’s muscles and functionality which led her to becoming Registered Massage Therapist in 2019!

Nicholas Kolos

(He/Him)

Toronto native Nicholas began his training at the age of 7 with Ukrainian folk dance at the Ukrainian Academy of Dance/Arkan Dance Company. He then went on to attend George Brown College where he studied dance/performing arts. He has also attended the Oakville School of Dance, School of Alberta Ballet, L’École Supérieure de Ballet du Québec, and has attended the summer dance intensive at Canada’s National Ballet School.

Aside from his roles in The Nutcracker and a character role in Alberta Ballet’s Swan Lake, Nicholas has performed with Cirque du Soleil in the opening ceremonies of the 2013 C2-MTL Conference in Montréal. He has also traveled across Canada and internationally to Ukraine and South Korea performing with Arkan Dance Company

Nicholas is currently dancing with Citie Ballet, Edmonton’s resident ballet company.

Taylor Kiryluik

(She/Her)

Taylor started dancing almost as soon as she could walk and has trained extensively in many genres of dance. She is a highly creative and versatile performer, teacher, and choreographer with a quirky and fun approach to her craft. Born and raised in small town Alberta, Taylor branched out in high school and graduated from Victoria School for the Arts where she studied contemporary and jazz dance intensively while also learning the history of modern and tap techniques. She continued her study of contemporary and jazz through post secondary and was even scouted to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Dance has allowed Taylor to travel the world performing and training in cities across Spain, as well as London, Paris, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York. 

Taylor has chosen to stay true to her Canadian roots and grow with dance in Edmonton where she competed professionally and worked with BBM, YEGrBombz, and is one of the original members of Mod Contemporary Company through the University of Alberta. She has opened for Hip hop artists KYLE (iSpy), Kirko Bangz, Jadakiss and Jay Sean. Though she loves performing Taylor maintains her career and has found her niche as a teacher. She has been inspiring students with her creativity, style and passion for dance for the past 10 years and is always looking forward to sharing her love of dance with everyone she meets!

Tessa Korby

(She/Her)

Tessa Korby began her dance training at Kate’s Dance academy in Calgary, AB where she studied the I.S.T.D. method in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and Acro. After moving to Spruce Grove, AB in 2007 she began dancing at Ward School of Dance, training in various disciplines including Contemporary, Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, and Hip Hop. In her senior year of high school, while still dancing at Ward, Tessa transferred to Victoria School of Performing and Visual Arts to gain new dance experience and further her technique. Tessa travelled with the dance group to Miami, FL for the National High School Dance Festival in 2010 where she took classes with prestigious instructors as well as advanced dancers from both Miami’s New World School of the Arts.  She has performed at various events in the Edmonton area and area such as Hip Hop for Hope and the opening ceremonies for the Alberta Winter Games of 2012.

While studying at the University of Alberta, Tessa began assistant teaching at Ward School of Dance as her love of dancing had bloomed into a passion for teaching. Since then, Tessa has pursued higher levels of dance instruction education to further her technique and teaching methods. Tessa is certified in both Module 1 and Module 2 of the Acrobatic Arts syllabus and spearheaded the Acro program at Ward School of Dance. She has a High Five certificate in “Principles of Healthy Child Development” in July 2015, she attended the “Dance Teacher Summit” in Long Beach, CA to enrich her methods of teaching even further.

Tessa has pursued additional teaching opportunities both in the Edmonton area as well as in Southern Alberta where she lived for 3 years, including: instruction for the Devon Skating Club off-ice training program, Acro instruction at Dance Unlimited in Edmonton, teaching for the Dance Without Limits program in collaboration with the Cerebral Palsy Association of Alberta in St. Albert and Spruce Grove, teaching at Dance Images dance studio in Coaldale, Alberta as well as facilitation of Acro classes as a part of the Artist Partnership program at CASA arts center in Lethbridge from 2018-2020. 

Tessa continues to teach and in recent years has had the opportunity to adjudicate in-studio Acro examinations for Inspire Dance Arts and Invitation to Dance studios in Calgary, Alberta and continues to seek opportunities that will increase her knowledge and skills in Acro instruction. Miss Tessa is so excited to be back living and teaching in Spruce Grove where her love of teaching bloomed.

Jayme MacDougall

(She/Her)

Jayme began her dance career at Ward School of Dance 39 years ago. She started dancing at the age of three and trained in a multiple of disciplines. When Jayme began teaching dance, she quickly realized that the preschool program was her passion. She followed this calling in her Post-Secondary Education and enrolled in the Education Faculty at the University of Alberta. As Jayme completed her Bachelor of Education with a minor in Early Childhood Education, she continued to teach at the Ward School of Dance.

Jayme had been a school teacher in the community for ten years teaching grades five, six and kindergarten. She continued to be an instructor at the Ward School of Dance during her teaching career because of her love for dancing and sharing that passion with her students. After her daughter was born, she took a leave of absence from Parkland School Division but still maintained her teaching position with Wards. Jayme has two children and once her son went to Kindergarten, Jayme also went back to teaching at Ladybug Playschool on the West end of Edmonton. She has been the teacher for the 3 year old and 4 four year old programs at Ladybug Playschool for the past 3 years and she loves every minute of it!

Jayme is so excited that her 10 year old daughter shares the same love of dancing and even when she is not at the studio, Jayme is in the world of dance! 

Jayme is looking forward to another wonderful year at Wards and can’t wait to get started!

Paige Henderson

(She/Her)

Rhiannon Mielnichuk

(She/Her)

My mother enrolled me in my first dance class at the age of 4. By the time I was 6, I was enrolled in Ballet, Tap and Jazz, and I quickly learned that this was exactly what I wanted to be doing. I had a natural flair for performance, and I loved the stage. By the time I was 12, my family and I moved from Alberta to Ontario and I had the privilege of training at a studio that focused on C.D.T.A. (Canadian Dance Teacher Association) examinations as well as performance. 

During my 6 years of training in Ontario, I successfully passed C.D.T.A. examinations up to the Advanced level with Honours in Cecchetti Ballet, Jazz and Tap. I was part of a strong dance team known for our technique, performance ability and unique choreography. 

I had the privilege of assisting our Artistic Director’s ballet classes on a regular basis for 4 years. Working alongside her enabled me to learn how to channel my knowledge by clear explanations and demonstrations. I learned how to bring out the best in each dancer by developing their natural ability, never giving up on them, and refusing to foster a competitive spirit within the studio.  

By the time I was in my senior year, I was trained in Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary and Broadway. I excelled in all disciplines, but was especially showcased in Lyrical and Broadway pieces as I was recognized for fully bringing a character to life on stage. Working alongside the best choreographers in the area helped sharpen my artistic thinking, and taught me the processes required to produce sharp, unique routines. 

I am currently teaching ballet, tap, jazz and lyrical at studios in Edmonton and surrounding area. I have successfully trained dancers for their ballet examinations at the Edmonton School of Ballet, helping two students receive Honours and Scholarships.  I have also received many Outstanding Group Awards and Choreography Awards. I look forward to working with your talented dancers and imparting my ever-growing passion and knowledge for dance. 

Robyn Sansom

(She/Her)

This is Robyn’s 31st year with Ward School of Dance. She began dancing at the age of 3, and continued until age 21 when she began teaching for us. Robyn trained in many different disciplines at Ward, and continued her dance education in various cities in North America by taking workshops and courses with many world renowned choreographers and teachers in a variety of different disciplines. She has also choreographed for a variety of school musicals and arts programs, Edmonton Fashion Week, as well as performed in Alberta Summer Games opening and closing ceremonies, Hip Hop for Hope and Artists Emerge to name a few. Robyn currently teaches many different styles of dance at Ward including Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Preschool, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre and Intellidance. 

After realizing at an early age that she had a passion for working with children and youth, Robyn decided to take the Child and Youth Care Program at Grant MacEwan University where she received her Diploma in 2008. She then went on to specialize in using creative arts to work with children and teens, and travelled to Denver to train at the Colorado School of Family Therapy. There she became a certified Dance and Movement Therapist and a certified Systemic Play Therapist. In 2010, Robyn started her own business, ‘Creative Expressions Therapy’, which uses various creative arts to work with at-risk youth in local communities. 

Intellidance has always been close to Robyn’s heart, as it is a close combination of her love of dance and her business using creative arts to work with children and youth. Since the birth of her 3 girls in the past 5 years, Intellidance has become an even greater passion for Robyn to teach, as she see’s how a love of dance, music, movement and play can greatly foster children's development. Allowing children to experience the joy of dance, starting at such a young age, is such a rewarding experience. Robyn hopes to continue to share these experiences with many more families, as well as watch as her own girls grow from babies in a parented creative movement classes, to beautiful independent dancers in their own classes at Ward. 

Dance has definitely been a large part of Robyn's life, and she hopes to continue sharing her love for it with others in the Spruce Grove community and her family for years to come!