With an illustrious stage career of over 20 years as Principal Dancer with the National Ballet of Canada, Ms. Goh is one of the most prolific artists of her generation. Her delicate lyricism and emotional depth personify the essence of numerous lead roles. In 2010 upon retiring from her performing career, Ms. Goh accepted the invitation to become the Director of Goh Ballet, to further her passion to inspire dancers of tomorrow and to provide students with opportunities to train with world-renowned teachers. Extending her reach and always advocating for the arts, Ms. Goh serves as a jury member for several international competitions. She guest instructs and sets choreography for some of the most renowned companies in the world and since 2009 has been the Executive Producer of Goh Ballet’s critically acclaimed The Nutcracker, a holiday tradition in the City of Vancouver. Ms. Goh is a founding member of Vancouver’s Arts and Culture Policy Council, which assists in giving the creative community a voice. Her accomplishments, with irrepressible devotion to the enhancement of the cultural life of Canada, have garnered several prestigious awards including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the YWCA Women of Distinction Award, the New Pioneers Arts Award and the Best Teacher Award at the World Ballet Competition. In 2019, Ms Goh was appointed a member of the Order of Canada and in 2020, the University of British Columbia awarded her the distinction of Doctor of Letters honoris causa.

For more than two decades Ms. Smith has provided leadership for the Goh Ballet Academy in Vancouver, Canada, overseeing the Children’s Division, Junior School, and aspects of the Senior Professional School. Choreographing award-winning ballet pieces, providing coaching for national and international competitions, and leading preparations for all levels of RAD examinations, she has been recognized for her student-centric approach and dedication to the well-being and personal success of the student body.

A graduate of the Teacher Training Program at Canada’s National Ballet School and the London Studio Centre in London, England, Fiona has held instructor positions in Tokyo, Toronto, and Vancouver. She provides instruction for ballet intensive sessions on the margins of dance competitions and showcase events, including the Ballet Beyond Borders Competition held in Missoula, Montana, and Los Angeles. She has also been sought after as a ballet adjudicator and judge for various dance competitions, including the U.S.A. and the Victoria DanceWorks Festival. Her portfolio includes annual leadership of significant theatre productions, including Goh Ballet’s The Nutcracker and adaptations of classical ballets for the Children’s Division such as Sleeping Beauty and Alice in Wonderland.

Her career has brought her full circle, having received formal training at the Goh Ballet Academy, where she performed and toured throughout Canada, France, and China with the Goh Ballet Youth Company. She moved to England in 1995 to perform with London Studio Centre’s Images of Dance, working with choreographers such as Geoffrey Cauley, Michael Corder, and Harold King.

Transitioning her love of teaching into her next career move, Ms. Smith returned to Canada and continued her post-secondary education at Canada’s National Ballet School, as well as earning her Advanced 2 R.A.D., Advanced 2 Cecchetti and Advanced National Dance Examinations. She also achieved her teaching certificates in both the R.A.D. Teacher’s Examination and the ISTD National Dance Teachers Examination. Ms. Smith also recently received her Silver Swans Licence from the R.A.D. Ms. Smith returned to the Goh Ballet Academy in 2001, bringing her international experience and love of ballet as the Associate Director to the Junior School.

Tanya Phelps is a highly regarded Ballet & Dance Instructor, Choreographer, and Coach, boasting an extensive background across various dance forms, including ballet, jazz, contemporary, and tap.

Ms. Phelps joined Goh Ballet Academy as an instructor in 2003, throughout the years, she has skillfully instructed students of all age groups, from children to juniors, seniors, and adults. Her teaching expertise extends beyond the studio, encompassing successful coaching in competitions, examinations, technique refinement, and rehabilitation.

In her capacity as Associate Director of Special Projects and Outreach, Ms. Phelps specializes in curating program and curriculum development in educational outreach. Her role involves coordinating external relations performances, executed through relationship management and strategic brand elevation.

Throughout her illustrious career, Ms. Phelps has garnered numerous awards and accolades for her outstanding choreography. Creating extraordinary large-scale performances and dances for competitions, weddings, musicals, events and productions. Her inclination to work collaboratively has fostered partnerships with a diverse array of companies on cultural initiatives and cross-promotions, continually advocating for the realms of dance, art, and beauty. Notably, Ms. Phelps's coaching has produced students who have achieved international acclaim, including a prestigious 1st place win at YAGP (Youth America Grand Prix).

Beyond her commitments at the Goh Ballet Academy, Ms. Phelps has assumed roles as an adjudicator, masterclass instructor, and coordinator for the Global Dance Challenge International Dance Competition. Her multifaceted involvement extends to designing competition rules and regulations, shaping the competition's digital presence, and serving as a key liaison for participants.

Ms. Phelps's richly diverse career includes memorable performances in acclaimed ballets such as Giselle, Don Quixote, La Fille Mal Gardee, Serenade, Paquita, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker. She has worked as an MC for various events and educational outreach performance shows, including a tour to China where she MC'd in both English and Mandarin. Ms. Phelps also appeared on Guang Dong TV's Future Stars of
Tomorrow as a dancer, choreographer, actor, and model.

Ms. Phelps has undergone extensive teacher certification and training, including a certification in Progressive Ballet Technique and being an American Ballet Theatre certified teacher for primary levels to level 3. She also has Registered Teacher Status with the Royal Academy of Dance and ongoing career development courses with the Academy.

Her pedagogical expertise extends to the Vaganova technique, where she trained under the guidance of Professor Xu Ding Zhong, Deputy Director of the Beijing Dance Academy, and the Balanchine technique, under the mentorship of Suki Schorer.

Ms Phelps is passionate about dance and dedicated to sharing her knowledge and
expertise with others. Her commitment to her students and the dance community is evident through her student’s success and her ability to create performances and choreography that inspire and elevate the art of dance.

Isabel Yuan was born in China where she studied classical Ballet at the Beijing Dance Academy (the National Ballet of China), and graduated with distinction in all subjects. Ms. Yuan danced professionally as a principal ballet dancer for 15 years with the Tani Ballet Company in Tokyo, Japan and performed internationally in the most famous classical ballets such as Don Quixote, La Sylphide, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, La Fille Mal Gardee, Coppelia, Cinderella and Swan Lake among others. After sustaining dance injuries, Ms. Yuan retired from dancing and came to Canada to study at the National Ballet School of Canada to obtain her professional dance teacher training in Toronto. She has over two decades of teaching experience and this includes guest teaching at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School of Canada, the Beijing National Ballet School, and the National Ballet School of New Zealand.

Ms. Yuan’s teaching credentials include: the National Ballet Professional Dancer Teaching Certification (NBS. P.D.T.C.), Imperial Society Teachers of Dancing, Advanced Certification and Associate Certification (A.I.S.T.D.), Royal Academy of Dance Teaching Certification (R.A.D. TC.). Ms. Yuan was appointed as a Vocational Examiner for the Royal Academy of Dance in 2005, and has been a Dual Examiner since 2011.

Adonis Daukaev started his career in 1985 as Principal Dancer at the LWOW Opera in the Ukraine; he went on to an astounding career as Principal Dance and House Choreographer at Pfalztheater of Kaiserslautern, Germany.

He has been a ballet teacher at the LWOW Opera (Ukraine), Gdańsk Opera Baltycka (Poland), Salzburg Ballet (Austria), and Pfalztheater (Germany). In addition to his credentials, Mr. Daukaev graduated as Ballet Master and Choreographer at the Notable Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia.

With a professional dance background spanning over 26 years, Mr. Daukaev has worked with many renowned dancers and professors including: K.M. Sergueyev, I.G. Gensler, R.I. Gerbeck, and B.V. Blankov, all of whom embody strong traditional Russian Ballet artistry.

Mr. Daukaev has choreographed several original works in both Classical and Modern dance and has worked with internationally renowned artists such as Germinal Casado, Patricia Neary, and Nikita Dolgushine. Since 2014 he has maintained a regular engagement with the Goh Ballet (Vancouver, Canada) as Ballet Master and Choreographer.

Trained at the Bolshoi Ballet School graduating with honors, Ms. Draw joined Moscow Stanislavsky Ballet Theater in 1979 and was promoted to Principal Dancer in 1981.Ms. Draw interpreted many principal roles of the classical repertoire and had ballets created for her. During her dancing career Ms. Draw studied at the Russian University of Theater Arts(GITIS) for her degree as a Ballet Master under the guidance of Marina Semyonova. In 1994 Ms. Draw joined the faculty if the National Ballet of Canada as a ballet teacher, while completing her Diploma of the Former Professional Dancers teacher training program with distinction. During her tenure at the National Ballet School Ms. Draw received the Diploma as a Teacher of the Cecchetti Method and the Associate Diploma in Cecchetti Classical Ballet from the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance(ISTD) as well as granted the registration status as a teacher of Royal Academy of Dancing. In 2002 Ms. Draw was promoted to the Senior Teacher and Senior Student Advisor and cared the responsibility for career advisory for the senior students at the National Ballet School of Canada. In 2009 she was invited by Nikolaj Hubbe the Director of the Royal Danish Ballet to join the company as a ballet mistress as well as the ballet teacher for the Royal Danish Ballet School. As a ballet mistress of the company, she has the responsibility to teach company classes, lead rehearsals, coach principal dancers and stage the productions. In 2012 in co-operation with Nicolaj Hubbe, Ms. Draw has staged full production of La Bayadere which received praised reviews from particularly the New York Post magazine. In 2015-2022 Ms. Draw worked in the Dance faculty at the UNCSA as an Associate Professor and became the recipient of the Excellence in teaching award 2020-2021.

Ms. Jiawen Mann Pan's professional ballet career began at Guangzhou Ballet where she received training from the vice-principal of Guangzhou Art School. Her six years of training in the Vaganova methods and syllabus, combined with extensive training in Chinese classical and folk dance, culminated in her graduation with distinction. Ms. Pan's repertoire includes classical ballet performances of Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and Nutcracker during her frequent tours of China, Australia, Singapore, and Hong Kong. In recognition of her accomplishments, she received her certificate of Ballet Teaching and Certificate of Chinese Dance Teaching from the prestigious Beijing Dance Academy in 2006.

Since moving to Canada in 2008, Ms. Pan has continued to pursue her passion for dance by joining the Senior division and Youth Company at Goh Ballet Academy. In 2011, she became a RAD-certified teacher at Goh Ballet after completing a three-year teaching course. Ms. Pan has also participated in master classes instructed by Lin Yee Goh, Professor Xu Ding Zhong of Beijing Dance Academy, and Suki Schorer at the School of American Ballet.

Ms. Pan's commitment to excellence has led her to work with Anna-Marie Holmes and Maina Gielgud during her tenure at Goh Ballet. She has received awards from the Surrey Festival of Dance and Global Dance Challenge for her choreography, and her students have achieved great success under her tutelage. One of her students won first place in the Youth America Grand Prix in 2019 after being coached by Ms. Pan in classical ballet variation.

Katherine Somody began her dance training at a young age where she developed her lifelong love of dance. Ms Somody received her dance training in Goh Ballet Academy's Senior Professional Division, where she toured China and Japan performing in varied repertoire, including: Swan Lake, Giselle, Nutcracker, Don Quixote, and Balanchine’s Serenade. She holds a BA in Art History from UBC and the Sorbonne in Paris, France, and an MFA (Performance Art & Dance) from Cornell University in New York. Ms Somody has had the privilege to perform, choreograph, and teach in Berlin, Paris, New York, Halifax and Vancouver. In addition to continual ballet teacher training, Katherine has also trained in various functional movement methodologies, including Countertechnique, Axis Syllabus, Developmental Movement Patterning (Laban/Bartenieff Fundamentals), Contact Improvisation, the Franklin Method and Gaga. She is also a certified Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) instructor. With a fascination for the intersection of Ballet and Somatic practices, Katherine continues to be impressed by the confidence, courage, creativity and grace of the dancers she works with.

"What immerses me in my art, is the connection it creates with the human soul."

Monica Proenca is a professional dance choreographer, teacher and coach with a Master Degree in Dance Pedagogy from the Palucca Hochschule für Tanz Dresden in modern, contemporary dance and contemporary ballet.Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she began her dance training at an early age and went on to graduate from the San Francisco School of the Arts in the United States.
Monica' s professional dance career led her to perform in Classical, Contemporary and many independent productions all over the world .

As a choreographer Monica has designed dance pieces for film, television and International Dance Companies. She has taught and choreographed in renowned institutions such as San Francisco, USA for Lines Contemporary Ballet Program, for Germany's - Nordhousen Ballet Company and Schewerin Ballet . Canada 's Arts Umbrella Youth Company, Kayzer Ballet - Portugal , Brazil's Divina Dança and São Paulo compania de dança and in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Japan, Germany all over Brazil and Canada.

Her professional eye for dance excellence has earned her invites to be a adjudicator at several steemed dance competitions.As an adjudicator she has set in the Jury of the Brasilia international Dance Seminar (Brazil) , Global Dance Challenge (Canada), Valentina koslova international ballet competition (Paraguay).

Monica was a nominee for the 4th Annual Inspirational Latin American Awards for Arts and Culture in Vancouver.

In film Ms Proenca produced "Strings for 2" a short dance film for Bravofact Canada. She was the choreographer for "Dance First" a short film produced by Dunbar Underground Productions , "Dualidade" for São Paulo cia de dança. The features, "A Christmas proposal " CBS/ Netflix and"Center Stage On Pointe," Sony Pictures/ Life network .

In Canada she continues to choreograph, produce, dance, teach, coach and inspire others with passion, strength and elegant technique combined with her own Brazilian flair.

Ramona Boariu is an established Ballet trainer and Choreographer for the past 15+ years.
Ramona has successfully worked with the junior, Intermediate and Senior levels of dancers.

She has been trained under the RAD method of ballet, Vaganova and the ISTD method.
Ramona began her training in Vancouver at the age of 9 learning the discipline of Ballet from many leading teachers and choreographers. She trained with Annette Jakubowski, Jian Rong Sheng, Suzanne Ouellette, Susannah Steers, Anabel Ho and Wendy Green. She moved on to the professional world of dance at a young of 14 with the RWB where she trained extensively under the direction of David Moroni. Her teachers include Galina Yordanova, Jacqueline Weber,
Arlene Minkhorst, Evelyn Hart, Jorden Morris and Carol Roderick.

Ramona was graciously invited to work with the RWB Company in such works as the Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and other various contemporary pieces. Ramona received her Certificate of Ballet Teaching through the Royal Academy of Dance and is an Associate of the Royal Academy. Ramona also holds certification with the PBT method and Barre fitness instruction.

Nyah Xiyan Wong Penner is a dance artist currently based in Vancouver, Canada. Nyah was
born and raised in Vancouver and trained in classical ballet from age three to 18 years at Goh
Ballet Academy under the direction of Chan Hon Goh. In February of 2022, Nyah traveled to
Berlin, Germany and fell in love with postmodern movement improvisation. For the 2022-23
season, Nyah trained at Victoria Academy of Ballet in the Post-Secondary Bridge Program
under the direction of Bleiddyn Del Villar Bellis. That spring, Nyah was contracted to dance in
the corps in Joshua Beamish’s New York City premier of his original contemporary-ballet work,
“@giselle.” Now training at Modus Operandi in Vancouver, Nyah is invested in a developing
relationship to the form through exploring improvisational and choreographed contemporary
movement and teaching ballet.

Ilze Titova was born in Latvia, where she received her professional ballet training at the Riga Choreography School. Ilze began her professional dance career at the Latvian National Opera & Ballet Company in 1994, performing multiple roles in a wide variety of classical and contemporary repertoire and touring extensively throughout Europe.

In 2005, Ilze began the Teacher Training Program for former professional dancers at Canada’s National Ballet School. She graduated with Distinction, became a Registered Teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance, and was selected by the faculty as the recipient of the Betty Oliphant Award.

Immediately after graduation, Ilze began teaching at Canada's National Ballet School where she taught Ballet Technique, Pointe, and Repertoire to male and female students of all ages in both the Professional and Associates Programs.

Ilze has been a regular juror on the National Ballet School’s national audition tour and has served on the jury of the Universal Ballet Competition in Florida, the Asian Grand Prix in Hong Kong and the Surrey Festival of Dance in British Colombia. Since 2017 Ilze has been teaching company classes at Canada’s Ballet Jörgen.

Heidi Lorenz is a professionally trained dancer, teacher, and performer based in Toronto, Canada. Heidi specializes both her training and teachings in modern contemporary and ballet contemporary practices.

Heidi graduated from Ryerson University’s Performance dance program where she received her BFA and was awarded the Pamela Hackett Excellence in Dance scholarship. Upon graduation, Heidi had the privilege of dancing and performing with a prestigious ballet contemporary company ProArteDanza. Heid has performed on various performance platforms such as the Fall for Dance North Festival, Dance Made in Canada and Aeris Korper. Heidi’s performance experience extends into commercial work and she can be seen on Disney channels “The Next Step” and “Backstage”.

Heidi has worked with well-known choreographers and creators around Toronto such as Hanna Kiel, Kenny Pearl, Kate Hillard, Louis Laberge-Côté, Matjash Mrozewski, Alysa Pires and many more. Heidi continues to refine her teaching and movement practices by attending numerous programs such as “Movement Invention Project” In New York City, “Kenny Pearls Emerging artist intensive” in Toronto and “Nuova Officina della Danza” in Italy.

Heidi is thankful for the opportunities provided to her and is excited to share her knowledge with the next generation of artists.

A native of Montreal (P.Q.) Stephanie received her formal professional training at Canada's National Ballet School and was privileged to join The National Ballet of Canada, performing in Toronto as well as travelling abroad for 15years.

Upon retirement ,Stephanie went on to adjudicate for competitions, as well as producing numerous successfully awarded original choreographic pieces, including coaching repertoire solos.

Whistle bringing in the richness and abundance of knowledge from her career ,Stephanie having trained in the Pilates Method also adopted many other tools from various techniques, expertly developing a program of exercises so suitable for today's classical dancer, always aspiring to the best of professional teaching, educating, training and healthily developing the young minds and bodies of the next generation.

Bianca Pariselli trained at Canada’s National Ballet School studying classical ballet, pointe, partnering, repertoire, and character dance and performing in The Nutcracker, hosted by The National Ballet of Canada.

Bianca has a passion for sharing her love of dance with aspiring dancers and attended York University’s Dance program in conjunction with the Teacher Training Program at Canada’s National Ballet School, to further her knowledge in teaching dancers of all levels. Bianca has graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance along with Honours from York University where she studied ballet and modern dance. Bianca is also a recent graduate of the Teacher Training Program at NBS, studying Classical Ballet and Royal Academy of Dance.

Bianca is also a Mat Pilates instructor and teaches her students how to properly warm up and condition their bodies to prevent injuries while performing at their best. Bianca’s teaching philosophy is that education through dance is being able to accommodate various learning styles while translating them through movements and sequences that are able to help her students’ progress effectively.

Cheng-Ni Ho began her training in Taiwan, where she studied many different dance forms including Classical Ballet, Contemporary, Tap and Chinese Folk dance. Upon
arriving in Toronto as a professional dancer in 2010, her versatile dance background was quickly recognized in the dance community where she performed professionally with several different companies, including the Canadian Opera Company.

While Ms. Ho was still performing, she was also sharing her love for dance with her students. To further expand her teaching knowledge in ballet, she graduated with
Distinction from the Teacher Training Program at Canada’s National Ballet School and is a proud recipient of the Betty Oliphant Award for Excellence in Teaching. She holds her
Registered Teacher’s Status with the Royal Academy of Dance, Cecchetti Society and Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. Ms. Ho was teaching in the Professional,
Associates and Adult Ballet programs at Canada’s National Ballet School before joining Goh Ballet Academy in 2019. She has also taught in professional dance programs in
Taiwan and in many private studios in the Greater Toronto Area.

Ms. Ho has trained students successfully for dance exams through Royal Academy of Dance and the Cecchetti Society. Many of her students went on continuing their training
in many different professional dance programs. She also teach and coach competitive athletes such as figure skaters, synchronize swimmers and gymnasts who viewed ballet as
an important part of their training to achieve their professional goals. Ms. Ho’s passion for dance is evident in her teaching style and she is dedicated to work with her students to inspire a love of dance that will help them achieve their goals.

Juliya’s journey in dance began at the age of 5, and by 10, she embarked on a rigorous nine-year full-time ballet program that set the stage for her illustrious career. A graduate of the Belarusian State Choreographic College, Juliya has excelled as a ballet dancer, teacher, and artist. Her expertise and artistry have taken her across the globe, performing in renowned venues in Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and South Korea.

During her tenure with the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus, Juliya’s dedication and talent earned her roles in a diverse repertoire, including The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Spartacus, Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Cinderella, Bolero, La Bayadère, La Sylphide, La Esmeralda, Anyuta, Carmina Burana, Chopiniana, Cipollino, Creation of the World, La Fille Mal Gardee, and Flower Festival in Genzano.

After relocating to Canada, Juliya shifted her focus to teaching, bringing her extensive knowledge and passion to numerous dance studios across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). She has taught both recreational and competitive students and has continued to expand her expertise. Juliya holds a certification in Acrobatic Arts as a Module One Acrobatic Dance Teacher and has also earned certificates in contemporary dance and jazz from her studies in Germany and Poland.

In addition to her teaching, Juliya remains actively involved in performance. She frequently participates in local dance projects and collaborates with singers, musicians, and circus artists. As a co-choreographer and soloist with the Ismailova Theatre of Dance, she continues to explore and enhance her craft.

Juliya is committed to ongoing professional development, having recently attended a teacher training seminar on the Vaganova method and classical dance teacher workshops in Minsk and St. Petersburg.

Juliya is eager to meet her new students and looks forward to sharing her wealth of knowledge and experience with the next generation of dance enthusiasts.

Janine joins us as an experienced dance teacher and choreographer from England. She received her training from prestigious members of the dance community in the UK, most notably at the Royal Academy of Dance Headquarters London, North Liverpool Dance Academy and Twain Productions West End Theatre Programme. She has Triple Licentiate Qualifications with the ISTD in Imperial Ballet, Tap and Modern, along with being a Licentiate RAD Teacher holding Associate ARAD and RTS Status. Whilst training at the RAD in London, Janine studied up to and including Solo Seal and gained her BA (Hons) in Ballet Education from the Academy. Alongside these Janine also holds her DDE in National and Disco/Freestyle, PBT certification and most recently has become a PAA certified competition judge.

As a dance educator Janine likes to keep involved in the industry outside of the studio by regularly attending and submitting students for competitions such as The Fonteyn awards, Miss Dance Awards UK, Nuvo and various dance summer intensive and full time programmes worldwide. She has continued to expand her knowledge and training attending dance courses at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance and teacher training courses at the Royal Ballet School London, along with ISTD Fellowship training. More recently she has become a Tutor for the ISTD mentoring young teachers for their Associate and Associate Diploma examinations.

As a performer her Theatre credits include roles in A Chorus Line, The Sound of Music, Les Miserables and We Will Rock You. During this time she had the privilege to perform in front of His Majesty Prince Charles (now King) at Her Majesty’s Theatre London along with performing at theatres such as The Royal Albert Hall London, Sadler's Wells London, Blackpool Opera House, Manchester Opera House and other venues around the UK.

As a choreographer she has choreographed numerous productions, most notably being the lead choreographer for Peter Pan the Musical and collaborating with the Volda Symphony Orchestra to head up full Ballet productions of The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty. Her competition choreography has had great acclaim winning numerous awards and helping students qualify for Provincials and National competitions.

Before relocating to Canada in 2017, Janine had the privilege of teaching around the world in such places as Dubai, Norway, Manchester and London, England. She is very excited to share her love and passion for dance to all the students at Goh Ballet Bayview.