INSTRUCTORS

Dance Discovery is proud to offer a faculty that consists of experienced and accredited instructors.  Each instructor shares a deep passion for dance and we take pride in watching the growth and success of all of our students. Purely dedicated to student success, our instructors collaborate together to work towards the high standard of excellence that Dance Discovery sets to achieve.

Studio Owner, Director, Instructor
Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Acro, Lyrical, Contemporary

Opening her own studio in 2006, Melissa decided to translate her passion for dance into the creation of Dance Discovery.  

Melissa is a sought after instructor, choreographer and adjudicator in the dance community. As an instructor, Melissa has the pleasure of taking an active role in her students growth and in celebrating their successes every step of the way. Her students have been accepted into prestigious national ballet programs, as well as recipients of numerous cash prizes, scholarships and top mark awards at competitions across Western Canada. Throughout her career, Melissa has enjoyed the honor of receiving multiple awards for her choreography.

Melissa believes dance should be an outlet where kids can foster lifelong friendships, build confidence, develop invaluable life skills that reach outside the classroom and reach their full potential as dancers. Melissa is committed to each student and works tirelessly to determine their individual needs and ideal placement in a program stream or class. There is nothing more rewarding than building a child’s self esteem while they pursue something they love, and it’s because of this that Melissa is committed to providing superior dance instruction in a supportive environment to every student.

Instructor
Ballet (ARAD, RAD RTS, ABT, PBT)

Carmelle grew up in Fort Saskatchewan and was fortunate to be raised in a large family that was passionate about the arts. She has had extensive training in Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Voice and Musical Theatre under some of the most prestigious instructors and institutions across Canada and the United States. She is a certified instructor and mentor with Associate status (ARAD) with The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and has prepared 100’s of students successfully for ballet exams. Carmelle has had the great honor to train, mentor and inspire these students, many of whom are now teachers, choreographers and professional dancers around the world. She prides herself in allowing each dancer a voice in the choreographic process to encourage creativity and ownership.

Always dedicated to expanding her knowledge, she has attended training workshops in St. Petersburg, Russia in the Vaganova method with the Mikhailovsky Ballet, New York City at the American Ballet Theatre where she was successfully certified in the ABT National Training Curriculum and most recently has been certified in The Progressing Ballet Technique curriculum. She has also had the opportunity to attend the Dance Teachers Summit in NYC.

In addition to teaching, Carmelle has choreographed and co-produced Bridal Fantasy, the largest bridal convention in western Canada for over a decade, as well as being an artistic consultant and choreographer for various events and fashion shows at West Edmonton Mall. She continues to appear throughout western Canada as a guest examiner, choreographer, and teacher.

Instructor
Ballet (ARAD, RAD RTS)

A graduate with distinction from the National Ballet School of Canada’s Teachers Training Program, Bailey comes to us as a registered teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD).  She brings with her not only in-depth knowledge of RAD, but also a wealth of knowledge from other teaching methodologies such Cecchetti and Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing.

Born and raised in Edmonton, Bailey has an extensive history in dance from the age of three, including participation in competitive dances and choreography, as well as successful completion of numerous ballet exams. Her performance history includes the Alberta Ballet and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. She has also travelled throughout western Canada and as far as London, England, to study with the Royal Academy of Dance.  Bailey has studied with various studios in Edmonton throughout her formative years before finding the perfect match at Edmonton Dance Centre. During her time at EDC, she completed her vocational levels with the RAD and was the youngest student accepted to the National Ballet School Teacher’s Training Program at the age of 18.

Upon graduation, Bailey taught at the Calgary Imperial School of Ballet, where she successfully entered students for I.S.T.D. examinations.  Bailey has also served as an adjudicator for Dancing in the Park in the disciplines of ballet, lyrical and musical theatre.

Bailey’s high standard of ballet technique and dedication from every student, parent and teacher makes her a perfect fit at Dance Discovery, as she is able to maintain a positive and encouraging atmosphere.

Instructor
Acro (BEd, Acrobatic Arts, ADTA, Alixa Flexibility, TADA Hand Balancing)

Erika’s love and appreciation for the art of dance began at a young age, leading her to dance competitively for many years. As a student, Erika performed in festivals and competitions in Edmonton and area. In addition to performing, she has assisted backstage and worked with adjudicators at local competitions. According to Erika, one of the most rewarding parts of being a dance instructor is seeing her students thoroughly enjoy themselves as they perform on stage!

Erika is a registered and certified instructor in the Acrobatic Arts Syllabus. She is considered Dance Discovery’s ‘acro expert’ and is in love with all things acro! To advance her technical training, Erika is trained in both the TADA Hand Balancing and Alixa Flexibility method; she combines all methods into her class outline in order to provide students the most diverse training that will allow them to be successful with their efforts. Erika is thrilled to combine her focus on alignment and technique with her love for dance while educating students at Dance Discovery.

Instructor
Jazz, Tap, Acro (BEd, Acrobatic Arts, Alixa Flexibility)

Kellie comes to us with over 20 years of teaching experience! She has a diverse background of Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical and Musical Theatre training. With a love and passion for tap, Kellie has extensive experience and knowledge with the Al Gilbert Tap Syllabus and has successfully prepared her students for tap exams. Additionally, Kellie has a passion for Acro and is a certified Acrobatics Arts instructor who assists her students in reaching their potential while successfully preparing them for examinations.

Kellie continues her training throughout  Canada and the US in order to provide her students with the most modern and up to date tools and techniques. She has trained with industry leading professionals that include Denise Wall, Aaron Turner, Anthony Morigerato, Sarah Reich, Chloe Maud Arnold and Jason Marquette; just to name a few!

With a background in Education, Kellie understands that all students learn in different ways and uses various tools and techniques to help her students be successful. Kellie holds a high standard for her students and works with each one individually to help them achieve their highest potential.  Kellie loves watching her students grow both as dancers and individuals and believes there is nothing more satisfying than seeing her students succeed both on and off the stage.

Instructor
Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical

Rhiannon was enrolled in her first dance class at the age of 4 and she quickly learned that this was exactly what she wanted to be doing. At the age of 12, Rhiannon moved from Alberta to Ontario and 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 her 6 years of training in Ontario, Rhiannon excelled in Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary and Broadway. She successfully passed C.D.T.A. examinations up to the Advanced level with Honors in Cecchetti Ballet, Jazz and Tap. She was honored to be part of a strong dance team known for their technique, performance ability and unique choreography.

Prior to beginning her professional teaching career, Rhiannon had the privilege and opportunity to work alongside experienced professionals in the Ontario dance industry. Working alongside the best choreographers in the area helped sharpen her artistic thinking, and taught her the processes required to produce sharp, unique routines. Rhiannon learned how to bring out the best in each dancer by developing their natural ability, never giving up on them, and fostering a positive atmosphere within the studio.

Rhiannon looks forward to working with the talented dancers at Dance Discovery and imparting her ever-growing passion and knowledge she has gained throughout the years by some of the most experienced and talented dance teachers in Canada.

Instructor
Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Lyrical, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Acro

Instructor
Contemporary, Lyrical, Acro, Hip Hop

From the age of 4, dance has been Isabella’s passion. Growing up in Edmonton, Isabella trained as a competitive dancer for 14 years at Dance Discovery in styles such as ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, tap, pointe, and hip-hop. She was also fortunate enough to be able to train abroad from various dancers and choreographers.  Dancing and performing has become such an integral part of who Isabella is and she is ecstatic that she gets to share her love and passion for dance with her students!

Dance has given her the opportunity to travel and train abroad, learning from countless dancers and choreographers around the world. She has been fortunate enough to train at studios such as Broadway Dance Centre and Steps on Broadway in New York City, Harbor Dance Centre in Vancouver, and Millenium Dance Centre in Las Vegas. Aside from training at various studios, Isabella has also received numerous scholarships and invitations to various dance intensives. At the age of 15, she received an invitation to attend the View Dance Challenge Greece Intensive and has been lucky enough to have been invited again at the age of 18. At the age of 16, she also received scholarships to attend various Joffrey Ballet School summer intensives in New York and Las Vegas. Isabella adores performing, but she also loves commercial dancing and has even had the opportunity to dance in a music video for a Canadian artist. She has learnt so much over the years by attending these intensives and training abroad and she hopes to be able to share all that she has learned with her students.

Isabella is currently attending the University of Alberta for her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, hoping to combine her love of physical activity and movement with her love of science. She is looking forward to incorporating everything she learns from her program into her classes.

Isabella hopes to share everything she has learned over the years with her students and she is excited to watch all her students develop their own styles as they learn and grow as dancers and as people. She is incredibly thankful for the opportunity to work with the students of Dance Discovery and can’t wait to see each and every one of them achieve their goals this season!

Instructor
Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Acro, Hip Hop

Morgan began dancing at the age of 3 and immediately found her passion. This passion was enhanced when Morgan joined Dance Discovery’s competitive team, where she trained for 14 years. Within this program she gained competitive experience in the styles of Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Lyrical, Contemporary, and Hip-Hop. Through this training Morgan also discovered her passion for teaching. Morgan started as an instructor assistant when she was 13 years old and completed her mentorship under the direction of Dance Discovery’s Owner/Director Melissa Paszko. This experience has allowed her to prepare for a fulfilling and successful transition in sharing her passion of dance with the younger generation.

Morgan is currently a student at the University of Alberta and is studying developmental and clinical psychology. When not focused on her post secondary studies and instructing, Morgan spends time volunteering at numerous organizations within Edmonton in an attempt to improve youth mental health and living situations.

Morgan is looking forward to passing along her expertise and passion for dance at the same studio that instilled her knowledge and passion for the past 16 years.

Instructor
Ballet 

Since the age of 3, Isabelle trained as a company at Dance Discovery, developing a special passion for ballet. Isabelle has studied the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus while preparing for exam work along the way. In addition to her technical training, Isabelle has had the pleasure of dancing two roles in Jeunesse Classique’s The Nutcracker. Isabelle has also taken her training internationally as she has spent time in New York City, training in several disciplines at the world-renowned Broadway Dance Centre.

As her time as a company dancer has concluded, Isabelle took the opportunity for mentorship from our very own ballet master instructor Carmelle McKinlay and studio director Melissa Paszko. Working closely with these highly sought after dance educators, Isabelle continues to develop her teaching techniques and practices.

Because of her love of dance, Isabelle is currently completing a Bachelor of Kinesiology at the University of Alberta; she aims to supplement her teaching with knowledge from her degree. Being fluent in French and English, Isabelle strives to connect with students in a way that makes them feel welcomed and excited to learn.