TEACHERS

Sheila Webster, Owner and Ballet Director

Sheila’s dance experience spans over thirty years and includes a variety of schools. She attended Anne Suetta, Bojangles, Quinte, Toronto School of Dance, and Les Ballet Jazz de Toronto. Sheila began serious ballet training with Bernd Juché and the Black Walnut Company in Kitchener. She later trained with Les Grand Ballet in Montreal for 3 years.

Sheila is a certified Advanced teacher with the Society of Russian Ballet. She has been teaching for more than 18 years. Before opening her studio, Sheila was a principal ballet teacher with Sandy Lambke, Scott's Studio of Steps, Eastwood High School, and the Harriston School of Dance.

Sheila loves to dance. She enjoys sharing this wonderful art with others and teaching it to others.

Kim Hattle

Kim has studied Early Childhood Education and has been an assistant and part-time dance teacher for 6 years. She has trained for 16 years, enjoying success at competitions and in advanced dance examinations. We treasure her contributions as a ballet, jazz and tap teacher.

Coleta Patey

Coleta has been dancing since the age 5 and has been teaching children and adults for almost a decade. She has studied dance and its history at Eastwood Colleigate Institute, the University of Waterloo, and the Dance Masters of America (DMA) Teachers Training School at the University of Buffalo, where she continues to attend each summer. She has diverse training in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Lyrical as well as African Dance. Coleta has delivered numerous workshops and lectures at grade schools and high schools.

Serving as the Department Head of the Competition team at Backstage Dance Studio, Her award winning choreography has graced many competitions and festivals throughout South Western Ontario. She has studied with such teachers as Bob Rizzo, Luther Brown, and Tom Ralabate. Coleta loves dancing, teaching and giving all her students the joy of dancing while ensuring that each class is challenging yet fun and also confidence and self-esteem building.

Shannon McGonegal

Shannon has been dancing since the age of three years old and
never stopped. Shannon spent her high school experience at Eastwoods’ Integrated Arts Program as a dance, visual art and vocal major. Once she started classes there she was lucky enough to dance and choreograph under the instruction of Janis Price. Shannon was very blessed in the year of 2007 to attend the Jump Competition and Workshop in New York City with her former studio Bojangles Art of Dance, where her group was chosen to perform on Radio City Music Hall Stage. She has also participated in various musicals such as KWMP’s Peter Pan and Eastwood’s Guys and Dolls. Over the years she’s recieved training in a variety of forms of dance including jazz, ballet, tap, lyrical, hip hop, modern, musical theater and contemporary. Shannon can’t wait to start the new year teaching at Backstage Dance and hopes you’re all as excited to meet her as she is to meet you.

Robyn Walsh

Robyn was born and raised in St. John's, Newfoundland. SheI began dancing at a young age and has been dancing ever since. She started with jazz and extended into ballet, modern, contemporary, tap, hip hop, and musical theatre. She has achieved upto Senior Certificate in Cecehetti Ballet, and Advanced 1 in Imperial Modern Dance Soceity. She has particiapted in numerous theatre, vocal and dance performances including; Cats, Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, Cinderella (Ballet and the Musical), The Nutcracker and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. She has also taken many performance and dance workshops with notable companies and dancers. This past July SheI graduated from Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts with a diploma in singing, dancing and acting.

Chuck Kemp

Chuck has been teaching dance for 10 years at studios in Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph and Mississauga. She has experience teaching all forms of dance from ballet to hip hop to acro. She began dancing at the age of 3 in Kitchener, and since has studied with many instructors throughout Ontario and, most recently, in NYC.

Chuck has just returned from a wonderful two years at sea as a dancer for Noregian Cruise Lines. She performed up to six shows per week as well as teaching classes for passengers and the cast.

Chuck is looking forward to joining the team at Backstage and is ready for a great year!

Amanda Damaren

Amanda is excited to bring her talent and experience to Backstage Dance Studio.  Amanda has performed professionally with “Do Dat” Entertainment and Luther Brown, Stratford Festival, she has performed on Canadian Idol, she recently completed a video to be released this month with Bella-Dancerella as well as various shows with Fifa and O.I.P. dance studio in Toronto.  Furthermore, Amanda has gained choreography and performance awards for hiphop, lyrical and jazz pieces at competitions throughout South-Western Ontario.  Amanda has been teaching in Kitchener for three years and she is excited to work with the Guelph students

We are sad to say goodbye to some great dancers, instructors and special friends. We wish you all the best of luck in your future ventures. We will miss you!

Miranda Dunn

Miranda has been dancing at backstage for over 10 years with assist teaching, teaching and competition experience to her credit.  She is in the process of receiving her DMA teaching certification and has her intermediate ballet exam.  Miranda will be taking over our hip hop and teen program.

Elise Webster

Elise  has been dancing at backstage for over 15 years, competing for over 7 years.  She has training in ballet (received all her ballet exams up to intermediate) Jazz, tap, Lyrical, musical theatre, modern and hip hop.  Elise participates in an art high school specializing in dance and vocal.  She is currently taking her DMA certification with Miranda.  Elise will help with the ballet, Jazz, and tap division. 

Carolyn Hebert

Carolyn has been dancing at backstage for over 13 years, competing for over 7 years.  Carolyn is the best tap dancer in Guelph.  She has training in ballet (with remarkable pointe work) Jazz, tap, Lyrical, modern and hip hop.  Carolyn participates in an art high school specializing in dance and drama.   Carolyn will focus on our tap division.  We feel lucky to have her.