The Premiere Team

A dancer her entire life, Lisa began teaching at Premiere Dance Academy in September of 1984. In September of 1999, she became the Owner and Artistic Director of the studio.

Lisa keeps very busy with teaching, choreographing, and her two daughters, who are both Competitive dancers. She also spends time adjudicating for various professional dance competitions all across Canada.

Lisa has had a very successful career in the performing arts. She choreographed the opening ceremonies of the World Police and Fire Games in 1997 and the Calgary Hitmen Anniversary Home Opener Opening Ceremonies in 2014. Additionally, she holds the position of co-director for the Hats Off Management Group.

She has been on set for various large-scale productions and has been acknowledged with many prestigious awards for her exceptional talents.

Lisa wrote the Calgary Board of Education Accredited Student Dance Teacher Training Program to create well-trained assistant and student dance teachers. She is thrilled to do what she does best; work with the dancers, create new pieces, and watch Premiere Dance Academy students grow into talented and inspired performers.

Ms. Laura has been dancing since the age of 2, training and dancing competitively for 12 years, including time spent performing with the Young Canadians. Throughout her dancing career, Laura received numerous dance scholarships, including the Jamie Hill memorial trophy, and is a proud Alumni of Premiere Dance Academy.

Laura has been teaching dance for the last 10 years to share her love and passion for dance with her students. She cares very much about the success of her students, both within dance and in their lives, and hopes to inspire young dancers to pursue their dreams.

Her choreography has been recognized at several competitions and her students have continuously seen success and growth with each passing year.

Todd Svecla found an early love for drama in high school and enjoyed working backstage for various productions. He was happy to step into the role of managing behind-the-scenes activities for Premiere Dance Academy after his marriage to Lisa.

Todd is a natural fit for the role as he has a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Calgary and extensive experience running a business. He is available to answer any financial questions you may have regarding your account and handles general business details of the studio.

AJ started developing her love and passion for dance at Premiere Dance Academy when she was only 3 years old. She has trained in various styles including Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Street Jazz and Lyrical. At the age of 7 she joined the competitive team and has won many overall awards and scholarships. Throughout the years she has expanded her training through participating in workshops, intensives, and dancing at different facilities such as Broadway Dance Center in New York. Dance has taught AJ the importance of hard work, dedication, and responsibility and she has enjoyed sharing these same lessons with her students throughout her years as a teacher and choreographer.

AJ has recently completed her Bachelor of Commerce Majoring in Operations Management at the University of Calgary. She is excited to step into her new role as Office Manager here at Premiere, the very place where she was moulded into the dancer and person she is today.

Stephanie is a recent graduate from Saint Francis High School. She has been dancing since the age of three at Premiere in various disciplines such as ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, acro, contemporary, and street jazz. She has been competing since the age of five winning numerous awards and scholarships. Stephanie joined the Premiere faculty as a choreographer in 2019. Stephanie is very excited to pass on her knowledge of dance onto the next generation.

Kate is a Senior Level dancer at Premiere Dance Academy and a proud member of the Competitive Travel Team. Kate has been dancing at Premiere Dance Academy for 11 years. She discovered her passion for dance at the age of 6 and it has had an incredibly positive impact on her identity. Dance has always been a part of Kate’s life and has been a way for her to express herself and create new friendships within the dance community. Dancing at Premiere has helped Kate grow as a person in and out of the studio and has taught her many valuable lessons. She is excited to share my passion with younger dancers and help them explore their love for dance.

Along with being an Engineer by profession, Ms Shiuli strives to keep the essence of Bollywood alive by teaching around Calgary and Edmonton. After arriving in Canada in 2015, she took her passion for dance a step further by getting her Zumba® license in 2016 and currently teaches Zumba® Fitness classes at local gyms.

Originally from Dubai, Ms Shiuli has been dancing since the age of 8 and teaching Freestyle Hip-hop, Punjabi Bhangra and Bollywood Dance for over 8 years to all age groups 3 – 60 year olds! As a member of her University’s Western Dance Troupe, Ms Shiuli has competed and performed professionally at galas, annual competitions and trade shows. Her choreography is a unique blend of Indian & Western cultures brought together to form a super fun and energetic hip-shaking dance style. Being exposed to a variety of ethnicities, she tries to incorporate Latin and Belly dancing in her routines. ‘Dream with your feet’ is Ms Shiuli’s motto in life and she is extremely passionate in what she does – inspiring others and learning from them through the common language of Dance

Rae-Lee is a dance instructor who is devoted to aspiring young dance artists. Her goal is to create healthy and enthusiastic dancers who love art and will positively influence the world of dance. Rae-Lee began her ballet and contemporary training in Alberta at Crossings Dance Studio. She danced for six years in Corps Bara Dance Youth Company, travelling around Alberta, Toronto, and New York City. In 2012, she began her training in contemporary dance at Simon Fraser University, where she furthered her skills in modern dance and choreographic composition. Rae-Lee moved to Toronto in 2014 to learn from renowned faculty at Canada’s National Ballet School’s Teacher Training Program. During her training at NBS, she obtained her teaching qualifications with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing and the Royal Academy of Dance. In 2017, Rae-Lee graduated with her Bachelor of Fine Arts majoring in Contemporary dance from Simon Fraser and her Teacher Training Diploma. Rae-Lee is excited to work and learn with the dancers and faculty at Premiere Dance this year! 

Cailyn has been dancing for 14 years and dancing competitively for 10. During her dance career, she received scholarships from different organizations recognizing her talents and love for dance. She has completed her Advanced 1 RAD ballet exam. Cailyn spent the summer of 2019 dancing with Calaway Live and she performed in Disneyland in 2014. Cailyn is beyond excited to share her passion with her students and looks forward to their success. 

Meghan Critchley is from Cheyenne, Wyoming and recently moved to Calgary to pursue her PhD in Kinesiology at the University of Calgary.

Meghan fell in love with dance at a young age and has been dancing ever since. Meghan graduated with her BFA in Theatre and Dance from the University of Wyoming in 2015 and has been teaching predance, ballet, jazz, and modern since then. She enjoys bringing science into the dance classroom and exploring how the human body moves to help build healthy, creative dancers. Meghan is very excited to pass along her knowledge to the young dancers of Premiere Dance Academy.

Megan Daniels was born in Saskatoon and came to Calgary 7 years ago to pursue a career as a professional contemporary and ballet dancer. After dancing with several small companies throughout Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta, she decided to venture into teaching and fell in love with it right away. As a teenager, she was fortunate to train professionally at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and spent a few years in her early 20&30s dancing as an aspirant with the RWB company.

It was during those years that she realized that movement and dance are her life and she now feels so lucky that she is able to make her living teaching these things to others. Megan fell in love with the people and energy of Calgary as soon as she got here and now works full-time as a ballet and yoga instructor in the city. She is delighted to be a part of the Premiere Dance Faculty and pass along her love of ballet to the eager young dancers of Premiere Dance Academy!

Alli George is a 2013 BA Alumni of the University of Calgary Department of Dance. She is currently pursuing her Masters of Science degree in Kinesiology with a research focus of injury prevention in youth dancers at the University of Calgary.

She began her dance training at the age of 10, at Danceworks Dance Academy of Lethbridge. As she trained over the years, dance became a serious passion; it is something she cannot live without. George has been trained in many forms of dance including contemporary/modern, ballet, jazz, tap, and hip hop. She has been choreographing and demonstrating since 2002, and teaching since 2005. She is always looking to broaden her expertise and experience.

She performed and taught repertoire with the youth modern dance company Inturns based out of Danceworks Dance Academy in Lethbridge until 2008. She spent 2008-2009 training in Graham technique and performing in Toronto with a variety of instructors and choreographers including Daryl Tracy, Johanna Bergfelt, Wendy Chiles, Heidi Strauss, Michael Trent, Kate Stashko, and Sarah Lochhead. She then returned to Alberta to pursue her degree in dance at the UofC. George now teaches and choreographs locally for community and studio dancers.

George has an Exercise Science diploma from Lethbridge College. She is a Certified Personal Trainer with the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP). Her passion for fitness and the art and movement of dance allow her to create fun, interesting, high-energy classes and choreographic works. She is always very excited to share her knowledge and love of dance with anyone who wants to learn.

Brianna has been dancing since the age of 4. Her training began with ballet, and later broadened to include jazz, modern, lyrical and tap. Brianna’s love for learning led to her completing her Associate in Modern Theatre from the ISTD. As part of her studies for her Associate, she had the opportunity to travel to London, England to train at the ISTD2 studios and hopes to complete her Associate Diploma in the near future. She has also completed exams in Ballet and Tap, and is certified in RhythmWorks Integrative Dance. Dance has always been an important creative outlet and form of expression for Brianna and she is excited to continue sharing her passion for the arts with the students that she teaches!

Ashleigh has been a part of the Premiere family since she was 3 years old and is very excited to share her love of dance with her studio as a teacher. Trained in disciplines such as ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, lyrical, contemporary, street jazz, musical theatre, and acro, she is ready to share her knowledge with others. Ashleigh has attended many workshops and has been competing since she was 5 and has won many scholarships. She is excited and honoured to start her teaching journey with the studio and to teach others to love dance as much as she does.

Ms. Jennalee started dancing at the age of 3 and never looked back. She has trained extensively in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, modern, musical theatre, and hip hop. 

Ms. Jennalee has attended numerous ballet summer schools including the National Ballet of Canada, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Goh Ballet, and the Banff Centre for the Performing Arts. She obtained her Advanced II RAD as well as her Intermediate ISTD.

Ms. Jennalee has attended many conventions and has progressed her dance studies at Harbour Dance Centre, The Edge in Los Angeles, and in New York City.

Ms. Jennalee has been teaching and choreographing in and around Calgary since 2006 and has taught at Premiere Dance Academy since 2008. Ms. Jennalee received a Broadcasting Diploma from Mount Royal University and recently completed a Communications degree at the University of Calgary.

Stephanie is a recent graduate from Saint Francis High School. She has been dancing since the age of three at Premiere in various disciplines such as ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, acro, contemporary, and street jazz. She has been competing since the age of five winning numerous awards and scholarships. Stephanie joined the Premiere faculty as a choreographer in 2019. Stephanie is very excited to pass on her knowledge of dance onto the next generation.

Melissa was born and raised in Invermere, British Columbia where she enrolled in ballet at 3 years old. Growing up she trained and competed in various styles of dance specializing in Jazz, Tap, and Ballet. After graduating high school in 2013, she travelled to Toronto to begin working on her Associated Dance Arts for Professional Teachers (ADAPT) certification, which she graduated from in July 2015. Melissa completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in dance with a concentration in Pedagogy in June of 2019. During her university career, she performed with the Young Canadians of the Calgary Stampede, which gave her a multitude of performance opportunities, including the 2015 Trans Alta Grandstand show “A Canadian Classic”. She has worked with, performed, and trained with dance companies in Calgary including ‘The Show Company’ and ‘Illfx Education’. She has also trained with The University of Calgary Cheerleaders who are competitive stunt team. In recent years, Melissa has had the opportunity to perform in music videos with country band Leaving Thomas and new Calgary artist Mak London. Melissa is still growing as a performer, and teacher. The dance world is vast, and she is continuing to educate herself so she is always growing for and with her students. Her focus is on foundational technique and educating students where the root of each style originates from. She is a huge advocate for dance injury prevention and safety for her students. She also encourages students to explore their own creativity. 

Emma has had the privilege of training, performing, sharing, creating, and competing for the last 15 years. Originally from Fort McMurray, Emma grew up training in various forms of dance including Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern, Musical Theatre, Tap and Improv.  Miss Emma has attended many conventions and competitions across Western Canada, and as well as other exciting cities including Toronto, Las Vegas, and Las Angeles. Throughout her years of training she received awards recognizing her accomplishments in dance as well as in Youth Leadership. From these experiences she has gained the necessary qualities to be able to transfer this knowledge onto her students. Currently attending the University of Calgary continuing her second year of a Bachelor of Arts in History, with the goal of eventually getting her Bachelor of Education to continue her love of sharing knowledge with others whether that’s in the classroom or in the dance studio! Miss. Emma is very excited for this upcoming dance season and can’t wait to dance along with you!

Dana is thrilled to be teaching at Premiere. She has always loved teaching dance as a way to share her passion for lifelong learning and artistry.

Dana has been a student of multiple styles for 25 years and a teacher for 12 years. Her repertoire includes: Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre and Acro. She began dance at age 5, but her love for dance blossomed when she joined the Competition Team at Premiere Dance Academy.

Her teenage years brought many performance opportunities and recognition, individually and as a group on the competitive stage. Her summers were spent performing shows with Calaway Live where she sharpened her acting and performance skills.

She had the opportunity to train in Los Angeles on scholarship and also at Pineapple Dance Studios in London, England. She has spent time training at the Edge Performing Arts Center in L.A., as well as, Broadway Dance Center in New York. Locally, she has worked with O2 The Dance Company, as well as En Corps Dance Collective.

To this day, you can find Miss Dana working on a variety of projects. Whether it’s dancing with her BachataKiz team, choreographing music videos for Rebel Path or performing live with bands like Yves the Talent or at Miss Candy’s Variety Show.

Dana is so excited to bring excitement, fun and challenge to the classroom, and share the joy of dance with her students.

Logan is a dedicated artist bringing 12 years of training in multiple disciplines, with a strong focus on rhythm tap and composition. She started training in competitive studios at the age of 5 and has 6 years of rhythm tap training. Logan has performed in shows through the Tri-Tone Rhythm Ensemble and through the Performing and Visual Arts program at Central Memorial High School. She has taken classes in composition and the creative process in dance and theater and has her teacher training certificate through Tasha Lawson. Logan has won awards including the Dance Innovator Award from the Performing and Visual Arts program. Logan strives to have a positive effect on youth and is excited to share this passion with her students.

Born in Calgary, Arles began dancing at the age of 4 with The Dance Factory, the place she called home for 17 years. During those years she achieved an expansive dance education in Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Lyrical and Hip Hop. She has received exclusive training by experienced registered Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) teachers, preparing her to complete exams in Grades 1-8 and Vocational Syllabus. As an intensive dancer she has had eight years competitive dance experience and has won scholarships to support her training. Miss Arles has completed her teaching certification and accreditation with Royal Academy of Dance, Associated Dance Arts for Professional Teachers and Acrobatic Arts. Embracing a philosophy of individualized and detailed technical training, complemented by a positive and fun learning environment, Arles prides herself on creating a supportive teaching space based on the principles of respect and inclusion. She wants all her students to feel valued and she strives to promote self-awareness, self-confidence, resilience, mutual respect, and positive relationships in her students, to help them develop healthy self-esteem and a strong sense of studio and community belonging.  Arles is looking forward to joining the Premiere Dance Academy team.

Miss Marlea began dancing at the age of four. Her love for dance quickly grew as she trained in the genres of ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, tap, and hip hop. After many years of dancing, her love for dance expanded into a passion for teaching.

Miss Marlea has been teaching for six years and is currently has an Associate Degree in Modern and Tap through the ISTD. She has completed dance exams through the ISTD up to and including Intermediate Ballet, Gold Jazz, Intermediate Modern and Advanced 2 Tap. Miss Marlea is also a certified PBT teacher. This has helped grow and expand her ballet teaching ability by using different methods and media to help train proper technique.

Miss Marlea loves to help inspire and shape young minds and bodies to reach their full potential and be creative through movement. She has traveled around the world to help expand her knowledge and training and is looking forward to using this information to help her students.

At the young age of three, Kara put on her first pair of dance shoes and instantly fell in love with the art. By age seven, she found herself competing in both dance and gymnastics: a perfect combination which allowed her to become very versatile at a young age. Throughout her dance career she received many scholarships and awards but her most memorable was the 5678 Showtime Hollywood Summer Tour scholarship, an invitation only dance career intensive for advanced dancers, where she took multiple classes at Millennium Dance Complex and learnt about the commercial dance industry in Hollywood.   

In 2004, Kara was accepted to the Dance Performance Preparation Program, in Toronto, under the instruction of the Ballet Jorgen at George Brown College. Here she danced five to seven hours per day studying the disciplines of ballet, pointe, modern, lyrical and jazz as well as taking acting and vocal classes. She was also chosen to be a part of the Performing Ensemble for her dance program. This group danced for high schools that offered Dance as a course in southern Ontario to help promote the dance programs that George Brown College had to offer.

In 2005 she returned to her hometown, Thunder Bay, where she continued to dance but also began her successful dance teaching career. Her areas of expertise are in acrobatics, jazz and lyrical; however, she has many years of experience teaching ballet, pointe, tap, contemporary and cabaret/musical theatre. In 2013 Kara moved to Calgary where she continued to teach dance in the city as well as do guest choreography for Legacy Performing Arts dance company back home.

Outside of the dance world, Kara is a certified High School Teacher in Alberta, Ontario and the United Kingdom. For ten years she taught only English Language Arts but the fall of 2019 subjected her to a new journey as, in addition to teaching English classes, she began teaching Dance at Lord Beaverbrook high school. She is also a certified cheerleading coach in Ontario where she spent five years coaching competitive cheerleading teams.

She has completed all levels of certification (Junior, Intermediate and Advanced) in Acrobatics with the Acro Dance Teachers Association, is a certified ADTA Adjudicator and ADTA testing day Evaluator. After fifteen years of teaching, Kara still has the same passion about educating, and fostering, the growth of young individuals through dance.