NEXT UP: AUGUST 22 & 23, 2026

Jen Carter began dancing at the age of 10 in Peterborough, Ontario. She trained competitively with Premiere Studio of Dance until the age of 18, where she trained in hip hop, jazz, ballet, contemporary, lyrical, tap, and pointe. It wasn’t until age 13 that Jen recognized her great passion for urban dance, and decided she wanted to further a career in the dance industry. 

She went on to participate in the Integrated Arts Dance Program at Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School, where she found her love of teaching and choreography. Throughout her high school journey she was presented with many opportunities including: competing in Hurley Walk the Walk in California and dancing on the Rick Mercer Report. Jen has since travelled to Los Angeles and New York City multiple times to train at world renowned studios such as Millennium Dance Complex, Movement Lifestyle, Broadway Dance Centre and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. She is now a member of the Toronto Dance Community… Where she has trained under amazing talent. Prior to branching out to focus on her own teaching journey, Jen was a part of both Hot In Heels: The Company (under the direction of Angela Mahoney) and BOSS Dance Company (under the direction of Leah Totten) from 2015-2018. After all of her years of training, Jen is proud to have experience ranging from being a backup dancer to being cast in music videos.

Jen graduated from Centennial College's Dance Performance Program in 2017, and was offered a position on faculty immediately after completion of the program. Jen was a member of Millennium Dance Complex Toronto’sincredible faculty, and works closely with many studios in the GTA. Jen has spearheaded multiple competitive hip hop programs over the years. Her choreography has earned countless awards and top scores while also challenging her dancers, prioritizing furthering their growth and education. 

Currently, Jen also works with multiple companies performing on a national scale. Creating work to be performed on resort stages in Mexico for Five Star Dance Company since 2018. She is also a proud choreographer for World Performers Canada. Having been a core faculty member since 2018, Jen has brought multiple Gold, Silver and Bronze medals home from the Dance World Cup across Europe. 

In recent years Jen has also branched out into the convention world, where she delivers high energy, fun and challenging classes among many amazing companies including: SOL Dance Collective, SHOCK the Convention, NEXXUS Dance Challenge, ENCORE Dance Challenge and TDR: The Jungle. In addition to her work teaching and choreographing, Jen has also become an adjudicator across Canada, working with competitions such as Mercy Dance Productions, Summit Dance Challenge, The Dance Rage, Elevation Dance Challenge and SHOCK Dance Challenge. Jen is extremely grateful to teach and work with so many incredible companies and dancers on such a large scale and is looking forward to furthering her reach in the future. 

Tyler Hutchings is an accomplished, multifaceted dancer and choreographer who graduated from Elite Danceworx, training extensively in Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Tap, and Hip Hop. During his time there, Tyler had the privilege of learning from North America’s premier choreographic voices, including Jason Parsons, Sonya Tayeh, and Stacey Tookey.

Tyler’s choreographic development began at McMaster University, where he served as Head Captain for the competitive team, earning choreography awards and placements across Ontario University competitions. This foundation has since transitioned into major film and television productions; most recently, Tyler served as Assistant Choreographer under the leadership of Amy Wright for the HBO series IT: Welcome to Derry and Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy.

In the live production space, Tyler is a prolific creator and producer. In 2023, he debuted his independent full-length contemporary production, WHOLE NEW WORLD, at Toronto’s Winchester Street Theatre. He also co-produced SOLAR FUSION, a showcase at the Isabel Bader Theatre highlighting emerging talent from across the GTA.

His screen credits also include a principal actor/dancer role as "Robby G" in the Netflix film Work It (2020), as well as appearances in Disney’s Sneakerella (2022) and the Netflix short Forgive Us Our Trespasses (2022). Leveraging his experience on set, Tyler has produced and directed his own dance films; DETOUR (2020), PERPLEX (2022) & DEVOTION (2026).

Tyler holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with a Minor in Psychology and is currently completing a Master’s in Physical Therapy at the University of Toronto. This deep understanding of human mechanics uniquely informs his work as a freelance choreographer, educator, and adjudicator. Whether in the studio or on a professional set, Tyler remains dedicated to exploring the intersection of creativity and movement science, inspiring dancers nationwide.

Lisa Auguste is a multi-faceted performer working in Toronto, Ontario. She is a highly sought after professional dancer specializing in ballet to hiphop, latin to breakdance (and everything inbetween). Lisa can be seen on T.V in “Star Trek”, “Zoey’s extraordinary playlist”’ What we do in the shadows”, “The Boys”, Shadow Hunters”, “The Expanse”,  “Disneys -Sneakerella”, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show(Remake)”. She acted in feature films including “Silent Hill 2”, “Jean of the Joneses”, “Shall We Dance” (starring Richard Gere). Lisa was honoured to be a finalist in the first season of “So You Think You Can Dance Canada”, after gracing the Mirvish stage as Cheetah in “The Lion King”. She has shown her prowess dancing in music videos for Katy Perry,Janelle Monae, Jully Black, Kreesha Turner, Shawn Desman and more. She has performed at the PanAm Games Ceremonies in Guadalajara and Toronto. She took to the Four Seasons Stage in “Wozzeck”, “Cunning little vixen”, “Nixon in China” and “Aida” for the Canadian Opera Company. When she is not performing, Lisa is teaching, working, choreographing and adjudicator across Canada.

 Avery Heggie is an emerging artist based in Toronto. Born and raised in Aurora, Ontario, Avery’s passion for performing, teaching and choreographing developed from an early age. Currently pursuing an Honours BA in English at the University of Guelph, Avery continues to share her passion for dance and choreography across Canada, further refining her skills. Avery specializes in Contemporary and Tap, with strong foundations in Jazz, Hip Hop, Modern, Ballet, and Lyrical.
Avery has been a member of the pre-professional tap company, The Rhythm Ensemble, led by Juliana Kelly, for nine years and has trained under numerous tap masters, most notably Heather Cornell and Dianne Walker. She also represented Team Canada at the IDO World Championships in Riesa, Germany, where she won a gold medal. Avery teaches rhythm tap, a style rooted in musicality, improvisation, and groove. She encourages her students to think like musicians by focusing on tone, timing, and phrasing.
Avery has performed and presented choreography in a wide range of acclaimed professional productions and festivals, including Dusk Dances, Fever After Dark: Summer Madness Vol. 2, Fever After Dark: Throwback, The Rhythm Ensemble: Explorations in Sound, and the Toronto Tap Dance Festival. Her work has been recognized with numerous Choreography, Top Discipline, and Overall awards, reflecting her distinctive artistic voice, and commitment to creating impactful work.
As both a performer and choreographer, Avery continues to share her expertise at dance conventions, festivals, and studios across Canada. Whether teaching in the classroom, creating new work, or performing on stage, she is dedicated to inspiring other dancers while continuing to challenge herself as an artist. Through her passion for education, collaboration, and innovation, Avery is committed to making a lasting impact by inspiring dancers to find confidence, creativity, and their own artistic voice. 

 Antonio Sardella is a movement phenomenon, mastering over 50 dance styles from classical ballet to commercial, ballroom, and aerial performance. His career spans dancing for Lady Gaga under Parris Goebel, starring as Peter Pan at Tokyo Disney, headlining productions with Royal Caribbean and Holland America, and performing across North America, Europe, and Asia. As Director of Arthur Murray Yorkville, he’s trained champions, redefined competitive ballroom in Canada, and earned the 2025 Top Manager Award, with his choreography winning national accolades and featuring on Canada’s Drag Race and major stage productions. A sought-after emcee, adjudicator, and masterclass instructor, Antonio brings precision, passion, and storytelling to every stage — with his sights set on returning to work with Lady Gaga, this time as her visionary choreographer. 

Alona Khaninson began her professional dance training at the age of 9 after leaving the Olympic reserve artistic gymnastics team. Between the age of 9 and her high school graduation, Alona successfully completed all her RAD Examinations and participated in the RAD Competition of Excellence where she received 3rd place.

The training she received while growing up consisted of many dance disciplines including RAD and Vaganova ballet techniques, Graham, Limon, and Horton modern techniques, Jazz, Character, partnering, and pointe work. This allowed her to pursue a professional dance career and perform with Ontario Ballet Theatre, Canadian Ballet Theatre, and European Ballet in London, UK. She began her performing as a member of the corps de ballet and progressed to principal roles by the age of 19. After that, she performed lead roles in such ballets as The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Swan Lake, etc.

After deciding to quit performing and go back to school 6 years ago, Alona began her teaching career in hopes to pass her practical experience and knowledge on to her students. Since then she has put together numbers that both entertained audiences and won overalls at competitions. She is a passionate and dedicated teacher who inspires and encourages her students to have faith in themselves and work hard.

Lauren Martin is an award-winning tap dancer, choreographer, and educator who has been teaching since 2007 and choreographing since 2011. With deep roots in competitive dance and years of experience training dancers across Ontario, she is known for creating rhythm-driven, musical, and technically strong tap work that challenges dancers while keeping the joy at the forefront.

As the owner of Cool Aunt Creatives and co-organizer of Encore! Adult Dance Convention, Lauren is especially passionate about accessible programming for adults. She believes no one should ever feel like they’ve “aged out” of dance and is dedicated to building spaces where dancers of all backgrounds can train seriously, laugh freely, and reconnect with their love of movement.

 Kim Engel is the Owner and Artistic Director of TDC Dance Company, located in Beeton, Ontario. She began her dance journey at the age of three, excelling in various disciplines such as ballet, jazz, acrobatics, musical theatre, modern, tap, contemporary, and lyrical. Over the past 20 years, Kim has been recognized for her outstanding and unique choreography, as well as her ability to teach perfected technique and performance skills. Many of her students have achieved both regional and national dance titles. Kim is a certified member of the Canadian Dance Teachers Association and Dance Masters of America, Chapter 43. Her passion for dance and dedication to her students have solidified her reputation as a respected figure in the dance community.