Instructors
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Instructors
Early Learning Programs
Kay Huang Barnes: BA Dance, SFU. Danced seven years with the Karen Jamieson Dance Co. Began choreographing in 1990 and performed at festivals including Dancing on the Edge, Women In View and Late Night Kiss Projects.
Kate Gomberg: B.Ed., BA (Visual Arts) University of Ottawa, Diploma (Visual Arts) Dawson College, Montreal. Arts Umbrella Instructor since 1999. Worked eight years as a Child Life Worker in a children's hospital in Ottawa and taught Special Education with emphasis on visual arts.
Laura Jaszcz: BA in Theatre and Dance. Professional actor in film, television and theatre for over 10 years. More than 10 years of teaching experience at Arts Umbrella.
Riba Kalb: B.Sc. Ed. U.S.C., California. Diploma, Creativity and Education, UAM, Mexico. Certificate, Art for Children, Mexico. Twenty years of experience teaching art and art history to children. Expressive Arts Therapy certificate in progress.
Renée Iaci: BFA Theatre, UBC. Actress, director and producer. Nominated for a Jessie Richardson Award for her performance in Marion Bridge. Artistic collaborator and co-founder of shameless hussy.
Rae Maté: BA from UBC, Teaching Training at SFU, Visual Arts Diploma from Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. Painter and illustrator of Crocodiles say. A sequel, Crocodiles Play! will debut in 2008. She has been painting and exhibiting professionally for 20 years and teaching at Arts Umbrella since 1997.
Nicola Sampson: Nicola "Niki" Sampson graduated from the Diploma Classical Animation program at Emily Carr Institute of Art + Design. After graduating from ECIAD, Nicola immediately began starting to work in the commercial animation industry, for such companies as Bardel Animation, Mercury Filmworks, Delaney and Friends and Secondsun Entertainment. Nicola has worked at Arts Umbrella since the spring of 2006, as both an assistant and an instructor. Nicola is going to complete her Bachelor Degree from Emily Carr, in the fall of 2011.
Kirsten Wiren: Kirsten has taught ballet, modern, roots jazz and core strength to a range of levels and ages in dance schools and within the education system. She holds a BFA in Contemporary Dance from Simon Fraser University and did four years post graduate work in Contemporary Dance Performance and Creation at The University of Calgary. Her work has been presented at The Feats Festival, Next Fest, Armchair for the Mind Art Exhibition and The Bloom Series. Kirsten is passionate about teaching, creating and performing dance but mostly, she is passionate about people and sharing dance with her community.
Dance
Artistic Director: Artemis Gordon, L.I.S.T.D. (C.S.B.) - A graduate of the National Ballet School's Teacher Training program, Artemis has adjudicated at festivals and taught at professional training schools throughout Canada and internationally, including Ballet British Columbia, UQAM Dance Symposium, Yokahama Ballet Seminar, BC Festival of the Arts, Ottawa School of Ballet, and the Encore International Dance Festival. She has had the opportunity to work professionally with Mark Godden, Jean Grand-Maître, Louis-Martin Charest, Dominique Dumais, Eric Miles, David Earle, Grant Strate and Gioconda Barbuto. Artemis has been Artistic Director at Arts Umbrella for 15 years and has fostered and nurtured the professional training program, setting the high standard that Arts Umbrella is known for today.
Artist-in-Residence: Emily Molnar - Named as one of Canada's new generation of "ballet sensations" (MacLean's Magazine, 2003) Emily Molnar is a graduate of The National Ballet School. She is a former member of The National Ballet of Canada and The Frankfurt Ballet where she created and performed an extensive repertoire under William Forsythe. As a principal dancer with Ballet British Columbia, she danced such memorable roles as Puck in The Faerie Queen and Persephone in Orpheus. Since 1998, she has created and performed several works in her ongoing development as a choreographer and solo artist, creating on companies such as The New York City Ballet, Alberta Ballet and Cedar Lake Dance. Emily is the Rehearsal Director for the Arts Umbrella Apprentice Dance Company and a creative process teacher.
Justine Chambers: Justine is a Vancouver-based contemporary dance artist. She was a senior dancer with Desrosiers Dance Theatre & Diavolo Dance Theatre. She has appeared in film and television and has danced for various Canadian & international choreographers. She has taught on faculty at Ryerson University, Quinte Ballet School, Teacher's Collective, and Dance-teq, and guest-taught at several other institutions and companies across Canada and the United States.
Dr. Robert Cannon: B.Sc., B.ED.A.,M.Sc.,D.C., Dr Cannon has been a treating chiropractor, educator and consultant in dance, theatre, film and television for 30 years. He lectures on anatomy and injury prevention at universities, dance schools and WorkSafe BC performance related events (SHAPE). He has been a board member of many dance and production companies. Dr Cannon is also an industrial injury prevention specialist (www.backsafe.com).
Lina Fitzner: Lina received her training at both Arts Umbrella and the Ballet B.C. Mentor program. She has worked with Amber Funk Barton, Martha Carter and Rob Kitsos. In 2006, Lina was invited to join the cast for the Winter Olympics Closing Ceremonies in Torino, Italy. She is also Rehearsal Assistant for the Arts Umbrella Apprentice Company.
Toresa Hancock: Toresa is a graduate of the National Ballet School's Teacher Training Program and holds associate diplomas with distinction in the Cecchetti and National Branches, from the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. She holds the Enrico Cecchetti Final Diploma and is currently dancing with Ballet de Printemps.
Andrea Hodge: Instructor, Dance. Studied with Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and Pennsylvania Ballet. Soloist with Ballet British Columbia since 1994, working with renowned Canadian and international choreographers through all stages of the creative process.
Elizabeth Isabelle: Elizabeth graduated from York University with an Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. She has also completed the Teacher Training Program from Canada's National Ballet School. Elizabeth has obtained her Associate from the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, Cecchetti Ballet Branch.
Edmond Kilpatrick: Currently dances with Ballet BC. Trained at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and performed with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Judith Marcuse Dance Company, Jumpstart, Kinesis Dance, Dance Theatre David Earle, Lola MacLaughlin. Edmond is an active professional choreographer.
Charles Lester: Attended School of American Ballet in New York City as a scholarship student and continued training in Chicago. He has danced professionally with Chicago Lyric Opera Ballet; joined the National Ballet of Canada in the mid-1960's; and co-founded the Lester School of Dance and the Trent Regional Ballet Assemble in Peterborough Ontario. Presently, he stage manages dance in Vancouver and works in the tourism industry.
Marquita Lester A.I.S.T.D.; L.I.S.T.D. (Cecchetti): Born in Vancouver, Marquita was a scholarship student at the National Ballet School. She danced with the National Ballet of Canada and later returned to the school to complete the Teachers Training Program. Marquita was Assistant to the Artistic Director of Alberta Ballet and then made her indelible mark on Ballet British Columbia over a 19 year period as Ballet Mistress and Associate Artistic Director, working closely with Artistic Director John Alleyne and as Director of Ballet British Columbia's Mentor Program. Marquita has also taught as a sessional instructor with the Faculty of Contemporary Arts at Simon Fraser University. She has been associated with Arts Umbrella as a teacher and collaborator for the past 12 years and has been on the staff of the Dance Faculty since 2002.
Margaret Martin: BFA in dance from Juilliard. Graduate of Royal Winnipeg Ballet Professional Program. Performed with groups such as RWB, Hartford Ballet, Works, Inc. and Radio City Music Hall Productions. Worked with Benjamin Harkarvy, Ted Hershey, Violette Verdy, Maria Grandy and Linda Haberman.
Amy Meyers: Masters of Art in Choreography at Laban (London, UK); Taught on Ballet Faculty at The Northern School of Contemporary Dance (Leeds, UK). After completing her professional ballet training at Ecole Superieure de Danse du Quebec she performed with Le Jeune Ballet du Quebec (Montreal), Ballet Jorgen (Toronto), Storling Dance Theater (Kansas City), Ballet Victoria, and also with numerous independent projects. She has performed in such locations as New York City and London.
Karen Pitkethly: Karen has been performing and teaching dance in Vancouver for over 10 years. After receiving a grant through Canada Council for the Arts, Karen traveled to Spain to study with some of today's most renowned flamenco artists. She is currently choreographing and performing in her own dance company called Aurora Dance.
Sylvain Senez: Sylvain has been active on the Canadian dance scene for thirty years. He has danced with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens as a soloist for nine years, Judith Marcuse Dance Company for three years and worked for Ballet British Columbia as dancer and then Ballet Master for seventeen seasons. He has choreographed for Ballet BC choreographic workshop, Dancing on the Edge and the Vancouver Opera. He is also a photographer specializing in dance and portraiture and had several exhibits. Sylvain now devotes his time to teaching, rehearsal directing, photography and performing again. He is on faculty at Arts Umbrella and is working with Justine Chambers, Coleman Lemieux Company and is still consulting at Ballet BC.
Lynn Sheppard: Training: Gladys Forrester, Banff School of the Fine Arts, Les Grands Ballets, York University, Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Worked with Les Ballets, Jazz de Montreal, Hubbard St. Dance, Chicago, Judith Marcuse, Joe Ink, Brian MacDonald, Ginette Laurin, David Parsons, Danny Ezralow, Ulyses Dove, Margo Sappington and Mark Morris. Lynn is also Rehearsal Mistress for the Arts Umbrella Senior Company.
Grant Strate: Founding member of the National Ballet of Canada, soloist, Resident Choreographer and Assistant to the Director of the National Ballet. Retired Director of The School of Contemporary Arts, SFU. International Choreographer and guest teacher.
Chengxin Wei: A graduate of the Beijing Dance Academy where he studied classical Chinese dance for 11 years. A former principal dancer of the Guangdong Provincial Dance Theatre, Chenzin is currently in his fifth season with Ballet British Columbia.
Jennifer White: Trained at Judy Russell's Enchainement Dance Studio and completed Ballet British Columbia's Mentor Program. Accomplished performer, choreographer and teacher.
Theatre
Jackie Blackmore: Professional theatre, film & TV actor, physical comedian and award-winning
playwright with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design.
Cassandra Frederickson: Graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts and a 10 year first place competitor in Musical theatre and competition instructor. Cassandra has performed in numerous musicals across the country including The Producers, Guys and Dolls, The Three Penny Opera, Pirates of Penzance and Once upon a Mattress.
Kirstn Hawson: Kirstn is a professional actress/singer and voice artist. While at The Central School of Speech and Drama where she studied acting, movement and voice, she was sponsored by Sir Anthony Hopkins and Sir John Geilgud. Kirstn later found a passion for teaching and has taught young people for the past 10 years, and also coaches dialects to professional actors and acting to stunt men. She recently co-wrote a series of children's musical audio books.
Roselle Healy: Graduate of the Gaiety School of Acting located in Dublin, Ireland. Roselle is an actress, certified yoga teacher and vocalist.
Darcey Johnson: A professional theatre artist for nine years, the last three dedicated to the sketch comedy troupe Assaulted Fish. Before being "caught in the net" of Vancouvers' premiere sketch troupe, he ran his own theatre company, and toured as a performer and manager all over North America. Now, Darcey continues writing performing and building a popular teaching practice at Arts Umbrella and the Shadbolt Centre.
Cristi Paige Lowis: BEd, English (SFU). Member of the BC College of Teachers. Former member of the AU Dance Company. Taught tap at AU in 1994. Was a member of the Theatre Arts department at St. George's School in Vancouver (2001-2007) where she developed the Junior drama program, taught drama at both Junior and Senior campuses, and directed two mainstage productions annually. Has directed and choreographed for North Shore Light Opera Society, Metro Theatre, and Theatre Under the Stars. Favourite credits include The Beachcombers (CBC), a recurring role on Danger Bay (Disney), Peggy Sawyer in 42nd St. (RCMT), and Helene in Sweet Charity (TUTS).
Paul Moniz de Sá: Works as a sound designer and actor in TV, film and theatre. He received a Jessie Richardson Award for Best Performance in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and received a Jessie Richardson nomination for sound design for the Prodigal Son for Touchstone and Pacific Theatre. Paul teaches sound design at Douglas College and is a graduate of Studio 58.
Susanne Moniz de Sá: BFA (Drama), University of Calgary; BA (Psychology), University of Manitoba. Susanne has been an instructor with Arts Umbrella for over 10 years. She teaches in the pre-professional program with the Junior Theatre Troupe, and is an instructor for the Stagecoach and HSBC Save Our Planet Programs. Susanne is also a freelance director, teacher, drama coordinator and consultant, and a member of Tight Corset Theatre Company.
Chancz Perry: Associate Arts Degree , Douglas College, S.F.U, Broadway Dance Centre (NYC). Credits include Mr. Magoo, The Charlie Horse Music Pizza, Bye Bye Birdie (The Musical), Lamb Chops (Children's Show). Most recently, he assisted for two years on Da Vinci's Inquest. Nominated for two Jessie Richardson Awards. Received the Vancouver Sun Reader's Choice Award for Entertainer of the Year.
Eden Philp: Eden Philp is a professional actor, drama facilitator, and film and television acting coach. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance, and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology she has taught drama and on camera acting to students age three to adult for over ten years. She has recently been invited to join the artist roster for the “Teaching Through the Heart Program” for student teachers at the University of British Columbia.
Andy Toth: Andy Toth is a professional actor, director, producer and teacher living in Vancouver. Recent stage credits include Company (Arts Club Theatre) and Urinetown, The Musical (Firehall Theatre). Other credits include Balthazaar and the Mojo Star(Hoarse Raven) and directing The Fantasticks (QMTP) both of which were nominated for several Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards.
Maggie Winston: originally from Baltimore, Maryland, studied theatre at the arts high school Carver Center for Arts and Technology. She then went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in Performance and Puppetry from Sarah Lawrence College in New York. Maggie was classically trained at the British American Drama Academy in London, England. Her artistic pursuits include creating original puppet shows independently and with various companies. Her puppet shows have been featured at festivals and artist-run-centers in Vancouver. Teaching theatre and puppetry to a variety of ages is a valued and necessary part of her artistic work.
Media Arts
Pat "Flick" Harrison: Holds a film MFA from UBC and a documentary B Journalism from Carleton. Has worked for CBC and writes for Film Threat, Broken Pencil and others. Has screened films and videos at festivals around North America. Pat is on the board of Cineworks Indie Film Society.
Josh Hite: BA in Philosophy from Wilkes University, MFA in Visual Art at University of British Columbia. He works mainly in video and photography, and is intently focused on the organization of and the movement through spaces in daily life. Josh has shown work in Los Angeles, Vancouver, Chongqing (China), and Seattle.
Lyndsay Sung: Bachelor Of Media Arts, Emily Carr Institute of Art + Design. Bachelor of Arts, Women's Studies and Film Studies, University of Victoria. Lyndsay is a multidisciplinary artist working in video art, music, drawing, super 8 film and performance art. She is also an independent curator and a member of the Powell Street Festival Society arts programming committee. Lyndsay has exhibited work in Vancouver, Montreal, New York and the Netherlands.
Visual Arts
Suzy Birstein: Honours (Ceramics), ECIAD. Ceramic artist and painter. Exhibits locally at the Gallery of B.C. Ceramics and Circle Craft. Suzy is known for her colourful tableware and sculpture which she has exhibited both nationally and internationally.
Tara Carmichael: University of Iowa, BFA Printmaking with K-12 Teaching Certification. Tara has educated and empowered children - and herself - with art for 16 years. Tara is a practicing visual artist and illustrator who has taught in Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, MN and Kansas City, MO.
Kellie Diguangco: BFA (focusing on painting and photography) with a minor in child development. She is a practicing visual artist and illustrator who has been teaching digital arts in Vancouver for the past six years. She currently holds workshops for Big Sisters and teaches photography at Focal Point Visual Arts Learning Centre.
Jorden Doody: Jorden Doody is a Fine Arts Graduate from UBC-Okanagan. Originally from Kelowna, she is now living, making art, and teaching in Vancouver with her young family. Jorden is an interdisciplinary artist who enjoys the ability to sample from a multitude of different materials. Her main artistic focus has been painting expressive portraiture, as well as the construction of large assemblage pieces. She shares her artistic endeavors with her husband with whom she has been collaborating with for the last 9 years. Jorden believes that the combination of imagination and communication are truly the building blocks for a healthy creative community.
Nathaniel Funk: BA Architecture UBC, Masters of Architecture, UBC. Has taught various age groups in architecture and leadership training. Wants to share his passion for the arts with young children as an arts educator.
Roxanne Gagnon: BFA from Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, recipient of the Jason Singh Memorial Award, Moving Towards Independence Award. Roxanne is a practicing visual artist specializing in ceramics and printmaking. She has exhibited in Vancouver and Australia.
Martin Guderna: Graduate of Ontario College of Art. Martin's drawings, paintings and animated films have been exhibited in Canada, Europe, South Korea and the US. Currently Martin also teaches at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design.
Jamie Hume: Diploma (Fine Arts - ceramics, commercial arts and arts & crafts), Capilano College. Group exhibits in LaConner, Washington, and Vancouver. Jamie is also involved in the Vancouver music scene as a singer and manager of her own band.
Gwenessa Lam: BFA from the University of British Columbia and MFA from New York University. She has taught at New York University, Emily Carr University, the University of British Columbia, and the Art Institute of Vancouver. Gwenessa has exhibited in Canada and the USA, including the Bronx Museum of Art and the Queens Museum of Art in New York. She has been awarded residencies at MacDowell Colony, New Hampshire; Skowhegan, Maine; and Yaddo, New York
Emily Miles: Practicing artist and illustrator. After completing her BFA at the University of Victoria, she travelled widely and fell in love with teaching young children while teaching overseas. She begins the Bachelor of Education Program at UBC in the fall of 2008 and hopes to inspire her students as much as they inspire her.
Golnar Sepahi: BFA, Emily Carr; Graphic Design & Illustration, Capilano College. Golnar is a member of The Federation of Canadian Artists and has received an award of excellence for her work. She is a practicing visual artist specializing in oil painting with exhibitions in Vancouver, Victoria and Iran.
Marta Robertson-Smyth: BFA (Honours) Painting, Mt. Allison University, New Brunswick. Owner of Rare Threads Inc. Painter and sculptor participating in group shows from 1970 to 2006.
André Seow: Visual Artist. Graduate, Fine Arts, Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. André has been with Arts Umbrella for 17 years, where he teaches painting and drawing and co-ordinates the summer camp.
Graham Smith: Graham joined Arts Umbrella in January 2010 bringing 25 years of experience as an architect, green building and sustainability advocate. An international sustainable design award-winner, he has been a designer facilitator on eco-charrettes across western Canada. As an adjunct professor Graham taught green building systems at the UBC School of Architecture and he continues to develop and deliver programs to educate teens on sustainable architecture and urbanism.
Chad Sorensen: Originally from Regina, studied at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, where he received a media degree specializing in animation. Chad's latest short film was completed in partnership with the National Film Board.
Allee Wells: Allee Wells received her BFA from Emily Carr Institute in 2005, and her Early Childhood Care & Education Certificate from Capilano University in 2011. She is a practicing mixed media artist and fashion/costume designer. Allee has been teaching art for 10 years to ages 2 and up. She is very interested in the relationship between creativity and learning and how the two are symbiotic. The poetry of our natural world, making meaning, and a sense of humour are a few of the major guiding principles in her life. Allee currently lives in Vancouver. She has shown her artwork in Ottawa, Vancouver, and Whistler.
Accompanists & Assistants
Many of our accompanists and teaching assistants are also students of various art forms, performers and accomplished artists.