J'Adore Dance

Meet Our Faculty

Owners

Chantel

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF FULL YEAR PROGRAMMING - OWNER
When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It’s to enjoy each step along the way. ~Wayne Dyer Chantel Sampson has been dancing since the age of three. A lifelong passion for dance has continued to fuel her spirit. He ... Read More

Jenna

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF SESSIONAL PROGRAMMING-OWNER
Jenna Brenan has been dancing since the age of four. Her background includes Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, and Irish. Jenna not only studied and trained locally here in Edmonton, but has also trained under a variety of professionals fr ... Read More

Staff

Jenna Zoe

Front Desk Staff
JZ is a university student currently working on her BFA in visual arts. JZ takes candid photos for recital and occasionally during classes throughout the year. She grew up taking contemporary, tap, and hip hop classes at J'Adore Dance. JZ works ... Read More

Rachel

Front Desk Staff
Rachel graduated from The King’s University with a BA in Social Sciences, and a minor in Kinesiology. She loves running, and being active through a variety of sports. As she has experienced the friendships  and fun that being active has brought, ... Read More

Spencer

Front Desk Staff
Spencer is a student working on his BSC in Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental biology at the University of Alberta. He is an executive of the Organization of Botany students and loves everything related to plants. Spencer works front desk and help ... Read More

Instructors

Amanda

Instructor
Amanda Hodgins started dancing when she was 4 years old. She has trained in many styles of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, musical theatre, lyrical/contemporary, and hip hop. While studying at Edmonton Dance Factory (EDF), she competed in many com ... Read More

Avery

Instructor
Avery has been dancing with J'Adore Dance for eleven years. She has trained in the JBallet, JTap, Pointe and Youth Contemporary programs. Avery's teachers have included Ms. Chantel, Ms. Jenna, Ms. Annie, Ms. Bridget and Ms. Jeannie. Outside of dance, ... Read More

Bridget

Instructor
Bridget was introduced to dance in junior high when she began attending Victoria School of Visual and Performing Arts. She quickly fell in love with the art form and went on to receive her BFA in Contemporary Dance from Concordia University in Montre ... Read More

Camille

Instructor
Camille Ensminger has trained and performed for many years in ballet, jazz, tap, flamenco and contemporary dance. Camille is a company member of Synaethesis Dance Theatre, performing at the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival in Letters an ... Read More

Chris

Instructor
Chris Hammer has been teaching for 4 years now. He has been trained and stylizes in Popping, Locking, Animation, Party dance, Commercial choreo, R&B, and Freestyling. He has competed and performed and a numerous of different events including bein ... Read More

Daelyn

Instructor
Daelyn has been dancing for 17 years at the Wainwright Dance Academy.  Growing up she had the opportunity to dance around Canada and the United States including dancing on the stage in Disneyland. Daelyn started teaching dance when she was 14 an ... Read More

Erin B

Instructor
Erin Brese is a dancer from Edmonton Alberta Canada. Erin took her first dance class when she was just 5 years old at Dance Unlimited. Every week she looked forward to slipping on her ballet shoes and getting her body moving! She continued to dance r ... Read More

Erin H

Instructor
From a young age, Erin found and developed a passion for an active lifestyle. She danced competitively for 16 years, became a swimming instructor/lifeguard, and developed a love of teaching dance and movement. She married her high school sweetheart a ... Read More

Ethan

Instructor
Ethan Sampson is completing his Bachelor of Communications Degree from Grant MacEwan and throughout his education he has had the opportunity to take part in all aspects of the performing arts. For as long as he can remember, Ethan has been up on ... Read More

Jason

Instructor
Jason discovered his passion for dance while in university; but is no stranger to the teaching and performing worlds. You might have seen Jason on stage while working towards his Bachelor of Arts in Theatre at Concordia and other performances around ... Read More

Jeannie

Instructor
Jeannie Vandekerkhove is a teacher, choreographer and dancer who trained classically in her youth, furthering her studies at Arts Umbrella and Ballet British Columbia’s Mentorship Program.She has taught professionally at Arts Umbrella, MareMac Dance ... Read More

Jewel

Instructor
Jewel Zahr is a tap dancer from Edmonton, Alberta. Jewel started dancing in all disciplines at the age of four and quickly realized the love she had for tap. She graduated in 2016 from Victoria School of the Arts where she pursued her passion for the ... Read More

Jilly

Instructor
Jilly has been dancing for 13 years and is looking forward to continuing to take after her mom, her mentor. Jilly has danced for many studios including Cloverdale Community League, For the Love of Dance, Scoil Rince Clannad, Monsignor Fee Otterson Sc ... Read More

Joanna

Instructor
Joanna started dancing in Calgary at the Barvinok Ukrainian Dance Society and has had a love for Ukrainian dance her whole life. After moving to Fort McMurray she joined the Avrora Ukrainian Dance Club and Uptown Dance where she started ballet, jazz, ... Read More

Kasha

Instructor
Music, Fitness, and Community have always been a driving force of Kasha's being. Growing up, she trained and played soccer competitively at the college level. Kasha is passionate, a lover of people, and a champion for her daughters. After having ... Read More

Kate

Instructor
Kate has been dancing for 12 years and trained at Riverbend Dance Academy before coming to J’Adore.  She has trained in ballet, pointe, contemporary and jazz under Ms. Annie, Ms. Bridget, Ms. Jenna, Ms. Chantel and Ms. Jeannie. When not dancing, ... Read More

Kate J

Instructor
Kate began her dance training in Edmonton at the age of 10, in a variety of styles such as ballet, jazz, acro, lyrical, and modern at Flexpointe Studios. Throughout her time dancing, she volunteered as a class assistant, which cultivated her passion ... Read More

Kaylie

Instructor
Kaylie has been dancing since she was 3 years old. She spent 2 years at Sandra Gray's dance company then 13 at Shelley’s Dance Company where she has had most of her training. Some different styles that she is passionate about are ballet, lyrical, jaz ... Read More

Lauren

Instructor
Lauren previously trained at Sandra Gray School of Dance for six years before deciding to give other sports a try. While at SGSD, she was involved in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, and musical theatre. Off the dancefloor, you will find Lauren reading, s ... Read More

Liesa

Instructor
Liesa has always loved to dance. Her mom likes to say Liesa danced before she knew how to walk, which makes sense since she owned a dance studio before Liesa was born, and was her very first teacher. Throughout her training, Liesa studied jazz, music ... Read More

Mana

Instructor
Mana is in her first year of the musical theatre performance program at MacEwan University where she explores tap, ballet, and broadway jazz. She has 14 years of previous dance experience at Shumka, Edmonton School of Ukrainian Dance, Victoria School ... Read More

Maria

Instructor
Maria is a student at the University of Alberta working towards a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Biological Sciences and a minor in Sociology. Maria loved to perform from a very young age and never missed an opportunity to take the stage, ... Read More

Meg

Instructor
Meg grew up in a household steeped in dance and music. She started highland dancing at the age of 3 and competed until the age of 24. Bagpiping went hand-in-hand with her dance career, and from the age of 7 she lived, breathed, and worked for dance a ... Read More

Melanie

Instructor
Melanie Smith-Doderai holds a B.A, B.Ed and M.Ed.  Melanie has been an instructor at J'Adore Dance since its opening in 2011. Melanie has extensive training in pre/postnatal fitness, aerial arts and her speciality - early childhood movement. At ... Read More

Mikayla

Instructor
Mikayla Pucci has been dancing for 17 years. She stylizes in Jazz, Contemporay, Lyrical, Freestyling and styles within Hip Hop including, commercial choreography, R&B, and party dance. She has trained under many choreographers across Canada but h ... Read More

TBD

Instructor
TBD ... Read More

Interns

Hailey

Intern
Hailey has been dancing her whole life. She started in parented classes until she was old enough to dance on her own at age three. Hailey has trained primarily in ballet with one and a half years of tap. Hailey loves to camp with her family, read, pl ... Read More

Mari

Intern
Mari discovered her love for dance at age ten and currently dances at both J’adore and The Stu. She has trained mainly in hiphop but also does contemporary dance and looks forward to continuing her training in both styles. Her teachers at J’adore thu ... Read More

Mckenna

Intern
Mckenna has been dancing at J’adore since a very young age. Throughout her years at J’adore, she has been trained in Hip Hop and has learned various styles including Popping, Locking, Freestyle, and Breakdancing. During her J’adore journey, Mckenna h ... Read More

Junior Assistants

Aaliyah

Junior Assistant
Aaliyah has been dancing at J'adore since she was three. She has been a part of numerous jazz ballet classes with a great deal of teachers. Some of the teachers over the years include Ms Chantel, Ms Jeannie and Ms Bridget.  This past year she wo ... Read More

Abbie

Junior Assistant
Abbie has been dancing since before she was born! Abbie started dancing at J'Adore when she was only a few weeks old and her mom ( Ms. Liesa ) brought her to Babies classes. Abbie loves reading fantasy books, writing her own stories, bike riding wi ... Read More

Addison

Junior Assistant
Addison has been dancing for seven years. She studied tap for two years in Spruce Grove before moving on to J'adore, where she studied Ballet, Hip Hop, and Musical Theatre before settling on Musical Theatre. When she's not dancing, she enjoys synchro ... Read More

Anokhi

Junior Assistant
Anokhi has been dancing since the age of 7. Her true passion has always been Tap Dance and has always trained under Ms. Jenna. Anokhi is excited to learn from Ms. Jewel this year. When not on the dance floor, Anokhi enjoys crocheting, reading, spendi ... Read More

Carly

Junior Assistant
Carly has enjoyed dancing at J’Adore since she was a baby in the parented programs. She is excited to continue in the JBallet program this year. Outside of dancing, some of her favourite hobbies are drawing, exploring the outdoors, reading and figure ... Read More

Carys

Junior Assistant
Carys has been dancing at J’adore her whole life.  She has trained in Jazz, Ballet, Contemporary and Pointe with many teachers, some including Ms Jeannie, Ms Chantel and Ms Bridget. When not dancing, Carys enjoys playing the piano, reading and b ... Read More

Harmony

Junior Assistant
Harmony has been dancing since she was a baby when her mom brought her to Babies class at J'Adore Dance. While she loves to dance, Harmony also enjoys singing, baking, musical theatre, sports, circus, art, and gymnastics. Harmony has trained in a var ... Read More

Julianna

Junior Assistant
Julianna has been dancing at J'Adore for the past 10 years. Her teachers have included Ms.Jenna, Ms. Chantel, Ms. Bridget and Ms. Shara. She has been doing ballet her whole life and has done tap and hip hop as well. When not dancing, she enjoys ... Read More

Kaleena

Junior Assistant
Kaleena has been dancing since the age of 3. She enjoys art, reading, and rugby. She has trained at Riverbend Dance Academy and J’Adore. She enjoys jazz, ballet, tap, and musical theatre. Kaleena looks up to both her mother and her grade six teacher. ... Read More

Meagan

Junior Assistant
Meagan has been dancing since her mom took her to dance classes as a baby. Apart from dancing, she loves painting, baking, piano, and hiking. Meagan has danced at J’Adore her whole life, training in ballet with Ms. Chantel, Ms. Hannah, Ms. Teaga ... Read More

Mikayla JA

Junior Assistant
Mikayla has been dancing at J'Adore for six years. She has trained in jazz, ballet, and Contemporary. She loves to paint, draw, and collect pins. Mikayla also loves to dance, play trumpet, and play piano. Some of her fantastic teachers include Ms Bri ... Read More

Mira

Junior Assistant
Mira has been dancing since the age of 3 years old. Her hobbies include painting, dancing and sketching. Mira has trained in Ballet and Jazz at J'Adore Dance under the direction of Ms. Hannah, Ms. Robyn, and Ms. Bridget. Mira also Irish dances at Cel ... Read More

Reed

Junior Assistant
Reed has been dancing for the past 7 years. She has trained in ballet, jazz, and hip. Reed has danced with Ms. Chantel, Ms. Bridget, Ms. Annie, and Mr. Trung. When she is not dancing, Reed loves to read and swim. Reed is excited to once again be a pa ... Read More

Sydney

Junior Assistant
Sydney has been dancing for 7 years at J'Adore Dance in a variety of styles such as Ballet, Jazz, and Hip Hop. She has trained with Ms. Tegan, Ms. Annie, Ms. Bridget, and Mr. Trung. When Sydney is not dancing, she spends much of her time raising ... Read More

Thea

Junior Assistant
Thea has been dancing for 14 years and has done styles including ballet, tap, jazz and contemporary. She has trained under Ms Chantel, Ms Bridget, Ms Jeannie, and Ms Jenna.  Thea has danced at the McKernan Community League, J'Adore, and Strathco ... Read More