Staff
Our Staff Section
Our staff are the true backbone behind the Academy. It is through their dedication and talent that the Port Perry Dance Academy has become the benchmark of a performing arts education in our region.
Below you will learn a little about the invaluable people that make your learning experience at the academy so memorable and enjoyable.
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Lynn Ahmad Lynn Ahmad is an Examiner for the Royal Academy of Dance. Her career in Dance began at the age of three. Since that time, she has been fortunate enough to study with some of Canada’s most renowned professional teachers and performers. Marcia Caple, ARAD and Audrey Looker, ARAD & Examiner for the Royal Academy of Dancing, both playing instrumental roles in Lynn’s development as a performer and professional teacher. The late Gladys Forrester, RAD President Award Winner, coached Lynn when she studied for the RAD Advanced Exam. While pursuing her Diploma in Dance, Lynn studied under former National Ballet of Canada’s Nadia Potts and was coached by Canada’s foremost lead male soloist, Frank Augustyn. Lynn started her performing career with Les Grands Ballet Canadiens in The Nutcracker in Ottawa. She has continued her professional career teaching/coaching in Toronto and surrounding areas. Her students who take the annual RAD examinations (from Pre-Primary to and including Advanced 2) achieve a 100% pass rate with many attaining top results. In addition, Lynn has prepared students for major dance competitions both locally and abroad. Her record includes both choreographic and overall awards. As an adjudicator, Lynn most recently sat as Adjudicator (in the disciplines of Ballet, Pointe and Demi-Character) at Dance Manitoba’s Annual Provincial Dance Festival. Many of Lynn’s students have garnered scholarships and awards moving on to further education at universities like York, Ryerson and Ottawa. Other students have gained acceptance to the National Ballet School, The Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Quinte Ballet School. Still other students have become professional entertainers whose careers have taken them all over the world. Lynn is a Registered Teacher and member of both the Royal Academy of Dancing and the Canadian Dance Teachers’ Association. She has her Diploma in Theatre (Dance) from the Ryerson Polytechnical University; Advanced 1 Ballet (RAD); Advanced National (ISTD) and Advanced Modern (ISTD). Lynn is also a member of the International Adjudicators’ Alliance (IADA). Lynn is very excited about her tenth year in Port Perry as the Artistic Director of the Port Perry Dance Academy. |
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Gaetane Hughes
Gaetane has been a dancer, teacher and choreographer for the past 38 years. She is a respected member of the Canadian Dance Teachers Association, The British Association Teachers of Dance, ADAPT and Dance Masters of America. Gaetane is also an examiner for both the ballet and stage division of the Canadian Dance Teachers Association, examining students in ballet, tap, jazz, and acrobatics. She is also an accomplished adjudicator of dance and is a musical theatre Choreographer. When not teaching her regular schedule at the Academy, Gaetane is in great demand to teach dance workshops across Canada. Throughout the years her students have won numerous awards at both Canadian and American Competitions. Former students have been accepted to both the National and Royal Winnipeg Ballet Schools, the Limon Dance company in NYC and several are themselves recognized dance teachers. |
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Andrew Oxenham Andrew Oxenham became the first male to graduate from the world-renowned National Ballet School and turned his attention to the performance stage. As a soloist with the National Ballet of Canada for almost ten years, Andrew danced with such notables as Rudolph Nureyev, Veronica Tennant, and Karen Kain. His achievements at “the National” caught the attention of the renowned Stuttgart Ballet who engaged Andrew as a soloist for several years. After returning from Germany, Andrew retired from the performance circuit and turned his attention to teaching and photography. Andrew has two books to his credit, Dance Today in Canada and Puppetry Today in Canada and is now a highly sought after photographer who specializes in portraiture and dance/theatre photography. Andrew is the Academy’s Pas de Deux instructor and Boys’ coach. |
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Julia Ridgway Julia is an accredited teacher through the Durham District School Board where she delivers the Dance Curriculum at Uxbridge Secondary School. A graduate of the University of Waterloo, Miss Julia has a strong background in Ballet (RAD) and Jazz and currently focuses on our Creative Dance program. Julia has over 27 years of experience as a dancer with sixteen of those as a dance instructor. She has worked with David Earl and Arun Paul and attended the National Ballet School’s Summer School Program. Julia holds the RAD Advanced 1 and ISTD Intermediate Jazz cetificates and has studied the Limon technique (Modern), Jazz, Tap and Hip Hop. Julia’s choreo-graphy credits include the Uxbridge Youth Theatre teen productions of Fame and High School Musical. |
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Lynn McDonald Lynn McDonald is a on the Faculty of Music at York University where she is a Professor of Jazz vocals. A lifelong teacher and performer, Lynn can be heard on close to ten CD titles. Widely considered as one of the best female jazz vocalists in the country, Lynn has drawn accolades from the likes of the CBC, Don Thompson and the Prague Post. Lynn works with soloists at the Academy and is the voice coach for the popular Glee Club program. |
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Courtney Ogle Courtney, who is well-known to all the families who participated in the recreational programs at the YMCA here in Port Perry over the last several years, has been a dancer for over 20 years. Courtney is an instructor under the ADAPT system and is a graduate of the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts’ Triple Threat program. Courtney has had the incredible opportunity to perform in many larger-scale productions like Thoroughly Modern Millie: Toronto, ON; Miss Canada Globe Pageant: Toronto, ON; The Heidi Chronicles: Toronto, ON; Grease Ball 50’s Concert: Niagara Falls, ON; Steve Nash Charity Basketball Game: Toronto, ON and many more. Courtney has studied dance under both the R.A.D. and C.D.T.A. Her extremely successful competitive career culminated in her winning 5,6,7,8 Showtime’s Dancer of the Year title at fifteen years of age! Her dance titles and scholarships have taken her all over Canada and the United States. Courtney is an ADAPT teacher who is thoroughly enjoying our new facilities. and is looking forward to passing along her personal knowledge of, and passion for, the dance world to the students at the Port Perry Dance Academy! |
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Ian Marnoch Ian is the Academy’s music instructor. Ian has extensive experience as a music teacher and performer in our community. He is Director of Music at St. Andrew’s United Church in Sunderland, is a relief pianist for Pontypool United Church, Bethany United Church, Ballyduff Presbyterian Church, and the Kawartha Park Chapel. Ian is also an avid violin player who specializes in traditional Irish, Scottish, and Cape Breton fiddle styles. As a teacher, Ian is renowned for his patience and good humour. A graduate in Physics from Dalhousie University, Ian is now completing his ARCT (Associate of the Royal Conservatory) certificate in piano pedagogy. Ian is also a keen Trombone, Baritone Horn and Organ player. |
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Tiffany Ratz Tiffany is a Level Two gymnastics coach and dance instructor who focuses on the Academy’s Acro and boys’ programs. Her career includes over fifteen years of dance training in Tap, Jazz and Acro. As a teacher, Tiffany has been the mainstay of the Acro program of a major gymnastics academy and dance academy in the Durham region. |
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Jessica Bartlett Jessica is currently in her second year in the Dance program at George Brown College where she is one of the few dancers selected to perform with the company in her freshman year. Jessica holds CDTA Advanced Level Certificates in Jazz, Tap and Acro and is an ADAPT teacher. |
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Lesley Scott Lesley is a native of Toronto, and has been dancing since the age of three. She has studied various forms of dance and has been trained by many well known choreographers throughout Canada and the United States. Lesley started her professional career dancing with the Toronto Raptors Dance Pak, followed by Toronto’s professional Lacrosse team, The Toronto Rock. She then went on to perform two contracts aboard Celebrity Cruiselines. Lesley has won numerious awards over the years such as top mark soloist, Runner-Up at American Dance Awards and C.D.M.A dance pageants. Lesley is also a two-time finalist at the C.N.E’s Rising Star Competition. Lesley is a fully qualified teacher in the A.D.A.P.T. syllabus whose specialties include Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Hip Hop and Musical Theatre. Her recent work has won many accolades including a Top Choreography Award at American Dance Awards. Now back in Toronto, Lesley is thrilled to pursue her teaching career. |
