KATIE PATON

Born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia Katie grew up training under the CDTA syllabus. As a competitive dancer she trained with highly respected choreographers and teachers where she received many top marks and special awards at competitions as well as examination’s.

Katie continues to train whenever she can to grow and stay present. Katie has had the opportunity to train with many world renowned choreographers and teachers , some of her favorites being; Tokyo, Rhee Gold, Alexa Moffett, Victor Smalley, and Brian Folley.

Katie has the ability to pull everything out of a dancer and help they achieve goals they didn’t think possible. Katie has a fantastic work ethic and overall passion for dance, her creative vision and strive for excellence are what have won her students many first place rankings, overall trophies and special awards. Katie has high expectations and is very attentive to technique. She believes flexibility and strength training help create talented dancers.

Katie encourages and motivates students to reach their full potential while bringing out their overall love and passion for dance.

Katie will continue to grow throughout her journey as a dancer, teacher and choreographer while following the path to success and chasing her dreams.

Sara Steele

Sara began her dance training at age 3. Focusing mainly on Ballet, Modern, Tap and Jazz at Maritime Dance Academy and Coastal Dance. At age 18 Sara became a full company member of the Woods, Atlantic Canada’s first professional hip hop company (in residence at Halifax Dance) training under the tutelage of Artistic Director Alexis Cormier. Sara has been a full company member of The Woods for the past 9 years, and is now the Assistant Director of the company.

Notable performances include HopScotch Hip Hop Festival; Set it Straight 3 and 4, Hustle to get here 1 and 2, Nocturne, music videos, The Canada Games,Trial by Style 2014, Tourism NS, Halifax Fuse Festival, and Live Art NS.

She has worked with such choreographers as Jordan Washington (NYC/Toronto), Lenny de la Pena (Flavor Shop, DoDat Entertainment), Luther Brown (choreographer, So You Think You Can Dance, Canada), Mariano Palomares (Glizi, Bag of Trix), Yvon Soglo (Crazy Smooth, Bboyizm), Jaquel Knight (choreographer, Beyonce), Rhapsody (choreographer, Busta Rhymes), and Tony Testa (former dancer and choreographer for Michael Jackson).

In 2013, at age 22, Sara created Onset Dance, a competitive Hip Hop Dance school for youth based out of Dartmouth NS. Sara has led Onset to countless victories in competitions around Atlantic Canada as well as Hit the Floor in Levis, Quebec, this includes multiple awards crediting her creativity and choreography as well.

In 2019 Sara’s elite team placed second in Hip Hop International – Canadas Hip Hop Dance Championships. Outside of Onset Dance, she teaches and choreographs for multiple studios in the Halifax area, including, Omnia Dance (2 years) Studios, Studio 26 Dance Company (3 years) and Halifax Dance (9 years).

Ray Laing

Raymond Laing is a dancer and choreographer from Tantallon, Nova Scotia. He began dancing in competitions with Nova Dance Studio and later East Coast Dance Academy. In 2016 Raymond attended intensives at The School of Alberta Ballet as well as The Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, in Torrington, Connecticut. At 16 he moved to Calgary, Alberta to train in the Professional Training Program at The School of Alberta Ballet full time for the next two years. After completing his time in Calgary and graduating high school Raymond moved to New York where he trained for the past 9 months as an ISVP student at Broadway Dance Center. During his time in New York Raymond had the opportunity to perform several times for different choreographers while also being an assistant in class for Tom Richardson. Raymond is very excited to be home and dancing in NS again!

Kennedy Decker

Kennedy started dancing at the age of 4 in Cole Harbour, NS and joined a competitive team at the age of 10.  While on the competitive team, Kennedy danced all styles (ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary & musical theatre) and was a member of her studio’s Elite team, winning many top awards.  Kennedy traveled to 5678 Nationals in Montreal and Niagara Falls, and competed in New York City at Tremaine Dance Competition where she won first place for her solo and placed in the overalls for a trio.  Kennedy is a 2009 Junior Miss Candance Title Soloist winner and attended the Candance National Title Soloist Competition in Boston.  Kennedy also traveled to Paris, France for the 5678 Summer Dance Tour where she learned from many including ‘Les Twins’ and Tara-Jean Popowich.  Most meaningful to Kennedy, she won many special awards for her personality, natural performance and passion for dance; which she hopes to instill in every dancer she teaches.  After high school, Kennedy continued to teach dance from ages 2-17 in all styles, but mainly jazz and hip hop, where her students won special awards and placed in overalls.  She was also a member of Dalhousie’s Black and Gold Competitive Dance Team, where she continued her passion to dance on stage and learned from peers across Canada to bring to her students.  Although Kennedy competed hip hop growing up, her true passion and expertise in hip hop came from her time on the Dalhousie’s competitive team.  Over the past two years, Kennedy has taken a break from teaching to focus on studies in Ontario but continued to dance as a member of the Queen’s Dance Club in the styles of lyrical, contemporary and hip hop to keep up with her passion, technique and to learn from others who trained at studios across Canada.  Kennedy is extremely excited to bring her knowledge and passion for dance back to Nova Scotia, to teach again and to join a studio that dances for the love of it, promoting every students’ passion to shine through on stage.