Miss Olivia has been in the dance world since she could walk as a student, performer, choreographer, instructor, adjudicator and master teacher. As a performer, Olivia has trained in advanced levels in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, musical theatre, contemporary, lyrical and acro dance. As a choreographer and educator Olivia has set over 500 competition and recital pieces and is accredited through YPAD, DEEA, IDTS, CDTA and ADTA. Olivia has spent over a decade in post-secondary education, now as a recent PhD graduate in Industrial & Organizational Psychology, and in doing so has been focused on refining what it means to turn a good team great. Now she works daily to bring these lessons from the corporate world to the performing arts in many different capacities. 

As a dancer, Olivia has received her Advanced 2 certificate in Ballet from the Royal Academy of Dance and has trained at top training facilities in Vancouver, New York, Los Angeles & Paris including: Harbour Dance Centre, Broadway Dance Centre, Steps, The Edge, Millennium Dance Complex, Movement Lifestyle and More. She has had the opportunity to work with many of the choreographers from the hit television show “So You Think You Can Dance,” “America’s Best Dance Crew,” and “Dancing With the Stars” including: Mia Michaels, Stacey Tookey, Mandy Moore, tWitch, Alison Holker, and many more. 

Olivia was chosen as a BC Provincial Delegate 3 times and has competed at the National level in New York and Las Vegas (placing in the top 5 dancers and overall top 1 percentile of the competition). She was also the recipient of the prestigious Royal Conservatory of Music Silver Medal Award for achieving the highest mark in the province for her grade 7 voice examination under the direction of Terry Logan. 

Professionally, Olivia has performed leading roles in numerous productions throughout the region and has appeared at Radio City Music Hall in a production choreographed by Dan Karaty & Mandy Moore. Olivia also sang with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa for part of the Canada Day Celebrations at both Parliament and the National Arts Centre. Olivia was selected to partner with SYTYCD Season 2 Winner Benji Schwimmer in a Cha Cha dancing demonstration. Olivia has also performed in shows choreographed by Black McGrath (SYTYCD, DanceLife), Kherington Payne (Fame), Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo (SYTYCD, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey), and Stephen tWitch Boss (SYTYCD, The Ellen Degeneres Show) to name a few. Olivia has also performed in a music video that was choreographed and directed by Kenny Wormald (Footloose) and at a global conference choreographed by Stacey Tookey (SYTYCD). 

As a choreographer, Olivia has had the pleasure of working with the Queen Silver Star Excellence Program for a total of 6 years in creating opening numbers for their fashion show and proclamation ceremonies, as well as staging the fall fashion show. Olivia’s choreography has also been presented at a global conference in Stockholm, Sweden in the same room that the Nobel prizes are handed out each year, alongside a piece choreographed by Emmy Award Nominee Stacey Tookey. 

As an instructor, Olivia’s students have won numerous awards at a variety of competitions, conventions and festivals around the world. In recent years, students from SODANCE Vernon have been gold, silver and bronze medal recipients at Dance World Cup, as well as many overall studio, choreography, group, and individual competitive awards per season at various regional competitions. Many of Olivia’s students have been chosen to receive scholarships to train and perform in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Los Angeles, New York, Paris & Barcelona. 

When Olivia isn’t at the studio you can find her working as an Organizational Psychologist, reading, learning something new, spending time with her dog Sally, or training at the gym!

Kristina is the office administrator (aka the magic behind the computer) and is also an instructor at SODANCE Vernon. Kristina started dancing at the age of 11 and loves teaching upbeat and energetic classes like our Junior Jazz & Hip Hop! Kristina thinks that students should take classes at SODANCE because SODANCE is committed to providing an inclusive and safe learning environment for all students and dance families. The staff at SODANCE is very welcoming and we strive to create an energetic environment where everyone feels comfortable! Kristina hopes that her students will be able to use our inclusive studio to feel comfortable learning new dance skills and to be able to express themselves however they want. Kristina received a gold medal at Dance World Cup in 2015 and had the opportunity to train with Talia Favia, Kenny Wormald, Mandy Moore & Robert Roldan at Dance Teacher Summit in Long Beach California in 2019. Kristina is certified by the Dance Education Equity Association, Youth Protection Advocates in Dance, Canadian Red Cross First Aid and CPR/AED Level C and has her Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology! Kristina’s favourite song to dance to right now is “Hung Up'' by Madonna. When Kristina is not working away at the studio, you can find her participating in some sort of extreme sport like skiing, biking or paragliding!

Miss Maddy has been dancing since the age of 3 and loves Contemporary & Lyrical. We have had the opportunity to watch Miss Maddy grow into a wonderful dance instructor over the last few years. Maddy has received multiple awards during her years of dance at SODANCE Vernon including First Overall Competitive Senior Soloist at Summit Dance Challenge, Highest Scoring Competitive Contemporary Routine and First Place in the Senior Competitive Category at Star Talent Dance Competition and the Highest Scoring Competitive Soloist at Centre Stage Dance Challenge. Maddy thinks that students should take classes at SODANCE Vernon because we are an immensely inclusive studio with an outstandingly fun environment. She hopes that her students will learn that dance can be an outlet and that the studio is a safe space for everyone. Maddy is certified by the Dance Education Equity Association, Youth Protection Advocates in Dance, Canadian Red Cross First Aid and CPR/AED Level C and graduating from W.L. Seaton Secondary with a Dual Dogwood Diploma! Her favourite song to dance to right now is “Party In The USA” by Miley Cyrus. When Maddy is not dancing (which is rare), you will almost certainly find her enjoying her favourite book!

Miss Payton has been dancing since the age of 3 and we have had the pleasure of watching her grow into an amazing dance instructor over the past few years! Payton LOVES hip hop! Payton thinks that students should take classes at SODANCE Vernon because our studio has all of the students' best interests in mind at all times. Payton thinks that SODANCE Vernon is not only just a dance studio but a second home where dancers can come feel safe and express themselves in a judgment free environment. Payton hopes that her students learn new skills this season and grow into the best dancers that they can be! Payton is certified by the Dance Education Equity Association, Youth Protection Advocates in Dance, Canadian Red Cross First Aid and CPR/AED Level C and is graduating from Vernon Secondary School! Her favourite song to dance to right now is “Yeah!” by Usher. Payton loves good tunes, skiing when she is not dancing & eating chips and salsa in between classes!

Miss Briana has been dancing since the age of 3 and loves teaching Hip Hop! She has received many awards including several Dance World Cup medals and multiple dance scholarships, including one to Paris and one to Barcelona! Briana thinks that students should take classes at SODANCE Vernon because our studio is extremely inclusive and devoted to creating a safe and comfortable environment for all dancers. Briana hopes that her students will learn to feel extra confident in themselves in class and on stage this season! Briana won a gold and a bronze medal at Dance World Cup in 2015 and 2 golds, a silver and a bronze medal at the 2017 Dance World Cup! Briana has received her LPN diploma and has taken several classes in Indigenous cultural safety and history. Briana has a weiner dog named Stella and when she is not working as a nurse or a dance instructor you can find her hanging out and playing with Stella!

Miss Katie has been dancing since the age of 4 and loves Musical Theatre. This is Miss Katie’s first season with SODANCE Vernon as a dance instructor and we are so lucky to have her as part of our team! Katie thinks that students should take classes at SODANCE Vernon because the faculty is very passionate about dance and is committed to fostering a welcoming environment so that every dancer can achieve their own personal dance goals. She also loves that everyone at SODANCE Vernon includes much joy and laughter into all parts of their dance classes. She hopes that her students will learn that dancing is all about trying new things and continually trying again! Mastering steps takes time and won’t often happen the first time you learn it so that is why it is important to try and try again. Katie is currently completing her ADAPT Teaching Training and ADTA Foundations of Acro Syllabus. She is certified in the Acrobatic Arts Preschool Syllabus and has received her Bachelor of Arts in Engligh Literature. Her favourite song to dance to right now is “Little Swing” by AronChupa. Fun fact about Miss Katie, she is a prop master and has constructed many stage props, from a dinosaur tail to an Alice in Wonderland scene!

Miss Kelly has been dancing since the age of 5 and loves Contemporary & Jazz. This is Miss Kelly’s first season with SODANCE Vernon as a dance instructor and we are so lucky to have her as part of our team! Kelly thinks that students should take classes at SODANCE Vernon because our positive atmosphere encourages students to give it their all, judgment free, at all times! She hopes that her students will learn to find their natural movement style this season and to feel comfortable in their own skin. She also hopes to increase her student’s strength and reduce preventable injuries from taking place while dancing. Kelly has been a solo performer as an opener for international pop artist A-Lin at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver. Kelly has trained with Conteur Dance Academy in Toronto and Source Dance Company in Vancouver. She is currently in the process of obtaining a degree in Kinesiology at UBC-O! Her favourite song to dance to right now is “Rips” by Lorde. When Miss Kelly is not teaching or dancing, you can find her doing her second favourite thing, hiking with dogs!