Dana
Schlanger - SCHOOL DIRECTOR
Dana Schlanger (School Director) is an arts administrator and musicologist with extensive international experience in arts management and education. Before becoming Director of the Dena Wosk School of Performing Arts in 1999, she has worked for the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Tel-Aviv University, and was a freelance writer. She continues to enjoy her work at the school and attempts to constantly create new and exciting courses for our talented students!
Jana Berengel - Jazz, Hip-Hop
Jana's dance career boasts an impressive list of credits including Tokyo Disneyland, Princess Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruises, two tours throughout Israel, Dubai, Egypt and the Middle East. She has danced in an MTV movie with Carmen Electra, the TV show “Psych” and multiple commercials including principal spots for Telus Mobility, Energizer Batteries, Reactine and Citroen Cars. She was also one of Michael Buble’s back up dancers during the 2010 Olympic closing ceremonies.
Annie Au - Ballet, Jazz, Musical Theatre
Annie started dancing at the age of 4. Her training includes ballet, jazz, modern and hip-hop. Over the course of her training, she had the opportunity to work with choreographers and teachers from Hong Kong, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. She is a member of the Source Dance Company and was on the University of Alberta Dance Team. She has performed and competed in cities such as Las Vegas and Portland. In 2005, she was honored to assume the role of Chinese dance soloist in the Alberta Centennial Celebration.
Jennifer Stewart - Jazz, Tap
Jenny has danced across Canada and the US with companies like Dance Nouveau, Pro Troupe and Legends Alive! Jenny has choreographed for fitness pageants and fashion shows and assisted with the choreography for the World Track & Field Championships in Edmonton. Originally from Alberta, Jenny moved to Vancouver in 2002 to pursue a career as a performer. She has been seen in various live shows like Godspell, West Side Story, Music Man, Crazy for You, Mack & Mabel, Lost Vegas Live!, Fosse, Fosse, Fosse and the opening program for the Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards. Jenny has danced with the BC Lions' Felions Dance Team, the Urban Tap Squad, NY Jazz Co. and Eadoin Productions.
Miyouki Jego - Ballet, Jazz
Miyouki was born and raised in Windsor, Ontario where she began dancing at the Ballet Conservatory at the age of 6. At the age of 14, Miyouki moved to Edmonton in order to begin intensive training in dance with the main focus on Ballet. Miyouki completed her training in the professional dance program at the Edmonton School of Ballet. She has performed in the Nutcracker with the Pennsylvania Ballet as well as Don Quixote, Cinderella, and Coppelia. She has trained with the Cecchetti Dance Theatre and has taught ballet since 2000.
Catherine Andersen - Ballet, Jazz
Catherine Andersen has been teaching dance for 14 years and absolutely loves her job. She began her training with Jazz and Ballet and was awarded numerous scholarships and bursaries for her solo performances. Catherine made the transition into contemporary dance at the Grant MacEwan College dance program, and Simon Fraser University, where she obtained her BFA as a contemporary dance major. Catherine has performed with numerous dance companies and has showcased her choreography at professional venues in Vancouver. She is also an artist-in-residence at Centre 64 in the Kootenays, and will be presenting choreography in collaboration with dance artist Melanie Kuxdorf, as well as teaching and performing.
Andy Cohen - Tap
Andrew is a singer, actor, dancer, writer, director, producer, and choreographer around town. He has studied at the Guildhall School for Music and Drama in London, England, and in the BFA Acting program at the UBC. He has worked for VACT, Skycorner, Pipedream, Homeshark, Gateway, URP, Applause!, and TUTS for which he won an Ovation Award. In 2010, Andrew performed at BC Place, tapping in the Opening Ceremonies and as a featured solo singer in the Closing Ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Andrew has also helped choreograph productions for Gateway, Magee, TUTS, Keep The Pride Alive Canada Day Celebration, and Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance!
Isabelle Maheux - Musical Theatre
Isabelle is a well-known choreographer/performer in Vancouver. She had a busy year working as Assistant Choreographer for the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. She also choreographed for Showstoppers Show Choir who performed for the Olympic Games. Her favorite credits, as a choreographer, include Grease, Notre-Dame de Paris, Sound Sensation-Showstoppers & Broadway Kids Show choirs, Bye Bye Birdie, The Wiz and Aladdin & Cinderella. Favorite performance credits include West Side Story, Kiss Me Kate, Can Can and A Funny Thing happened on the way to the forum. She spends her summer at the JCC with Gotta Sing Gotta Dance and also working with the Show Choir at Notre-Dame High School, which won gold medals at Anaheim and in Las Vegas.
Rachel Claman (RAHEL) -
Belly Dance
Rahel fell in love with Bellydance as a teenager, under the influence of her mentor Narmaya. Although trained in classic Egyptian Raks Sharki, Rahel derives inspiration from a wide array of dancers and styles ranging from the folkloric, to the stars of the golden age, to the more contemporary heroes of American Tribal Fusion. Rahel has been performing professionally in the Vancouver area for over half a decade and has been teaching classes and workshops for the past two years. She takes the greatest joy in sharing her passion and inspiring other women, young and old, to explore the ancient and beautiful tradition of Bellydance.
