We are excited to be sharing the talent and experience that our faculty of renowned teachers brings to the Vancouver Academy of Ballroom Dance training programs

We are proud and excited to be sharing the talent, experience, and diversity that our faculty brings to our vision of a dance community. We are also very excited to be offering the Diane Jarmolow System for dance training and group teaching that we believe gives our students the greatest and most effective learning opportunity available.

Dale G. Neale is the Dance Director of the Vancouver Academy of Ballroom Dance.  As our Head Master Instructor, Dale is teacher, choreographer and coach.  Dale comes from an extensive competitive dance background and has competed in International Latin, Standard and American Smooth and has won several titles including the U.S. Open Smooth Championship, numerous Rising Star Championships and is a two-time winner of the Canadian Smooth Championships. Dale has danced in movies, commercials and music videos; and has performed at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He also spent time traveling extensively through Europe performing and teaching Salsa with American Latin All Stars. His dance philosophy involves improving the quality of your life through the joy of dance and improving yourself physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually to be the best you can be. You are never too young or too old to start!

Performing since the age of five, Oksana Latynina‘s youth was literally consumed with dance. In an era when talent was singled out early and aggressively she was sent, at age ten, to the then-capital of her native Kazakhstan — over a thousand kilometres away from her family — to attend professional ballet school. “They trained us to be capable of anything. Ballet every day, folk dance, duets, historical dance, art history, theatre history, makeup and costumery, acting… and of course, music.” In her early twenties, she and two partners established a dance club in Kazakhstan, that still exists today, where she taught for several years before moving with her family to Vancouver. In her adopted home she began to dance almost right away, resuming her teaching and finding a partner with whom to dance competitively. Oksana has taught children, teens, adults, and seniors, from basic technique and conditioning for beginners, to International Style Latin and Jazz “for the more experienced”. For students training for competitive ballroom and performance dance, she believes that perfect technique alone doesn’t cut it. “You cannot merely condition the dancer’s body, you must teach it ‘body culture’ to evoke metaphor, to tell a story. The body has no culture on its own! It takes time and effort. First, you really have to think. Then, you really have to feel… feel so we see it. That’s the body education. That’s what I do.” It’s what she’s passionate about passing on to new talent including her son, Valeriy Chirkov, who has also been dancing since the age five, is 4th in Canada and the 2009 BC Adult Latin Champion with his partner, Maryana Dudchenko.

Paul Scott is the Program and Curriculum director of the Vancouver Academy of Ballroom Dance and the Ballroom Dance Teacher Training program and is certified with Dance Vision International. Paul started his career in ballroom dancing at Vancouver’s Dance City in 1977 and distinguished himself by winning 1st Place in the Amateur Disco Solo Championship!  In the intervening years Paul has dedicated himself to introducing dance to diverse communities throughout the Lower Mainland specializing in dance classes for beginners and socials for those who JustWannaDance.  Paul has his B.A. in Counselling which he incorporates into his lessons using the psychology of dance ~ how you dance is how you dance your life!  Paul believes life is for living and the best living always includes the joy of dance!

Bea Rhodes is certified with Dance Vision International. In 1996 Bea founded Rhodes Wellness College, the home of  The Vancouver Academy of Ballroom Dance and JustWannaDance. She holds a Masters of Education (Adult Education) from the University of British Columbia and is a certified Life Skills Coach trainer and college instructor. Bea has designed and instructed many Life Skills, Wellness and Personal Development programs over the past twenty-two years. Bea is Paul’s Smooth Ballroom Dance Amateur Partner; she is an award-winning competitive amateur ballroom dancer with over eight years experience. You can find out more about Bea by visiting her website at www.RhodesCollege.ca.

Our dancing instruction program is based on Diane Jarmolow‘s Ballroom Dance Teachers College Curriculum. Diane is a member of National Dance Counsel of America (NDCA). Diane has been consecutively awarded the prestigious “Teacher of Teachers” award for top North American Ballroom Dance Teacher. Diane is currently a guest instructor and program advisor for the Vancouver Ballroom Dance Teacher Training program. For more information visit: www.TeachBallroomDancing.com and www.ProDVIDA.com

Katya Virshilas is our Ballroom Dance Teacher Training Ambassador and a guest Master Instructor.  Katya’s focus is to introduce the wonders of dance to every age in a fun and safe learning environment!  She brings to Ballroom Dance Teacher Training the champion spirit with the belief and experience that you can do it and the world of dancing has something to offer everyone!  Katya has been dancing since the age of 6 but only discovered ballroom at age 13 ~ and the rest is history!  She taught Jennifer Lopez & Richard Gere in “Shall We Dance” and ripped up the big screen as the sultry, silent tango dancer who shows Antonio Banderas’ detention class in “Take the Lead” that time well spent is time doing the tango!  Katya’s most recent accomplishment is as a professional dancer on “Strictly Come Dancing”, the BBC’s version of the U.S.’s Dancing with the Stars.  “Strictly Come Dancing” Salsa “Strictly Come Dancing” Interview “Strictly Come Dancing” Viennese Waltz www.katyavirshilas.com Take the Lead Tango Scene “Strictly Come Dancing” Quickstep

Tracy Holly is a guest Master Instructor, a former Professional Canadian Smooth and Rhythm American Style Dance Champion and holder of numerous prestigious professional dance titles.  Tracy has competed in bodybuilding and fitness, and choreographs routines for competing body builders.  She is a Certified Sports Nutrition Advisor and the Executive Director to the Cory Holly Institute.  For more info on Tracy log on to www.CoryHolly.com.

Kathie Scott’s specialty is communications and presentation skills and she is the Promotions and Public Relation contact for the Vancouver Academy of Ballroom Dance and JustWannaDance.  Kathie has an extensive media background; for many years she was local radio personality ‘Samantha’ on the LG Morning Zoo.  Kathie fell in love with ballroom dancing and Paul when they met on New Year’s Eve 2006.