Owner & Artistic Director

Kelsey has been dancing for over 25 years and her teaching career has been thriving for almost a decade. She is the proud Owner & Artistic Director of Connections Dance Collective and also works as a freelance teacher and choreographer in Guelph and the surrounding area.

Kelsey has a broad background in a variety of disciplines, including hip hop, jazz funk, jazz, acro, musical theatre, modern, lyrical, and contemporary. In her youth, she competed across Ontario, winning many awards and scholarships for her charisma and performance quality, specifically in urban styles. While attending university in Hamilton, Kelsey was a member of the McMaster University Dance Club as well as the Director of the McMaster Dance Company.

In her professional career, she has been the proud recipient of many choreography and special awards for her uniquely themed routines and dedication to teaching true hip hop movement and culture in her classes.

She is a certified Zumba and and Acrobatic Arts instructor and is known for her lightheartedness, humour, and warm nature.

Recreational & Competitive Instructor

Jess Singh started dancing at the young age of 4. After years of dancing competitively, she began teaching at 17 within her home studio, which also referred her to other competitive studios in and out of the region.

Jess’ degree in theatre led her into the stunt and film world, and that is also when she began teaching dance classes catered to adults, specializing in urban dance styles. 

Jess has worked extensively with local artists over the last few years, choreographing for projects and music videos, as well as performing professionally.

We are excited to have Miss Jess back for another amazing season! This year she is teaching our competitive Hip Hop classes on Monday as well as our littlest dancers on Tuesdays. Being the versatile individual that she is, Jess is also thrilled to be teaching our Musical Theatre and Jazz classes on Tuesday evenings.

Recreational & Competitive Instructor

Olivia started her dance career at age 7 where she fell in love with ballet. She then joined Micki's Dance Connection in Brantford, On to continue her training in tap. She joined their competitive team in 2008 where she trained further in tap, jazz, lyrical, and musical theatre. She began her teaching career when she started assistant teaching both recreational and competitive teams back in 2012, helping with tap, acro, jazz, and kidz combo classes, making her a very versatile individual. She also helped choreograph and danced in both her high school musicals back in 2015 and 2017.

Olivia adores all things fun and sparkly and she truly lights up any room she walks into. She is beyond patient, a great listener, and a very confident individual. There are no bad vibes in her classroom and will work incredibly hard to ensure that stays in place! Olivia is a proud University of Guelph graduate where she attained a Bachelor of Science in Animal Biology.

Recreational & Competitive Instructor

Alanna’s love for dance began when she was three years old. She danced competitively at age 8, competing in ballet, jazz, and acro, and later explored other styles such as lyrical, tap, hip hop, and modern.

From 2016-2018, Alanna trained at Canada’s National Ballet School where she performed with the National Ballet of Canada in the Nutcracker, and in James Kudelka’s debut ballet School. Throughout her time at NBS, she focused primarily on ballet and developed a strong understanding of its foundational techniques and its history.

Returning to a studio closer to home for her high-school years, Alanna continued her training in vocational ballet, jazz, lyrical, and contemporary dance, achieving Distinction on both her Intermediate and Advanced I Royal Academy of Dance exams.

In 2019, Alanna was offered both an RBC scholarship and a position at the Goh Ballet Academy, and in 2020 was accepted to the Alberta Ballet School Professional Program summer intensive. During her last season, Alanna returned to competitive dance earning high distinction and performance awards.

Recreational & Competitive Instructor

Emily began her dance training at 7 years old with the O’Neill Academy of Dance, in London Ontario under the direction of Kim O’Neill. As part of the competitive team, Emily has trained and competed in many different genres, including ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary and hip hop. At 14 years old, she began her journey as an assistant teacher, assisting in the previous mentioned styles as well as tap and acro.

She has taken many workshops in different cities and has been able to train and learn from so many inspiring professionals.

In 2021, Emily entered and won the first Breaking Boundaries Movement choreography competition for her age division, as well as the winner of the first improv competition. She has also won many different scholarships and awards during her competitive journey.

Emily is looking forward to being a part of the CDC family, and sharing her love and passion for dance!

Recreational Instructor

Isabella Skarjak is a certified Acrobatic Arts instructor, Pilates instructor, and Kids Yoga teacher with a lifelong passion for dance and movement. She trained competitively for 12 years at Kicks Dance Studio, where she earned multiple special awards, scholarships, and recognitions. Throughout her dance journey, Isabella has trained and taught in a variety of styles, including acro, jazz, tap, lyrical, musical theatre, hip-hop, and street dance.

In 2018, Isabella was selected to represent Team Canada Dance in the Czech Republic for a street dance showcase, and in 2022, she performed at Disneyland California with Lightening Elite.

As a teacher, Isabella is passionate about helping students build confidence, creativity, and a love for movement. She strives to create a positive and encouraging environment where dancers feel supported, challenged, and inspired to reach their full potential. She believes dance is more than technique, it is a powerful way to express yourself, connect with others, and grow both inside and outside the studio.

Currently, Isabella is completing a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Guelph, majoring in Anthropology with a minor in Sociology. Dance has always held a special place in her heart, and she feels grateful to share her passion with the next generation of dancers.

Competitive Instructor

Abby discovered her love for dance at the age of five and has since developed a deep passion for teaching; where she finds joy in encouraging, educating, and inspiring dancers of all ages. She trained extensively in a variety styles throughout her years as a competitive dancer at The Dance Class in Milton, Ontario. Abby has successfully completed her Canadian Dance Teacher Association (CDTA) primary jazz exam levels, as well as her Cecchetti Intermediate level ballet exam. At the age of 17, she began leading summer camps which led to her teaching her weekly classes throughout the dance season. These classes performed in both in studio showcases and end of year recitals. Committed to ongoing professional development, Abby has consistently attended the Toronto Dance Teacher Expo where she participates in seminars, updates her teaching certifications and builds new connections. Abby is currently attending the University of Guelph for a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Marketing Management.

Recreational Instructor

Hailey is a dedicated member of CDC's Company Collective and one of our senior competitive dancers. Throughout her dance career, she has earned numerous awards and accolades, including the prestigious Top Lyrical Mark and Highest Scoring Novice Dancer titles. Hailey was also selected to perform in the travelling cast of Ballet Jörgen's production of The Nutcracker, where she showcased her strong ballet technique and artistry.

Most recently, Hailey was selected to represent Canada as part of World Performers Canada and will compete at the Dance World Cup in July 2026 as both a soloist and group performer.

As she enters her graduating season, Hailey is excited to step into a teaching role at CDC. She will be leading our Ballet Foundations and Jazz Foundations classes, sharing her knowledge, passion, and love of dance with the next generation of dancers. Her positive attitude, strong technical training, and encouraging nature make her a wonderful mentor and role model for young dancers.

Junior Instructor

Ella has been a cherished member of our competitive dance team for the past five years.

Her passion for dance shines through in every performance, where she has earned special recognition for her expressive stage presence at competitions. Ella brings a joyful, uplifting energy into the studio and is known for her constant smile and encouraging spirit.

This season, she is excited to share her love of dance with the next generation as she leads our Tot Hop dancers and assists Miss Jess’ hip hop classes on Tuesday evenings.

Junior Instructor