Biographies
Livea Gill
(Artistic Director)
Born and raised in the Comox Valley, Livea’s love for the performing arts started at a young age. Since the age of 8, she began her training in jazz and ballet, but quickly branched out into modern/contemporary, stylized jazz, lyrical jazz and hip hop. Being from the Comox Valley, Livea continued to train extensively across Vancouver Island as well in the Greater Vancouver Area. As a dancer, teacher and choreographer Livea has enjoyed the opportunity to work with many of the local talented young performers in several of the dance studios and schools in the Comox Valley. In June 2007, Livea was appointed Artistic Director to the Company. With over 10 years teaching experience, Livea combines her extreme passion for dance and music with her positive energy and creative flare to create dance classes that are always fun, challenging and inspiring.
Tamara Ryan
(Guest Choreographer)
Tamara Ryan started teaching Musical Theatre at Gemini Dance Studios School of Performing Arts in 1995 after receiving her associate degree in Theatre. During her studies and early teaching years she enjoyed being on stage performing many roles: Patsy Cline in Always Patsy Cline, Ruby McKutcheon in Country Coral, Bobbi/Gabby in City of Angels, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, Jack in Jack and the Bean Stalk, Barbara Allen in Dark of the Moon and playing various roles in Chemanius Theatre’s debut production of West Coast Review. Most recently, she returned to stage last summer for Showcase Festivals production of Cabaret.
During Tamara’s Grade school years she trained in ballet, highland and jazz (and was the only dancer in her school to enter Song and Dance into the North Island Festival and onto Provincials to win for her intermediate category.)
Tamara pioneered the Musical Theatre program at Gemini and has seen her students reap many rewards. Teaching is her love and she has devoted much of her time and energy to the success and uniqueness of her student’s performances. Her desire to communicate a love of the performing arts to an audience is evident in the numerous pieces that she has created for Gemini, Harbour Dance Centre and Kirkwood Dance Academy. Tamara also enjoys teaching voice, early childhood program and A.I.D.T.A modern jazz.
Choreographic credits include, Fiddler on the Roof, Anne of Green Gables, Tom Foolery, Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Tom Sawyer, Mame, and Oklahoma.
Performance and entertainment is her motto as she tries to help her students become “Triple Threats” (singing, dancing, and acting) in a fun innovative and positive environment.
“There is nothing like being out there on the stage and using all your communication skills to capture the audience”
Josh Beamish
(Guest Choreographer)
Josh Beamish began dancing at the age of 3 in Edmonton, Alberta, but received his formal training in Kelowna, BC aided by scholarships to Randolph Academy of the Performing Arts, Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Arts Umbrella, Monsters of Hip Hop, Harbour Dance Centre, Triple Threat Dance Convention, and Groove Street Productions. Upon moving to Vancouver, Josh continued his ballet training in the half-day professional program with Li Yaming at Pacific DanceArts, while also dancing and choreographing for The Source Dance Company, directed by Joanne Pesusich. Josh was recently the assistant choreographer to Paul Becker for the Nicholas Cage film “The Wicker Man”, and the Dance Captain on VH1’s “Totally Awesome”. Josh is also the Director of the Move Dance Project; a dance convention dedicated to the education of emerging dancers throughout Western Canada. Some of his selected dance/choreography credits for film include Life As We Know It, starring Kelly Osbourne, The Cleaner, starring Cedric the Entertainer, Divine Waters for Bravo FACT! and Perceptions for Blue Finn Productions. He has also recently danced in new works for Vancouver-based choreographers Simone Orlando and Amber Funk-Barton. Josh’s work has been presented by Judith Marcuse Projects in The Earth(Ling) Festival, Dancing On The Edge 2007, MovEnt’s Dances For A Small Stage 12, Dance Saskatchewan’s Jump: Dare To Dance, New Work’s Dance Allsorts, ArtStarts In Schools and in both the 2006 and 2007 Vancouver International Dance Festivals. Josh is currently the founding Artistic Director of MOVE: the company, a professional contemporary dance company based in Vancouver. His most recent projects have included his recent full-length work for MOVE, “Trap Door Party”, “The Red Nocturnal”, a new commission for Ballet Kelowna currently touring BC and Alberta, a creative residency at the Banff Centre and the creation of a new work for MOVE entitled “RAGE”, set to premiere May 21st-24th at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts in Burnaby.
Lindsay Sterk
(Guest Choreographer)
An accomplished dancer, singer and actor, Lindsay has performed and taught throughout Canada. As a tap dancer he has studied with Brenda Bufalino, Heather Cornell, Dianne Walker, Lane Alexander, Cindy Kerr, Germaine Salsberg, Jim Hibbard and Lisa Hopkins. He has been a performer in various tap events such as Tap is..., It's about Tap, as well as guest appearances with the Urban Tap Squad. As an adjudicator he has worked for Kamloops Festival of Performing Arts; Pacific West Festival and the North Island Festival of Performing Arts. Teaching credits include Harbour Dance Centre, Vancouver Tap Dance Society, Danette’s Dance and several other West Coast dance studios.
Lindsay's selected musical theatre credits include roles such as Cliff in Cabaret (Showcase Festival); Freddy in My Fair Lady/Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz (Chemainus Theatre); M. D’Arque in Beauty and the Beast (Arts Club); Figaro in the Marriage of Figaro (Burnaby Lyric Opera); Dr. Craven in the Secret Garden (Gateway Theatre); as well as work with The Arts Club, Vancouver Playhouse, Wild Excursions, Pangaea Arts, Modern Baroque Opera, Ophidian, Pacific Opera Victoria, Manitoba Theatre Centre, Theatre Calgary, Citadel Theatre, Stage West, and the Charlottetown Festival.
Lindsay is the Director/Owner of Pantuso Dance in Courtenay, BC. www.pantusodance.com
Melena Rounis
(Guest Choreographer)
Melena Rounis is an extremely diverse dancer and performer. In Vancouver she was a member of Move; The Company, directed by Josh Beamish, BC Lions Felions, as well as The Source Dance Co. directed by Joanne Pesusich. In addition to that she is also a member of The Floor Rockers in Los Angeles California directed by Shane Sparks (choreographer for ‘You Got Served’ and ‘So You Think You Can Dance’). Melena has lived in LA and New York where she was training at the Edge Performing Arts Centre, Millennium Dance Complex, Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio and Broadway Dance Center. While in LA she had the opportunity to perform at Battlezone (a krumping and clowning battle that inspired the movie ‘Rize’), and several music videos and club shows, including the 7th Anniversary choreographer's ball ‘Carnival’ for choreographers Leslie Scott and Shane Sparks.
While briefly visiting New York Melena worked on the hit children's TV show Hip Hop Harry, and immediately moved on to work with world renound reggaeton artist Don Omar on his US National Tour and music videos. Her training is extremely diverse, studying at Simon Fraser University it modern dance (Graham, Cunningham, & Limon techniques) and training internationally in everything from hip hop to Indian dance styles. She has traveled all over the world, performed through out China, Indonesia and Singapore, as well as Toronto, Halifax and through out the United States.
Some of Melena's film and television credits include Elise Estrada's music video for her #1 Canadian pop hit ‘Insatiable’, and ‘Belly Danza’ by Don Omar featuring Beenie Man. Screen credits include Scary Movie 3, The Goodbye Girl (Patricia Heaton ‘Everyone Loves Raymond’), HBO's Masters of Horror (directed by Toby Hooper ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’), Wickerman (Nicholas Cage), and Totally Awesome (Chris Katan ‘Saturday Night Live’) and a new television series this season, Aliens In America. She has also assisted choreographers in films such as RV starring Robin Williams, and Deck the Halls starring Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick.
Most recently Melena has made a business venture with partner Geneen Georgiev contributing to the dance scene in Vancouver by opening Drive Dance Centre (DDC). DDC is a professional training institute where dancers from all over are welcome to come train in a variety of disciplines, and work on refining their style and technique while increasing their knowledge equally.
Rachel Bood
(Guest Choreographer)
Rachel is highly trained in Modern, Jazz, Lyrical, Ballet, Tap and Spins and Leaps. She has trained all over B.C and has competed, performed and/or done A.I.D.T and R.A.D exams with; Kirkwood Academy, Young Peoples Dance Theatre, Klaric School of Dance, Gemini Dance Studios, Centre Stage Dance and Koralee Mclaren. Her extensive experience in Dance has taken her on a personal journey of self-expression and exposed a passion to share her knowledge with others.
Rachel has been teaching dance for 14 years and completed her Advanced Modern Associates exams through A.I.D.T with Honors, As well as her STOTT PILATES Certification in both Mat and Reformer. She is extremely dedicated to turning out dancers of the highest standard and bringing Technique, Music Theory and a strong understanding of Anatomy to everyone she teaches. Rachel has taught at various studios and Dance Companies on Vancouver Island and in the Lower Mainland, as well as restructuring and teaching the Parks and Recreation dance programs in the City of Coquitlam, working to bring dance into the schools and teaching for Kinderdance International.
Rachel’s students have excelled in competitions throughout Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and in the U.S.A. She has won choreography awards for multiple pieces as well as the Overall Excellence and 1st place Diamond Choreographer awards from American Dance Awards (ADA).
Rachel is pleased to have had this opportunity to work with the talented and versatile dancers of the True Colours Youth Company of Performing Arts for the second year in a row. She wishes them all the best in their journey through dance and hopes they always shoot for the stars!
Sarah Johnson
(Guest Choreographer)
Sarah is a ballet and contemporary dance teacher/choreographer. She began her training in Northern Alberta where she studied RAD ballet, modern, and lyrical jazz. She spent her summers at The Banff Centre for the Arts, Victoria Arts Collaborative, and Toronto Dance Theatre. She received her post secondary education graduating with a diploma in dance composition/performance from the highly respected Grant MacEwan Community College in Edmonton, and her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree majoring in Dance from Simon Fraser University.
Upon graduating, Sarah performed works by various independent choreographers (Shannon McMurchy, Claire French and Monica Strehlke) in venues such as the Scotia Bank Dance Centre, The Firehall, The Vancouver Cultural Centre, Main Dance and The Roundhouse. She has performed in professional shows such as The Kiss Project, Press Play and 12 Minutes Max.
Sarah is passionate about introducing students to contemporary dance in a relatable and exciting manner and creating work that is both accessible and a joy to perform. Her approach to teaching both ballet and modern dance has made her a sought after instructor for summer sessions throughout Western Canada. Sarah is a registered teacher with
The Royal Academy of Dance and is the co-director of her new school,
Nanaimo Ballet School.
Lilian Ashworth
(Guest Choreographer)
Lilian Ashworth is a British born dance teacher who holds a BA (hons) degree in Performance Arts from Middlesex University in the UK. She went on to dance professionally for eight years, working with a variety of touring and educational dance companies that took her to Europe and India.
Lilian went on to complete a Post Graduate Certificate in Drama Education and taught in mainstream schools, transition units and secure units for several years.
Lilian is now enjoying her life as a freelance dance and drama teacher here in BC. Lilian hopes to gain her BC teachers certification and bring her experience into local schools.
