OUR TEACHERS

ANDREA DOUGLAS

FOUNDER DIRECTOR

Andrea Douglas Founder Director, is a dancer, educator, and choreographer. She received her training - RAD syllabus, Horton, Graham, Limon and Afro-Cuban Modern technique; Caribbean Folk, Latin and West African dance, at the Guyana National School of Dance, the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, Jamaica, York University Faculty of Fine Arts and the University of Toronto. Andrea is a former lead dancer with the Guyana National Dance Company and a member of the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica and trained with legendary Caribbean instructors including Astor Johnson of Trinidad, Eduardo Rivera of Cuba, and Rex Nettleford of Jamaica. Andrea holds a Bachelor's degree in Dance Education, a Bachelor’s degree in Education – Teacher Certification and a Master’s degree in Fine Arts – Dance Ethnology.

Andrea founded the Children and Youth Dance Theatre in September 1993 as a community-based Dance program and for over 30 years has shared the joy of dance with children living in underserviced communities such as Jane and Finch, Scarborough and Lawrence Heights. An avid advocate for Arts in Education and Integrated Arts as a Differentiated Instruction process, she has inspired and empowered young dancers in every school she has served in TDSB, as a teacher and as an Administrator with TDSB.

Andrea has facilitated Lecture demonstrations, presentations and Dance workshop both locally and internationally. Her international Conferences presentations include Caribbean & Contemporary Movement Improvisation, “Masquerade Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”, “Dance and the Caribbean Child” and “Dancing Beyond all Odds”. Andrea has received numerous awards for her Mentorship, Leadership and consistent contribution to Caribbean Festivals, Community Initiatives, Preparation of Youth, and her Outstanding Contribution to Guyana’s Culture and Heritage. Andrea is the proud recipient of the Canada’s most prestigious Black Award, the BBPA’s Harry Jerome Award of Excellence in the Arts.

SHANIECE PHILLIPS

INSTRUCTOR

Shaniece is a dancer and choreographer from Rexdale. She's built her career around her deep connection to dance and its cultural roots. Inspired by her older sister’s hip hop classes, music videos, and her Jamaican heritage, Shaniece understands dance as a living, breathing art form that transcends the confines of polished studios. She has trained for well over a decade, primarily in Hip Hop and Dancehall in Toronto, including the Vibe with George Jones, and Culture Shock Toronto, where she would become the artistic director from 2019-2022. Her teaching at City Dance Corps and Gotta Dance in Toronto reflects this philosophy, emphasising that dance is deeply rooted in history, community, and celebration. Shaniece’s credits include Canada’s Drag Race winner Priyanka, CeCe Peniston, Haviah Mighty, Sexxy Redd, Drake and more. Beyond her teaching, Shaniece has a rich background in community service, including youth mentorship and community arts with organizations such as Vibe Arts, Arts Etobicoke, and the Jean Augustine Centre for Young Women's Empowerment. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Guelph-Humber and is currently training as an Expressive Arts Therapist at the Create Institute in Toronto. Shaniece’s mission is to inspire others to find the transformative power of dance, whether on grand stages or in local studios, and to share her passion for dance’s ability to effect change and foster healing. 

SHELLY ANN MCLEOD

INSTRUCTOR: Afro-Caribbean

Shelly Ann was born on the beautiful twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago into a family deeply rooted and involved in theatre arts. She began formal dance training at age 11 with Les Enfants Dance Company. She has traveled the Caribbean representing Trinidad and Tobago at various dance festivals where she was also invited to teach classes ranging from beginners to advanced dancers and artists. Shelly Ann was awarded and accepted a scholarship from the University of the West Indies to read in the program, Dance and Dance Education in 2004.

Shelly Ann’s involvement, training, and passion for dance led her to Toronto. In 2006 she was awarded and accepted another scholarship from COBA, Collective Of Black Artists in Toronto Canada, where she did intense training in their Professional Apprenticeship Training Program.

She is now a full-time company member, faculty, spokesperson, and board liaison for company dancers at COBA. In 2007 Shelly Ann was recognized by her primary school, La Romaine Roman Catholic Primary School, for outstanding Alumni and contribution towards the community through arts and culture. Shelly Ann then took her pedagogy to Seneca, York University Campus as Dance and Movement Professor in August 2016, and Movement Professor at Toronto Film School in January 2018. She is now the Dance Educator at Emery Collegiate Institute. In 2019 she participated in Luminato Festival and Fall for Dance North with Obeah Opera. Recently toured South Africa (July – August 2024), with Asah Productions, with

the musical ‘Obeah Opera’.

To add to her list of talents, Shelly Ann also sings and writes Calypsos and other genres of music. She started singing at the age of 4 in the Sunday school choir, where she quickly gained the position of lead singer, eventually moving to soloist. At 13 she composed and sang her first

Calypso, which won school competitions around the country. She also composed for family members who entered and won some of their schools’ Calypso competitions. She plays steel pan and other percussion instruments.

Shelly Ann is the founder and owner of Shhhhh Designz Body Bar a natural and Organic skincare line. Her aim is to educate about the importance of skincare using natural ingredients. And to simply love and enjoy the skin you are in.

DANA BROWN

INSTRUCTOR: (PRE-PRI., PRI., & JR BALLET, JAZZ, & CONTEMPORARY)

Dana Brown (She/Her), originally from Vancouver BC, is a Toronto based dancer, choreographer and teacher who has been trained in various styles and holds a BFA in honors dance specializing in choreography and performance from York University. She has been fortunate to have worked with multiple choreographers and educators in the dance industry such as Dawson Lloyd, Syreeta Hector, Susan Lee, Tracey Norman and Ming Bo Lam. Dana has had a passion for performing and choreographing since she was little and has traveled to New York and Los Angeles to attend dance intensives. She can be seen as a dancer in Dawson Lloyd’s dance films 17 and Bite. She has choreographed two original works entitled The Synergistic Effect and Guiding Light for the York dance shows in 2023 and has released her own dance film where she choreographed and directed entitled Retrospect. Recently she performed and choreographed a new original work Endless Expectations as an interlude in the Dance Force Toronto Show, Celestial Bodies. She has been a dance teacher for many years and has taught in both Vancouver and Toronto. Dana enjoys teaching and seeing her students thrive and find their love for dance in a supportive and positive environment. She is excited to continue growing as a teacher and teaching around both Vancouver and Toronto.

CHERISE SOLOMON

INSTRUCTOR: HIP HOP

CHERISE SOLOMON is I’m passionate about inspiring dancers to embrace their individuality and express their unique style through the culture of Hip Hop and a variety of street styles. I have over five years of experience teaching Hip Hop, Jazz Funk, and street styles to children and adults in both recreational and competitive settings. I have experience teaching at summer intensives, where I understand the importance of balancing creative exploration with a focused, rigorous pace to help dancers grow in a short amount of time. I also have more than three years of experience choreographing for competitive teams, and I strive to create age-appropriate routines that showcase each dancer’s strengths. My teaching journey began in 2016 at So Dance Studios in Scarborough under the mentorship of Owner and Artistic Director Melissa Nascimento-So, whom I met while training in the Pre Professional Program at City Dance Corps in 2014. Since then, I’ve continued my development through workshops such as Dance Teacher Expo and Street Dance Canada, and I’ve expanded my training by studying in New York City. There, I trained with pioneers in the styles of Locking, Waacking, House, and Hip Hop, with the goal of teaching authentically and passing on culturally grounded knowledge to my students. With this foundation, I’ve designed classes, exercises, and activities that make learning Hip Hop rich, fun, and educational. My approach explores the social context from which these styles emerged, encourages freestyle exploration, and helps dancers develop confidence in their grooves and individuality.

TAELOR COLEMAN

(HEAD - COMPETITIVE PROGRAM)

From a very young age, Taelor recognized the love she had for dance and made a commitment to evolve into the best dancer/performer she could be. Taelor  received her formal dance education at the Children and Youth Dance Theatre of Toronto, where she trained in common dance genres such as ballet, jazz, modern, tap and hip-hop, while still connecting with her cultural roots with West-African and Afro-Caribbean dance. 

Performing is at the forefront of her dance career and it has graciously allowed her to showcase her talent, not only in the city of Toronto but on an international scale.  She has performed with the CYDT Elite team at competitions including Starcatchers, On the Floor, Inspire Dance Challenge and Jump Dance, and has represent Canada in Jamaica for (DACI) Dance and the Child International Conference, in Scotland for the International Commonwealth Youth Dance Festival, in Barbados for the 13th annual CARIFESTA, and Trinidad for the 14th annual CARIFESTA (Caribbean Festival of the Arts).

Taelor’s training has also afforded her the opportunity to share her dance knowledge with young aspiring dancers ranging from ages 3 to 12 years old, and nurture her growing skills as a dance instructor in Toronto

Taelor continues training to elevate her skills, technique and creativity by challenging herself through various dance experiences and building her strength through training as a Dance Education student at York University. Her desire is to share the beauty of dance with the world and for others to see how much dance means to her through her performances and education of others.