Faculty

Dana Fry

Royal Academy of Dance Global Ballet Examiner, ARAD RTS, AISTD Dip, Dip in Dance Ed.

Owner, Artistic Director, Instructor

Specializations
RAD Ballet Vocational and Solo Seal
ISTD Modern
Progressing Ballet Technique

Dana is the mom to a spunky daughter and is born and raised here in Victoria. With over 20 years of dance teaching and studio directing, she has come to understand the most important aspects of dance training: care, confidence and consistency.

While dance training (ballet in particular) used to be overbearing and hard on the body, Dana has transformed all of the current knowledge about body mechanics and success psychology to create a safe, positive environment where dancers can grow to professional levels with care and respect.

Dana dreamed of being an examiner all her life, and her dreams came true in December 2017 when she was invited to complete training to become a Royal Academy of Dance Global Ballet examiner (one of only 200 in the world). Daily she shares her wealth of knowledge with her students.

Dana has directed WAPA from 2004 (it’s founding year) until 2007 when she purchased the business, making WAPA a name to remember within the dance community. Her students have gone on to SEAD Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance, the National Ballet Teacher training program, Modus post grad modern program, RAD certificate in ballet teaching studies, RAD BA Honours in Ballet, physiotherapy masters, medical school and law school. With high expectations, individual approach and a positive manner she is able to get the best out of each dancer she works with.

in 2015 Dana founded Convergence Contemporary Ballet Company, Victoria’s premier contemporary ballet company. By connecting her love of teaching with her desire to see more professional dance in Victoria, Convergence provides a perfect stepping stone for her pre-professional dancers to launch their careers.

As a young dancer Dana trained in RAD Ballet, ISTD Modern, Jazz, Tap, Flamenco, Voice and Drama here in Victoria BC Canada at Sinclair Academy of Performing Arts until the age of 18. After graduating high school she moved to Vancouver and danced with the Goh Ballet Youth Company training for RAD Advanced 2 and Solo Seal with accomplished RAD examiner Lynette Kelley. Dana danced in the Nutcracker for 7 consecutive years (one of which she danced the role of Clara), in the musical Carousel with the Victoria Operatic Society and competed at the BC Performing Arts Festival 6 consecutive years for Ballet and Stage.

Dana’s dedication to each individual process and goals makes her an amazing instructor for all dancers.

Angela Mousseau

BA Modern Dance

Specializations
Horton
Limon
Choreography Composition

Born and raised in Victoria, BC, Canada, Angela Mousseau is a contemporary dance artist, living and working on the traditional territories of the Lekwungen (Esquimalt and Songhees) peoples. Ms. Mousseau has been teaching  and choreographing contemporary and modern dance for over 20 years She is a 2002 graduate of The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA where she majored in modern dance focusing on Horton, Limon and Taylor techniques. At the University of the Arts, she studied with directors, choreographers and dancers from The Paul Taylor Company, The Limon Company, PHILADANCO, Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, The Martha Graham Dance Company, Koresh Dance Company, Momix and many others. Angela has performed in Philadelphia and New York Fringe Festivals, at the National Dance Day in Philadelphia, and with The Next Stage Project (directed by Jana Hicks) and AKRNYM Dance Company in New York City.  Following graduation, Angela travelled between Canada and the US to continue training and performing in New York, studying at the Taylor school, Peridance, The Dance Space, Dance New Amsterdam, Steps and Broadway Dance Center.  After settling back in Victoria, BC in 2007 she began to shift her focus from performing to teaching and choreography. Angela is currently on faculty at Westcoast Academy of Performing Arts, the Victoria Academy of Ballet and is the co-director of Convergence Contemporary Ballet. She is a guest choreographer with the Nanaimo Contemporary Ballet and at The Landing Dance in Vancouver. Many of her students have gone on to join the company or study at The National Ballet, The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Toronto Dance Theatre, Ryerson University, Modus Operandi Contemporary Dance Program, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Alvin Ailey, Lines Ballet in San Francisco, SEAD (Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance), Kibbutz Dance Company (Israel), Trinity Laban in London, Ballet Oklahoma, Ballet Edmonton, Orlando Ballet and The University of the Arts. In 2017 and 2019 at Dance Victoria, she was one of 3 choreographers selected to participate in a 2 week choreographic lab directed by Wen Wei Wang (2017) and Justine Chambers and Susan Elliott (2019). In January 2018 and February 2020, Angela was invited to do a Choreographic Residency at Dance Victoria where her original work was presented as a part of Rough Cuts at the Metro Theatre. She continues to train in Counter-technique with Charles Slender White, Artistic Director of FACT/SF in San Francisco.

Angela’s work is based off of an inquisitive and curious look at the world. She gravitates towards patterns found in everyday life and tries to enhance or bring light to moments that are part of our everyday routine. She values the creative collaboration between artists and loves to play and discover happy accidents. In June of this year she went to study with the Trisha Brown company learning one of Trisha's early works, Solo Olos (1976) and diving into the many layers of Trisha Brown. Solo Olos covers it all: integrating the simple directive, “line up,” creating movement from a written score, working through complex retrogrades, and live composition of a form, all in Trisha’s iconic language of movement.

Ursula Szkolak

Specializations
Ballet
Conditioning

Kaisha Rogers

Specializations
Acrobatic Arts Certified Training
Hip Hop & Commercial Dance
Pre School & Youth Dance

Kaisha began dancing at the age of two and trained for 16 years at Stages Performing Arts School, studying ballet, pointe, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, lyrical, tap, acro, and Fosse. Throughout her training, she had the opportunity to perform across BC in basketball halftime shows, commercials, and film productions. Kaisha attended Spectrum High School, where she participated in the Advanced Dance Program. During this time, she assisted with and taught classes, competed at competitions throughout Victoria and Vancouver, and developed her passion for choreography. She graduated with honours and received multiple Fine Arts and choreography awards.

After graduating high school, Kaisha moved to Vancouver, where she trained at Harbour Dance Centre with a focus on hip hop and commercial dance. She also taught at studios and community centres throughout the city, gaining experience working with dancers of all ages and continuing to develop her teaching style.

Since returning to Victoria to attend the University of Victoria, where she’s studying to become a teacher, Kaisha has continued to grow her experience as both a teacher and performer. She is Acrobatic Arts Module 1 certified and teaches a variety of acrobatics, hip hop, and beginner dance classes. She has further developed her industry experience by working as part of a dance skeleton crew and assisting with choreography for movies.

Kaisha is passionate about creating a positive and encouraging environment where dancers can build confidence, develop their skills, and discover their love for dance.

Kayla Henry

Specializations
Post Modern Dance

Kayla Henry is a mother, performer, creator, and movement educator based on the unceded Coast Salish Territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən and  W̱SÁNEĆ nations, in Victoria British Columbia.

Independently, Kayla has been creating solo work since 2013 with performances in Austria, Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria, and Winnipeg. Her creations have so far been supported by the BC Arts Council, The Province of British Columbia, CRD Arts & Culture, Dance Victoria, Constance Cooke (Victoria BC), Good Women Dance Collective (Edmonton AB), Impulse Theatre (Victoria BC), Jennifer Mascall (Vancouver BC), Springboard Performance (Calgary AB), Theatre Junction Grand (Calgary AB), The Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna, (Austria), and Xchanges Gallery & Studios (Victoria BC).

Kayla has performed in works by renowned choreographers including Rachel Browne (Winnipeg MB), Constance Cooke (Victoria BC), Ming Hon (Winnipeg MB), Helen Husak (Calgary AB), Odette Heyn (Winnipeg MB), Sasha Ivanochko (Montreal QB), Brent Lott (Winnipeg MB), Christina Medina (Vienna Austria), Roger Sinha (Montreal QB), Paras Terezakis (Vancouver BC), Menaka Thakkar (Toronto ON) and others. Kayla has performed in hundreds of professional shows across Canada, Europe and the USA. 

Kayla graduated from The School of Contemporary Dancers (Winnipeg MB), receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts. Upon graduating in 2011, Kayla joined Canada’s longest-running contemporary dance company, Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers, where she danced for three seasons. 

Additionally, Kayla has worked with Xchanges Gallery and Studios (Victoria BC) as a moving model for their “Life Drawing” series.

Kayla is the Founder and Artistic Director of Noble Riot Dance Theatre in Victoria BC (2021).

Sorcia Joyal

Specializations
Kinesiology Exercises
Ballet
Jazz

Sorcia Joyal is a Certified Personal Trainer and Strength & Conditioning Coach with over 15 years of experience in competitive, pre-professional, and professional dance. She is completing her Kinesiology degree at the University of Victoria and has experience working with athletes ranging from young developing dancers to varsity-level competitors.

As both a dancer and strength coach, Sorcia is passionate about helping dancers become stronger, more powerful, and resilient while supporting the unique physical demands of dance. Her coaching focuses on building strength, stability, mobility, and confidence to help dancers perform at their best both in the studio and on stage.

Tess Pepetone

Specializations
Ballet

Ontario born Tess Pepetone started her training at the age of 3. She eventually studied at Canada’s National Ballet School, and later further trained at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Professional Division. Tess received several scholarships including the Juanita Y. Alexander and the Arnold Spohr scholarship. After graduation she joined the Anna McCowan-Johnson Aspirant Program. Tess had the opportunity to work with the RWB company in several productions including Wizard of Oz, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet and The Nutcracker. Tess performed in the “On the Edge” community outreach tour, the roles of the Fairy Doll pas de trois and “There in the Distance” choreographed by Portia Adams. Tess joined Ballet Victoria in 2024 and has had the opportunity to dance numerous roles and tour with the company. One of her favourite being “le plat pays” from Belgian Songs. Tess is looking forward to bringing her passion for dance to the young generations of dancers. 

Varvara Nikolaou

Specializations
Jazz
Ballet
Contemporary

Varvara is a passionate dancer, performer, and emerging dance educator. Originally from Calgary, Alberta, she began dancing at a young age and has trained in ballet, hip-hop, breakdancing, lyrical, jazz, contemporary, tap, musical theatre, and acrobatics. Through her competitive dance background, Varvara has developed a strong appreciation for versatility, artistry, and building confidence in every dancer.

Varvara has expanded her training through internationally recognized programs including Joffrey Ballet School’s Cirque Arts Summer Program in Las Vegas, the National Ballet of Canada Summer Intensive in Toronto, and the Bolshoi Ballet Summer Intensive in Florence, Italy. She has trained with Goh Ballet Youth Company and is currently a member of Ballet Victoria’s Aspirant Program while working toward her goal of joining a professional dance company.

She has competed at Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) and the World Ballet Art Competition Grand Prix, receiving recognition including 1st Overall Contemporary at the World Ballet Arts Semi-Final, 6th Overall Classical at the World Ballet Arts Finals, Top 24 YAGP Contemporary, and Top 24 YAGP Finals Ensemble. These experiences have allowed her to train with renowned teachers, perform alongside talented dancers, and continue developing as an artist. Varvara has also performed with the Goh Ballet Youth Company in works including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Études, Andrew Shu’s YVR Airport Video Project, and The Nutcracker.

In addition to her experience on stage, Varvara has recently begun exploring the world of film. She has gained on-set experience as a background performer in an upcoming feature film, providing her with an opportunity to experience the collaborative and professional environment of a film production and expand her performance experience beyond the stage.

Alongside her own training, Varvara has spent many years as a student teacher, assisting classes and providing private lessons. She loves helping dancers build confidence, develop strong foundations and musicality, as well as discover their own lifelong passion for movement. Her goal as an instructor is to create a welcoming and encouraging environment where every student feels supported, challenged, and inspired to become the best version of themselves.

Jamison Rigazzi

Specializations
Jazz
Ballet
Lyrical

Jamison Rigazzi began dancing at the age of 3 and trained extensively at Spotlight Dance Centre and Rise 21 Dance Company, where she developed a technical foundation. Throughout her training, she performed and competed at dance competitions across BC in a wide variety of dance styles, including ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, modern, tap, and musical theatre. She performed with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in The Nutcracker at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre. She also completed her Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) ballet examinations from Grade 1 through Intermediate, earning Distinction in each level. Currently studying Elementary Education and Psychology at the University of Victoria, Jamison is working towards becoming an elementary school teacher. In addition, Jamison is an active member of the UVIC Dance Company. She is so excited to join Westcoast Academy of Performing Arts in September 2026!

Alysha Flynn

Specializations
Jazz
Ballet
Contemporary

Alysha is an independent artist and dance educator whose journey in dance has taken her from coast to coast, growing up in Newfoundland and now based in Victoria. She graduated from the Victoria Academy of Ballet’s Post-Secondary Bridge Program in 2024 with a Diploma in Professional Ballet and Contemporary Dance. She holds her RAD Advanced Two and Cecchetti Advanced One, and is currently pursuing a BA(Hons) in Dance Education through the Royal Academy of Dance and the University of Bath.

As an educator, Alysha believes great dance education develops the whole dancer—uniting technical precision and physical strength with confidence, creativity, and a lasting love of movement. She is passionate about creating supportive and engaging classes that balance rigorous technical and athletic training with artistry and joy, giving every dancer the foundation and encouragement to reach their potential.

Gina Sinclair Davis

ARAD RTS, BBO, AISTD, Adjudicator

Specializations
RAD Ballet
Open Ballet Classes

Teaching qualifications include:

Royal Academy of Dance Associate (Advanced Certificate), Registered Teacher Status, Life Member and CBTS Mentor. 

BBODance Registered Teacher Status in Ballet, Modern, and Musical Theatre.  

Canadian Dance Teachers Association Registered Teacher Status with Licentiate in Ballet, Modern and Multicultural Dance.  

Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. Associate in Ballet, Modern and National.

Gina is also a registered member of Healthy Dancer Canada, and BC Dance Educators' Association for Dance Professionals and is also an Adjudicator at dance competitions in all dance styles.

Gina Sinclair Davis is a Ballet and Dance Major graduate of Arts Educational college in London, UK which at that time fed into the London Festival Ballet Company which is now called English National Ballet.

She grew up not far from London attending a stage school from the age of 7, and first performed professionally in a London UK west-end show at the tender age of 8 years old.

Gina later danced in professional shows as well as ballet and modern dance companies both in the UK and in Canada.

She is also a Guest Master Teacher working in both University and studio settings in Mexico, UK, Europe, Canada, and USA.

Studio director and proud owner of Sinclair Academy of Performing Arts for over 20 years, Gina also spent many years as a Rehearsal Assistant for Russian, American, and Canadian ballet companies teaching roles for Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Cinderella and The Nutcracker.

Gina was named as one of the world’s 17 finest and most respected master ballet teachers by Dean Speer in his book ‘On Technique’.

With such a huge love and passion for ballet and the performing arts Gina enjoys every moment in the studio, backstage, at the side of the stage, in the audience or even on-stage dancing in mature character roles.  She feels blessed both to have had such a wonderful lifelong career and to still be learning and sharing.