The Canadian School of Ballet

Calling all adult tappers✨Our 6-week summer series starts next week with Ms. Kait! Technique, choreography, history, jokes, and a tapping good time are all guaranteed!

When: Wednesdays July 15-Aug 19, 6:30-7:30pm
Where: Canadian School of Ballet (2303 Leckie Road)
Cost: $120 or $25 drop-in

DM us for more info on how to register!

🔔Registration for our 2026/2027 season opens July 2nd at 9:00am!

Our tentative schedule goes live on our website tomorrow.

Photos:

As we have our final week of dance, we want to recognize all of the hard work from this year. From the dancers, to the staff, to the families and friends, thank you! We had many dancers join us for the first time this year. We celebrated our 35th anniversary of The Nutcracker. Many of our ballet students took RAD Exams. Our competitive teams were very successful at competition, both in Vancouver and the Okanagan. And we had 3 incredible June shows, showcasing all of our students. We have had a fantastic 88th season at CSB and can’t wait for the next one! 🩷

Photos: Jen Bitcon

🤍GRAD SPOTLIGHT - SOPHIA🤍

Sophia is 17 years old and a grade 12 student at Kelowna Secondary School. She began dancing at the age of 3 and, since then, she has trained in a variety of styles, including ballet, jazz, contemporary, and lyrical. In the spring of 2025, she completed the Royal Academy of Dance Advanced 1 exam and is currently working towards Advanced 2.

Since joining CSB’s competitive program in 2022, Sophia has found some of her most meaningful experiences through dance, growing as both a person and performer. Now a member of the senior team, Company B, she especially valued the opportunity to understudy the Elite Team in ballet and lyrical during the 2025 season. One of the highlights of her dance journey was performing the role of Clara in CSB’s annual production of the Nutcracker this past December in her grade 12 year.

Throughout her dance journey, she has participated in many competitions as both a soloist and group dancer. Some of her favourite dances over the years have been “I lived”(2024), “Islands” (2024), and “It’s all coming back”(2026).

In the fall, Sophia will be attending the University of Waterloo to study Architectural Engineering and hopes to continue dancing throughout this next stage of her life. She would like to acknowledge her family for the constant support they give, her teammates who have loved and grown alongside her, and her teachers for their inspiring training and wisdom.

Congratulations Sophia! We are so proud of you and are so glad you joined CSB in 2022. You dance with such grace and confidence. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for you. All the best at Waterloo!

🤍GRAD SPOTLIGHT - NYA🤍

Nya has been dancing at the Canadian School of Ballet since she was 3 years old. Over the years, she has trained in ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, hip hop and acro. Her favourite style of dance is jazz. Nya has been part of the CSB competitive team for 6 years and has enjoyed dancing and making memories at competitions with her dance team. She was honored to be chosen as Company captain this year and has made it her goal to help create a positive and hard-working team. Nya has danced in many performances of the Nutcracker with her first role being one of the youngest children in
Party Scene. She is so grateful to have been chosen for the role of Clara in her final year. Performing the role of Clara is an experience she will always hold close to her heart.

As Nya begins a new chapter in her life, she is thankful for all memories she has made and all that she has learned throughout her years at CSB. Her favorite dances have been “Born this Way” (2023), “I Lived” (2024), “How Will I Know” (2025) and “Devil Went
Down to Georgia”(2026).

Next year, Nya will be attending UBCO to pursue her Bachelor of Arts degree with future plans of achieving a degree in Education.

Nya would like to thank her family and friends for their love and support over the years. The friendships she has made through dance will be everlasting. She would also like to thank her teachers for all their encouragement and guidance over the years and for making dance a part of who she is.

Congratulations Nya! You’ve been so committed to dance and it’s been a pleasure having you at CSB. You are kind, hardworking and dedicated, which will make you a wonderful educator one day! All the best next year!

🤍GRAD SPOTLIGHT - AVA🤍

Ava’s passion has been dance since she joined the Canadian School of Ballet at three years old, and she has been on the competitive team for 5 years now. Her time at the studio has shown her what it is like to be surrounded with uplifting and encouraging friends and teachers, and the importance of having a strong support system. The memories and relationships she has made here have been some of her fondest and are some that she will cherish for the rest of her life. Along with the technical skills she has learnt from her time dancing, she has also grown in her resilience and confidence as a person. Ava’s favorite styles of dance are tap and contemporary and her favorite dances over the years have been “I Lived”, “Smooth Criminal”, and “Dancing Fool”. She would like to thank everyone who has been a part of her dance journey up until now and those who have grown up alongside her, because without them she would not be who she is today.

In the fall, Ava will be attending the University of Victoria studying psychology with the hopes of attending law school and some day becoming a lawyer. Although she is sad to close this chapter in her life, she is grateful for every opportunity and experience dance has given her.

Congratulations Ava! We are so proud of you and have loved watching you dance all these years. We are thrilled for your next chapter at UVic, and we know your confidence and work ethic will make you a great lawyer one day!

🤍GRAD SPOTLIGHT - JEWEL🤍

Jewel has been dancing at The Canadian School of Ballet since she was three years old, and has trained in many styles such as jazz, acro, tap, ballet and contemporary. She has completed her RAD exams up to Advanced 1 which she completed in June of 2025, and is now working towards her Advanced 2 exam. During her time at CSB she has been a part of many productions of The Nutcracker. Some of her favourite roles have been Coffee Soloist, Waltz of The Flowers, Russian Dolls, and Clown Duet.

Jewel has been a part of the competitive team for 5 years and has competed at many competitions, and during the spring of 2025, Jewel received the opportunity to be an understudy for the Company B Elite jazz number “Dream Girls” which she is beyond grateful for.

Jewel would like to say a huge thank you to her teachers. They have taught her so much in dance and in life. They quickly became someone Jewel was able to look up to and she is beyond grateful for being able to learn from each teacher at CSB as they have all shown her endless love and support. They created a space where Jewel was able to be herself as well as create unforgettable memories which she will cherish forever. After assisting Ms. Mackenzie in tap she found a love for teaching dance. But most of all, Jewel would like to say thank you to all her friends that have stuck alongside her over the years. They not only became her best friends but also her family.

Jewel’s favourite styles of dance are acro and jazz and her favourite dances over the years have been “Across The Stars” (2026), “It’s All Coming Back” (2026), “Hip To Be Square” (2024), and “I Lived” (2024).

In the fall, Jewel will be attending UBCO, where she will be studying towards a Bachelors degree in Psychology.

We are so proud of you Jewel! You have become a beautiful dancer and we have loved having you at CSB. Thank you for all of your time working with the littles and being such a great role model. All the best next year at UBCO!

🤍GRAD SPOTLIGHT - LAUREN🤍

Lauren began dancing at Mission Dance School just after turning 3 years old. She waited a long time to be 3 to do ballet. In September of the same year, she then switched studios and joined The Canadian School of Ballet. In addition to ballet, Lauren also trains in jazz, tap, contemporary, hip-hop, and acro. At the age of 12, she joined CSB’s competitive team, Junior B, where she trained for 3 years before being moved up to Company B, and has been a dancer with this group ever since. Lauren has danced in 11 Nutcracker performances and was honoured to perform the Hot Chocolate Soloist role in her grade 12 graduating year.

Lauren’s favourite memories at CSB have been winning the Encore Challenge at Summit Dance Challenge in 2024 and winning the Dance Down at the Evolve dance competition in Vancouver this year. Her favourite dance style is contemporary, and her favourite dances have been “I Lived” (2024), “It’s All Coming Back” (2026) and “Her” (2026).

Lauren is currently enrolled in a prerequisite course at Okanagan College, and after finishing grade 12 at Rutland Senior Secondary, she hopes to enroll in the Practical Nursing program at Okanagan College in January for 2 years. Upon completion, she hopes to work as an LPN while attending UBCO for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she will then be able to work as a Registered Nurse and has hopes to one day specialize in pediatric Nursing.

Lauren would like to give a big thank you to her family for their endless support, love and encouragement. She would also like to thank her teachers for creating a passion and love for dance through their teaching and guidance. She will forever cherish the memories made and be grateful for her CSB family.

We are so proud of you Lauren! It’s been an honour to have you at our studio all of these years and watch you become the dancer and person you are! Your work ethic and caring personality will make you a great nurse! Congratulations!

🤍GRAD SPOTLIGHT - JULIETTE🤍

Juliette has been dancing since she was 2 years old and joined the Canadian School of Ballet 10 years ago. Over the years, she has been a part of the junior b team and she has been in 3 productions of the Nutcracker. Her favourite dance style is contemporary, and she has also trained in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, and acro! Juliette’s favourite dances over the years have been “Dancin’ Fool” (2024), “Hit the road Jack” (2025), and “Piano Man” (2026)!

This fall, she will be moving to Vancouver to continue pursuing her successful acting career! She has a new show called “Every Year After” coming out on Amazon Prime on June 10th and can’t wait for what the future holds. She will forever cherish the memories she’s made while dancing, and the friendships that have changed her life for the better! She would also like to thank her family, friends, and teachers for all of their love and support over the years!

Congratulations Juliette! We have loved being a part of your dance journey. Your talent and work ethic will bring you great things in the acting world and we will be cheering you on in this next chapter! We can’t wait to see what the future holds for you! 🤍

🤍GRAD SPOTLIGHT - SOPHIA🤍

Sophia began her athletic journey as a rhythmic gymnast where she trained at a national level and competed internationally. After stepping away from gymnastics she found her passion for dance. She has trained in a variety of disciplines including ballet, contemporary, jazz, lyrical, acro, and hip hop. She was fortunate to receive many acro scholarships and was able to attend many summer intensives including Arts Umbrella’s three week training program.

Sophia is extremely grateful to have spent her dance years surrounded by such a supportive studio environment. She would especially like to thank her teachers for their encouragement, patience, and constant belief in her. Their guidance not only shaped the dancer she became but also the person she is today and for that she is forever grateful.

Some of her most special moments come from competing, training, and performing alongside her friends, who have all become a second family over the years. She will always cherish the bond they shared both on and off stage, and will hold on to the memories forever. Above all she has been lucky to share her dance journey with her sister Olivia, where they have competed many duets, and have grown together. Their time on stage together has become the most meaningful part of her time at dance and she is beyond grateful for the opportunity to dance with her.

Sophia’s favourite styles of dance are acro and lyrical, and some of her favourite dances have been “For good” (2026), “It’s all coming back” (2026), “Blue” (2024), and “Iris” (2025).

In the fall Sophia will be moving to the UK for school where she will be studying psychology. Sophia hopes to continue to pursue her love for dance in the coming years. As she moves into the next chapter she will carry with her the friendships, lessons, and memories dance has given. She is endlessly grateful for the
opportunities she was given and will cherish the studio as her second home.

Congratulations Sophia! You have been so friendly and positive at the studio, and your flexibility has amazed us all! We are so excited for this next chapter in your life!