We are back to dance Sep 9!
Our Faculty
Our Faculty
The whole art of dance...
Of course our teaching faculty holds the expected high level training, memberships and qualifications in contemporary and classical dance techniques... In addition, our teachers value wholesome, non-sexualized educational leadership, and understand how to guide children towards confidence and personal success while mindful of developmental stage. Unique to Warmland Dance, our teachers have decades of experience outside of a classroom as professional performing artists around the world. This allows us to develop more than just exceptional dancer technique; we also bring our dynamic personal experiences and artistic insight into joyful, satisfying dance performance... we go far beyond the classroom to truly explore the whole art of dance.
Keeping up with the kids...
Our faculty is still passionate about dance performance and we believe in lifelong learning. We continue to attend workshops, professional development opportunities, and performances from outside our community, staying connected to today's dance world. Our faculty still performs and competes at a high level together, and we are grateful to share our passion and joy with our students.
The same, but different...
Because our faculty holds the highest dance qualifications and memberships, we have access to the same resources as other similarly qualified studios... but, instead of hosting examinations year after year with an exclusive governing body, we choose to use our access to a wide variety of dance curiculae to develop up-to-date, interdisciplinary, structured learning progressions (SLPs) for our unique students. Through individualized goal-setting, clear assessment criteria, and regular reflection and feedback, we provide an exceptional quality, innovative dance education toward student excellence, without the need for stressful examinations from outside bodies.
Leadership matters...
Robust values-based leadership, a collaborative and inclusive culture, clean administrative processes, and a world-class teaching faculty forms our diverse, highly sought after dance studio organization. We value relationships first, and this translates to our students and greater community as a warm, enriched learning experience and ever-evolving place to be-come.
Welcome to Warmland Dance.
Leah Burley
Artistic Director, Owner
Graduate of the Royal Academy of Dance, Leah teaches Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Tap, and Musical Theatre. Leah's career as a professional dancer, musical theater performer and award-winning choreographer has taken her to many cities including Victoria, Vancouver, Toronto, Seattle and New York, where she learned alongside some of the worlds most celebrated artists and mentors.
Following her undergraduate studies in Human Physiology, Leah earned an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Vancouver Island University. Leah is a trained Waldorf Educator and brings a holistic, deep understanding and reverence for childhood development to her innovative teaching faculty.
Leah began Warmland Dance in 2014 with her family and community partners and is constantly feeling challenged, inspired and fulfilled. Warmland Dance earned the 2021 "Innovation Award" from the Downtown Duncan Business Association, won the 2023 "Best Dance Studio" award from Cowichan Votes, and continues to stand out as a leader in performing arts training and performance on Vancouver Island.
Adriana Digiovanni
Graduated from the Faculty of Dance - Pontifical Catholic University of Parana - in 1994; Adriana is an internationally recognized teacher and choreographer in classical ballet, jazz and tap dance, and was owner of the Centro de Artes Adriana Digiovanni [Adriana Digiovanni Arts Center] in Brazil.
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Anna Dickey
Anna has been dancing for 15 years and has received training in a variety of genres to include RAD Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Acro, Hip Hop, Stage and Musical Theatre. In that time she has had the opportunity to learn from many internationally renowned choreographers, teachers, and dancers and has been recognized for her attentiveness, hard work, and dedication to musicality and technique.
She was first introduced to performing on stage at the age of 5 in a pas de deux for the Moscow Ballet’s Nutcracker. Since then she has danced in Disneyland, various events in the Lower Mainland and competed throughout BC being awarded numerous scholarships and awards. In 2016 Anna represented Team Canada at the IDO World Dance Championships in Riesa, Germany where she was a finalist in the Female Solo category.
Anna is currently training under Ms. Leah at Warmland Dance and enjoys assisting in classes and choreography. She hopes to share her enthusiasm for creativity and create space for dancers to express themselves through dance.
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Sohee Hong
Sohee has been active with various sports and dance throughout her childhood: swimming, basketball, netball, cheerleading, gymnastics, track and field, tennis, etc. As a dancer, she was fortunate to be part of various Hip Hop/urban/street dance teams in Korea learning about K-pop and commercial performances, Harbour Dance Center in Vancouver, and Urban Danceteam at McGill University during her academic studies. While performing and training with these Urban Hip Hop teams, Sohee has always been admiring lyrical, classical movements and depth of storytelling. The gentleness, pure, and emotional side of these classical and contemporary movements have further motivated her to study and train jazz, modern dance, ballet, and contemporary in her late 20s. Therefore, she brings a combination of both worlds of dance to her practice and classes. She has also opened her eyes to dance choreography in films. She has recently worked her own choreography to her latest short film called “Touched” and it is currently in post-production. As an aspiring filmmaker, she loves to incorporate dance and emotion into her visual-story telling. She rigorously studied film and performing arts across Canada, and has recently graduated from InFocus Film School Directing Program. Sohee is aslo a BCRPA certified Pilates instructor, and is certified in myofascial release.
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Lynn Weaver
M.A., CDA
Adult Rhythm Roots Dance Fitness
Lynn has been dancing all her life and loves sharing her passion for dance. She is an educator, performer, director, and advocate of human potential.
Her training included Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, University of Calgary, and studying with master dancers of Les Ballet Africains, Percussion de Guinea, and Ballet Saamato in Guinea, West Africa. She has studied extensively across a range of disciplines, specializing in cultural dances and all that they can teach us about connection, community and communication. Lynn is a member of the Canadian Dance Assembly.
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Marisa Jackson
Marisa Jackson is a classically trained dancer from a young age having toured, choreographed and taught in Europe for more than 10 yrs before moving to Canada. Marisa spent 8 years living and working in intentional communities in Ontario and BC. She is passionate about authentic movement, deeply inspired by the work of Claude Coldy (Sensitive Dance), enjoys capoeira and is finally exploring Argentinean tango! Marisa is looking forward to the coming years developing the Warmland Dance's professional performance company, and teaching the art of improvisational dance to dancers of all abilities.
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