Sarah Formosa, a bipoc Canadian dancer and choreographer. Sarah left her hometown of White Rock, British Columbia at age 17 to pursue her career in dance at the Alonzo King Lines Ballet Training Program in San Francisco. Since leaving San Francisco, Sarah has had a long career in live performance and Film and Television. In 2021, Sarah co-directed a live-stream dance theatre production called ‘WANTED’ with her company CAMP. She has performed works by Anya Saugstad, Wen Wei Dance, the response. Dance Company, Vision Impure, Raven Spirit Dance Company, The Vancouver Opera, The Edmonton Opera and many more. On screen, Sarah is most well known for her work in Disney’s Descendants (Disney) and Schmigadoon (Apple TV+).
She has worked on the choreography team for the Block Buster movie Joy Ride (Lionsgate) and most recently on a new feature film with director M. Night Shyamalan.
Juilia is a Vancouver based dancer, performer, educator, adjudicator and choreographer. In her youth she trained extensively and competitively in multiple disciplines where her love for dance took her into a successful professional career in the dance and theatre industry around the world. Juilia's professional experience and credits include: Tokyo Disneyland "One Man's Dream II", multiple contracts with Disney Cruise Line in over 8 different stage shows as a featured dancer (including being selected to be part of the Disney Magic Re-Imagined reopening cast), My Fair Lady (RCMT), 2010 Vancouver Paralympic Opening Ceremonies, Salagia: 7 Gifts for Clara (Dansarts + Collabart Creations). Film/ TV networks and credits as a stunt double/dancer include: ABC, CTV, Netflix, Hallmark, Destination America and The Disney Channel.
She is currently a co-director, choreographer, and dancer at City Entertainment Company which has been running for 13 years. Her experience expands to the other side of the audition table where she has been a casting directors assistant for Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. When she is not performing, she has spent 11 years choreographing and teaching students of all ages sharing her passion for the arts. Teaching students in all environments including competitive, recreational, workshops and master classes. She brings her passion, knowledge and love of dance to all of her students and to all competition attendees. Her ambition is to help dancers reach their fullest potential in a positive and motivating manner.
Christopher Young is a musician, educator, and arts administrator dedicated to elevating communities through the power of music. Originally from Fort St. John, BC, his career has taken him across Canada and Europe.
He is the Executive Director of the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra and KSO Music School, the largest regional orchestra in BC. Christopher holds a Master of Arts in Music and Management with distinction from the University of Leeds in the UK.
He has worked with prestigious organizations such as the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the VSO School of Music, Opera North, the Leeds International Piano Competition, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Leeds Lieder, and Leeds Baroque. He also earned a Bachelor of Music from the University of Alberta, with a concentration in trumpet performance.
As a performer, Christopher has studied with renowned teachers Robin Doyon (ESO), Mike Woodhead (Opera North), Russell Whitehead, Alvin Lowrey (ESO), and Duane Paulson. He has participated in sessions with internationally acclaimed artists such as Eric Aubier (international soloist), Thomas Rolfs (Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops), Mark Gould (Metropolitan Opera Orchestra), Phil Smith (New York Philharmonic), Guillaume Jehl (Berliner Philharmoniker), Urban Agnas (Stockholm Brass Quintet), and Allen Vizzutti (international soloist).
In 2019, Christopher produced and starred in the Canadian premiere of the contemporary opera, Gabriel by Robert Bradshaw, showcasing his passion for innovative and collaborative performance. He has performed with esteemed ensembles including the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, the Edmonton Youth Orchestra, Nova Musica, the Thompson Valley Orchestra, and regularly performs with groups across a wide variety of genres. He has been featured as a soloist with orchestras across Western Canada, and has toured as a recitalist, and leader of a brass quintet, sharing his artistry with audiences throughout the region.
As an educator, Christopher is a Kodály-certified instructor, and has taught students across BC, Alberta, and the UK. He is currently on faculty at the KSO Music School, teaching local brass students.
Dustin has taught piano for seventeen years and has worked with students of all ages and levels from Preparatory through to ARCT. Although classically trained, he also enjoys teaching a wide variety of styles that include jazz, film / anime music, video game music and popular music arranged for solo piano.
Dustin regularly prepares students for recitals, festival performances, piano examinations and theory examinations. His personal teaching style is rooted in patience, encouragement and discovery while maintaining a high standard of performance and artistry at all stages in the learning process. Dustin began piano studies at the unusual age of seventeen and enjoys sharing his unique experiences as a “late starter” with others in order to encourage and inspire all learning musicians.
Having recently moved to Prince George, British Columbia, Dustin is gradually building up a new studio of students while supporting the many goals of both his wife, Christine, and daughter, El. Although most of his time goes to playing and teaching piano, Dustin’s additional interests include books, video games, board games and running (sometimes reluctantly). Both he and his family are ardent supporters of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community as well as any person in need of support, love or inspiration.
Dustin’s academic credentials include a Master of Arts degree in Musicology and Piano Performance from the University of Victoria as well as ARCT diplomas in both Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy from the Royal Conservatory of Toronto. He is also a certified RCM teacher and is a member of the BC Registered Music Teachers’ Association.
Paul Dykstra has been a performing artist in North America for over 35 years. Musically nurtured and trained in Canada in Edmonton, and at the University of Alberta with Helmut Brauss, his subsequent ventures took him to Northern BC and Alberta, and then to the US where he lived for 20 years. American performance credits include recording with clarinetist Richard Stoltzman, performances of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto with Abendmusik Philharmonic in 2016, and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto #1 with the Great Bay Philharmonic in 2018. Further concerto collaborations have included Beethoven’s Fourth Concerto with the Prince George Symphony, and
Mozart’s Concerto for two pianos with the Granite State Symphony in New Hampshire. Paul has frequently participated in chamber music collaborations with renowned New England artists, and in many solo concerts in Canada and the United States.
Paul was a finalist in the American Prize Concerto Competition 2017. He has toured with NYC Living Arts Company in performances of Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess" in the US and Trinidad, and played keyboards for the disco band Tavares’ reunion in Atlantic City. Other endeavours of note include his engagement as Musical Director for the opera “Grace” by Roger Rudenstein, in Boston. Recently relocated to his native Canada in 2020, he now resides in Kelowna and continues an active musical career which includes performing, mentoring, teaching, arranging, and musical collaborations of all types. Paul is on the Faculty of the Kelowna Community Music School, and is a member of the College of Examiners of the Royal Conservatory. He has been, and continues to be, active as a Festival Adjudicator throughout North America.
Growing up Kevin performed with children entertainers Sherry Lewis and Dom DeLuis. He would eventually go on to study opera at UBC and UWO where he studied with Gwenlynn Little, the understudy for Beverly Sills at New York City Opera.
Returning to BC, he has performed in plays throughout Western Canada including: Forgiveness by Mark Sakamoto adapted by Hiro Kanagawa (Arts Club Theatre’s and Theatre Calgary’s), Hold These Truths by Jeanne Sakata, A Charlie Brown Holiday Double Bill (Carousel Theatre for Young People), Tom Pinkerton: The Ballad of Butterly’s Son (VACT), and Vancouver Opera.
Honours include: The Arts Club Theatre’s Bill Millerd Artist Fund, NAJC Endowment Fund, Canada Shorts Film Festival Distinction Award and several BC Arts Council Grants.
Kevin is currently writing a script about Canadian veteran Zennosuke Inouye that is supported through the Japanese Canadian Legacies Fund.
Violinist Barbara Gilroy was born and raised in Hungary where she received a high level of training both as a performer and teacher. She received a scholarship from Brandon University which brought her to Canada to continue her studies.
Barb has performed with numerous orchestras throughout Europe and is a former Principal Violinist with the Winnipeg Symphony and Manitoba Chamber Orchestras. Now residing in Victoria, BC, she regularly plays with the Victoria Symphony and continues to play with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra.
In addition to being a seasoned soloist and orchestral player, Barb has over 25 years of experience as a violin teacher. She currently runs a private studio where she prepares students for RCM exams and post-secondary school. Barb was fortunate to have studied under some incredibly talented and well known mentors, such as Lorand Fenyves, Midori Goto, Gwen Hoebig, Nandor Szederkenyi, Guillaume Tardif.
Catherine Robbins is a dynamic music educator known especially for her work in vocal techniques and choral pedagogy for choirs of all ages. Dr. Robbins is currently Associate Professor of Choral Studies and Music Education at the University of Manitoba Desautels Faculty of Music. She teaches courses in conducting, choral methods, vocal pedagogy for choirs, choral literature and programming, and directs the University of Manitoba Concert Choir.
She has twice been honoured with U of M Merit Awards in the areas of teaching and service. She has recently finished her tenure as Past President of the Manitoba Choral Association and continues to serve as IDEA Committee Chair.
Dr. Robbins primary research centres on applications of anatomical awareness and somatic approaches to conducting and singing, as well as the emerging field of fascia research. She has presented at provincial, national, and international symposiums in the areas of music education and choral techniques. She served on the editorial board for Anacrusis, the journal of Choral Canada, and was the editor of the vocal techniques column. Catherine specializes in vocal health and pedagogy for developing voices, and has taught music at all levels of the public school system and privately.
Download PDF Version