DanceWorks Kenora

Erin McCuaig

DIRECTOR & LEAD INSTRUCTOR

Erin (she/her) grew up in Kenora and has studied dance for over twenty years. She has trained at a number of studios, including the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in Winnipeg and Free House Dance in Calgary. Her training covers many styles including ballet, jazz, modern, lyrical, and tap.

After high school Erin attended Wilfrid Laurier University and graduated with her Bachelor of Business Administration. She then moved to Calgary where she worked in sports administration and market research before deciding to move home to Kenora in 2014.

During her time at the RWB, she did ADAPT Jazz and Tap examinations and Cecchetti ballet exams. Erin was also a member of Ember Dance Company in Calgary in 2012/2013. 

Her recent dance teacher education includes:

• ADAPT Jazz & Tap Teacher Training School (2020 & 2021)
• Intellidance Babies, Tykes, Tots, & Kids (2021)
• NDEO Online Professional Development Courses (2018-2021)
• RWB Teachers’ Summer Workshop (2014, 2016 to 2019)
• Progressing Ballet Technique (2019)
• En Avant Dance Teacher Conference (2016)

As the owner and lead instructor at DanceWorks Kenora, Erin looks forward to sharing her love of dance with others in Kenora while continuing to enrich her skills as a dance teacher through workshops and education events.

Maddy

SPRING/SUMMER 2022 INSTRUCTOR

Madeleine Graham

Maddy (she/her) grew up in Kenora and started taking classes at DanceWorks Kenora in 2015. Since then, her training has included experience in ballet, modern, contemporary, improvisation, jazz, and tap from a variety of teachers across Canada.

Maddy is currently enrolled in the combined Dance and Kinesiology degree program at the University of Calgary and is a member of Ember Dance Company in Calgary.

Maddy progressed from the assistant teacher role at DanceWorks Kenora in 2016-2018 to teaching her own Creative Movement classes in 2018-2019. She also served as the choreographer’s assistant and dance captain for Trylight Theatre’s production of “Iolanthe” in 2018 and attended the RWB Teachers’ Summer Workshop in 2019.

She can’t wait to share her love of dance and movement exploration with the students at DanceWorks Kenora this summer.

Kirsten

SPRING/SUMMER 2022 INSTRUCTOR

Kirsten Favreau

Kirsten Favreau (she/her) began dancing, at age 12 and was one of the original students at DanceWorks Kenora when it opened in 2014. Initially beginning her training with ballet and tap, Kirsten has since expanded her styles to include jazz, pointe, modern, and contemporary over the past 8 years. Kirsten participated in the DWK Performance Ensemble for two years, began assisting in 2015, and began teaching her own classes in 2019. Kirsten’s training has primarily been at DanceWorks Kenora but she has also participated in various workshops, festivals and competitions throughout the years, including exams in both jazz and tap.

Outside of dance, Kirsten is a third year Medical Sciences student pursuing Biochemistry and Cell Biology at Western University and is an accomplished musician, vocalist, and actress in the community. Although she plans on pursuing a career in Science, she feels that promoting involvement in dance and all of the Arts is very important. Sharing her passion for it with others will always be a motivation for her.

Kirsten is thrilled to once again resume her role as a dance instructor this summer.

Lena

HIP HOP INSTRUCTOR

Lena (she/her) started dancing in 2000 in Ukraine. She saw her future instructors performing and that was it, she signed up and never missed a class!

Lena loves seeing results when she teaches. She absolutely loves performing and wants her students to experience that as well.

Her dance group in Ukraine was called New Wave Dance Project, so when she first started teaching classes here in Kenora that was the name she chose for her group – New Wave Dance Project Canada. Over the years they performed at different events in Kenora, including Relay for Life, Home Show, Canada Day Celebrations, Olympic Torch Relay, Kenora Aerialettes Year-End Show and once at Kenora All Star Cheerleader Pre-Season shows.

Lena began teaching Hip Hop for DanceWorks Kenora in 2014.