Born in Mississauga and raised in Caledon, Tania Azevedo Ferreira only discovered her passion for dance at the age of 12-the first time she ever attended a dance class-at Annemarie's Dance Academy in Orangeville, Ontario.  After her first year of B.A.T.D. and R.A.D. training in Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Lyrical and Musical Theatre; Tania was competing both at the national and international level.  In the eight years at Annemarie's Dance Academy, Tania became a certified dance instructor at the age of seventeen, and has been teaching ever since.

Before she was twenty-one years of age, Tania received a diploma from Georgian College for Business Administration and became the  studio owner/principal dance instructor of Elite Dance Corps in Bradford, Ontario.  With 20 successful years of operation, Elite Dance Corps has won various awards, and is recognized as one of the most active participants in various local community events.  Tania's students have gone on to dance with Ballet Jorgen, music videos for upcoming Canadian recording artists, Canadian National Tap/Ballet/Jazz/Modern/Showdance Teams, become certified dance instructors, and attend dance programs at well known Ontario universities. 

Mrs. Ferreira is constantly strengthening her skills by attending master classes with renowned dance artists and choreographers in all disciplines of dance.  Today, she is a full member with P.A.E.C. and B.A.T.D.  Tania has become certified with the International Academy of Dance Adjudicators and is now a sought after adjudicator for many dance competitions across Ontario.  Also added to her list of accreditations, is a Rhythm Works Integrative Dance instructor certification.  This allows Miss Tania the honour of teaching dance to those with special needs. She is dedicated to continue sharing her talent and passion for dance to all and providing a dance studio with a positive atmosphere for her dance family to enjoy.

Following many years as an award-winning competitive dancer, Samantha's passion for teaching began to thrive. Determined to provide her students with exceptional training, she chose to further her knowledge by performing with Toronto's renowned OIP Dance Company.  Samantha also achieved a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree (B.F.A. with honours) in Dance from York University, where she attained the tools to understand the theoretical and practical aspects of teaching.  As a certified teacher with the British Association of Teachers Dancing (B.A.T.D.), Samantha has been instructing at high profile studios throughout York Region.  Her competitive work has won numerous choreography and overall awards at competitions across North America.

Correspondingly, Samantha was a member of the Canadian National Tap Team that won a Gold Medal for Canada at the World Dance Championships in Reisa, Germany.  Samantha is a proud member of the Professional Adjudicators Alliance, qualifying her to provide professional, educated, and beneficial critiques to all dancers.  Most recently, Samantha achieved a postgraduate certificate, with honours, in Children's Entertainment.  Here she was introduced to a new range of enterainment platforms including film, television, books, education products, games, and interactive media that can be used to enrich more children with the art of dance.

Beginning at the age of 8, Elizabeth quickly realized her passion for dance.  Elizabeth trained at Elite Dance CorpsTM for two years before she began dancing competitively.  Training multiple hours per week in Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Tap, Acro, and Musical Theatre, Elizabeth quickly excelled as she competed across North America.  Winning many overall awards and scholarships, Elizabeth also had the opportunity to a short training session at the National Ballet of Canada.  Ms. Miranda has been featured in Wendy Land's music video "Don't Make Me Laugh," back-up dancing for "Marloe and the Mix," and being a part of the Lindsay Ritter Dance Company.  Elizabeth has been teaching for many years at Elite Dance Corps and loves every moment.  She continues to further her knowledge in the art of dance by continuously taking choreography/teaching seminars and attending master classes with professional choreographers.  Most recently, Miss Elizabeth obtained her certification with Rhythm Works Integrative Dance enabling her to teach dance to those with special needs.  Elizabeth is passionate and dedicated to training her students to be the best they can be in a fun a loving atmosphere.

Nancy Dinner was the owner/operator of Jaymor School of Dancing in Aurora, Ontario for over 30 years.  Mrs. Dinner is a full member of P.A.E.C. as well as an acrobatic and jazz examiner.  Nancy performed with Canada’s Wonderland, Toronto, for four years as well as performing in various industrial shows, television and video.  She has taught dancers who consequently performed in Mexico – in Manzanillo, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and on cruise ships around the world.  Nancy has also taken dance troupes to perform at Costa Del Sol, Spain and the Maritimes, Eastern Canada, as well as, more recently, on three Royal Caribbean Cruise ships.  Nancy has choreographed pageants, fashion shows, as well as productions of “Finian’s Rainbow”, “Grease”, “Anything Goes”, “CATS”, “Big”, “Hair Spray”, “Aladdin”, “The Sound of Music”, “Oliver”, “Footloose” and “Joseph” and more.  She continues to choreograph and adjudicate for other members of the dance profession and is well-known for her extensive acrobatic background and contortionist work.  Many of her dancers continue to perform, teach, choreograph and study the many facets of dance due to her leadership and passion.

Introduced at the age of 7, Nicole quickly realized her passion for the world of dance. She has trained and
competed in several dance styles, including Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Acrobatics, Contemporary, Hip Hop, and
Musical Theatre. Nicole was a competitive dancer of 12 years, being a part of an award-winning team that
competed at national and international levels. Throughout her years of competing, Nicole got the
opportunity to work and take classes with many innovators in the dance industry. Most recently, Nicole
was invited to be a part of the Five Star Dance Company, a pre-professional performance group that
travelled to Mayan, Riviera to entertain guests worldwide. After performing with the company and
competing as a competitive dancer, Nicole followed her admiration for the art form by exploring the
teaching and creative aspects of dance. She is drawn to the everlasting learning that comes with it, and as
the dance industry keeps evolving, so does her inspiration to improve her craft. Aiding in her aspired
career path, Nicole received multiple top score, special recognition, and choreography awards for her
choreographic work throughout her upper years of high school. Taking the next step in growing her
knowledge and skills, Nicole is studying at York University, where she will obtain her Bachelor of Fine
Arts Degree in Dance. This in preparation for her longing desired career choice as a dance teacher and
choreographer.

Stephanie began her dance training at the age of 5 at Elite Dance Corps. Starting off with Jazz classes, she was soon introduced to other styles including Tap, Ballet, Lyrical, Hip Hop and Acro. By age 9, Stephanie was competing at the national and international level receiving multiple overall awards and scholarships. She began assisting recreational classes at the studio and soon realized her passion for teaching. Stephanie is currently working towards her teaching certificate under the guidance of Miss Tania Ferreira. Stephanie loves sharing her passion for dance with her students, and giving each child a place to express themselves.

Sondra has been teaching dance for over 25 years. Although she has taught jazz, lyrical, contemporary, tap, and acro, her true passion is ballet. After training and competing throughout her younger years, Sondra continued her experience by attending the dance/theatre program at MTU (formerly Ryerson University). Through her extensive training, she achieved RAD, BATD, and DMA teaching certifications. Sondra continues to grow her knowledge of dance through workshops and attending various conferences.

Upon graduating university, Sondra became an entrepreneur. She was the owner/director of  her own dance studio for 25 years. From this platform she was able to encourage and challenge kids of all ages to reach their true potential. Preparing ballet students for exams from Preprimary to Solo Seal (RAD) was only a part of her skillset. Empowering dancers to combine their ballet technique with all their genres of dance was a goal she set for herself and her students. Many of Sondra’s dancers have gone on to pursue careers in dance both as teachers and stage performers. She has earned prestigious awards for her choreography throughout North America. Sondra trained and choreographed a two time gold medal champion at the World Dance championships, as well as several silver and bronze award winners.

Having children of her own, Sondra is able to establish perspective as both dance teacher and dance mom. 

Philosophy to teach by:

I will not train every dancer to be the best, but I will train every dancer to be their best.

Juliana Poda's deep-seated passion for dance ignited at the tender age of three when she embarked on her dance journey at the illustrious Alice Arja Professional School of Dance in Brazil. Her early exposure to ballet, jazz, tap, and contemporary dance forms nurtured a profound appreciation for the art of movement.

Juliana's pursuit of dance led her to attain a Bachelor's Degree in Dance Performance at UniverCidade University in Rio de Janeiro. It was during this academic phase that she uncovered her true calling - choreographing jazz routines for musical productions. This realization kindled her aspiration to become a dance instructor, with the goal of helping aspiring dancers find their unique expression on the dance floor.

Juliana's career as a dance instructor commenced at La Danse school in Rio, where she honed her teaching skills and developed a deep appreciation for the transformative power of dance. This path eventually led her to broaden her horizons by studying at The Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, DC. Her training journey continued with stints at Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway in New York City, experiences that enriched her perspective on classical and contemporary dance styles.

A firm believer that dance transcends borders, Juliana is convinced that the world of dance is an ever-evolving realm, where there's always something new to learn, refine, and master. Today, she is excited to bring the invaluable lessons she has garnered during her travels to her role as a Ballet instructor at Elite Dance Corps.