Our Team
11th Season with BDA
Bachelor of Arts
BEd with a focus in Arts based education
Phoenix Smith
Owner & Director
Phoenix’s love of dance began in her childhood, taking Tap and Musical Theatre classes at a small studio in Alberta. Since moving to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories in 2014 to pursue a career in education, Phoenix has always been connected to Bella Dance Academy (BDA).
First starting as a substitute instructor, then in 2015, she stepped into the role of BDA’s
Co-Director, to eventually, in 2019, become the Owner and Artistic Director of Bella Dance Academy.
Known for her leadership, work ethic, and perseverance, BDA was recognized in 2023 as the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year under Phoenix’s ownership and direction, and in 2024 as the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce’s Trailblazer Woman in Business.
Amber MacEachern
Admin & Program Support
Amber first became a part of the BDA family during our 11th season, when her daughter started her first dance class. Amber is now an active member of the Bella Beats Dance Society and a regular attendee of The b. class®.
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She started her role as BDA’s Office Administrator & Program Support personnel at the end of our 2024/2025 season, and is excited for our 22nd season to start!
1st Season with BDA
Claire Hiscock
Admin & Studio Operations
This is Claire's first season with the Bella Dance Academy team, and she's new relatively to dance. Her first introduction to dance was with Ptarmigan Theatrics as a member of the ensemble, where she met Phoenix and developed a love for Musical Theatre. Since then, she's gone on to participate in The Rocky Horror Show with Parcel of Rogues and most recently as Madonna in We Will Rock You.
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She started her role as BDA's Studio Operations Lead at the end of our 2024/2025 season.
1st Season with BDA
Shopie Rivers
Admin, Events/Community Engagement, & Instructor
Sophie is an artist, writer, and educator from Toronto, Ontario. She began dancing at a young age, falling in love with movement, and went on to do competitive Ballroom dance during her childhood.
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Since moving to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Sophie has co-founded the Tin Can Collective, a multidisciplinary performance collective, with a focus on theatre.
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In Bella Dance Academy’s (BDA) upcoming 22nd season, Sophie will take on the role of Administrator and teach Voice, a new class offered at BDA for the 2025/2026 season.
1st Season with BDA
BA (Hons.) Stage & Screen
Masters in Performance
Ady McLeod
Admin, Community & Mental Health Liason, & Instructor
Ady’s first dance memory is covering themself with a scarf during a movement class at their local community centre and pretending to be a rock. Since then, they have trained in multiple styles of dance and theatre.
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Ady joined Bella Dance Academy during our 14th season as an instructor and has since taken on the roles of an instructor, administrator, and Community & Mental Health Liason.
When not teaching at Bella Dance Academy, Ady travels to perform and teach across North America.
8th Season with BDA
Mental Health First Aid
CDTA Junior Jazz Syllabus
Acrobatic Arts Pre-School
Galen Hooks Method Alumni
12th Season with BDA
Rambert Grades level 1-2​​
Acrobatic Arts Preschool, Module 1
Gymnastics Canada Foundations
Gymnastics Canada Trampoline
Gymnastics Canada Active Start
Quin Connell
Assistant Competition Director & Instructor
Quin is a lifelong Acro enthusiast. She grew up as a competitive gymnast, but made the switch to high-performance dance at age 13, joining the Bella Beats Dance Company for five seasons.​
Taking a break from Bella Dance Academy (BDA) for a few years, Quin rejoined the team in 2020, leading BDA’s first-ever Acro Program. As a registered Acrobatic Arts instructor, Quin has continued to expand BDA’s Acro Program, making it one of the largest dance programs at BDA. Aside from Acro, Quin is BDA’s Co-Competition Director, where she choreographs and travels with the Bella Beats Dance Company Competition Team.​
When not working, Quin can still be found around BDA as a proud dance mom, coaching gymnastics, and spending time with her family.
Janessa Henderson
Social Media & Marketing Coordinator
Starting her dance journey as a student in 2007, Janessa has now been with BDA for 18 years.
Throughout her time at Bella, she has worn numerous hats, being a Bella Beats Dance Company member, a Leader in Training, an instructor, a competition choreographer, and BDA’s Senior Brand & Design Ambassador. After graduating high school in 2022, Janessa has continued her role as our Senior Brand & Design Ambassador while attending the University of Calgary, where she’s studying Communications & Media Studies with an embedded certificate in Entrepreneurial Thinking.
18th Season with BDA
4th Year Communications & Media Studies with an Embedded Certificate in Entrepreneurial Thinking
Hannah Janes
Admin Assistant
Miss Hannah began dancing at BDA in 2008, making this her 17th season.
Though she began doing recreational classes, in her 10th season, she became a member of the Bella Beats Dance Troupe. She has worked as a Leader In Training, Dance Instructor, Substitute, Choreographer, and has now taken on the role of Administrative Assistant. Miss Hannah now continues to work in multiple of these roles while working towards a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Victoria.
17th Season with BDA
2nd Year Bachelor of Commerce
Benji Mujuni
Instructor
Starting dance at the age of 13, Benji is a trained dancer from Kampala, Uganda, in the styles of Hip Hop, Krump, and Breaking.
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In 2017, Benji joined BOSS (Built On Self Success) Dance Team, a dance team grounded in Hip Hop culture, where he performed in numerous showcases around Winnipeg, Manitoba. He also has dance competition experience and has represented the BOSS Dance Team at events such as Downtown Moves Winnipeg and Bring Your Own Beat Toronto.​​
Prior to working with Bella Dance Academy (BDA) in 2023 as BDA’s Hip Hop instructor, Benji acquired three years of teaching experience working for Graffiti Art Programming, a non-profit organization that provides after-school programming to youth.
3rd Season with BDA
B.EnvD.
Chelsea Donaldson
Instructor
Chelsea has been an instructor at BDA for over 15 years and has trained and taught in many styles of dance, such as Jazz, Tap, and Leaps, Jumps, and Turns. She loves stylistic movement and all genres of music. Chelsea also loves perfecting technique and seeing her students progress while empowering them to have fun.
17th Season with BDA
BSN
10th Season with BDA
BFA (Hons.) Contemporary Dance: Specialization in Choreography
Ramber Grades Certified Teacher
Fia Grogono
Instructor
Fia Grogono is a Yellowknife-born dancer, choreographer, and instructor whose passion for dance began right here at Bella Dance Academy! She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Contemporary Dance from Concordia University and has performed and created work across Canada, Europe, and Brazil.
Fia's teaching and choreography weaves together contemporary dance techniques, martial arts, contact improvisation, Afro-Brazilian rhythms, and somatic practices. She is a certified Rambert Grades teacher and a practitioner of Medical Qigong, blending technical skill with a holistic approach that encourages dancers to connect with both their bodies and their creativity.
In her classes, Fia encourages curiosity and creativity, supporting dancers as they challenge themselves, build confidence, and discover their dance voice. Alongside teaching, she continues to create and perform—most recently with "At Tension" and "Northbound," short dance films exploring northern stories. She is thrilled to return to Bella and share her love of dance with students this season.
Gabi Ouillette
Instructor
Gabi’s dance journey started at Bella Dance Academy (BDA) in 2013, her first class being Combo 5. Dancing with BDA into her teenage years, Gabi has been a part of the Bella Beats Dance Company Performance Team for four years, and spent the past year on the Bella Beats Competition Team. During her year on the Bella Beats Competition Team, Gabi won the Start Talent Dance Competition Choreography Award for her Self-Choreographed solo.
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Additionally, Gabi is a former member of BDA’s Leaders In Training (LIT) Program, where she assisted classes, learned management skills, and developed her love for teaching, and eventually, in 2024, went on to instruct her own classes at BDA.
13th Season with BDA
Katie Schauerte
Instructor
Katie is an interdisciplinary Contemporary artist born and raised in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, the traditional land of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation.
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She began her dance journey at a young age with Bella Dance Academy (BDA), joining the Bella Beats Dance Company at its creation. At 16, Katie further pursued her dance career, moving to Victoria, BC, where she stayed for six years, completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a major in Dance at Simon Fraser University.
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Over the years, Katie has returned to BDA to teach classes and is now back in Yellowknife, teaching at BDA full-time in a variety of styles.
19th Season with BDA
BFA in Dance
Karen Wasicuna
Instructor
Karen is a dance instructor and performer from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, and began her dance training at Tate Dance Studio. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an Honours Major in Dance from York University and has been teaching for over 30 years.
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As former Co-Artistic Director of the Northwest Territories’ first Modern dance company, Crazy Legs Contemporary Dance, Karen has taught Ballet, creative movement, Modern, and Burlesque classes. In 2005, Karen joined the Bella Dance Academy team, inspiring her students to think outside of the box and to always “embrace the weird”. Many of her students have gone on to study performing arts and build dance companies of their own.
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Karen is a member of the Canadian Dance Teachers Association and a recipient of the 2022 Minister’s Cultural and Heritage Circle Award for her contributions to dance in the North.
21st Season with BDA
BFA (Hons) in Dance
Member of CDTA
Kenzie McCarthy
Instructor
Kenzie started dancing at Bella Dance Academy (BDA) when she was three and began taking dance seriously at the age of nine, joining the Bella Beats Dance Company.
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Having trained in multiple dance styles, Kenzie has been able to travel across Western Canada, as well as the United States, to perform. She has also won scholarships in the styles of Jazz and Musical Theatre.
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As a member of BDA's Leaders In Training (LIT) Program, Kenzie assisted classes at BDA for three seasons, learning classroom management, lesson planning, and adaptability skills. Stepping into the role as a BDA instructor in 2024, Kenzie enjoys interacting with members of the Yellowknife community and sharing her knowledge with her students.
8th Season with BDA
Keri-Lyn McLeod
Instructor
Keri-Lyn has been dancing since the age of four, taking her first Highland dance class in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. As she moved around Canada and Europe with her military family, she managed to continue dancing until her teenage years.​
Keri-Lyn happily reconnected with dance as an adult, taking Ballet, Modern, Contemporary, and Tap classes whenever she can fit them into her busy schedule, was a member of Crazy Legs Contemporary, and is currently involved with the Yellowknife Dance Collective as a board member, choreographer, and dancer.
16th Season with BDA
BHEc, Early Childhood Education
CDTA Modern Syllabus
CDTA Teacher Classical Ballet
Leanne Karembera
Instructor
Leanne has been a dancer at Bella Dance Academy since 2015. Throughout her 11th consecutive season with the studio, she continues to explore and participate in various dance styles. Additionally, she is entering her 7th season with the Bella Beats Dance Company, which has given her many opportunities to compete and perform across North America.
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For the past 3 seasons, Leanne has been one of BDA’s Leaders in Training and is now stepping into the role of a dance instructor during our 22nd season.
11th Season with BDA
Morgan Johnson
Instructor
Morgan has been a dance instructor for six years. She started taking creative movement and Modern dance when she was four. As a teenager, she fell in love with Contemporary, Hip Hop, and Tap. She believes in dancing and exercising for the joy of movement and that it is a great way to stay active.
9th Season with BDA
Pre & Post-Partum Training Certified
Shannon Lyman
Instructor
Shannon began her dance journey at the age of 5 in the styles of Tap and Jazz, discovering Musical Theatre in her teens, and has been dancing various styles ever since.​
Although she has trained in many styles, Shannon has always loved Ballet for its technique and grace, and in 2020 began taking online Ballet classes, rediscovering her love for the style, and is currently working towards dancing en pointe as an adult!
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Last season was Shannon’s first season with BDA, and she’s excited to continue sharing her passion for Ballet technique with her students in addition to teaching Tap this season.
2nd Season with BDA
1st Season with BDA
Tiffanni Hamilton
Instructor
Starting her dance journey as a student with Bella Dance Academy (BDA) in 2005, training in Ballet, Pointe, and Hip Hop, Tiffanni has been connected to BDA sporadically for nearly two decades.​​
Taking a short break from the dance when she moved to Saskatchewan for her post-secondary education, Tiffanni returned to the world of Ballet as a dedicated dance mom, supporting her daughter’s dance journey, first in Saskatchewan and now at BDA.
This season, Tiffanni will be stepping into the role of Co-Dance Instructor, sharing her lifelong passion for dance and inspiring the next generation of performers, while continuing her education in dance instruction and her bachelor’s of education through the University of Calgary.
18th Season with BDA
BA&Sc (Hons)
B.Ed
Register Royal Academy
of Dance Teacher
Diploma of Dance Teaching Studies​​
Tomiko Robson
Instructor
Tomiko first took a Ballet class at the age of six and has been dancing ever since. She completed her Royal Academy of Dance examinations in Ballet as a kid and then fell in love with Contemporary dance with the Contemporary Dance Company at McMaster University.
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Since moving to Yellowknife in 2006, Tomiko has been an active presence in the Yellowknife dance community. She has taught Ballet at Bella Dance Academy (BDA) since 2007 and in 2018, she completed her Diploma of Dance Teaching Studies through the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) becoming a registered teacher with the RAD. Tomiko has successfully coached many BDA Ballet students through their RAD assessments over the past 4 years.
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Tomiko also co-founded the Yellowknife Dance Collective (YDC) in 2011 and is currently on the YDC board as Co-Chair. She has directed, choreographed, and performed in numerous YDC productions and collaborations, most recently YDC's North of 60X60 show in May, 2024. Other recent dance projects include choreography and performance for France Benoit’s award-winning short film “Three Drops” (2018), choreography for Echo Chamber's performance of "I Can Finally Feel the Sun” as part of their Western Canada tour, Portraits of Home (2023), and choreography and performance in the short film @tension (2024) with Fia Grogono.
Kristin Vician
b. class® Leader
Kristin joined Bella Dance Academy (BDA) as a student during its first season in 2004, training in Ballet, Jazz, and Modern. She also has a background in Highland and Ukrainian dance.
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In 2005, Kristin became a BDA faculty member, where she taught Ballet and Jazz for numerous seasons, before becoming a certified fitness leader for The b. class® in 2017.
Certified b. class® Leader
Tina Schauerte
b. class® Leader
Tina’s journey with Bella Dance Academy (BDA) began in 2007 as a dedicated Dance Mom, spending countless hours at the studio supporting her daughter. Her involvement quickly grew, leading her to take on the role of BDA’s Administrator, where she became a familiar and welcoming face to many.
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Over time, Tina’s passion for movement and community led her to become a certified fitness leader for The b. class® in 2017. Leading The b. class® is a highlight of Tina’s week. She brings energy, joy, and connection to every session, guiding participants through a dynamic mix of music and movement. Her classes are not only a workout—they’re a celebration of fun, empowerment, and togetherness.
Certified b. class® Leader