910 Camosun Cres, Kamloops | 250.314.9974 | info@aodkamloops.com
Our Staff
Miss Cassie
Director/President | Acrobatic Arts Cert. | Progressing Ballet Technique Cert.
Team Canada 2017
With a decade of experience, Cassie has found her true calling as a mentor and educator in the dance industry. Her passion for nurturing the love of dance spans a diverse range of students, from 16 months to 40 years old, igniting her desire to share this art form even further.
As a dancer and performer, Cassie has trained at advanced levels across various disciplines, including ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, lyrical, acro, modern, and contemporary dance. Her dedication to her craft has taken her across North America, where she has participated in prestigious events such as the Tremaine Dance Convention in New York and an intensive training program with Peter Sklar in voice, drama, and dance. She also attended the Toronto Dance Teacher Expo and had the honor of performing with the adult stage division of Team Canada at a competition in Riesa, Germany, in 2017.
In her role as a choreographer, Cassie has consistently received multiple awards for her innovative work over the past decade. Her choreography has been showcased at Honours Festivals in British Columbia and performed internationally in California.
Recently, Cassie has embraced the position of Artistic Director and Operator at her local dance studio in Kamloops. She holds several certifications, including Acrobatic Art Module 1, YPAD, Progressive Ballet Technique, Discover Dance, and Alixa Flexibility, as well as being a certified adjudicator through the Dance Leadership Institute. In 2023, she was honored with the Shine Mentor Award at the Vernon event. Committed to continuous growth, Cassie actively pursues professional development through events such as 24/seven, the Shine Convention, and Triple Threat.
Her mission is clear: to foster and empower not only exceptional dancers but also outstanding individuals.
Miss Brie
Dance Teacher
Brie Larson danced with AOD for fifteen years and peformed and competed throughout the Okanagan. She has also performed with the Moscow Ballet in their Great Russian Nutcracker, and danced in Disneyland, California. Throughout her time dancing, Brie participated in various workshops at different competitions, as well as in Jasper, BC with the Rocky Mountain Dance Project.
Brie has taught at a studio in Ashcroft, BC and has been a substitute teacher for AOD in previous years. She now teaches Acro at AOD!
Currently, Brie is working towards completing her Bachelor of Science at Thompson Rivers University here in Kamloops.
Miss Jessica
Dance Teacher
Jessica Jolicoeur has grown up with us here at the Academy of Dance. She began at the age of two and quickly fostered a love dance! She has trained at AOD in many different styles including jazz, ballet, pointe, lyrical and contemporary. She has competed throughout the Okanagan, has performed multiple times with the Moscow Ballet and is apart of AOD’s Disneyland team.
Mister Riley
Dance Teacher
Riley Schutz comes from Poirier Productions in Burnaby, BC where he trained under Rachael Poirier. Since deciding to devote his time and energy to his training at age 11, Riley has had the great fortune to train at many local and international conventions, learning from some of the most sought-after choreographers including Lane Napper, Doug Caldwell, Nick Lazzarini, Wildabeast, Paul Otterbein, Matt Cady and Travis Wall, to name just a few. Riley’s passion for dance earned him the Doug Caldwell inaugural “Passion for Dance” award at the 2018 Jump Dance Convention in Portland, as well as the opportunity to compete for Teen Male Best Dancer at The Dance Awards. Riley is looking forward to joining AOD this year and sharing his passion for dance with students of all ages and abilities.
Miss Maddy
Dance Teacher | Acrobatic Arts Certified
Maddy Howell comes to us from Ontario. Miss Maddy Started Dancing at the age of three and she has been competing since the age of six in Ontario. She has trained in Acro, Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Modern, Contemporary, Open, Hip Hop, and Tap. Miss Maddy has taken class with Twitch (Hip Hop), Allison Holker(Contemporary), Emily Einsmann (Jazz Funk), and many more. She is Certified with Acrobatic Arts and has completed up to and including her Grade 5 B.A.T.D. She has received many scholarships over the years including workshops in Florida and Toronto.
Miss Josie
Dance Teacher | Team Canada 2017 | RAD Certified
Josie Weightman grew up in Salmon Arm BC, training at Just For Kicks and fell in love with dance right away! Throughout her school years Josie competed all over the Okanagan, receiving high marks and provincial qualifications. Through her training she also completed numerous RAD Ballet Exams including her Advanced 2. Josie has danced at the Joffrey Ballet's summer program and was a member of Team Canada 2017 where she competed in Reisa Germany. After graduating Josie continued her training in LA at Millenium Dance Complex and in Toronto at Underground Dance Centre. Josie has been teaching all around the Okanagan including Kelowna, West Kelowna, Barriere and Kamloops. Josie has been teaching at summer intensives and enjoys sharing her knowledge with students.
Miss Kenzie
Dance Teacher | AOD Alumni |
Kenzie up dancing at the Academy of Dance. She started at the age of 3 and didn’t stop! She trained at AOD in styles including ballet, jazz, contemporary, and hip hop. Hip hop will always be her favourite style, she loves the way you get to move your body and how creative you can be with it. Kenzie trained under Cassie before teaching on her own. She is very passionate about working with kids and am very excited to be teaching this year!
Miss Tayn
Dance Teacher | AOD Alumni |
Tayn Lyons grew up in Medicine Hat, AB, and started dance lessons at the Hanson School of Dance when she was just 3. She danced and competed across southern Alberta until she moved to Kamloops at 16. Upon arriving, she immediately registered at AOD, a studio that has always held a special place in her heart and made her feel at home. She immersed herself in various dance styles, including tap, jazz, ballet, musical theatre, hip hop, and contemporary. Tap has always been her favorite; she finds the technical challenges particularly rewarding. Over her 15 years of dancing, Tayn has attended numerous summer workshops and intensives, and she looks forward to continuing her learning journey by teaching at AOD. Dance has always been a creative outlet for her, and she’s excited to help her students explore that same passion.
Miss Danica
Dance Teacher | AOD Alumni |
Danica Labermeyer grew up dancing with AOD for fifteen years and throughout has competed in the Okanagan and the coast receiving high placings, overalls and scholarships. She has attended workshops with Joshua Horner, Dani Clement, Krista Hansen and Kim Klassen. Recently, she has attended NUVO and 24/Seven dance conventions in Seattle and Vancouver where she furthered her knowledge both as a dancer and a teacher. While at AOD, she trained extensively in ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, lyrical and progressive ballet technique. Danica has performed with Dance The Magic in Disneyland, CA and the Moscow Ballet in The Great Russian Nutcracker. Her main goal is to share her passion of dance with the next generation of aspiring artists.
