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 over 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 honour 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 honoured 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 McKenna
Dance Teacher
McKenna began her dance journey at Academy of Dance at just 8 years old and quickly discovered her passion for performing. Over the years, she has trained extensively in ballet, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, hip hop, and even dabbled in tap, acro, and musical theatre. Her love for performing has taken her across British Columbia and Alberta, where she competed successfully and earned top placements in overalls. A highlight of her dance career was performing with Dance the Magic in California, where she danced down Disneyland’s iconic Main Street in their summer parade.
With several years of experience as a student teacher, McKenna is thrilled to step into this new teaching role and share her love of dance with the next generation.
Miss Ella
Dance Teacher
Ella has grown up with us here at the Academy of Dance, starting her journey at just 2 years old. She quickly fell in love with dance and has trained in a wide range of styles including ballet, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, and progressive ballet technique. She has been a dedicated student teacher since the age of 12 and now leads her own classes with passion and care.
Ella has competed throughout the Okanagan and along the coast, earning numerous top awards and scholarships. She’s also had the opportunity to perform with Dance the Magic in Disneyland. Ella brings a strong sense of commitment and creativity to her teaching and takes pride in helping young dancers build both skill and confidence.
Miss Kenzie
Dance Teacher
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 is very excited to be teaching this year!
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 Danica
Dance Teacher
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.
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.