Our Wonder Family
Marie Julien
Ballet · Jazz · Contemporary · Lyrical
Bio
Ms. Marie – After completing her formal dance training in Calgary, Alberta, she trained at the Edge Performing Arts Center and was a student of the scholarship program at Tremaine Center for Performing Arts, both located in Los Angeles, CA. She has performed all over North America and toured Europe, Australia and New Zealand as a performer in festivals and various stage shows. She has worked as a dancer in many professional stage productions including The Nutcracker (Alberta Ballet Company), A Midsomer’s Night Dream (Alberta Dance Horizons), Broadway Dance Dreams (Los Angeles, CA) and Disney Productions (California, Florida & EuroDisney). She has also been fortunate enough to have trained, performed and collaborated with many of the top choreographers in Toronto, New York and Los Angeles. Proficient in Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap & Ballet, – RAD, Cecchetti, BATD, ADAPT) – Marie has completed a B.A in Dance at York University and continues to hone her craft through teacher training and various dance certification programs.
Tara Durand
Ballet · Jazz · Contemporary · Lyrical
Bio
BTech, Ryerson University – Graphic Communications Management
For Miss Tara, teaching dance goes far beyond technical training and the execution of steps. Her passion for molding students into compassionate, confident, and knowledgeable dancers has driven her commitment to teach for more than 20 years. Miss Tara truly believes in the value of the lessons taught at Wonderland Dance Company and how they translate to everyday life. With that, she takes great pride in guiding her students, witnessing their development through the years both on and off the stage.
Chloe Bruce
Ballet · Jazz · Contemporary · Lyrical
Bio
Born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Chloe Bruce began her dance training at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts (MCPA), in 2004. Chloe trained in the MCPA’s Professional Program for four years, while completing her Advanced 1 Cecchetti, Advanced 2 Royal Academy of Dance, and Canadian Dance Teachers Association Jazz exams. Chloe was the recipient of the Janice Merritt Flemming Scholarship (2015), and in her graduating year, Chloe was awarded the Benedict Wong Cup (2017), for best shown love and dedication in learning all aspects of dance. Chloe has also performed with Quick as a Wink Theatre Company, in their productions of Oklahoma, 42ed Street, and Cinderella. After graduating from the MCPA, in 2017, Chloe moved to Toronto to further her dance education in George Brown College’s two year Dance Performance Program, where she won the Ballet Award. Chloe graduated from George Brown in the spring of 2019, and became a mentorship student with Canada’s Ballet Jörgen, with whom she toured throughout Canada and the United States in the world premiere of Anne of Green Gables the Ballet. Chloe is now thrilled to be teaching and sharing her knowledge of dance with the students at Wonderland Dance Company.
Jessica Saftu
Ballet · Jazz · Contemporary · Lyrical
Bio
Jessica is currently enrolled at York University in the Dance BFA Honours program for Choreography and Performance. With 15 years of dance experience thus far in styles such as, Ballet, Modern, Contemporary, Jazz, Tap, and Hip Hop, she plans to further explore dance through performance and teaching.
Jessica’s love for dance has no boundaries. She wishes to continue to share her love for dance and inspire young dancers. Being a dance teacher has always been a dream of Jessica’s and she hopes to show young, aspiring dancers that dreams really do come true. If you can imagine it, you can achieve it!
Kiana Walden
Ballet · Jazz · Contemporary · Lyrical
Bio
Kiana Walden began her dance career at the age of five, where she first discovered her love of movement. By age 8, she began competing and continued her competitive career throughout grade school. As she moved forward with her academics, she attended the University of Waterloo and received her Bachelor of Science with a double minor in Philosophy and Psychology. Throughout her undergrad, she never gave up her passion for dance as she competed and choreographed for the university’s competitive dance team. After graduating from the team and school, her passion and love for dance continued to inspire her; ultimately leading her back to the place and people who helped cultivate her love for the art form. As a graduate of the Wonderland Dance Company herself, Kiana now looks to inspire and cultivate a passion for dance in the up and coming younger generations. Trained in a wide variety of dance styles, including tap, hip hop, and contemporary, Kiana now teaches both recreational and competitive classes at the studio; with a focus in tap and hip hop. Her skill and love for tap in particular, has continued to inspire her to teach her students about the importance of the relationship between music and movement. With that, she is excited to bring new and fresh ideas to the classroom, with her intricate musicality and rhythm focused teaching style leading the way.
Leon Blackwood
Hip – Hop
Bio
Leon Blackwood is no stranger to Music and Movement. He began to explore the possibilities of a Dance Career around the age of 15, Performing at community events and with school dance crews. In hopes of building his choreography reputation he started his own Dance Group/ Company, Nu Limit Ent. in early 2003.
His strong performance skills and signature cool factor have landed him Principal Dance roles in movies such as “Honey” “Frenemies”, “Alvin and The Chipmunks 3” (Playing Alvin) and assistant choreographer and Dancer on “Make Your Move” (Cobu 3D). Training in classes and workshops around the GTA and the U.S he joined the cast of 1 of the most noted Hip Hop conventions “The Monsters of Hip Hop” in 2009.