Faculty

Isabella Flores- Pre-school Ballet

Isabella Flores has been training at Northwest Academy of Performing Arts (formerly Kirkwood Academy) since the age of four. She has been a soloist with the Royal City Youth Ballet since the age of six, and performed the role of "Clara" in the 2007 performances of the Nutcracker. Isabella has completed all of her RAD ballet examinations, and is currently in her second year of teaching pre-school ballet at Northwest Academy.

Joan Murray - Highland

Joan Murray, the founder and director of Tartan Pride Highland Dance Team, began dancing competitively at the age of 10, winning many medals and trophies. As a member of The B.C. Highland Lassies, a dance group formed by Mary Isdale MacNab, she performed throughout North America with the Royal Marines Tattoo, in Scotland at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo and before Queen Elizabeth II at Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Joan is a member of The Scottish Dance Teachers Alliance, Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing Judges Panel, ScotDance, B.C. Highland Dancing Association, as well as the Fraser Valley Highland Dancing Association.

Juliana Bergstrom - Ballet

Juliana Bergstrom was fortunate to have trained with Dolores Kirkwood and be apart of the Royal City Youth Ballet throughout her childhood. From the age of 7, Juliana enjoyed performing in the Nutcracker, Coppelia and Cinderella. She completed the RAD syllabus examinations up to Advanced II. Since graduating from Kirkwood Academy and the Royal City Youth Ballet, Juliana has had the opportunity to dance aboard Norwegian Cruise lines and Orient lines Cruise ships. She is a former member of the Source Dance Company and was a dancer in Disneyland's Christmas show. Juliana loves sharing her passion and knowledge of ballet technique with the young talent at NAPA and hopes that dance enriches theirs lives as much as it has hers.

Karin Nicholas - Ballet

Karin started dancing at Kirkwood Academy at 4 years old where she trained in Ballet, Jazz, Tap and Musical Theatre. She performed for many years with Royal City Youth Ballet and Royal City Musical Theatre. After Graduation, Karin spent several years dancing on cruise ships and for different production companies in Ontario. Karin was brought back to her ballet roots in Chiang Mai, Thailand where she taught RAD ballet and lead company rehearsals and classes for the Chiang Mai Ballet Company. Karin is a registered RAD teacher who loves to share her love of dance with all her students.

Keitha Campeau - Musical Theatre

Keitha began her dance training at the Kirkwood Academy of Performing Arts at the age of three. After graduating, she began training as a singer and studied her Bachelor of Music at Capilano University. Keitha's love of dance inspired her to continue ballet and she became a soloist with the Royal City Youth Ballet performing in "The Nutcracker", "Coppelia" and "Cinderella". Keitha received her A.R.C.T in vocal performance and began teaching voice and piano while performing in various productions and venues around Vancouver. She performed in RCMT's productions of "Brigadoon" and "Guys and Dolls" and played the roll of "Lady Ella" in the North Shore light opera's production of "Patience". Most recently, Keitha began Highland dancing and is a member of the Tartan Pride highland dance team. She is now a Director at The Northwest Academy of performing arts and loves teaching Musical Theatre.

Trisha Sinosich-Arciaga - Ballet

Trisha has trained and graduated from Kirkwood Academy of Performing Arts. She was soloist and ballet mistress with 'Dance Streams' before dancing with other groups. She trained with the Alberta Ballet School professional program, which helped to develop her exciting choreographic skills. Trisha continued her studies in dance and received her teaching certificate, achieving the high mark of 'distinction' from the R.A.D. As well as being a busy ballet teacher, she also assists the Royal City Youth Ballet Company with rehearsals and performances. A very popular teacher at our summer school program.

Sara Close - Jazz

Born and raised in Vancouver, BC, Sara discovered the world of dance at the young age of 6. Classically trained, Sara's training and performance experience includes ballet, contemporary, tap, salsa, jazz, stage, and hip hop. Currently, Sara is a member of Bravo Dance Company's Elite Salsa team, training with world champion Alfonso Caldera. Sara is also working towards attaining her full tap associate with the Association of International Dance Teachers (AIDT) and is currently a qualified AIDT Associate 1B teacher. Sara trained in the Drive Dance Centre "Scholarship Program" where she had the opportunity to work with many talented and innovative performers in the city. She has also had the opportunity to work with Amber Funk-Barton in her show "Risk" and apprentice with Heather Laura-Gray for "Project CPR". Sara's recent work includes music videos for Ash Koley, Marianas Trench, Jessie Farrell (CCMA Female Artist of the Year), 16 mm, Hey Ocean!, as well as commercials and short films. She has also performed in events such as: The Vancouver International Salsa Festival with Bravo Dance Company, and For The Luv of It Pro.

Nicola Earl - Ballet

Nicola is a graduate of the teaching program at the Royal Ballet School in London, England. This was a three year full time training program which covered all aspects of dance training including classical ballet , pointe work, repertoire, RAD and Cecchetti syllabus, character, spanish, music, History of Dance and Benish Notation. It was at the end of this course that Nicola graduated top of her class and was awarded the 1998 Dame Ninette de Valois Award for excellence in teaching. She taught for nine years at the London Studio Centre which is a professional performing arts school where she held the position of Head of Year to all first and second year students. This involved working with each student in creating a timetable which met their individual needs and career choice. She also worked extensively with some of the leading dance physiotherapists and created rehabilitation programs to help nurse injured dancers back to health. It was here she had the pleasure of working with Margaret Barbieri, former Principal dancer with the Royal Ballet Company. Nicola assisted Ms Barbieri on her audition tours throughout Europe for her professional company Images of Dance.

Since arriving in Vancouver ten years ago, Nicola has worked at many schools throughout the lower mainland. She has been on the staff at Harbour Dance for the last ten years and is currently guest teaching for Ballet BC.

Nicola has recently enjoyed adjudicating for the Prince Albert Festival of Dance , and is now looking forward to joining the staff at NAPA Dance.

Jennifer Suttis

Jennifer began her dance training at Peggy Peat School of Dance at the age of six. Here she trained in tap, jazz, ballet, musical theatre, acro, lyrical and hip hop taking part in numerous festivals and competitions across Canada and the US. After graduating, Jennifer attended the Canadian College of Performing Arts where she obtained her certificate in the arts. She recently attended New Image College of Fine Arts where she received her diploma in acting while dancing at Harbour Dance Center where she was apart of their Intensive Training Program. Her performance credits include; Smile: The Musical (Awkward Stage), Bye Bye Birdie, Singin' In The Rain (TUTS, 2011 Grace MacDonald Award for Most Promising Dancer), Will Rogers Follies (RCMT), Kiss Me Kate (CCPA), Broadway Brilliance (Victoria Symphony/CCPA) and numerous dance shows with PRP Productions.

Milena Canta - Ballet/Musical Theatre

Coming Soon

Ralph Escamillan - Hip Hop

Coming Soon