Owner & Artistic Director
Jazz, Tap & Hip Hop Instructor
Jessee started dancing at 3 years old at Steps Dance Centre...and she hasn't stopped!
Dance was an early love of Jessee's, and quickly became her focus and main activity. She trained in Jazz, Tap, and Ballet dance since the beginning, and later trained in styles such as Lyrical, Hip Hop, and Musical Theatre.
During her high school years, Jessee assisted and taught classes at Steps. As a member of the Steps Dance Company, she traveled throughout Canada and the USA performing and competing.
She has taught children of all ages, in various capacities, for the last 15 years. Teaching is one of her passions, and fusing it with her love of dance is a dream come true.
After having her three children, Jessee returned to Steps again, as an instructor. In September 2017, she became the new owner and artistic director of Steps Dance Centre.
She has always been an avid learner, and will continue to be a life-long learner of dance and movement. Multiple times a year she completes online teaching courses and continues to take dance classes in Vancouver. Jessee has completed the iTap Online Tap Teacher Training course, and is currently working towards multiple other certifications.
Jessee is humbled and honoured to be carrying on the legacy that is Steps Dance Centre, and instilling the love of dance into all her students.
Sarah has worked as a teacher, choreographer, performer, and adjudicator since 1996.
As a dancer, Sarah has performed works by John Ottmann, Edmond Kilpatrick, Sarah Brewer, and Alison Denham among others. Her choreography has been featured throughout Vancouver in The Kiss Project, Dancing On The Edge, ROMP! Festival of Independent Dance, 12 Minutes Max, The Chutzpah! Festival, and at the Blinding Light Cinema. Sarah has also worked as a dancer in the Major Motion Picture "Little Women".
As a teacher, Sarah has spent many years on faculty teaching Ballet and Modern at Arts Umbrella's Professional Training Program(Vancouver), Victoria's Ballet School, The Parksville Ballet School, and as the Assistant Artistic Director for Dancestreams, a touring pre-professional Youth Dance Company. For 8 years in this position, Sarah worked as a Rehearsal Director for such outstanding choreographers as Crystal Pite, Bengt Jorgen, Hannah Stilwell, Joe Laughlin, Wen Wei Wang, Ruth Cansfield, and Louis-Martin Charest among others.
Sarah has also enjoyed teaching Master Classes in Germany, Belgium, Moncton and at the Los Angeles High School for the Performing Arts. She has many former students that have taken top honours at the B.C Festival of Performing Arts (Provincials) winning both Stage, Ballet, and Modern categories.
Many of her former students have gone on to Professional Careers in Dance, including Ballet B.C, Ballet Kelowna, Ballet Victoria, and Carnival Cruise Lines as well as the Royal Winnipeg Teacher Training Program and the National Ballet Teacher Training Program.
Sarah regularly adjudicates for festivals and competitions, and is a certified Acro Adjudicator through the Acro Dance Teachers Association.
Clara Halbert
Acro, Hip Hop, Jazz & Tap Instructor
Clara has loved the performing arts, especially dancing, since she was a little girl, and she is now a triple threat performance artist.
She has 14 years of dance training in 8 genres, including 8 years at Steps Dance Centre. She also has 10 years of musical theatre training, including performing lead or leading roles in 9 full-scale musical theatre productions. Additionally, she's completed 2 years of choreography training, 8 years of classical, Broadway and contemporary voice training, and 10 years of music training on 4 instruments.
Over the years, Clara has won multiple scholarships and awards in many aspects of the performing arts, at festivals and competitions across BC and Alberta. In 2015, she was fortunate to win a major scholarship to attend a 6-week advanced musical theatre academy in Missoula, Montana, where she received direct training from multiple award-winning Broadway and Hollywood actors. She has also attended dozens of master classes and conventions in all aspects of the performing arts.
After having worked with children for the past 7 years in daycares, camps and community programs, choosing to blend my performing arts training and experience with her love for working with children seems like a perfect fit.
Clara plans to continue with her training now and throughout her life, so she can forever share her passion and be a teacher. She has completed her Acro training with Acrobatic Arts, and is continually looking for new opportunities to enhance her knowledge and teaching!
