TRAC Faculty | Season 6

Meet the Faculty of TRAC’s youth recreational dance, theatre, and competitive programs. Our team of dedicated educators brings diverse artistic journeys and qualifications that inspire students to grow into technically proficients, confident, and expressive athletes and performers.

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Jamee Valin

Studio Director | Competitive Ballet, Jazz & Lyrical | Recreational Ballet

Jamee has been a dance educator, choreographer, and performer for over 15 years. Before founding TRAC in 2020, she taught at esteemed institutions including Defy Gravity Dance Co., Canada’s Ballet Jörgen, and Durham School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance. She was a Master Teacher for the Alberta Dance Educators Association and a Jazz Technique Syllabus consultant for Dance Educator International. An accomplished director, adjudicator, and producer, Jamee has choreographed more than 40 professional works. She studied Dance Performance, Cultural Studies, and Business Administration at York University and George Brown College, and holds certifications in Acrobatic Arts, 4Pointe, and Conditioning with Imagery. Mentored by Peggy Baker and Donna Krasnow, she has built a teaching philosophy centred on technical excellence, artistry, professionalism, and joy. At TRAC, Jamee is committed to inspiring brilliance in her dancers while nurturing a positive and inspiring studio culture.

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Raine Kearns

Competitive Jazz | Recreational Jazz & Acro

Raine is a Toronto-based dancer, choreographer, and educator with a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Calgary and an MFA in Dance from York University. She has performed internationally at ImPulstanz in Vienna, Tanz Festival in Berlin, and The Palace in London, and has worked with renowned artists including Peggy Baker, Hanna Kiel, and Bonnie Kim. Her choreography often explores the relationship between movement and space, earning recognition across Canada. Recently certified in Acrobatic Arts, Raine brings her passion for creativity and technical excellence to TRAC, where she is dedicated to helping students grow as confident and expressive performers.

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Jessica Stuart

Competitive Jazz & Modern | Recreational Ballet

Jessica Stuart is a professional artist and educator with a BFA in Performance and Choreography and an MFA in Creation and Choreography from York University. Specializing in contemporary and modern dance, her practice explores human behaviour, adaptability and curiosity. Her practice celebrates new challenges as a chance to learn and grow, motivating much of Jessica's relationship to conditioning, exercise, and creative exploration. Alongside instructing, she works in an ongoing artistic residency with BrickHouse Productions, where she continues to refine her skills in choreography, dance videography, and digital media.

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Kiara Marazzi

Competitive Hip Hop & Contemporary

Kiara is an emerging professional dancer, choreographer, and instructor. A graduate of Etobicoke School of the Arts’ dance department, she is a highly accomplished alumnus of its iconic historical productions, having contributed as a director, stage manager, performer, choreographer, and producer. She trained at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy Conservatory Program in Los Angeles, California, and performed in Debbie Allen’s Hot Chocolate Nutcracker (2024). Kiara takes great pride in passing on her ever-evolving artistic knowledge and expertise to the next generation of students. Community and culture drive and inspire all of Kiara’s creative pursuits, fueling her ambitious vision. She hopes her impact on young dancers will encourage them to dream big.

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Caitlin Griffin

Competitive, Recreational & Adult Ballet

Since 2016, Caitlin has been an artist with the Margie Gillis Dance Foundation: Legacy Project Company. Career highlights: dancing with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens for 7 seasons and performing in the 2010 Olympic Opening Ceremony. She is certified in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) and teaches ballet, pointe, contemporary, injury prevention, improvisation, and performance techniques. Caitlin frequently choreographs across Canada for professional training programs and, recently, YAGP competitive solos. Her ensemble and solo ballet choreography won 4 Gold Medals at the IDO World Dance Championships in 2014. Caitlin always says, “I love supporting students in developing their confidence, ability for movement and creativity!

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Jen Morris

Competitive & Recreational Tap

Jen has been an award-winning teacher, choreographer and sought-after adjudicator for over 25-years. On top of a BFA in theatre, she also holds certifications with Canadian Dance Masters of America, Rhythm Works Integrative Dance and Canadian Dance Teachers Association with which she put through countless dancers in high-level tap exams. In 2015 Jen was invited to Ho Chi Minh City’s Dance Centre to teach dancers competing on SYTYCD Vietnam and local students. Her 4 months in Vietnam was a highlight of her long career. In 2021, nearly two decades and hundreds of students later, Jen returned to Toronto. She is thrilled to be working for Jamee (one of her very first students many moons ago) at TRAC!

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Grace Kingston

Competitive & Recreational Acro

Grace is a Toronto-based artist, teacher, and choreographer passionate about teaching the new generation of dancers. With a strong commitment to engaging diverse communities, Grace shares innovative and therapeutic modes of movement that inspire creativity and self-expression. As a recent graduate of York University’s Dance program, Grace has learned from esteemed choreographers and instructors, including Helen Jones, Susan Lee, and Julia Sasso. After cultivating a profound understanding of various dance genres and techniques, she specializes in modern dance and acrobatics. Her approach weaves together aspects of dance, yoga, pilates, and somatic-based ideologies, offering her students a holistic and enriching experience. Grace aims to empower her students to uncover their limitless potential.

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Caroline Niklas-Gordon

Recreational & Adult Ballet 

Over the past 20 years, Caroline has danced across Europe, the U.S. and Canada. Her career began at The National Ballet (Prague). Further down the line she was fortunate to work with some of North America’s most celebrated choreographers; Peter Anastos, Peggy Baker, David Earle, Vicki St.Denis, Gabby Kamino and Anne Troake. Caroline has a dance performance diploma from George Brown College and holds a teaching certificate from The Royal Academy of Dance. She has taught ballet and contemporary dance extensively for almost three decades.

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Avalon Quin

Recreational Family Dance, Tumblers, Jazz, Tap & Ballet | Adult Fitness

Avalon, our Director of Youth Programming, has a Bachelor's Degree in Digital Communications from Humber College and 8 years of teaching experience working with children ages 16 months to 16 years. With a focus on developmental movement, Avalon brings a warm and supportive energy to class. When she's not in the studio or working away in the office, she also teaches fitness. Avalon is a certified Barre and Pilates instructor with a deep commitment to health and wellness. She is dedicated to uplifting both body and mind. As her passion for music and movement continues to grow, she has fallen in love with the challenge of finding new ways to push herself and her students in a fun, safe, and supportive space to learn together. 

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Tyler Quincy Yan

Recreational Hip Hop

Tyler is a street dancer, choreographer, and educator from Richmond Hill. He has thorough experience teaching students of all ages in hip-hop, whacking/waacking, and choreography—and is committed to constant training as an educator. "Teachers should always remain learners!" Tyler started his dance journey in 2017, finding the community of freestyle dance. He then began training intensively in hip-hop and whacking. From 2018-2021, he led his own street dance crew, KFD, and hosted regular sessions and organized battles. Moving to Toronto in 2021, Tyler has since gained commercial credits: Johnny Orlando, FASHION Magazine and Toronto Dance Theatre. Beyond his artistic practice, Tyler is a recent graduate of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law where he competed with FLUX, UofT’s dance team. 

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Tia Brazda

Private Vocal

One of Canada’s most recognizable jazz voices, Tia has captivated audiences worldwide. She has performed at renowned festivals, including the Montreux Jazz Festival, Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, and San Jose Jazz Summer Fest. Her latest album, When I Get Low, features Grammy and JUNO Award-winning musicians and has earned over 450,000 Spotify streams. Not only a celebrated vocalist, but also a songwriter, Brazda first gained recognition with her 2012 hit ‘Cabin Fever’, now considered a landmark in electro-swing. Tia brings her wealth of experience to TRAC’s private lessons, focusing on vocal technique, songwriting/artist development and jazz, inspiring the next generation of performers with her passion and expertise.

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Heidi Lange

Musical Theatre Ensemble - Vocal

Heidi is a Toronto-based singer, teacher and writer. She has taught and coached voice, piano and musical theatre to students of all ages for over 20 years, including being a faculty member at TRAC since its inception. A graduate of the Mohawk College Applied Music (Jazz) program, Heidi has also studied musical theatre, piano and violin. She has performed frequently in Toronto and the GTA in theatre and as a solo vocalist, with two independent albums to her credit. Heidi is passionate about the power of theatre to foster collaboration, compassion, confidence and creativity, and loves working with young performers.

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Aslhie White

Musical Theatre Ensemble - Acting

Ashlie has worked professionally in theatre, musical theatre, opera, voiceover and film & TV for the last 20 years. She is originally from Alberta, where she studied Theatre Arts at Grant MacEwan University. She has had a varied career, including playing Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire, singing opera with fireworks, being the voice on recent Kinder Surprise commercials and scaring people as a ghostly entity on the TV show Haunted Museum. As a teacher, Ashlie brings warmth and joy to class and believes in creating a safe place for students to explore, play and learn. She feels honoured to be a part of the TRAC family and witness young performers grow into their artistry.

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Steve Cota

Musical Theatre Ensemble - Choreography

Stephen Cota has been performing all over Canada in the greatest theatres the country has to offer for the last 23 years! This includes 15 seasons at the Stratford Festival, where he has been on stage for the last 6 years and has had the privilege of working alongside Donna Feore as Associate Choreographer and Assistant Director. He has choreographed Stratford’s productions of The Hypochondriac, Romeo and Juliet, The Mad Woman of Chaillot and Mary Poppins at The Grand Theatre in London and was set to choreograph Billy Elliot at The Neptune Theatre in Halifax before the pandemic. He is incredibly passionate about teaching, educating young aspiring artists and leading industry professionals.

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Grace Elliot

Recreational Jazz & Tap | Musical Theatre Ensemble - Choreography

Grace has worked in Toronto’s dance industry for over 10 years. She specializes in teaching tap and musical theatre choreography and loves teaching little ones. Her goals are to give freedom within a structured class and to encourage kids to develop the ability to work independently and as part of a team. She believes the learning process should not be micromanaged and that students learn best (and grow their self-esteem) when they’re trusted to work through challenges on their own, with guidance as needed. She has a BFA in performance and choreography from York University and a master of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University.

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Bryce Gowdy

Recreational Musical Theatre 

Bryce is a dancer, choreographer, and musical theatre performer from Bowmanville. Bryce began dancing at the age of six and continues to fall in love with it every day. Bryce has trained in all styles and has worked closely with the British Association of Teachers of Dancing, where he holds his Associate membership in both Jazz and Tap. Before Bryce graduated from High School, he played a large role in his school community as both a performer and a choreographer for school musicals (The Prom, Chicago, Mamma Mia). Bryce continued his training at Randolph College for the Performing Arts and trained extensively in singing, dancing, and acting. He was a featured dancer at the Toronto Fringe Festival alongside the cast of “The Iron Mask” which went on to be voted as Best of Fringe by Theatre Orangeville. He performed in both The Nutcracker, and Swan Lake with the National Ballet of Canada.