Meet Miss Irene

Owner & Artistic Director • Dance Educator • Choreographer • Adjudicator • Mentor

“Life is great… dance makes it better!”

For more than 39 years, Miss Irene has been teaching, choreographing, mentoring, and sharing her love of dance with generations of dancers. As the Owner and Artistic Director of Footworks Dance Academy, she is incredibly proud of the school she has built and, most of all, of the students, teachers, and families who have made Footworks the special place it is today.

Miss Irene holds a Bachelor of Education Degree with Honours and a Teaching Certificate from the Royal Academy of Dance. She is certified in Acrobatic Arts Modules 1 & 2, Spectacle Blue Aerial Arts (Hoop, Trapeze & Silks), Progressive Ballet Technique  and is trained in the Al Gilbert and ADAPT syllabus systems. She teaches and choreographs across many disciplines, including Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, Acrobatics, and Aerial Arts.

Her passion for dance education extends well beyond Footworks. Miss Irene currently serves as President of the Alberta Dance Educators Association and is a member of the International Academy of Dance Adjudicators. She is also a member of the Canadian Dance Teachers Association where she teaches online courses to aspiring student assistant teachers. She regularly attends conventions, master classes, and professional training across North America, always bringing new ideas and inspiration back to her students and teachers. She also has been invited to speak and teach at conventions across Canada!

Miss Irene is also passionate about developing the next generation of dance educators. She created the S.T.E.P. Program, a teacher preparation program designed to help young dancers become confident, knowledgeable, and inspiring teachers. She has also mentored aspiring educators through the Royal Academy of Dance Teacher Training program and is recognized for her expertise in Early Childhood Dance Education.

Over the years, many of her students have gone on to pursue professional careers and advanced training with organizations such as Alberta Ballet, Jörgen Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Toronto School of Contemporary Dance, Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, York University, and Lamondance. While Miss Irene is incredibly proud of the dancers who have gone on to professional careers and achieved wonderful success, she believes dance is about so much more than awards, trophies, or what happens on stage.

For Miss Irene, dance is about building great humans.

It is about teaching children to work hard, be responsible, show kindness, overcome challenges, support one another, and believe in themselves. It is watching a shy child find their voice, seeing a dancer learn to persevere when something is difficult, celebrating friendships that last a lifetime, and helping young people discover that they are capable of more than they ever imagined.

And after 39 years, her favourite place to be is still in the studio—dancing, creating, choreographing, laughing, encouraging, and celebrating those magical moments when something finally clicks.

Footworks Dance Academy is her passion, her creative home, and a family she is incredibly proud to call her own.

“Life is great… dance makes it better!”

Meet Miss Keanna

Dance Educator • Early Childhood Educator • Choreographer • Performer

Miss Keanna is a lifelong Footworks dancer who has grown from a young student into an accomplished educator, performer, choreographer, and mentor.

She holds a Bachelor of Early Childhood Curriculum Studies with Distinction from Grant MacEwan University and is trained in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Musical Theatre, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Contemporary, Acrobatics, and Aerial Arts. Her professional training includes RAD Ballet, A.D.A.P.T., Acrobatic Arts, Progressive Ballet Technique, Spectacle Blue Aerial Arts, and the Rambert Contemporary Dance syllabus through RAD.

Keanna has performed internationally in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Disneyland, and her choreography has received numerous awards.

Known for her bright, bubbly, energetic personality, Miss Keanna has a wonderful way of making children feel comfortable, confident, and excited to learn. She loves encouraging dancers to work hard, have fun, be kind, and believe in themselves.

For Keanna, Footworks truly is home—and she is thrilled to share her love of dance with the next generation!

Meet Miss Dehla

Dance Educator • Early Childhood Educator • Performer • Choreographer

With over 30 years of experience in dance and 13 years in early childhood education, Miss Dehla brings experience, creativity, and plenty of heart to Footworks Dance Academy.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction from the University of Calgary, specializing in Dance and Educational Studies. She is trained in RAD Ballet, Acrobatic Arts Modules 1 & 2, and Aerial Arts, and has performed in exciting places including Disneyland, New York City, and aboard Stars at Sea.

Miss Dehla has a special gift for working with young children. Her bubbly personality, gentle nature, and great sense of humour make her classes fun, welcoming, and encouraging. She loves helping children build confidence, try new things, and discover just how much they can do!

You may find Miss Dehla teaching, helping at Little Footsteps Academy, or working behind the scenes at the studio. Wherever she is, she brings a smile, enthusiasm, and a whole lot of love for our Footworks families!

Meet Miss Tasarina

Dance Educator • Performer • Aerial Artist • Lifelong Footworks Family Member

Miss Tasarina is a lifelong Footworks dancer who has grown into an accomplished performer, educator, and Aerial Arts instructor. She is excited to share her passion and experience with our next generation of dancers.

She has extensive training in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Hip Hop, Acrobatics, and Aerial Arts, including RAD Ballet through Advanced 1, Acrobatic Arts, and certifications in Aerial Hoop, Trapeze, and Silks. She has also performed with Alberta Ballet in The Nutcracker, internationally in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and trained with the Jörgen Dance Company.

Miss Tasarina recently completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and studied Dance at York University, giving her a strong understanding of movement, body mechanics, and safe physical development.

Her bubbly personality, enthusiasm, and encouraging nature make her classes energetic and fun. She loves helping dancers overcome challenges, build confidence, and discover what they are capable of.

Footworks has always felt like home to Tasarina, and we are so happy she is now helping inspire the next generation!

Meet Miss Olivia

Dance Educator • Performer • Aerial Artist • Lifelong Footworks Family Member

Miss Olivia has been part of the Footworks family since she was a preschooler and is excited to now share her love of dance with a new generation of dancers.

She has extensive training in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Acrobatics, and Aerial Arts, including RAD Ballet examinations and 10 years of dedicated Aerial Arts training with Spectacle Blue Aerial Arts Productions. She has also performed internationally in Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

With a degree in Early Childhood Learning and an Arts degree, Miss Olivia brings a wonderful combination of education and experience to her teaching. She is also part of the Pembina Hills School Division, where she works as a Speech/Language and Occupational Therapy Assistant. Her experience gives her a strong understanding of how children learn, grow, communicate, and develop, making her a wonderful and supportive teacher for our young dancers. Her creative, fun-loving personality shines in the studio. She loves watching children gain confidence, discover new skills, and find joy through dance.

When she isn't dancing, Miss Olivia enjoys baking, crafting, gardening, and the great outdoors. We are thrilled to have this lifelong Footworks dancer step into her new role as teacher, mentor, and role model!

Meet Miss Mikayla

Tap Specialist • Dance Educator • Performer • Choreographer • Veterinarian

Miss Mikayla began dancing at just two years old and has a special passion for Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, and Contemporary.

Her extensive tap training includes the Al Gilbert Tap Examination syllabus through Grade 9, and she has performed with respected ensembles including Edmonton Tap Collective, Next Steps, and Rhythm Motives. Her performance experience has allowed her to explore musicality, improvisation, and the exciting art of making music with her feet!

Mikayla began teaching dance in 2017 and loves creating a positive, encouraging environment where dancers can build confidence and have fun while developing strong technique.

After taking several years away from dance to complete her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, Miss Mikayla is excited to return to the studio.

With her enthusiasm, technical knowledge, fun personality, and genuine love of tap, she can't wait to help dancers discover the joy of making music through movement!

Josh comes to Footworks with a wealth of knowledge in the Hip Hop Industry!

He has danced professionally all over the world. As a dancer, Janet Jackson, Tsar B, Nelly, Sean Kingston, Ace Hood, and Jabbawockeez are just a few of the artists in the industry that Josh has performed alongside. He has also choreographed and been a part of the production for several artists, commercials, and music videos. Not only has Josh met many successes in his dance career, he has also utilized his skill of dancing to give back to the community at a local level. Although he has taught all over the world he especially loves working with the Edmonton Public School System teaching history and foundations of hip hop to students in kindergarten all the way to Grade 12! He is starting his own  Hip Hop company RA Stylez with Richard Andries in Edmonton as well as teaching at Grant MacEwan!

Josh is humble, kind hearted, loads of  fun and has a great sense of humor! He loves working with people of all ages and sharing his passion for dance! He can’t wait to meet the Footworks Dance Family and he is especially excited to start a B BOYZ Hip Hop Club just for boys! Come check it out!

Josh's Dance Reel