Dynamic Dance Arts

Cassandra Pecchia's passion for dance began at the age of four when she took her first tap class. A few short years later she became a competitive dancer, competing both locally and internationally. She competed against dancers from all across North America, often winning top awards. Cassandra is trained in tap, jazz, ballet, hiphop, modern, lyrical and musical theatre. Cassandra attended Etobicoke School of the Arts as a dance major where she studied Cecchetti ballet and modern dance. During her university years, she began teaching dance to children from the age of two to eighteen. She also worked for the City of Toronto as a head dance camp counsellor. Cassandra continued her education and received a Bachelor of Education in the primary/junior divisions. In 2013, Cassandra opened up Dynamic Dance Arts with her cousin Shannen where their mission is to inspire their students and ignite the same passion for dance that they have, throughout the years to come.

Shannen Clark began her dance training at the age of 3 and started to intensely train as a competitive dancer at age 8. She competed both locally and internationally and has won various top awards in her tap, hiphop and contemporary dance disciplines. Shannen is trained in tap, jazz, ballet, Acro, hiphop, contemporary, modern, lyrical, and musical theatre. Shannen attended Etobicoke School of the Arts where she majored in dance. There she was  trained in Cecchetti ballet and Graham, Limon and Horton modern dance. In addition to her competitive dance, Shannen was part of ESA's school dance company DancESAtion where she got the opportunity to perform in lead roles as well as train across the city with some of the modern industries well respected choreographers. At 16, Shannen began teaching various recreational and competitive dance disciplines . She continued her education where she graduated with a Specialized Honours, BSc in Kinesiology & Health Science and went on to pass her Kinesiologist's exam. While studying at university, Shannen continued to dance with York University Varsity Dance Team as well as Silhouettes Dance Company where she got the chance to choreograph and perform. Shannen has completed her Tap Teacher Training with the Tap Dance Centre in Toronto, Ontario and is a graduate of the ADAPT Teacher Training School as a certified dance teacher. She is currently in the process of obtaining her iTAP teacher certification.

Adriana Cecatini is an emerging dance artist in Toronto, Ontario. She began dancing at the age of four at The Woodbridge School of Dance and graduated from the Advanced Pre-Professional Program. She has trained in numerous dance disciplines including Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Contemporary, and Acrobatics. Adriana has studied both the Cecchetti and Vaganova Ballet methods, successfully completing Society of Classical Ballet (Vaganova Method) Major Level examinations, and has been a part of WSD’s Teaching Assistant Program. She has been privileged enough to train under renowned dance educators such as Gilly Chaplin, Desirée Champion, Nancy Greyeyes, Sonia Franco de Batres, Sharon Lindsay, George Absi, and Lisa Robinson. Adriana has performed in a number of Classical Ballet productions including, Études and as a soloist in Les Sylphides and Who Cares. She has choreographed and performed her own work as part of WSD’s Inaugural Choreographic Workshop.

Adriana is continuing her professional training in York University’s dance program specializing in performance and choreography. She attends annual teacher training seminars with The Society of Classical Ballet (Vaganova Method). She has successfully achieved her Acrobatic Arts certification in Module One, Aerial and Back Handspring, and Module Two, completed with Distinction. Adriana is also a professional performer with TDC Entertainment, where she shows her energetic performance side through multiple disciplines. She currently teaches young dancers across the GTA and aspires to continue sharing her passion for dance through choreographing, teaching, and performing.

Hailey began her dance career at the age of four, in a studio in Orillia. She began training in tap, ballet and jazz before joining the competitive team at the age of eight, expanding her styles with contemporary, lyrical, pointe, musical theatre and acro. Hailey has competed all across Ontario winning many overalls, scholarships and special awards throughout the years. She has danced locally for Ballet Jorgen’s production of the Nutcracker. She has also completed her tap and jazz exams up to the intermediate level. She began teaching recreationally five years ago, and started choreographing competitive dances in 2021. Hailey completed her Assistant Teacher Training Program, and in 2022, Hailey graduated from the ADAPT Teacher Training Program becoming a certified dance instructor. She has also completed module one of Acrobatic Arts program. She is currently studying business administration at George Brown. She is very excited to be back for another year at DDA and cannot wait to share her love for dance with others!

Alysis Davis is a performer, dance educator, and emerging choreographer based in Toronto, ON. Introduced to dance at the age of 3 at Canada’s National Ballet School, she moved on to Toronto’s competitive dance scene and later became a member of DancEast’s Youth Performance Company in Moncton, New Brunswick. Alysis holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance Dance from Toronto Metropolitan (formerly Ryerson) University, complemented by minors in Entrepreneurship and Psychology. Her professional training spans Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Contemporary, and Ballet, including certification as an ADAPT Jazz and Tap instructor. Beyond TMU, she has had the pleasure of training under and performing in works across Ontario by notable artists such as Natasha Powell, Angela Blumberg, Vicki St. Denys, Raoul Wilke, Alysa Pires, Louis Laberge-Cote, Roberto Campanella, Rock Bottom Movement, and in opportunities such as Fall For Dance North and the Orillia Jazz Festival. During her studies, Alysis received the New Brunswick Arts Board Full-Time Arts Scholarship based on her on-stage and film choreographic and performance portfolio. Alysis actively seeks opportunities to enhance her training and knowledge, maintaining a deep passion for dance in every role she steps into. She is eager to become part of the DDA community and is committed to nurturing the next generation of dancers to become confident, resilient, and creative movers.

Sierra Mariani began dancing at the age of four and quickly developed a passion for the art form. By the age of ten, she was training at a competitive level in multiple disciplines including ballet, acro, lyrical, jazz and contemporary. Growing up, not only did she perform for her studio but also showcased her choreographic abilities by creating her own solos and combination pieces for her peers. Currently, Sierra is enrolled in the dance program at York University, specializing in the choreography and performance stream. At York, she trains in modern, contemporary and ballet dance forms and has had the opportunity to perform in the school's performances and student-run shows. Sierra loves sharing her passion for dance through teaching and has experience teaching various age groups and styles. She is excited to continue inspiring and educating students at DDA this year!