LMD Faculty
Our 3-year contemporary-based training program offers dancers the opportunity to immerse themselves in original choreography and to experience the concept of working with a professional dance company.
The director, instructors, and choreographers will bring their unique international experience and passion together to guide students toward a career in dance.
Nicolas Ventura - Contemporary
Nicolas Ventura is a contemporary dance artist, working internationally as a guest lecturer for universities, dancer, and choreographer. His teachings invoke a deeper understanding of the body's movement potential through improvisation and perceptual tasks - an opportunity for breaking down and discovering new movement habits. His practice is defined by movement languages and techniques that he has encountered throughout his professional dance career and his choreography.
Born in Guatemala City, Guatemala, and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Nicolas began his artistic development through a multidisciplinary approach of weekly acting, music and dance classes from the age of 8. He received his Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, Kent University, followed by his career in dance which began in Tel Aviv, Israel. As a dancer, he has worked for high-profile dance companies and choreographers from around the world.
Nicolas is a former dancer for Batsheva Dance Company (Israel), where he performed for 3 years with the ensemble, under the direction of Ohad Naharin and Idan Porges. Since 2015, he has performed, collaborated and/or worked internationally for choreographers such as Ohad Naharin, Sharon Eyal, Roy Assaf, Idan Sharabi & Dancers, Ohad Fishof & Noa Zuk, Talia Beck, Shay Kuebler and more.
Nicolas has composed original choreographic works for dance companies, television shows, music videos and choreographic platforms. He has also constructed short choreographic works for young artists attending conservatories/universities such as The Juilliard School and the University of Southern California.
Sarah Brewer Clowes - Ballet
Sarah Brewer Clowes is a master teacher with a career spanning the continent as well as a time period of over 40 years. She is also a dancer, choreographer, adjudicator and personal movement expert. Sarah is a proud mother, a podcaster and workshop creator/leader on the importance of Injury Prevention through Health Maintenance and Anatomical Basics.
Sarah’s performing career began at the Munich Ballet in Germany over 30 years ago and included dancing with the Northwest Florida Ballet, Banff Festival Ballet and the Vancouver Opera. Her independent performing career encompasses most of her professional life and allowed her the privilege of working with such luminaries as Crystal Pite, David Earle, Wen Wei Wang, Cori Caulfield, Amber Funk Barton, Sylvain Senez and Gioconda Barbuto to name a few. She choreographs for both amateur and professional dancers and loves the explorative process of creating with artists. Sarah has also had the pleasure of adjudicating dance festivals all over Western Canada, including three Provincial festivals in B.C.
As a teacher, Sarah’s passion lies in creating space and potential for each and every dancer to discover their own path to movement clarity, both in physical health and in technical individuality. Her methods involve an emphasis on anatomical knowledge, personal expression and love of self-discovery.
Sarah is highly respected for her extensive anatomical knowledge and creation of workshops that assist in maintaining dancer’s physical and mental health. She is also the creator of “Sarah’s Space”, a podcast that addresses a plethora of subjects from the arts world to social unrest and everything in between. Sarah’s deepest motivation is to help everyone that she works with find the best way they can dance forward in life.
Margarida Macieira - Rehearsal Director
Margarida Macieira is a Portuguese freelance dance artist, Gaga teacher, educator, and event producer. Residing in Vancouver, Canada, Margarida has cultivated a diverse career spanning multiple cities, including London (UK), Tel Aviv (Israel), Lisbon (Portugal), and Vancouver (Canada).
Margarida's artistic journey began at the Academia de Dança Contemporânea de Setúbal in Portugal, where she honed her skills in ballet, Graham technique and choreography. Seeking further growth, she moved to London in 2013 to attend London Contemporary Dance School, where she graduated with a 1st BA (Honors) in dance.
In 2018/2019, Margarida deepened her understanding of contemporary dance pedagogy by participating in the Gaga Teacher Training program in Tel Aviv, Israel. Supported by the GDA Foundation in Portugal, she had the opportunity to explore the innovative movement language developed by renowned artists such as Ohad Naharin, Bosmat Nossan, and Saar Harari.
Driven by her passion for education, Margarida pursued a Master of Education degree at Simon Fraser University. Specializing in Contemplative Enquiry and Approaches in Education under the guidance of esteemed educators Dr. Heesoon Bai, Dr. Laurie Anderson, and Dr. Charles Scott, Margarida developed a unique lens through which she approaches dance education and integrates contemplative practices within the artistic process.
As a freelance dance artist, Margarida has performed on international stages with acclaimed companies including Gil Kerer Dance Company, Jean Abreu Dance, James Cousins Company, Company Chameleon, and Voirelia Hub. Her collaborative approach and technical versatility, encompass contact improvisation, partnering work, choreography, composition, singing, voice work, theatre, and performance.
Beyond her performing career, Margarida has assumed roles as General Manager for EDAM Dance and Co-director of Addo Platform. Through Addo Platform, she has created opportunities for dancers to engage in workshops, regular classes, and the presentation of their work and creative processes.
Margarida's choreographic endeavours have involved collaborations with esteemed organizations such as ADCS, Dance Company Dancestreams, Healing Movement, Simon Fraser University, and Lamondance.
Margarida Macieira's career is distinguished by her dedication to dance education, community-building, and artistic exploration. She hopes to inspire communities to embrace collaboration, growth, and creative expression.
Hannah Sim - Yoga instructor
Hannah has always had a deep love for movement. She began dancing at the early age of 2 and continued for two years post secondary with Lamondance. After ending her dance journey is 2019 she discovered a love for yoga. After a devotional practice of the last three years, Hannah decided she wanted to take her practice even deeper and share her passion of yoga with others and take her 200hr teacher training. Hannah is 200hr RYT and will be continuing her teaching journey throughout 2023.
Krista Hassen – RAD RTS, B.Sc. FNH (Hon), PBT Cert.
Born in BC, Krista trained in the Professional Ballet Programs of The Richmond Academy of Dance, National Ballet School of Canada, Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Banff Centre for the Arts, and Montreal’s L’Ecole Superieure de Danse du Quebec. While living in Montreal, she worked with company members of Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, and studied daily with the esteemed Alexandra Wells, former principal dancer of Boston Ballet, and faculty member of The Juilliard School, New York.
Krista danced many classical and contemporary roles, completed all RAD Vocational Examinations, and won numerous awards and scholarships, including one to train at London Studio Centre, England. After injuries put a stop to her performance career, Krista obtained a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Food, Nutrition, and Health, from The University of British Columbia. With a special interest in wellness and injury prevention, she has conducted nutrition seminars for dancers.
Krista’s teaching career is entering her 25th year and spans multiple studios in BC and Alberta. She holds her Teaching Certificate and Registered Teacher Status with the Royal Academy of Dance and is also certified in the Progressing Ballet Technique conditioning method. From 2009 to 2021, she was Head of Ballet at RNB Dance & Theatre Arts, in North Vancouver. She is now on faculty at Tri-City Dance Centre in Coquitlam, where she is Assistant Director to the specialized Conservatory Program, as well as trains students in the younger grades of study. Krista also works with Vancouver’s newest emerging professionals, having taught company class for Ballet BC and, this season, rejoining the faculty of Lamondance, a pre-professional training company, under the Artistic Directorship of Davi Rodrigues.
Krista teaches class with passion and an eye for detail, holding high technical standards, while encouraging individual discovery and expression. She continues to guest teach and choreograph at different schools throughout Western Canada and has adjudicated in both exam and performance settings. Krista offers coaching in classical repertoire, PBT, open work (Vaganova and RAD influenced), and RAD Exam Syllabus. Her students are consistently recognized for strong exam results, awards and festival placings. They continue to be chosen as representatives to the BC Provincial Festival, are accepted to prestigious international training institutions, and have gone on to dance professionally. Krista has a genuine passion for ballet, and loves sharing this with the next generation of dancers!
Linda Arkelian - Ballet
Linda has performed internationally with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Theatre Ballet of Canada, Anna Wyman Dance Theatre and the Judith Marcuse Dance Company. She was the recipient of a Canada Council grant in 1991 to study at the National Dance Intensive and the National Voice Intensive. Linda has choreographed for and collaborated on numerous contemporary dance projects. Linda teaches Ballet and Contemporary Dance at Scotiabank Dance Centre, as well as Advanced Ballet at the School for the Contemporary Arts, Simon Fraser University. She is also ballet instructor and repertoire coach at Lamondance Company. In addition Linda is a visual artist, actor and filmmaker. Linda has had professional experience in theatre and film. Her dance films with David Cooper have received worldwide acclaim and international screenings in the US, India and the UK. Linda was honored as a guest speaker for PetchaKucha sharing the inspiration of her innovative "Bringing Artists Together" project which integrates musicians' and visual artists' work into her dance journey.
Oksana Maslechko - Repertoire
Oksana began dancing at age 12 with Slava Doval’s DanceFusion, in her hometown of Nelson, BC. There, she experienced a variety of styles including Contemporary, Hip Hop, House, Afro, Bellydance, Folk, Bollywood, and more. In 2016, she moved to Vancouver where she trained for two years in the Lamondance program and then danced for five years with the Lamondance Company, directed by Davi Rodrigues. Oksana currently works as a freelance dance artist in the Lower Mainland and has had the pleasure of working with artists such as Rachel Meyer, Idan Cohen, Alexis Fletcher, Wen Wei Wang, Nicolas Ventura, Brandon Lee Alley, Racheal Prince, Ziyian Kwan, Alex Neoral, Cristina Bucci, Yoshito Sakuraba, Lara Barclay, Kirsten Wicklund, Heather Laura Gray, Vanessa Goodman, Alysa Pires, Heather Dotto, and Shauna Elton. Oksana will be back with Lamondance for their upcoming 15th season, taking on her new roles as a repertoire teacher and rehearsal director.
Beverley Bagg - Ballet
Ms. Bagg began her training in both RAD and Cechetti in Johannesburg, South Africa, and has transitioned from a dancer into a master teacher. She was accepted at the Royal Ballet School in London, England, and danced soloist and principal roles with the PACT Ballet Company in South Africa for 15 years. Among the roles she performed were Bluebird and Princess Aurora from The Sleeping Beauty, Odette/Odile from Swan Lake, the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Swanhilda in Coppélia, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Giselle in Giselle, Kitri in Nureyev’s production of Don Quixote, and the lead in Balanchine’s Theme and Variations. She has also performed works by renowned choreographers such as Jiří Kylián, John Cranko, Goh Choo San, André Prokovsky, and Sir Frederick Ashton. Ms. Bagg has a diploma in biomechanics and physiology from the University of the Witwatersrand and integrates this knowledge into her teaching. She is clearly able to assess the structure and limitations of a young dancer and work diligently educating through awareness and encouragement. She is certified in Progressive Ballet Technique, a unique exercise programme designed to strengthen and address areas of weakness in ballet technique and her teaching has been endorsed by the founder of the programme. Ms. Bagg has been invited as a guest teacher to various companies and schools in the US, Canada and internationally. She was Ballet Mistress of Ballet BC and Alberta Ballet and has been instrumental in staging Swan Lake, Giselle and Romeo and Juliet for South African Ballet Theatre and Washington Ballet. Miss Bagg is on faculty as a teacher of Ballet BC as well as various contemporary programmes in the city of Vancouver. She runs her own drop-in classes as well as Programme Director of ProArte Centre. She is a regular guest teacher at a conservatory in San Diego. Specializing in Dance rehabilitation and with over 40 years of a passionate and very successful career as a professional dancer, teacher and coach, Ms. Bagg is able to draw on this experience and offer a rich and insightful approach to teaching and coaching. She establishes an environment of positive energy and demands excellence in a nurturing and inspiring manner. Ms Bagg is so excited to have been invited to be on the artistic team of Lamondance and work with all these wonderful artists.
David Secunda - Theatre Instructor
Originally a visual artist specializing in fibre arts David Secunda transformed into a performance artist as he experimented in ritual style performance art at art show openings and conferences such as the International Sculpture Symposium in 1978.Through the 1980's David Secunda performed physical theatre, experimented with giant woven fibre masks and puppets, and toured nationally and internationally with Imago and Theatre of Giants. In 1989 he became a theatre arts teacher in Coquitlam. After retiring from teaching he has appeared in several films such as Dead Hearts and Cohesion and plays including United Players' We Are Three Sisters and The Marriage of Figaro, NVCP's Having Hope at Home and Ghost Light's Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde and Surrey Little Theatre’s Truth and Reconciliation.
Isak Enquist - Contemporary
Isak Enquist is a dance artist, teacher, choreographer, and experimental musician/sound designer living on occupied traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh, Skwxwú7mesh, and xʷməθkwəy̓əm nations. Raised in the Kootenays/Ktunaxa of Canada, Isak began formal training in Shotokan Karate-Do before pursuing post-secondary dance education at Simon Fraser University and Modus Operandi (Vancouver), as well as training intensives with The Ailey School (Italy/New York) and Springboard Danse Montréal.
As an emerging dance artist, Isak has performed with Canadian companies such as: Out Innerspace Dance Theatre, Compagnie Vision Impure, Mahaila Patterson-O’Brien, the response. (Amber Funk Barton), Mascall Dance, Generous Mess, Corporeal Imago, CAMP, Shay Kuebler Radical System Art, and Anne Plamondon Productions. He is also a choreographer/producer with Enquist X Enquist, and Late Nights (Cohort), contributing as a dancer and collaborator on various projects. Touring with these companies have included performances across Canada, USA, Europe and Israel.
As a teacher and facilitator, Isak is researching how to support personal health as an essential component to creating and sharing dance. He has offered floor-work classes with Vancouver’s Harbour Dance Centre, Pacific DanceArts, The Landing Dance Centre, Training Society of Vancouver, Lamon Dance Company, The Goh Ballet Academy, and GötesborgOperan Danskompani (Sweden).
Collaborators
TJ Cooke - Conditioning
TJ is a certified barbell strength coach with over ten years of experience helping clients improve their physical selves to maximize quality of life.
As a life long athlete, TJ played for the U18 BC provincial rugby team, was awarded a scholarship to compete as an NCAA Div1 sprinter and currently plays cornerback in the Top Flight Flag Football League.
He is passionate about the philosophy that strength is the foundation that drives all movement and is dedicated to guiding you towards your best self with a carefully curated program focused on the balance of training and optimizing recovery.
Certifications Include:
Starting Strength, Barbell Strength Training
American Council on Exercise, Personal Training
Sarah Hutton - Contemporary
Sarah Hutton was raised in Hanna, Alberta where she began dancing at the age of five. She moved to Vancouver in 2013 to continue studying dance and has since trained with the Source Dance Company, EDAM, and Modus Operandi. She has had the pleasure to collaborate with; Paras Terezakis, Khoudia Toure, Jennifer Mascall, Isak Enquist, Constance Cooke and David Raymond & Tiffany Tregarthen. Sarah was chosen for Peggy Baker’s Emerging Artists Program in 2021. Touring with Shay Kuebler’s Radical System Art has brought her to perform across Canada, as well as France and Austria. Sarah is Co-Director of the contemporary dance company, generous mess (@generous_mess). generous mess’s work has been presented at Dancing On The Edge Festival, the EDAM Choreographic Series, and Left of Push. Sarah is privileged to live and dance as a guest on the traditional unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples – Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
Guest Choreographers
Alysa Pires, Cai Glover, Sidney Chuckas, Eowynn Enquist & Isak Enquist, Wen Wei Wang and +