Vancouver Ballroom Dance Teacher Training | Teach Ballroom Dancing | Dance Instruction | Learn To Teach Dancing

We are proud and excited to be sharing the talent, experience, and diversity that our faculty brings to our vision of a dance community. We are also very excited to be offering the Diane Jarmolow System for dance training and group teaching that we believe gives our students the greatest and most effective learning opportunity available.

Paul Scott is the Program and Curriculum director of the Vancouver Academy of Ballroom Dance and the Ballroom Dance Teacher Training program and is certified as a Professional Instructor with Dance Vision International. Paul started his career in ballroom dancing at Dance City in 1977 and distinguished himself by winning 1st Place in the Vancouver Disco Solo Championship!  While “keeping a foot in the dance world” in the intervening years Paul has had a career as an Engineering Officer with the B.C. Ferries, as an award-winning realtor with RE/MAX Masters of West Vancouver, is a certified Personal Wellness Coach and with his B.A. in Counselling, currently has a private practice as a Clinicial Counsellor. Paul believes life is for living and the best living always includes the joy of dance!

Bea Rhodes founded Rhodes Wellness College in 1996. Bea holds a Masters of Education (Adult Education) from the University of British Columbia and is a certified Life Skills Coach trainer and college instructor. Bea has designed and instructed many Life Skills, Wellness and Personal Development programs over the past twenty-two years. Bea is Paul’s Smooth Ballroom Dance Partner; an award-winning competitive amateur ballroom dancer with over eight years experience. You can find out more about Bea by visiting her website at www.RhodesCollege.ca.

Our dancing instruction program is based on Diane Jarmolow’s Ballroom Dance Teachers College Curriculum. Diane is a member of National Dance Counsel of America (NDCA). Diane has been consecutively awarded the prestigious “Teacher of Teachers” award for top North American Ballroom Dance Teacher. Diane is currently a guest instructor and program advisor for the Vancouver Ballroom Dance Teacher Training program. For more information visit: www.TeachBallroomDancing.com and www.ProDVIDA.com.

Katya is our Ballroom Dance Teacher Training Ambassador and a guest Master Instructor.  Katya’s focus is to introduce the wonders of dance to every age in a fun and safe learning environment!  She brings to Ballroom Dance Teacher Training the champion spirit with the belief and experience that you can do it and the world of dancing has something to offer everyone!  Katya has been dancing since the age of 6 but only discovered ballroom at age 13 ~ and the rest is history!  She taught Jennifer Lopez & Richard Gere in “Shall We Dance” and ripped up the big screen as the sultry, silent tango dancer who shows Antonio Banderas’ detention class in “Take the Lead” that time well spent is time doing the tango!  Currently, Katya is in England as a professional dancer on “Strictly Come Dancing”, the BBC’s version of the U.S.’s Dancing with the Stars.  “Strictly Come Dancing” Salsa “Strictly Come Dancing” Interview “Strictly Come Dancing” Vienneese Waltz www.katyavirshilas.com Take the Lead Tango Scene “Strictly Come Dancing” Quickstep

Dale Neale is a guest Master Instructor. Dale is a teacher, choreographer and coach and comes from an extensive competitive dance background. Dale has competed in International Latin, Standard and American Smooth and has won several titles including the U.S. Open Smooth Championship, numerous Rising Star Championships and is a two-time winner of the Canadian Smooth Championships. Dale has danced in movies, commercials and music videos; and has performed at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He also spent time traveling extensively through Europe performing and teaching Salsa with American Latin All Stars. His dance philosophy involves improving the quality of your life through the joy of dance and improving yourself physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually to be the best you can be. You are never too young or too old to start!

Neil Gilligan is a guest Master Instructor, CDTA Member Standard & Latin, an adjudicator A+ B+ C+ and D+, professionally qualified in Rhythm & Smooth. He is a Blackpool Pro Exhibition Champion, Canadian Pro Internationl Latin Finalist, Pro Latin Champ (Washington and Oregon Star Balls) and Street Hustle Champ (Oregon Star Ball and Dance Fever-ABC). Neil emphasizes the Art of movement in dancing and is committed to having his students believe in themselves through his vast knowledge of ballroom dancing, his training in personal counseling, many years of coaching and his success as a competitive dancer.

Tracy Holly is a guest Master Instructor, a former Female Professional Smooth Canadian American Style Dance Champion and holder of numerous other prestigious professional dance titles. Tracy has competed in body building and fitness and now choreographs routines for competing bodybuilders. She is the executive director to the Cory Holly Institute and also works as a National Spokesperson for Shape Up Protein. For more info on Tracy log on to www.CoryHolly.com.

Nestor Dela Zerda is a guest Master Latin Dance Instructor, choreographer, and coach for competitive team champions and a former trainer for the 2004 world champions in Miami Florida. His former dance team “The Trio” was invited to tour Asia and Europe as part of the Best 10 Teams in the world. Nestor’s current team has performed in numerous venues in Vancouver such as the Queen Elizabeth theatre, Michael J. Fox Theater, B.C. Place Stadium, The Wall Center and The Chan Center. He is the founder of the first two World Salsa Congresses in Vancouver, 2000 and 2001. For more info visit his website at  www.bcdance.com.

Kelly Foston is the Creative Director and Founder of Sexy Silhouettes… a dance and lifestyle company offering services in dance, choreography, fashion, costume design and footwear. She has been a dancer and creative arts expressionist for over 20 years, with a background in Recreation Therapy. Her background in dance includes Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Song and Dance, Latin, African, Argentine Tango, West Coast Swing, Folk Dancing… and anything else she can “step” into. For more information on Kelly you can go to www.diasporafusion.net.

Kathie Scott’s specialty is communications and presentation skills and she is the Promotions and Public Relation contact for the Vancouver Academy of Ballroom Dance.  Kathie has an extensive media background; for many years she was local radio personality ‘Samantha’ on the LG Morning Zoo.  She also brings her love of movement, dance, and nutrition to the program – a BCRPA-certified step aerobics instructor for many years, Kathie fell in love with ballroom dancing and Paul when they met on New Year’s Eve 2006.  Call Kathie at 604-813-4543.

Leah Sanderson is the Administration Director and Admissions Coordinator for Rhodes Wellness College and the Vancouver Academy of Ballroom Dance and the Ballroom Dance Teacher Training program as offered out of The Studio at Rhodes. Leah is a gifted Intuitive Spiritual Life Coach Counselor and Body and Energy worker. From an early age Leah has had a love for dance and was choreographing her friends to Wooly Bully and Little Red Riding Hood. “Dance makes my body and my spirit come alive” says Leah!