MEET OUR AWARD WINNING FACULTY
QUALITY INSTRUCTION DONE WITH CARE
We do our best to make sure that all students receive the best possible dance training. To do this, we have made it a priority to have a teaching faculty that is highly qualified in terms of teaching, dance experience, and training. At BOSS Dance Academy, it is our priority to ensure that our teaching faculty is qualified, certified, experienced, and accomplished as dancers and teachers. We also have teachers and choreographers that have a wealth of experience as professionals in the dance industry, and they are most happy to pass on their knowledge and artistry to the next generation of dancers.
BRETTON SELENT, RMT, FIS, PT | DIRECTOR OF URBAN STUDIES
(HIP HOP, BREAKDANCE, STAGE COMBAT, THEATRE, MUSICAL THEATRE, FILM )
Bretton’s dance training did not start in a studio but with the Hip Hop community in Winnipeg. Training, performing, and battling with some of Canada’s top crews such as Dangerous Goods (bboy crew), Sikat (choreography crew), and currently with B.O.S.S. Dance Crew (freestyle/choreography crew) as Co Director alongside Genie Baffoe.
His training has taken him all the way to Toronto and New York at the Broadway Dance Centre. He currently is a Dancer and Choreographer for B.O.S.S. Dance Team (WPG).
Bretton was a touring performer and choreographer with ‘ONE’ Performance Collective, for its “Book of Angels” (2007), “Five Animals” (2008) and “Shadow of the Dragon” (2009) productions in Central and Western Canada.
Bretton’s award winning choreography has been seen taking golds and gold honours year after year at various dance festivals and competitions. Bretton is a Choreographer of the year nominee. He has worked with Juno Award winner Fresh IE and “Kingdom Music Record Label” as their concert choreographer. Places like “MTYP”, Opening Ceremonies MB Games, Fringe Festival, WE DAY and dozens of high schools around MB are just some of the other places he has worked with.
Bretton is also the founder of Manitoba’s largest open-style hip hop battle, “Heat the Streetz”, which brings out dancers from all over Canada and the United States and crowds of 2000.
Bretton holds his diploma of RMT and Exercise Science from Wellington College, and certifications in Personal Training and Fitness Instructor Specialist through
canfitpro.
“A good teacher is one who is first a student them self.”
- Bretton Selent
LYNDSAY SELENT, A.D.A.P.T., FIS | DIRECTOR OF TECHNICAL STUDIES
(JAZZ, TAP, CONTEMPORARY, BALLET, HIP HOP)
With over 20 years of technical dance experience, Miss Lyndsay has successfully completed Ballet (Cecchetti) and Jazz (ADAPT) exams. She is a certified ADAPT Jazz and Tap teacher, qualifying her to enter students into dance exams and she has has completed her national certification as a Fitness Instructor (canfitpro).
Having attended many dance conventions, she’s also
work-shopped under renowned dancers/choreographers such as Mia Michaels, Brian Freedman, Wade Robson, and Dave Scott. Lyndsay's work has been seen winning several competitive awards including gold and gold honours.
Lyndsay currently trains with B.O.S.S. Dance Team (WPG), where she has competed in Toronto and many other Hip Hop competitions in Canada. She has also trained in New York at the Broadway Dance Centre in several styles.
Lyndsay has toured to Africa, spending time doing street ministry in Kampala and Gulu, Uganda, working with two different missions organizations. This also included teaching dance to youth in Gulu, Uganda. Here in Canada, she was on both performance and outreach tours with ONE Performance Collective, which involved touring for venues from Winnipeg to Vancouver, but also outreach to Pukatawagan Reserve.
Lyndsay's mission is to teach and mentor values and dedication through dance by helping students set and meet goals. To encourage ALL of her students to dance without the pressures of the competitive, self-focused ‘dance world,’ keeping dance as a true passion rather than a task or job. To mentor kids through dance rather than just teach them empty movements and meaningless choreography, teaching them that their dance can truly affect others in a positive way.
LAURA ELLIOTT, R.A.D. | INSTRUCTOR
(BALLET, CONTEMPORARY, MODERN, JAZZ, IMPROVISATION, CREATIVE DANCE )
Laura started dancing at age three and hasn't been able to stop since!
A graduate of the Professional Program with the School of Contemporary Dancers, Laura performed professionally across Western Canada until she re-shifted her focus to dance education in 2010. She received her Certificate of Ballet Teaching Studies through the Royal Academy of Dance in 2012, and plans to pursue her Masters in Dance Education in the near future.
Laura is an active advocate for the advancement and growth of the Manitoba dance community. She sat on the development committee and held the role of Principle Instructor at The Dance College of Manitoba, in addition to producing her own choreography (for both stage and screen). She sits on the Board of Directors for Dance Manitoba and is passionate about promoting dance education around the province. Her most recent endeavor, 'Fat Babes Dancing,’ is a project to increase visibility and body diversity in dance.
She is beyond excited to be sharing her passion with dancers in rural Manitoba!
BOSS Dance Academy is lucky to have such a superstar in the industry on our team. With her expertise, BOSS Dance Academy is looking forward to having a high quality Ballet program. Students will have the opportunity to participate in Ballet exams if they would like to take their training to the next level.
CHRIS KITCHEN | DIRECTOR OF THEATRICAL STUDIES
(THEATRE, MUSICAL THEATRE, STAGE COMBAT, MAGIC, CIRCUS, IMPROV, PHYSICAL THEATRE (clowning/miming)
The Prairie Drama Academy is excited to be joining forces with BOSS Dance Academy to continue to provide opportunities for young performers to grow in Manitoba.
Instructor/Director, Christopher Kitchen has over 30 years of experience in many forms of the Theatre Arts and is classified as a Theatre Artist with the Province of Manitoba and with the Manitoba Arts Network. His broad training has allowed him to incorporate his work within the community and in the schools and seminars/workshops across Western Canada.
Christopher has written numerous scripts that have been performed across the province and has developed his own career on stage, in television, and in movies. His experience as a Director and Instructor have been used to develop new programs in locations that have never had opportunities before. Chris Kitchen is a master of many theatre based art forms including physical theatre, musical theatre, stage combat, magic, and clowning. His expertise in Theatre Arts is magnified with his added professional career of all aspects of running a show.
Chris is a trained lighting technician, sound technician, and emcee. He has been a huge part and friend of BOSS Dance Academy for many years, helping keep our yearly recital at a professional level. After 10 years of supporting BDA in the background, he is finally where he belongs - front and centre as a powerhouse and local instructor with BOSS Dance Academy.
BRIANNA FERGUSON, SPP Contemp. Dancers | INSTRUCTOR
(CONTEMPORARY, MODERN, JAZZ, IMPROVISATION, CREATIVE DANCE, BALLET )
Brianna Ray Ferguson is a graduate of The School of Contemporary Dancers senior professional program’s class of 2014. She performed professionally with Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers from 2014-2018 under the artistic direction of Brent Lott.
Outside of WCD, she has worked professionally with Constance Cooke of Company Constance Cooke (Victoria, BC), Christina Medina of @tendance (Vienna, Austria), Jason Martin of ENTITY (Montreal, Quebec), Odette Heyn of Odette Heyn projects in collaboration with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (Winnipeg, Manitoba), and Tedd Robinson for the 60 dancer project performed at the Canada Dance Festival (Ottawa, Ontario). She has done film work with Kayla Jeanson of Parachute Media Lab for Young Lungs Dance Exchange’s Research Series and Constance Cooke’s ScreenDance Intensive. She taught company class with Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers Professional Company, the New Teachers Act with The Dance Post, community class for Rainbow Stage, and has been teaching at Masterworks Dance Studio since 2013. In September of 2019, she co-directed, choreographed, and performed in her own show “Inertial Response” with two other local emerging professional contemporary artists. She has also been performing with BOSS Dance Pro Crew since 2018.
Brianna is excited to continue her instructing career with BOSS Dance Academy, bringing her expertise in Contemporary styles.
(JIVE, CHA CHA, RUMBA, SAMBA, WALTZ, QUICK STEP, FOXTROT, VIENEZE WALTZ, SALSA, BACHATA)
Jedi started dancing at the age of eight at RWB where he studied Ballet, Tap, and Jazz until the age of 13. From there, he went to Ted Motykas Dance Studio and started a whole new chapter in dance. Jedi studied everything Latin and Ballroom and started performing at different events. He placed third with his partner in Jive at his first competition.
Jedi started teaching classes when he was 19, and even had his own kids class on Saturday mornings, teaching both Latin and Ballroom dances. He participated in a huge fundraising event in Winnipeg called, "Dancing With the Celebrities" for four years as a pro dancer, which raised money for Winnipeg with disabilities. When he was 21, he started training in Salsa styles at Ted's, and fell in love with the fast rhythms and music. Jedi joined the Bollywood DAK PAK at the age of 25 and performed with the group at Salsa at the Forks and other events in Winnipeg. When he was 28, he joined RHR (Regan Hirose and Harold Rancano; 2X Pro Cabaret-Bachata champions). Jedi started competing at different congresses throughout Canada, winning many competitions and heats. He placed fifth in the world for his mens Salsa solo at the World Latin Dance Cup in Miami.
Jedi now teaches everything from the Waltz and Jive to Salsa and Bachata at Ted Motykas and BOSS Dance Academy. He also teaches private lessons and choreographs wedding routines! Jedi has also had the pleasure of working along side many talented choreographers in Winnipeg who have worked so hard at perfecting their own craft:
-Genie Baffoe of B.O.S.S. Dance Crew
-Layrissa Semchyshyn of Slavik Ukrainian Dancers
-Bernadette Shum at Institute of Dance
-Frank Ferlaino at Institute of Dance
-Pedro, Flamenco Instructor
I have had an amazing journey through dance so far, and I hope to continue sharing my love and passion for dance to all ages, and to keep growing as a dancer. - Jedi Baker
(BALLET, CONTEMPORARY, MODERN, JAZZ, IMPROVISATION, CREATIVE DANCE )
Joel has been dancing with BOSS Dance Academy for six years, training in Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Ballet. Joel has performed and competed in Manitoba Dance Festival and South Eastern Manitoba Dance Festival awarding him Golds.
Joel currently volunteers by bringing dance to schools in Portage La Prairie, teaching kids the importance of dance and the values that come with it. Joel has also choreographed for local musicals in Portage la Prairie.
Joel has been teacher assisting for three years and has completed his BOSS Dance Academy Teacher Training Certification. Joel would like to pursue dance by going to school and making a career out of it one day!
Dance is not just a bunch of moves thrown together to look good, but a way to express what you are feeling. I believe that dance brings a group of people so close that they become a family with a lasting bond between them.
(THEATRE, MUSICAL THEATRE, HIP HOP, CONTEMPORARY )
Miss Naomi has been training with BOSS Dance Academy for 10 years in many styles including Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary, Theatre, and Musical Theatre. With almost 15 years of on stage theatre experience, she is a triple threat! Naomi is a senior member of the Prairie Drama Academy where she has performed and helped direct/produce productions such as The Lion King, Annie, and Shrek the Musical. She has been teaching theatre to kids for three years and has completed her instructor training with BOSS Dance Academy.
Naomi is currenlty attending the University of Winnipeg to attain her Bachelor of Arts and Theatre with a major in Performance. She hopes to take her acting career to the next level and perform with Rainbow Stage.
Watch out for this up and coming superstar triple threat!
(JAZZ, BALLET, CONTEMPORARY )
Miss Katrina has been a student with BOSS Dance Academy for the past nine years, training in various styles including Jazz, Contemporary, Ballet, and Pointe.
Katrina has had the opportunity to compete at dance festivals in Manitoba in groups and individually where she has won many Golds and high marks. She has completed the BOSS Dance Academy instructor training program and has been teacher assisting for three years. Working with younger dancers has helped lead Katrina to her decision to pursue a career as a school teacher. She is currently a full-time student at the University of Manitoba working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree and will then enter the Faculty of Education.
Katrina is very passionate and would like to share her love of dance with young dancers. She believes that dance is a powerful means of expressing yourself in a positive way and making lasting friendships.
JULIE MELCHIN, A.D.A.P.T.| INSTRUCTOR
(TAP, JAZZ, BALLET, CONTEMPORARY, MODERN )
Julie was born and raised in Gatineau, Quebec where she started dancing at the age of 3. As a young girl, she was a successful competitive dancer winning many local, national and international awards. She performed several times on the televised talent show Homegrown Café and was featured in many Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
Trained in various styles such as Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, Contemporary, Modern and even Ballroom and Latin dancing, Julie’s extensive teaching career started over 10 years ago. With the Arthur Murray Franchised Dance Studio in Ottawa, she specialized in Latin and Ballroom dancing. She later returned to her roots and gained experience instructing and coaching part-time and full-time competitive dancers of all ages. Since receiving her Associated Dance Arts for Professional Teachers (A.D.A.P.T.) Certification in 2013, Julie has guided students of all training levels through the examination process with resounding success. Currently, Julie travels throughout the year to adjudicate competitions, teach workshops and set choreography for young dancers. Her routines have received numerous judges’ awards and many of her choreographies have earned top scores at several competitions. Julie is excited for the opportunity to share her knowledge and to help all dancers develop their technique and improve their overall performance.