Wendy Laidlaw
C.D.T.A., A.D.A.P.T., A.D.T.A.
Wendy Laidlaw is a director, choreographer, instructor and adjudicator who shares and celebrates her love and knowledge of dance with those around her. She is currently in her 26th season as the Owner and Artistic Director of Just 4 Kicks Academy of Dance.
Wendy has been a full stage (Jazz, Acro, Tap) and Ballet member of the Canadian Dance Teachers Association (C.D.T.A) for over 25 years. She holds her A.D.A.P.T. certification in Jazz and Tap as well as her Junior and Intermediate certification with Acro Dance Teacher Association. Wendy is also a certified dance adjudicator holding memberships with the International Dance Adjudicators (I.A.D.A) as well as P.A.A. (Professional Adjudicators Alliance). She continues to host workshops across Ontario and has had the privilege of instructing and directing the credited dance program at Gravenhurst High School.
Many of Wendy’s students have had continued success in the dance industry including George Brown College, O.I.P., Conteur Dance Company, Disney Cruise Line, Toronto Blue Jays: J. Crew, Dance Olympus V.I.P., Toronto Rock, Canadian National Jr. Showdance Team 2010/2011 and Jr./Sr. Tap teams 2010/2011/2012(Germany) and the Canadian National Sr. Ballet, Modern and Jazz teams 2010, 2011, 2013 (Poland), Hollywood Summer Tour, various spot placements in music videos, stage performances around the world, and become fellow dance instructors, choreographers and studio owners across Canada.
Wendy continues to educate herself in the ever-changing world of dance through workshops and summer classes, travelling to New York City (Broadway Dance Center), Orlando, Las Vegas (Dance Olympus), as well as Triple Threat, MOVE, and The Dance Project conventions. Wendy is a firm believer of continued education to provide the best dance instruction possible for her students!
Shannon Charland
A.D.A.P.T., A.D.T.A
Shannon Charland is a tap, jazz, acrobatics and contemporary instructor at Just 4 Kicks Academy of Dance. Growing up as a competitive dancer, assistant teacher and now full faculty member, dance has been a big part of her life for over 30 years. She holds certification in tap and jazz through the A.D.A.P.T. Syllabus, as well as certification in acro dance through the Acro Dance Teachers Association (A.D.T.A.) and is a certified acrobatics adjudicator through the A.D.T.A Adjudicator Certification Course.
Shannon has traveled with the Canadian National Tap Team (Germany) and was a US tour member of the VIP Dance Team with Art Stone. She was a Master Instructor and Examiner with A.D.T.A. (formerly Acrobatique), examining students in acrobatics across Ontario.
Shannon is a certified school teacher, holding her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Waterloo, as well as her Bachelor of Education from Lakehead University.
Shannon has always had a passion for dancing and teaching, and loves sharing her love of dance with all of her students!
Carlee Brownlee
A.D.A.P.T., A.D.T.A.
Carlee Brownlee’s love for dance began at Just 4 Kicks Academy of Dance at the age of eight.
She trained in all genres of dance taking a special interest in acrobatics. After graduating high school, Carlee went on to complete the three year A.D.A.P.T. Teachers Training Program, gaining certification to instruct jazz and tap. She attended George Brown College in Toronto in 2010 where she continued her dance education training in ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, chorus rep, hip hop, vocals, acting and dance anatomy. She graduated from the P-101 Dance Performance Preparation Program and then went on to complete the P-103 Commercial Dance program in 2013.
Carlee has been instructing both recreational and competitive dance for 12 years and is constantly finding ways to stay current and continue her learning. She has completed the Alixa Flexibility program and holds her Acro Dance Adjudicator certificate through A.D.T.A.
Carlee values the needs of her students on a personal basis, providing a positive and nurturing environment for each of her students to grow and flourish to their individual potentials. Her classroom etiquette is effectively designed around inclusion for all dancers to explore the meaning of hard work, teamwork and fun. Carlee is looking forward to another fantastic season at Just 4 Kicks Academy of Dance!
Kathy Schaffer-Miladinovic
Instructor
Kathy Schaffer-Miladinovic was born and raised in Alberta, Canada.
She is a former award-winning student of the Alberta School of Ballet, where she was a scholarship recipient and multi-gold-medalist. Following her education with ASB, Kathy trained professionally in Los Angeles over the course of two years. She began teaching dance at seventeen years old and has been in love with her role as an instructor ever since.
Kathy starred in Tina Turley’s CMT music video and performed as a dancer with Shania Twain. Kathy’s love for dance shines through on stage and in each class she teaches, she is very passionate about creating a fun and educational atmosphere for her students of all ages.
As a proud mom of five amazing kids, Kathy is very happy calling Ontario home- and Just 4 Kicks Academy of Dance her extended family!
Heather Kingshott
Instructor
Heather Kingshott has been an avid ballet dancer for over thirty seven years.
As a child, Heather saw “Fame” for the first time on TV and knew she wanted to be a dancer too, admiring how graceful and challenging the art of dance was. She went on to attend a three year program at the prestigious Quinte School of Ballet.
Heather has been a faculty member at Just 4 Kicks Academy of Dance for over 24 years, teaching recreational and competitive levels of ballet pointe, modern and jazz to students of all ages. She loves to watch her students’ growth each season, applying the techniques and choreography she conveys in her classes into practice. The learning process is a joy to experience and Heather is proud of the progress she has seen in her students throughout her years as an instructor.
Heather is looking forward to another excellent season with Just 4 Kicks Academy of Dance!
Cheryl Matson
P.A.E.C.
Cheryl Matson is a dancer, choreographer and dance teacher originally from Southern Ontario.
Cheryl has extensive dance training, successfully completing all student exams for ballet (Cecchetti Method), jazz and tap with the Canadian Dance Teachers Association (CDTA) Syllabus with top standings, as well as studying modern, lyrical, pointe and musical theatre. She has completed Elementary & Intermediate Level ballet exams with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance (ISTD) Syllabus. Cheryl studied under notable top industry professionals including Dianne Walker, Annie Wood, Kim Chalovich, Bengt Jorgen and more!
Cheryl completed the Dance Performance Studies Program at George Brown College and the Dance Teacher Training Course in Toronto, Canada. She holds an Associate Member Certificate in tap and jazz with P.A.E.C, as well as her Full Member Certificate in Urban (Hip Hop) with P.A.E.C., where she co-created the training syllabus. Cheryl has attended numerous teacher & student workshops/seminars across North America with The Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Broadway Dance Centre, Disney and more. Throughout her career, Cheryl has performed in many shows and events across Canada, including a five year faculty run with “What’s On? Tap!” All Female Tap Company, and the opportunity to work with industry names Lane Alexander, Van Morrison and Sam Weber.
Cheryl has been teaching dance for over 18 years at the competitive and recreational levels. She has shared her love of dance through dance studios, school programs, parks and recreational programs and community events - as well as an independent guest teacher in Ontario, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. Cheryl is very proud of her students who attain top standings in both examinations & competitions, and looks forward to continuing to share her love of dance with each student at Just 4 Kicks Academy of Dance!
Mary Knights-Rossler
ARAD-RTS, TTP-Dip (NBS), Associate – Cecchetti Canada, Associate BATD.
Mary Knights-Rossler is a Distinction graduate of Canada’s National Ballet School’s three year Teacher Training Program, with qualifications from the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and Cecchetti Canada (CC). She holds her Advanced 2 Ballet certificate from the Royal Academy of Dance, as well as Advanced 1 Cecchetti (CC) and National Dance from the ISTD. In addition, Mary is qualified through BATD (British Association of Teachers of Dance) in Stage, Modern and Ballet and is a certified PBT practitioner.
Mary has trained students who have been accepted to the train in various prestigious companies across Canada including Canada’s National Ballet School, Quinte Ballet School and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. She has choreographed many award-winning routines for competitions across Canada with many special awards for technical excellence.
Mary is excited to share her love of ballet with the students at Just 4 Kicks Academy of Dance and is looking forward to developing their technique and musicality with her detailed and energetic approach to training.
Taryn Lamouroux
Co-Owner/Artistic Director
Taryn Lamouroux was born into the J4K family, spending the first few years of her life behind the curtain of every recital and competition with Wendy and the team.
Taryn danced every discipline throughout her entire school career, earning awards for her amazing stage presence from competition judges. Taryn completed exams in tap, jazz and ballet and was an asset to the front desk and 'behind the scenes' organization as a teen on top of her busy dance schedule..
Since graduating, Taryn has established her position at Just 4 Kicks as Co-Owner and Co-Artistic Director alongside Wendy Laidlaw. The family business is second-nature to Taryn, bringing her extensive skillset to the organization and communication for J4K. Be sure to come say hello, you can find Taryn in the office during regular class hours!
