• Recital Week Success: Notes from the Director for a Smoother Big Stage Week

    The car smells like a mix of industrial-strength hairspray and slightly damp ballet tights. Your living room looks like a sequin factory exploded. You’re double-checking the call times for the third time today, and you’re pretty sure you’ve forgotten something vital, like shoes, or maybe your own name. Recital week at the Great Lakes Dance…

  • Recreational vs. Intensive Study: Finding the Right Path for Your Dancer

    Is it already that time of year again? I swear, I was just packing away the winter coats, and now I’m looking at a calendar full of registration deadlines and "back-to-school" prep. If you’re a dance parent in Sarnia, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The "Fall Schedule Stress" is a real thing. You’re…

  • Unsimulated Humanity: Why Dance is More Valuable in the Age of AI

    Have you seen the "word of the year" for 2025? It’s not a fancy tech term or a high-brow philosophical concept. It’s "Slop." And honestly? It fits. Every time I open my phone, I feel like I’m standing at the end of an algorithmic sewage pipe. There’s this never-ending stream of AI-generated images with too…

  • Why Performing Arts Education Will Change the Way Your Child Handles Challenges

    I’ll be the first to admit it: I still get the shakes before a show. Even after all these years as the director of Great Lakes Dance Academy, that moment right before the curtain rises at The Imperial Theatre makes my stomach do a complete backflip. But honestly? It’s not just the stage. I still…

  • Looking For Dance Schools in Sarnia? Here Are 10 Things You Should Know

    Choosing a dance school for your child feels a lot like choosing a second home. And from my side of the front desk, I don’t take that lightly. You aren’t just looking for a place where they can learn to point their toes; you’re looking for the people who will help shape who they become.…

  • Ready to Level Up? 5 Tips for Nailing Your Dance Company Audition

    We’ve all been there. Shaky knees, palms that suddenly feel like they’ve been dipped in water, and the terrifying feeling that you’ve forgotten every single step you’ve ever learned. I’ve spent more hours in a dance studio than I care to count, and yet, every time audition season rolls around, that little butterfly in my…

  • Auditions

    Great Lakes Dance Academy invites dedicated dancers to audition for our programs for the 2026–2027 season. These auditions are for:Dance CrewIntensive Study (including the new IS Ballet program)Dance Company (Full Time Competitve team) Placement is based on technical readiness, commitment, work ethic, and overall program fit. Audition Day Schedule Saturday, May 24, 2026 9:00 –…

  • What are the building blocks for confidence?

    I’m trying something new… I’ve been posting videos of me talking out the things I’m thinking about. It’s been scary, but also wonderful to connect and chat with like-minded people out there. Maybe people think I’m awkward for doing this, and maybe they aren’t interested in what I’m thinking about. But setting a good example…

  • But my kid won’t be a professional dancer…

    This is a statement that I’ve heard more than a few times over the years. And I’m here to say– they might be if you let them try. Yes, being a professional in any kind of creative work is hard. But you know what else is hard?  Working at a job you don’t really like…