It takes a village 

Our Faculty

Dance Instructor Bitty Berlinghoff Dance Instructor Bitty Berlinghoff

Samantha Kendall

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Sam discovered her passion for dance at the age of 3. She began competing at age 6 and danced competitively for 12 years. Sam started her teaching career subbing dance classes at Creative Edge in 2015 and has been a part of the faculty ever since. Sam has also choreographed numerous successful solo and duo routines in Tap and Musical Theatre genres, even earning choreography awards for her work.

In 2015, Sam had the amazing opportunity to compete with Team Canada Tap! She was accepted onto the large group Jr team and invited to the special small group team as well. Her teams competed in Reisa, Germany at the IDO World Championships and took home a 3rd place bronze medal, as well as 6th place!

Sam has been trained in Tap, Musical Theatre, Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Song & Dance, and Stage with many different teachers and choreographers around the lower mainland. Sam has participated in several workshops in many different genres. All of her experiences have contributed to her thriving career as a sought after teacher and choreographer in the Fraser Valley. Sam is the recipient of multiple choreography accolades including winning Top Choreographer at Shine Mission 2023 among many other awards. Sam is a hard-working instructor who will always strive to help her students improve their technique and grow their love of dance!

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Dance Instructor Bitty Berlinghoff Dance Instructor Bitty Berlinghoff

Leticia Ellis

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Leticia’s passion for dance began at the early age of 4. Her studies began in the local dance studio where she grew up in Maple Ridge, BC. Starting out with jazz and tap. It instantly became evident to her family that Leticia was a natural performer. She then started taking on different styles of dance including hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, musical theatre, and ballet. Leticia was part of the Northwest Dance Project, competitive dance team in her teens. She has had the opportunity to travel and train in New York City, perform, compete, and has trained under many well-known choreographers in the industry. She was the lead choreographer in her High School Dance Program and received Best Choreographer awards each year. Leticia has continued to enhance her skills professionally by attending Dance Conventions in Canada and the US, taking classes at Harbour Dance Center in Vancouver, BC, and was a member of Elevate Dance Crew directed by Leigh Hilary Lee. Leticia believes education is key to keeping things fresh and current. She attended the Dance Life Teacher Conference in Arizona ran by Rhee Gold in the Summer of 2015 and most recently got certified in Sugarfoot Therapy, a physical therapy-based conditioning for dancers. Leticia has had many performance opportunities including the 2015 Western Summer Games in “Big Spirit Sky.” Vancity Project, Monsters of Hip Hop, Next Level Hip Hop, and the BC Ride to Conquer Cancer to name a few. Leticia’s journey led her to Fort McMurray, AB in 2013 where she resided and taught for 5 years. She enjoyed being apart of such a unique city and tight knit dance community full of such wonderful opportunities; Leticia choreographed for Keyano Theatre Company’s 2013 Farce “Boeing Boeing.“ She also was a celebrity dancer in Fort McMurray’s 2014 Dancing with the Stars in support of the SPCA. Leticia was the Dance Director/Choreographer for Keyano Theatre’s Drama Force Youth Intensive. She choreographed 2014 Jr. Musical “Disney’s Aladdin,” and 2015 Jr. Musical “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” and the 2016 Jr. Musical “Disney’s The Jungle Book Kids.” She also spent her time as a Dance Instructor and Educational Assistant with the Fort McMurray Public School District. Leticia has been back in BC for about 5 years now after becoming a mom, and has been enjoying teaching and doing choreography through out the lower mainland. Leticia has extensive experience teaching students of all ages, levels, and styles and her choreography has been recognized for numerous awards at competitions and festivals. Leticia brings a fun and positive vibe to all of her classes at Creative Edge.

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Dance Instructor Bitty Berlinghoff Dance Instructor Bitty Berlinghoff

Shania McNarland-Preston

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Shania has 22 years of dance experience in various genres, focusing mostly on R.A.D classical & character ballet, variations, modern, contemporary, lyrical & jazz. Shania has received numerous awards in dance and is now passing along the same opportunities to her students. Shania has been scouted out by Barcelona Ballet Project and offered a scholarship, but chose to decline the offer to stay local to raise her son near family, while focusing on various other dance studies. Shania has been taught by renowned R.A.D mentors such as Anushka Roes T.T.P Director, Barbra Chonin R.A.D examiner and educator, Teresa Randall R.A.D examiner and teacher all from the Canada National Ballet (CNB). She’s also had the privilege to be educated by numerous other outstanding teachers such as Jo-Ann Adams, Marissa Visnjak, Mary-Anne Stephans, Carlin Swift and Judi Kellet to name a few. Shania has also performed in ballet teaching intensives along side dancers from some of the worlds most well known classical ballet schools such as the GOH academy, Coastal City Ballet, and Royal Winnipeg ballet. Shania has 10 years teaching experience in R.A.D ballet, contemporary, modern, lyrical, and jazz. As well as has achieved all 3 levels of Progressing In Ballet Technique (PBT). Shes actively working towards achieving multiple other teaching courses. Her biggest joy is dance and having the opportunity to create and inspire todays youth by creating a safe environment, where all students develop proper understanding of music, technique and foundations of dance, to enhance artistic quality of movement, and bring out each students confidence as an individual. She believes everybody can learn to dance, and that dance is therapeutic way to express oneself freely.

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Dance Instructor Bitty Berlinghoff Dance Instructor Bitty Berlinghoff

Keira Chu

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Keira took her first ballet class when she was 3 years old, and knew that she had fallen in love. Since then, she has continued training in ballet and later pointe work, as well as lyrical, jazz and musical theatre. Keira has trained in RAD levels from Grade 1 to Intermediate and has been dancing competitively for 9 years. In 2016, Keira begin her teacher training as a volunteer assistant in ballet classes. She continued assisting for several years and started substitute teaching dance and ballet classes in 2021 before taking on classes of her own in 2023.

Keira has attended the Shine Top Ten Dancer workshops in 2020, 2021, and 2023. These workshops gave her opportunities to learn from Canadian dancers and choreographers in the industry, like Louise Hradsky and Sarah Brewer Clowes. In 2023, Keira won a scholarship for the Lightning Elite Performance Team. The team consisted of dancers from across Canada and the USA. She performed with Lightning Elite in Disneyland and while there, got the opportunity to attend a workshop taught by a Disney cast member.

Keira hopes to share her love of dance with her students, and aims to make the class environment fun and engaging.

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