Jennifer Bolt

Sabbatical 2008-2009

For more than a decade, Jennifer Bolt has been a performer, educator, writer and researcher in Ontario. She works and performs in both ballet and modern/ contemporary dance, with a particular interest in the overlap of those two genres. Jennifer has been dancing with Blue Ceiling dance, led by Lucy Rupert, since 2002. Over the past 15 years Jennifer has guest-taught and conducted workshops for several dance schools throughout Ontario, including George Brown College, Ballet Jorgen, Randolph Academy for the Arts, the National Ballet of Canada and the Teacher Training Program at NBS. Jennifer is currently a faculty member at York University, where she teaches dance history, ballet and modern dance.

Jennifer is also pursuing a PhD at the Faculty of Education at York. She holds an MA in dance from York University, an honours BA in dance from the University of Waterloo and a Teacher Training diploma from NBS, as well as Associate levels from the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) in the Cecchetti method and in national folk dance. She received honours standing on her advanced Cecchetti examination in June 2005, which was made possible by a teaching grant from York University. This is Jennifer’s sixth year teaching in the Adult Ballet Program at NBS.

Jillian Clarke

Jillian’s enthusiastic and detailed approach to teaching has developed through her culmination of studies at the Teacher Training Program, here at The National Ballet School, and at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre.

Beginning her training in Muskoka, Jillian’s passion for ballet took her through successful performances and examinations. After training at NBS, Jillian graduated with distinction, covering all credentials including Associate status in the Cecchetti Society and ISTD National Dance faculty, Registered Teacher Status in the Royal Academy of Dance and 6 advanced dance exams. She is continuing her studies and broadening her passion for the arts through contemporary dance, at the internationally recognized modern dance school, The School of Toronto Dance Theatre.

Jillian has been teaching for the Associates Program for the past two years and looks forward to working with the Adult Program on a regular basis.

Aimee Geldard

Distinguished by her energetic and creative approach, Aimee Geldard is credited for being highly musical with a knack for detail.

A graduate of the National Ballet School’s Teacher Training Program, Aimee graduated with distinction and received the Betty Oliphant Award honouring the most promising graduate in the field of teaching. While at NBS, she certified with the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and the Cecchetti Society of Ballet, as well as National Dance.

Also an accomplished dancer, Aimee was a member of the Toronto-based contemporary dance company, OMO Dance Company where she had the pleasure to tour Macedonia with the National Theatre of Macedonia in a joint production. She has also worked with acclaimed choreographers Menaka Thakkar of Menaka Thakkar Dance Company, Marshall Pynkoski and Jeannette Zingg of Opera Atelier, as well as various other Toronto chorographers. In combination with her professional experience she has successfully achieved high levels in RAD (Advanced II), Cecchetti (Advanced I) and National Dance (Advanced II).

Aimee currently teaches in both the Adult and Associates Programs as well as is involved with YouDance.

Johanna Hilchie

Johanna Hilchie is a graduate with distinction of the National Ballet School's Teacher Training Program. She holds teaching qualifications from the Royal Academy of Dances and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (National Branch). Her formal dance training began at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts in Halifax, and continued to include Arts Umbrella, Ballet Magnificat and the Joffrey Ballet School in New York. Johanna is a graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts, and is the winner of the 1999 CDTA National Ballet Competition.

Elisabeth Leyds

Elisabeth Leyds-Holmes is a graduate of both our Professional Ballet Program and our Teacher Training Program at Canada's National Ballet School. She has taught dance throughout Ontario with a focus on preparing students for Cecchetti examinations, and has also spent several summers teaching at The School of Dance in Ottawa. In 1978, Elisabeth was invited to join the staff at George Brown College by Lois Smith, former principal dancer with The National Ballet of Canada. She went on to become coordinator of the junior school and helped to create a syllabus for both the junior and adult division programs. Ms. Leyds assisted in the creation of the George Brown College Youth Ensemble, a group that performed at several venues in Toronto including the Art Gallery of Ontario. On Lois Smith's retirement, Elisabeth became principal of the school until 1992. After a brief retirement, Elisabeth returned to teaching. She joined our Adult Ballet Program staff at NBS in 2006.

Ashleigh Powell

Ashleigh Powell has worked for the past three years as resident choreographer for the Toronto Youth Theatre. In this capacity, she has choreographed eight full-scale musical productions. Her work has also been featured at Hart House Theatre (Hamlet, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum), the Classical Theatre Project (Macbeth), and Canopy Theatre (As You Like It). In 2008, Ashleigh received The Carol Chadwick Award for teaching and completed associate qualifications with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing.

She currently teaches ballet at the Randolph Academy for Performing Arts and in the Associates Program at the National Ballet School. Ashleigh holds an Honours degree in history and sociology from the University of Toronto and will graduate from the National Ballet School’s Teacher Training Program at the end of this year. She is honoured to have been asked by Bob McCollum to join the staff of the Adult Ballet Program.

Richard Sias

Richard Sias trained at Canada's National Ballet School and Butler University. As a dancer, he performed with The National Ballet of Canada, London Festival Ballet, and in various Broadway musicals. He has staged and directed numerous productions for professional and university dance companies, including the Syracuse Ballet Theatre, Tampa Ballet Company, Southern Ballet Theatre in Orlando, Florida State University and the University of South Florida. From 1979 to 2003, Richard was the director of the ballet division in the Department of Dance at Florida State University and subsequently founded CORPS de Ballet International, an organization for professionals who teach ballet in university dance departments. Also in 2003, he was named "Teacher of the Year in Higher Education," a peer-juried award given by Dance Teacher magazine. Richard joined our artistic staff in 2005 and currently teaches in our Teacher Training Program, Professional Ballet Program and Adult Ballet Program.