In Studio

Faculty

Kate Kernaghan
Director, In Studio

A graduate of Canada’s National Ballet School’s Teacher Training Program, Kate Kernaghan received her Royal Academy of Dance Teacher’s Certificate, as well as her Associate from the Imperial Society of Teacher’s of Dancing. She is also a Fletcher Pilates Licensed provider, a CanFit Pro Personal Trainer, and most recently completed her 200 hour Teacher Training with Power Yoga Canada. Having had former students go onto Canada's National Ballet School, The Ailey School, the School of Alberta Ballet and Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Kate’s dedication to teaching and to her students never goes unnoticed. Kate brings a wealth of teaching experience to the dance and fitness community and leads each class with positivity, dynamic energy and care for her students.

Johanna Bergfeldt

Johanna Bergfeldt was born in Sweden and trained at the Royal Swedish Ballet School. She has an extensive performance background beginning with Östgötabaletten in Sweden where she worked for six years. She later joined Norrdans, and Barents Dance Ensemble. She came to Canada in 2000 and was a dancer with Toronto Dance Theatre for six years. She has worked with numerous choreographers and companies including Kate Alton, Louis Laberge-Côté and ProArteDanza to name a few. Ms. Bergfeldt has been nominated three times for a Dora Mavor Moore Award. She teaches regularly at Canada’s National Ballet School, Dance-teq, GMD, The School of Toronto Dance Theatre and Toronto Dance Theatre, as well as teaching Pilates at Riverdale Pilates.

Mercedes Bernardez

Argentinian born Mercedes Bernardez had an international performing career as a Principal Dancer and as Ballet Mistress in several ballet companies in Argentina, Chile and Venezuela. Ms. Bernardez was Artistic Director at Quinte Ballet School from 1997 to 2003, before moving to Calgary to become Ballet Mistress at Alberta Ballet. Ms. Bernardez has been a guest teacher for Richmond Academy of Dance and Dance Umbrella in Vancouver, British Columbia. Ms. Bernardez now teaches company class for both The National Ballet of Canada and Ballet Jörgen Canada.

Sarahi Cardenas

Sarahi was born in Mexico and started her dance training at the Escuela Superior de Música y Danza de Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico and completed a year at The Rock School of Dance Education in Philadelphia. She danced with Ballet Metropolitano de Monterrey and the Ballet de Monterrey in the Corps before joining Canada’s Ballet Jörgen in the 2015-2016 season. Most recently, Sarahi performed with the Canadian Opera Company in their production of Rusalka. She is now freelancing with different projects as well as teaching.

Anna Elena

Originally from France, Anna Elena graduated from the National and Superior Conservatory of Music and Dance in Lyon in 2000. She had a performing career starting as a Corps de Ballet member with the Ballet of the Opera in Bordeaux under the artistic direction of Charles Jude. The company Repertoire included many classics including Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, Giselle and Don Quixote, as well as pieces from the Balanchine Repertoire; Four Temperaments, Who Cares and Serenade. She then joined the Landestheater in Linz, Austria as a Soloist where she danced more contemporary works. Since 2012, Anna has performed in several ballets and operas with the Paris Opera Ballet. While continuing to perform, she built on her teaching experience at the Conservatory of the 5th and the 17th district in Paris. She received her ballet teaching certificate in France in 2005. Since moving to Toronto, Anna has guest taught at George Brown College, Dance Teq Centre, Extension Method and Metro Movement.

Eric Hall

Eric Hall has danced professionally with companies across Canada, including Ballet Kelowna, Ballet Victoria, and Suddenly Dance Theatre in British Columbia, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal in Quebec, Ballet Jorgen and Opera Atelier. His favourite character that he’s performed (also his alter ego) is Dr. Frankenstein!

Imparting knowledge he has gained from his professional experience as well as from his training at institutions such as the Quinte Ballet School of Canada, George Brown Dance and the School of Alberta Ballet, Eric creates movement inspired by a large variety of instructors including Mrs. Nancy Kilgour, Mr. Murray Kilgour, Mr. Owen Montague, Mr. Chi Chun, Ms. Svea Eklof, Ms. Kathleen Rea, and Ms. Christine Wright.

Since beginning teaching Eric has had the pleasure of teaching at various schools such as the Ballet Victoria Conservatory, Victoria Academy of Ballet, Metro Movement, Extension Method, the Sean Boutilier Academy of Dance, and now excitingly at In Studio!

Eric incorporates his knowledge from his Massage Therapy studies, and approaches ballet from an anatomical perspective, and is known for creating musically inclined and movement-oriented classes.

Candice Helm

Candice received her professional training at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School’s Professional Division, and Canada’s National Ballet School’s Teacher Training Program. She has Fellowship standing with the Cecchetti Society of Canada, and has an extensive background in music. Candice has also worked as a ballet accompanist and teaches Music for Dancers and Teachers. Her classes are considered to be technique-based and fast-paced, with a strong musical focus. Teaching credits include York University, Ryerson University, University of Toronto’s Hart House, Canada’s National Ballet School’s Teacher Training Program, the Quinte Ballet School of Canada, Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts, and Metro Movement. Candice also regularly teaches children’s classes and is invited to adjudicate and guest teach across Canada.

Wendy Holt

Wendy trained at the Royal Ballet School in London, England. She holds the Royal Ballet School Teaching Diploma, Registered Teacher and Associate status of the Royal Academy of Dance and also Advanced 2 Ballet in R.A.D., I.S.T.D. and Cecchetti Syllabi.  In addition she also attained Associates in Cecchetti Ballet and National Dance and the Benesh Notation Teaching Diploma. She is currently an Examiner and Tutor of the Royal Academy of Dance and has worked extensively across Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Great Britain. Former students of Wendy have been accepted to the National Ballet School, Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and Quinte Ballet School.

Cynthia Macedo

Cynthia Macedo was born in Carmel, California and entered the National Ballet School at the age of 10 under the directorship of Betty Oliphant. Upon graduating, Cynthia joined The National Ballet of Canada. As a soloist with the National Ballet, she worked with many directors and choreographers such as Erik Bruhn, Rudolph Nureyev, Natalia Makarova, among others. Upon retiring from dancing professionally, Cynthia pursued a teaching career. She is currently a company teacher and rehearsal coach with Canada's Ballet Jorgen, a full time ballet instructor and choreographer George Brown College, adjudicator and an open class teacher at Dance-Teq in Toronto.

Nancy MacLeod

Nancy MacLeod is a certified Level 4 Essentrics instructor who has been teaching for over five years. She has a background in theatre performance and producing. A long-time fitness enthusiast, with Essentrics she discovered for her the perfect blend of strengthening and active stretching that she was long searching for. She found that in addition to building strength, it rapidly improved her flexibility and her balance, and also almost immediately relieved pain from an injury. She loves sharing the techniques with others and teaches group classes at a number of Toronto clubs, in corporate sessions, and with private clients.

Kevin Pugh

Kevin Pugh is a highly admired teacher in the Toronto dance community. Kevin was a principal dancer with The National Ballet of Canada for 13 years, seven of those years in which he danced as a Principal Dancer. Kevin took his highly applauded success as a featured performer and transformed it into a successful career as a ballet teacher.

Calley Skalnik

Learn more about Calley

Tatiana Tchernova

Tatiana Tchernova is a faculty member at Canada's National Ballet School, and company class teacher at The National Ballet of Canada. She was a Principal Dancer with The National Ballet Company of Uzbekistan where she performed lead roles in Swan Lake, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle and many others. Ms. Tchernova completed a master’s degree at the Moscow Institute of Dramatic and Fine Arts and attended the Paris Opéra Ballet School programme at New York University. As a Guest Teacher, Ms. Tchernova has worked with the National Ballet of Korea, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and Finnish National Ballet, among others.

She has been a faculty member of the Jackson Mississippi International Ballet Competition since 1989.

Alejandra Valiente

Alejandra Valiente is a professional performer, instructor, adjudicator and choreographer who specializes in Ballet, Floor Barre and Competitive Ballet Choreography. With 35 years of extensive experience performing and teaching, Alejandra graduated from The National Ballet School in Mexico City and went on to receive her teaching certificates from The Royal Academy of Dance, Vaganova, Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) Associated, Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) and Cecchetti. She has worked as a performer in classical and neo-classical ballet, folklore European and musical theatre and as a choreographer for TV shows as Sesame Street. She worked as Creative Director for Conexion en Movimiento in Mexico and worked on events such as the Para Pan Games Guadalajara 2011 and the presentation of the mascot at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. Alejandra is committed to sharing her knowledge to help all generations of dancers to understand the value of ballet technique through their dance journey.

Tomoe Yamasaki

Tomoe Yamasaki is a former ballet dancer who teaches and coaches ballet and has over 20 years of experience in Japan and Canada. Tomoe became interested in Pilates through her friendship with Toronto’s first Instructor fully qualified to train Fletcher Pilates® Teachers. Tomoe completed her Fletcher Pilates® Comprehensive Program becoming a Fletcher Pilates® Qualified Teacher in 2013. In 2014 Tomoe advanced her certification further to Fletcher Pilates® Professional Teacher standing her among the most experienced Fletcher Pilates® teachers in the world. Tomoe continues sharing her expertise in both Canada and her native Japan. Although Tomoe specializes in training professional ballet dancers with clients in companies such as National Ballet of Canada, Canada’s Ballet Jörgen, Tokyo Ballet, K-Ballet Company and Semperoper Ballet Dresden, her regular clientele spans all ages and fitness levels, including those recovering from illness or injury. Tomoe still actively coaches and teaches ballet dancers on a regular basis in Toronto at Dance Teq and In Studio, as well as annually in her workshops throughout Japan.

T.J. Milne

T.J. first discovered her love for ballet at a local dance studio in Kitchener-Waterloo, Canada. She attended Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and went on to graduate from The Kirov Academy of Ballet, in Washington D.C. She has received countless scholarships and awards for her articulate ballet technique and her artistic expression. T.J. danced with Canada’s Ballet Jörgen and went on to join Koba Entertainment, Canada's leading commercial children’s theatre company. Dedicated to passing her knowledge of ballet to the next generation, she has committed much of her time outside of her performing obligations to coaching.T.J. has taught master ballet classes of all levels and students ranging in ages from 3 to 83 years old. She has coached elite figure skaters from the Kitchener Waterloo Figure Skating Club and has volunteered at Toronto’s Sick Kids Hospital to bring the joy of movement to children in need of support with building their physical and emotional strength.

Eleanor Bull

Eleanor received her professional training at Canada's National Ballet School. Upon graduation, Eleanor began her professional career dancing with Pacific Northwest Ballet and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre before returning to Canada where she danced with Les Grands Ballet Canadiens and Canada's Ballet Jorgen performing and touring across the country in multiple soloist roles and contemporary works.

In 2016, Eleanor graduated from the Teacher Training Certification through Canada's National Ballet School as a former professional with distinction. Studying under Rosalie Deligioridis, she also obtained her Cecchetti Associate with Distinction. Since then, Eleanor has taught classes in the professional and associate programs, as well as the outreach programs at NBS. From 2016-2020, she was the head of the Adult Ballet Department at the Hamilton Conservatory providing classes for all levels, as well as pilates, stretch and conditioning. Before joining In Studio, Eleanor worked at Goh Ballet Bayview under Chan Hon Goh. Eleanor is passionate about providing students with strong technique and instilling a genuine joy of movement.

Larkin Miller

Learn more about Larkin

Tanya Howard

With the National Ballet, Tanya danced many lead roles, including Alice and the Queen of Hearts in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty, Stepsister in Cinderella, Paulina in The Winter’s Tale, Summer and Autumn in The Four Seasons, La Rose in the world premiere of Le Petit Prince, Snow Queen in The Nutcracker and the female lead in Voluntaries.

In 2016, Ms. Howard was awarded the David Tory Award, and was awarded the William Marrié Award for Dramatic Excellence for her role as the Queen of Hearts in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in 2011. Tanya retired from dancing professionally in 2023 and looks forward to being a part of In Studio and sharing her love of dance with the students.