“At Dance Extreme, dance isn’t just about dance, it helps with building confidence and self-esteem. We pride ourselves on teaching all our students lessons they will carry with them always.”
Rebecca Brettingham-Filice
Director
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Rebecca is the Artistic Director and owner/founder of London’s most progressive and creative dance studio. Dance Extreme is in its 24th year. She brings enthusiasm and dedication to Dance Extreme that is reflected in the quality of the instructors, programs and facilities. Her goal is to provide all students with an enjoyable dancing experience and sense of accomplishment. A teacher since 1990, Rebecca began her career in the Toronto area before moving to London in 1994. She received her certification through Canadian Dance Masters of America, Dance Masters of America and Dance Educators of America. Always keeping up-to-date with her choreography and teaching technique, Rebecca is constantly attending workshops all over North America. Rebecca is a graduate of the Dance Master’s of America’s Teachers Training School at Kent State University and the State University of New York in Buffalo and a graduate of Political Science from the University of Western Ontario. Rebecca is a member of Canadian Dance Masters of America since 1997. She served as an examiner for CDMA for several years, been the secretary for CDMA, Chapter 38 since 2000 and served as a delegate for 6 years. She has judged and taught in both Canada and the USA at Regional and National level competitions, workshops and auditions. Rebecca is also a member of Dance Ontario. Rebecca and her students have won overall, choreography and special awards at numerous competitions. Besides running Dance Extreme, she is the owner/founder of The Sumptuous Basket a gift basket and children’s loot bag/party supplies company, now in it’s 13th year. Rebecca resides in London with her husband Tony and two children, Christiano and Isabela.
Richelle Hirlehey
Assistant Director/Music & Assistant Teacher Coordinator
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Richelle is excited to be returning for her 27th season at Dance Extreme. She is the Assistant Director at Dance Extreme. Richelle directed the Carousel Dance Company, Carousel Dance Centre Inc. in Waterloo from 2005-2011. In addition to teaching, she has choreographed for The Community Players of New Hamburg (Cats – 2009, Aida -2011, Ragtime – 2014)), 21 productions with Original Kids Theatre Company between 2002-2014. Additionally, she has choreographed for high schools in southwestern Ontario, her own company Barefoot Creative 2001-2015 and danced/choreographed with the UWO Dance Company for 8 years & Hamilton Dance Company for 3 years. She worked as the Assistant choreographer on “Bella Dancerella – Disney Princess” & “Disney’s High School Musical 2,” “Dora Dance to the Rescue” (DVD) for Spin Master Ltd and “Get Up & Move” – a dance instructional DVD for Toniolo Productions. Richelle was Guest Dance Educator at Matthews Hall Independent School in London Ontario from 2011-2013 and is a certified OCT and Administrator with the Thames Valley District School Board. Richelle graduated with from the Honours Kinesiology and Bachelor of Education programs at the University of Western Ontario and completed her Masters in Dance Education at York University in 2012.
Kiana Simler
Instructor, Camp Program & Social Media Coordinator
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Kiana Simler has over 15 years experience as an accomplished dancer, teacher and choreographer from London, Ontario. She trained extensively in all styles at Dance Extreme Inc and Western University by some of the industry’s top Instructors and choreographers. In addition, she also holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A) degree from Western University, where she double majored in Business Management (BMOS) and Media Studies (MIT). Kiana is excited to be returning for her sixth season as an instructor and choreographer at Dance Extreme Inc. She is also responsible for the Dance Camp programs where she coordinates all schedules and activities for campers and counsellors. Kiana is also the Social Media Coordinator for Dance Extreme Inc, helping to portray the studio’s award-winning programs and atmosphere in the digital world. Most recently, Kiana has begun her studies at Humber College for Advertising and Graphic Design. She is excited to refine her skills and plans to tie her creative abilities back to the growth of the dance world.
Kiana is grateful for her childhood dance studio and second home, Dance Extreme Inc for facilitating her training and experience. She held the titles of Petite Miss Dance Canada 2008 and Young American Dancer of the Year 2008 and went on to perform in professional shows throughout North America including: New Blue Festival for Emerging Artists and APAP. Her experience also includes backup dancing in music videos by Siadat, Reezy and Sean Kingston. Kiana was both a workshop assistant and choreography assistant for the well known choreographer Rebecca Zizek. In 2016, Kiana joined the Dance Extreme Inc faculty teaching recreational, pre-competitive and competitive students in all disciplines. Since, she has received great recognition for her choreography of various styles, for various age groups. Kiana loves to share her breadth of knowledge and experience with the next generation of dancers.
Megan Alfano
Instructor
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Megan started her training at the age of 4 and has been tapping, twirling and teaching ever since! She currently holds her CDTA Stage Division Full Member Ontario Branch and ADAPT qualifications. Megan has choreographed for various high schools and arts organizations for shows such as The Addams Family, Legally Blonde, Suessical, Highschool Musical, Oliver!, Candide, Grease!, Nine, Guys and Dolls, Cats, Carousel, The Shipbuilder and Pride and Prejudice. Megan recently relocated from Saskatchewan where she spent over 12 years as the Director of the Saskatchewan Express Musical Theatre Studio, running both the recreational and competitive programs, she was also the choreographer and Assistant to the Artistic Director of the touring Performance Company Saskatchewan Express. Other ventures include choreography for the Saskatchewan Roughriders Half-Time Show Labour Day Classic featuring Johnny Reid and the Casino Regina/Moose Jaw Best of Both Worlds television commercial. Megan also spent the 2007 football season as associate coach of the CKRM Saskatchewan Roughrider Cheer Team. She is also a well respected dance festival adjudicator across Canada. Now in London, Megan has already found herself busy working with the performers at the Original Kids Theatre Company and St. Mary’s Choir School, as a choreographer and guest instructor at the Grand Theatre and an instructor at Fanshawe College. Megan adores teaching young people and knows first-hand what a difference the arts can make in their lives. She is excited to share her love of performance with the students in London!
Sharon Colvin
Office Manager
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Sharon joined the Dance Extreme faculty in 1998 during the first season. She is responsible for keeping the entire studio in order. Sharon is available should parents and dancers need the opportunity to ask questions and express concerns. She is always ready and willing to assist in any matter.
Instructor
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Valerie received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance from York University, specializing in dance education. Valerie then continued her studies at Canada’s National Ballet school in the teacher training program where she received her certification as a qualified Cecchetti teacher.
Valerie grew up studying ballet, Contemporary, Modern and Musical Theater. She had the opportunity to attend Stratford’s Musical theater intensive program where she worked under teachers, artists and performers at the Festival Theater. Valerie has completed all of the Canadian Dance Teachers Association (CDTA) ballet exams within the syllabus and has training in the RAD and ISTD world dance syllabus. Valerie received the Emerging Artist award from the Arcady Ensemble in 2017 where she performed in their holiday season music video.
Valerie is so excited to be teaching at Dance Extreme this year and is thrilled to be bringing her love, creativity and passion for dance to every class.
Instructor
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Coming Soon!
Instructor & Wedding Dance Coordinator
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Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Miss Aiyana Ruel (she/her) began her professional training at Arts Umbrella. She moved to Toronto to receive her Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts at York University, with a focus on choreography and performance. Under the direction of Susan Lee, Aiyana was a member of the York Dance Ensemble, where she worked collaboratively with colleagues and choreographers. Through various opportunities in Canada and abroad, Aiyana has worked with internationally recognized artists including Peggy Baker, Ohad Naharin, and Lali Ayguadé. During her post-secondary education, she had the opportunity to go on academic exchange at the University of Chichester in the UK, during which she was exposed to new and exciting methods of movement. In 2021, she moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to join Free Flow Dance Theatre as a performing artist, where she had the opportunity to work with Terrill Maguire, Newton Moraes, Danny Grossman, and Eddie Kastrau, under Jackie Latendresse’s Artistic Direction. Aiyana enjoys working in educational settings including schools, care facilities, and art studios, where she can encourage creativity, exploration, and self expression. Aiyana hopes to support the next generation of thinkers and creators by learning through movement and imagination.
Instructor
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Mr. Tyrell is an accomplished triple threat performer and dance educator with a strong passion for the artistry of dance. He is a highly sought after adjudicator, teacher and choreographer across the country. Tyrell has been seen on the small screen with the Hallmark Channel, Syfy, the CW, Disney Channel, ABC, Nickelodeon, and in films such as This Means War, Nobody, Make It Happen, and Time Cut. In the musical theatre and live performance sphere, Tyrell has worked with the Vancouver Opera, Citadel Theatre Edmonton, Theatre Calgary, Rainbow Stage and MTC in Winnipeg, the Charlottetown Festival, Drayton Entertainment, Theatre Aquarius, and the Canadian Opera Company. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Tyrell loves to mentor and train the next generation of performers to prepare them for success wherever their journey in dance may take them.
Instructor & Office Administrator
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Born and raised in London, Ontario, Mr. Brandon Clarke has become a staple within the London dance community. Brandon graduated, with distinction, from Western University with an Honours specialization in Criminology and a Minor in Dance.
Over the past decade, Brandon has worked for many dance organizations within Southwestern Ontario including the National Ballet School of Canada, the National Basketball League of Canada, Western University, London Dance Festival, La Compagnie de Danse, Phoenix Dance Competition, and so many more. Brandon Clarke is a beloved hip-hop instructor and office administrator of Dance Extreme Inc., London’s leading dance school, where he has worked for over the past 5 years. When he is not at the studio, Mr. Clarke can be found working at DeMelo Heathcote, a progressive criminal defence law firm in London.
Laura Moir
Instructor
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Coming Soon!
Guest Instructor
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Victoria teaches as a Guest Instructor for the Dance Troupe program. She trained at Dance Extreme and thoroughly enjoyed her 9 years at the studio. Now a faculty member, Victoria is grateful for the opportunity to share all she has learned. Her dance studies have continued at Western University, where she is currently working towards her BMSc degree. She wishes all the dancers a wonderful season!
Instructor
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Hi, my name is Destini Small-Allen, I am 19 years old and currently a student at Western University. I began my dance training at a very young age and throughout the years I’ve developed a passion for choreography and teaching. I am super excited to begin my first year here at Dance Extreme!
Instructor & Social Media Coordinator
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Kiera feels so fortunate to be joining the DX faculty as she begins her first year of teaching. She has been part of the Dance Extreme family for 15 years now, and has loved every bit of it! She has trained in all disciplines, but her favourites are jazz and lyrical. You may see her teaching ballet and jazz classes around the studio. You might even find her in the DX Dance Boutique occasionally! Kiera has begun her first year studying Health Science at Western University. She is continuing in her path of dance on TIL, a competitive dance team at the university. Kiera is so happy to be part of our team, and hopes all dancers have a terrific dance season!
Instructor
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mma is thrilled to spend her second year on faculty at Dance Extreme Inc. She has been dancing at Dance Extreme since age two and competing in their dance troupe since six. During her time competing, Emma has worked with several award-winning choreographers. She continues learning from numerous GTA artists to expand her horizons in all dance genres. Currently, Emma is a second-year dancer with TIL Dance Company and a student at Kings University. She is currently an assistant captain and line choreographer for TIL Dance Company. Emma has been in several shows such as: “The Saidat Show” (Groovy Crew dancer, 2019-2021), “Jack and the Beanstalk: The Panto” (Drayton Entertainment actress, 2019), “Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade” (Be Discovered dancer, 2018), “Dance The Magic Christmas Show” (Disney World Performer, 2018), “Postcard: Kylie Thompson Creative” (contemporary creator and performer, 2023), and many more. Aside from Emma’s show experience, she is a Sol Dance Collective Ambassador for the 2025 Sol Tour. Emma places great emphasis on growing artistry and individuality in her dancers. She wants to continue to push the boundaries in dance and see what journey lies ahead for the next generation of movement makers and groovers at Dance Extreme.
Instructor
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Susie is excited to be a part of the Dance Extreme family and is currently teaching acro classes. She had danced in a variety of styles including ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, contemporary, and lyrical but is most passionate about acro dance. She danced for 10 years at In Motion Dance in Kitchener before moving to London to attend Western and be a part of the Western dance team. Susie brings previous teaching experiences to Dance Extreme from both community centres and dance studio classes. She loves working with children, seeing them grow, and helping them succeed in dance. Susie looks forward to more Dance Extreme experiences in the upcoming years!
Instructor
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Hello, my name is Olivia Davies, I am currently a teacher at Dance Extreme but I’ve also been dancing here for 14 years and started at the age of 4. You will find me teaching movers, shakers, groovers and mini combo. I am currently a student at Kings College majoring in Childhood and Youth studies and minoring in French, hoping to become an elementary teacher! Fun fact about me, I am french first language and very fluent!
Instructor
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Serenity has been a part of the dance extreme family since the age of 2 and has been a part of their dance troupe since age 6. Serenity is a 2nd-year Sociology major at Kings University College and hopes to join the Western cheer team in the upcoming year. While this is her first official year on faculty, while dancing at Dance Extreme she was an Assistant teacher for 5 years, taught dance camp for 3 years, and was a substitute teacher for the staff for 2 years. After graduating Serenity spent a year in Toronto and taught dance at “all that dance studio” studying under some of their top teachers. During her time in Toronto, she was a member of York University’s cheer team and took part in their dance innovations show. She has a passion for all the dance disciplines but her favourites are Acro and Jazz. At Dance Extreme she can be found teaching Groovers, Shakers, Acro, and performance team among with other disciplines whenever possible. Serenity loves to create a warm welcoming environment in her classes and nurtures her students’ learning capabilities.