Twenty years as Director at Cadance

Wow — twenty years. It’s hard to believe how quickly time has flown, and yet how much has happened in that span. It’s been a labour of love filled with highs, lows and everything in between. I’ve grown so much — as a person, dancer, teacher, choreographer and entrepreneur. Along the way I became a wife and a mother of three sons, made many lasting friendships, and watched countless students grow, blossom and find their own voices in dance. Being part of their journeys has been one of the greatest privileges of my life.

Full disclosure: I said no many times when my mother, the founder of Cadance, asked me to take over the school. She was even looking for someone else to lead when she retired. I resisted because I’d seen how hard she worked and how stressful running the school could be. Eventually a twist of fate led me to accept. On September 6, 2005, my partner Paul, our dog Audi and I moved from Calgary to Nova Scotia. Lucky for us, by pure chance we found a house right away that came with a studio attached! I had been away for nearly ten years and the local dance scene had changed dramatically. What had once been mostly performance-focused schools had given way to a surge of competitive programs — some even operating out of the same building my mom was renting. It was quickly clear the market was fierce, and if Cadance didn’t adapt fast, it could fade away.

The tough part was that I had extensive training as a teacher and a professional dancer, but no business background — I didn’t even know you had to keep track of the cheques you wrote. With my parents leaving to live on a sailboat in October, I had limited time with my mom to learn the ropes. I’m grateful Paul brought marketing and web design experience, but those first few years were intense learning curves. Somehow we kept the doors open. A big turning point was realizing we needed business training, and that knowledge helped stabilize and develop the school.

Early on, there was pressure to shift Cadance into a competitive studio. That never fit with my core belief: dance is a performing art. I wanted to train technically strong dancers who loved and appreciated dance, not primarily compete. Performance became a focus, and in my first full year as director in 2006 I launched our first annual production of The Nutcracker. It was the perfect vehicle to give students a taste of what it’s like to be in a professional production — from auditions to opening night, they learn collaboration, discipline and the joy of bringing a story to life. The Nutcracker has grown tremendously over the years, and I’m so proud of what it has become.

Nurturing creativity through choreography has always been important to me — it was a defining part of my own experience at Cadance. We continued to encourage student choreography for our spring recitals and The Nutcracker, and eventually created an additional showcase devoted to dancers’ original work. That stage has become an invaluable place for students to experiment, take risks and develop their choreographic voice.

Our spring recital remains our final show of the season, with a theme-driven format that involves students from our year-long program. It’s a lot of work each season, but it’s always a moving and joyful way to celebrate how far everyone has come.

Being an artistic director isn’t for the faint of heart. Over the years I’ve learned I can’t please everyone — decisions will sometimes disappoint people. All I can do is strive for fairness, rely on experience, and make choices with integrity. That responsibility is the most difficult part of what I do.

Much has changed in twenty years, but our passion and love for dance hasn’t. I’m deeply grateful to the Cadance family — students, parents, staff and friends — for your support and trust. I look forward to many more seasons of teaching, creating and sharing dance together. Thank you for being part of this journey.

Twenty years as Director at Cadance