Ms Kelly truly believes "You've got to .... dance like there's no one watching …. and teach from the heart to be heard" (Bill Purkey) Ms Kelly was “bit by the dance bug” and began dancing at age three. She has continued to study many different styles of dance under various teachers and well-known choreographers across Canada and the United States. She quickly discovered her passion for teaching and began her own dance school in 2000 which now hosts classes in Berwick, Coldbrook and New Ross. Her students have grown tremendously over the last few years and she couldn’t be more proud. Ms Kelly has performed for various community events and theme parks and has tap danced on the morning show Breakfast Television twice, on CBC Radio and has competed across the Maritime Provinces winning numerous trophies and awards. She continues her own dance education at every opportunity stating “the more I can learn the more I can teach” and is consistently updating current certifications and studying for new ones. Her most recent achievement was passing her Membership Exam; Stage Division; through the BATD. She earned a highly commended (highest possible rating) in both theory and practical sections. Ms Kelly also volunteers on the Board of Directors for Dance Nova Scotia – a very important provincial organization who she says does great work networking, educating, promoting and supporting the dance industry. Ms. Kelly also volunteers at local schools and recreational programs promoting the dance program and her dancers perform across the Annapolis Valley for local events. They have attended workshops as far away as New York City and competitions across the Maritimes winning numerous medals, trophies and scholarships. You can check out the “Community Involvement” and “kickin Convention/Competition” links for updated pictures and info on their most recent performances. Although Ms. Kelly loves every form of dance, tap has always been her favorite. Her passion for tap brought her to the American Tap Dance Institute where she was accepted into their program to study intensively throughout the USA (and she even taught a class in San Diego!) before becoming a certified Teacher - the third Canadian ever to achieve such certification. “My experience with the American Tap Dance Institute has taught me the value in the words spoken by Will Rogers when he said, “In order to succeed you must KNOW what you are doing, LIKE what you are doing and BELIEVE IN what you are doing.”

Certification/Affiliation Links:
ATDI     BATD     DANS     NSBD     BBB     CDTA

Miss Jordan began dancing at the young age of two, with the Recreation Program in Halifax. This program led her to the Maritime Dance Academy ,where she studied tap, jazz and ballet and she hasn’t stopped since! This enthusiastic dancer continues to broaden her training by attending camps and conventions across North America, exposing herself to many disciplines of dance. In March 2005, July 2006 and 2009 she packed her smile and her talent and traveled to New York City where she took various classes from famous Broadway instructors! There she danced at the Broadway Dance Center, took part in the Tremaine Convention and was enrolled in the 2006 Tap City Festival. Her most recent adventure was her trip to the Dance World Cup in Vancouver, British Colombia, where she took instruction and performed with SYTYCD Canada, season two, finalists.

Jordan has been a dance instructor at Dance ConXion since 2004 where she has taught students in both the recreation and competitive programs, as well as preparing them for dance examinations for those who choose to take that route. Her contagious passion for dance makes her a great instructor in the studio as well as in the community volunteering at local day camps and school exploratories, and planning fun “extra” activities for the dancers at Dance ConXion including the annual troupe sleepover which has raised $2500 for the IWK Health Center. This past year Jordan took on a major project for the studio. She produced Dance ConXion’s first Christmas Production which will now be an annual event to look forward to. In the Spring of 2008, she became a certified instructor when, under a British examiner, she took her BATD (British Association of Teachers of Dance) Associate in the Stage Division, receiving a highly commended, the highest mark possible on the exam. In 2009, Jordan graduated from the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, where she obtained her Dance Teacher Training Diploma in Ballet and Stage. The two year program not only improved her own dance styles and techniques but also, due to a variety of classes including:, child development, anatomy and pedagogy, helped her further develop as a dance instructor. She left the Conservatory certified in C DTA (Canadian Dance Teacher’s Association) for tap, jazz and ballet. In 2009 she was nominated to sit on the board of directors for Dance Nova Scotia, an organization that strongly promotes the growth of dance within the province and this spring she was elected as Executive Secretary for the CDTA Atlantic Division.

Jordan has also been extremely active in her community, she was a member of Girl Guides of Canada from the age of five and through this, as a LONE member for her last four years, she achieved the Chief Commissioner’s Gold Award. (the highest award a girl can receive) During her high school years she participated in a variety of school events including creating the choreography for Central King’s production of Grease and this past year was asked back to help with the production of FAME. She played in the Somerset soccer league, and is now a soccer coach herself, and was a member of her high school band where she played the tenor saxophone. Jordan is just as committed academically as she is to dance, graduating high school with honours with distinction. She has also achieved school awards in English, Oceans and History and was granted a scholarship to help with her post secondary education. She currently attends Acadia University part time where she will eventually achieve her Bachelor of Education. Her future plans are to continue educating herself in other styles and syllabi of dance and, of course, to continue teaching at Dance ConXion.

Certification/Affiliation Links:
BATD     DANS     CDTA     MCPA     CDA    

Jessica began dancing at age 12 in the rec program at Dance ConXion. Starting off with street jazz, she very quickly learned that she was going to be doing this for a while! In 2005, Jessica entered the competitive program at DC and it was then she discovered her love for hip-hop. As a member of the Upbeat Senior Troupe, she has collected many trophies and medals all thanks to the wonderful DC Instructors. In 2006, she began choreographing and assisting various classes and later became an Instructor focusing on her love for hip-hop. Graduating from Central Kings Rural High in 2009, Jessica left Dance ConXion and moved to Halifax to pursue her post-secondary education at Saint Mary's University. At SMU, she is a member of the 3-time National Championship Dance Team - Saint Mary's University Dance. They preform hip-hop/street jazz routines at football games, basketball games as well as compete at the National level at Cheer Expo. Although she now lives in the “big city” Jessica never strays for long, visiting DC long enough to teach anyone who wants to learn something new.

Courta: From Guelph, ON she has loved dance since she began at age 5. She has studied and competed in various disciplines including tap, ballet & pointe, jazz, modern and lyrical. Courta completed exams through the Society of Russian Style Ballet and graduated from Acadia University in 2005 as a Bachelor of Kinesiology. Courta is currently pursuing an honours degree in sociology while coordinating the ADCCommunity programme - which she also assisted in creating in 2005. She teaches for and is an executive member of the Acadia Dance Collective and is an enthusiastic member of Dance Acadia. Courta currently teaches dance in a variety of settings - including Gaspereau Elementary School's Dance Club. Her focus continues to be on children's fitness and she is currently working to complete fitness certifications.

Concrete Roots was founded in 2008 by Drew Moore, Tony Ingram, Chris Beck, Igor Geshelin and Michael Richard. As a teacher and avid bboy, Moore is passionate about providing youth with positive influences and creative outlets in which to express their talents. As a Master’s student in physiotherapy, Ingram is interested in the health benefits that can be found in bboying. As founding members of Atlantic Canada’s most successful crew, Koala Corp, Beck, Geshelin and Richard aim to foster the growth of the Nova Scotian bboy community.

Concrete Roots is made up of motivated, like-minded bboys who are striving to increase the growth of Nova Scotia’s bboy community. It is our goal to develop the Nova Scotian bboy scene by offering workshops in schools and communities, so youth will have an outlet for creative expression through physical activity. This creativity will be further enhanced through organized events where Nova Scotian bboys may showcase their talents.

We strive to promote a positive and inclusive hip hop culture to a generation that has been inundated with negative media images of hip hop in music videos. We believe that true hip hop is about celebration and self-creation.