FACULTY
At Creative Edge Dance Company we are proud to have a dedicated and experienced faculty to help our dancers achieve all of their dance goals!
Hannah Smith
Hannah Smith is the owner and head faculty member of Creative Edge Dance Company. Hannah has been dancing for 23 years, and has 13 years of teaching experience with all different styles and ages. From a young age, Hannah knew that her passion for dance would some day turn into a career! She originally started training in ballet and tap from the age of 5, and then as she got older added modern, lyrical, jazz and hip hop as well. She also did exam programs for tap, modern and ballet all throughout her dance journey!
In 2017 Hannah started coaching competitive dance, and began with a small team of only 10 dancers. Each year her competitive program continued to grow and eventually led into the start of Creative Edge Dance Company in 2022! Hannah created a second home for her dancers, where they can grow to their full potential through her expertise and encouragement.
Under Hannah's direction, Creative Edge is well known as as a positive, supportive environment for dancers, which is evident from the numerous Studio Spirit awards won by her competitive team. Hannah's choreography has gone on to win overall awards and judges awards at competitions, and she has had her dancers go on to win prestigious scholarships, placements on team Canada, and overall placements at competitions.
The staff of Creative Edge is built of all previous dancers that she has trained on her teams over the years. Hannah continues to prioritize continuing her dance education and training to help give her students the most up to date and beneficial training and technique. Any chance to take a class or travel for conferences she will always do so!
When Miss Hannah is not at the studio, you can find her spending time with her little boy Owen!
Qualifications
Teaching Associate with the ISTD (Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing) in Tap
Bachelor of Kinesiology (Honours) from Memorial University (2019)
Acrobatic Arts Module 1 (2019)
Acrobatic Arts Module 2 (2023)
Intermediate Modern with the ISTD
Virtual Summer School with the ISTD (2020)
Toronto Dance Teachers Expo (2015 & 2019)
Broadway Dance Center Teacher Training (2020) Hannah was also in New York training in the summer of 2024
The Pulse in Toronto (2014)
Katie Russell
Katie Russell is a competitive coach and recreational teacher here at Creative Edge Dance Company! Katie has been dancing since the age of 3, and started her teaching journey in 2022. Throughout her dance journey she has trained in ballet, tap, lyrical, acrobatics, jazz, modern, hip hop, latin, Irish, as well as tap and modern exam programs. From a young age Katie has shown passion and talent for dance, and was always at the studio training and taking all the classes she could! In 2019 she began her competitive dance journey, competing tap solos, and eventually joined the senior team competing in all styles. Over the years Katie has won many overall placements, special judges awards, scholarships to prestigious programs such as the SDF Tours, Lightning Elite, and Radix Dance Convention, she even earned a placement on Team Canada with World Performers. In 2022 Katie began sharing her passion for dance with our students here at CEDC. Her routines have won numerous choreography awards at competitions, along with being personally recognized by receiving leadership and friendship awards. Katie has been such an important part of this studio since we opened our doors - she is always there to help in any way she can, and she is the biggest supporter for our students.
Outside of the dance world, Katie is no stranger to the stage with years of experience in singing and acting performances. Katie completed grades 1-3 of vocal examinations with The Royal Conservatory, receiving the gold medal for highest mark in Atlantic Canada for both grades 1 & 3. As well, she spent many years competing in the Kiwanis Club of Carbonear's music festival. Acting credits include performances in productions such as The Sound of Music (Gussied Up Productions), The Stars Are Always Brighter When The Lights Go Out (Best Kind Productions), 1984 and Dracula (AOR Presents), and Katie stared as Ginger in the feature film An Audience of Chairs (Wreck House Productions).
Qualifications
Acrobatic Arts Module 1 Certification (2024)- ISTD Grade 2
Intermediate Tap Examinations- Discover Dance Certification (2025)
Radix Dance Convention in Boston (2025)
Wanna Dance Best In Show (2022)
Dance Quest Anne Stephen Memorial Friendship Award (2023)
Scholarship for The Dance Leadership Institute Workshop (2025)
iDance Convention (SDF Dance Tour Scholarship recipient 2021, 2022, 2023)
View Dance Convention (Senior Most Versatile dancer 2023 & 2024)
Broadway Dance Center Training in NYC (2025)
Our Divas Do Christmas Dancer (2022, 2023, 2024)
Julie Clarke
Miss Julie has spent most of her dance career training in professional ballet. She has completed examinations with both Cecchetti Canada and Advanced examinations through the Royal Academy of Dance. Miss Julie has completed summer intensives at professional ballet schools across the country, including the National Ballet School of Canada and Quinte Ballet School of Canada, and she received full-time acceptance to their full-time professional program. Miss Julie was a competitive dancer in high school and continued to do so while in university, achieving top scores and overalls in the ballet category. She has completed various examinations through ISTD in modern dance and completed training sessions with acrobatic arts. She attended conventions with Rock the Rhythm and iDance.
Miss Julie teaches the majority of our ballet and pointe technique classes as well as competition choreography in ballet, lyrical, contemporary and jazz. She loves teaching all ages and levels of dancers and creates class programs that facilitate technical development and personal growth.
Fun Fact! Miss Julie just completed her Bachelor of Nursing degree and is a Registered Nurse!
Qualifications
Advanced 1 RAD Ballet Examination
Grade 6 Cecchetti Ballet Examination
National Ballet of Canada Summer Intensive
Quinte Ballet School Summer Intensive
ISTD Intermediate Modern Exam
iDance Convention (2019)
Abigail Hussey-Slaney
Abigail Hussey-Slaney is a competitive coach and recreational teacher here at Creative Edge Dance Company! Abby has been dancing since the age of 3, and started her teaching journey in 2022. Throughout her dance journey she has trained in ballet, tap, lyrical, modern, jazz, hip hop, as well as modern and tap exam programs. Abby began competitive dance in 2015, and competed all the way to the end of her senior year of high school. Over the years Abby has won many overall placements, special judges awards, and invitations to Dance World Cup. In September Abby will begin her journey to complete a Bachelor of Kinesiology at Memorial University in St.Johns. We are thrilled to have her be a member of our teaching faculty again this year!
Qualifications
Intermediate ISTD Modern Exam
Grade 5 ISTD Tap Exam
Our Divas do Christmas cast member for 3 years
iDance Conventions
Elite Dance Productions Convention
Jaide Russell
Jaide Russell is a competitive coach here at Creative Edge Dance Company! Jaide has been dancing since the age of 3, and started her teaching journey in 2021. Throughout her dance journey she has trained in ballet, tap, lyrical, acrobatics, modern, jazz, hip hop, as well as modern exam programs. Jaide has always had a passion for dance, and still dances to this day! In 2019 she began her competitive dance journey. She started competing in various groups and solos/duos/trios.
Over the years Jaide has won many overall placements, special judges awards, scholarships to prestigious programs such as the SDF Tours, and even earned a placement on Team Canada with World Performers. Jaide attends St.Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, where she is a member of their collegiate dance team. This team competes in multiple styles and competes in competitions against other university level dance teams. Jaide is such an important member of our coaching staff, she is always there to help push our students to be their best!
Qualifications
Grade 4, 5, Pre Intermediate & Intermediate ISTD Modern Exams
JUMP Dance Convention Toronto 2022
Our Divas do Christmas Dancer (2022)
Dancer & Executive member of the StFX University Dance Team
iDance Convention (2019, 2021, 2022)
Georgia Higdon
Georgia has been dancing since the age of 3, and is joining our teaching faculty this fall! Georgia's love for dance started at a young age, and she has trained in many styles such as tap, ballet, jazz, lyrical, modern, hip hop & examination programs in both tap and modern. Georgia began her competitive dance journey in 2019, competing in many different group dances and her tap solos, which have gone on to win several overall placements, special judges awards, and even scholarships with programs such as the SDF Dance Tour. Georgia has been an assistant coach at Creative Edge since 2023, assisting our tap exam programs, mini teams and tap teams. This season Georgia will be coaching our mini tap team! We are so excited to welcome her to the faculty.
Qualifications
ISTD Intermediate Modern
ISTD Intermediate Tap Exam (In Progress)
CEDC Assistant Coach since 2023
SDF Tour Scholarship recipient (2024)
Broadway Dance Center Training Summer 2024
Holly Clarke
Holly has been dancing since the age of 3, and is joining our teaching faculty this fall! Holly's love for dance started at a young age, and she has trained in many styles such as tap, ballet, acrobatics, jazz, lyrical, modern, hip hop & examination programs in tap. Holly began her competitive dance journey in 2018, competing in many different group dances and solos/duos/trios.
Over the years Holly's solos have gone on to win overall placements, special judges awards, and she has even won scholarships with the View Dance Convention. Holly has been an assistant coach at Creative Edge since 2022, assisting our acro programs, mini teams and junior teams.
This season Holly will be choreographing some competitive hip hop as well as teaching our hip hop technique class on Sundays. We are so excited to welcome her to the faculty.
Qualifications
ISTD Intermediate Tap Exam (2025)
Assistant Coach at CEDC since 2022
View Dance Convention Senior Most Potential (2023)
Leah Reid
Leah has been dancing since the age of 3, and is joining our teaching faculty this fall! Leah's love for dance started at a young age, and she has trained in many styles such as tap, ballet, acrobatics, jazz, lyrical, modern, hip hop & examination programs in tap. Leah began her competitive dance journey in 2017, competing in many different group dances and solos/duos/trios.
Over the years Leah's solos have gone on to win overall placements, special judges awards, and she has even scholarships with On the Floor & Summit dance competitions. Leah has been an assistant coach and at Creative Edge since 2022, assisting our mini and junior teams. This season Leah will be teaching our tap technique class on Sundays. We are so excited to welcome her to the faculty.
Qualifications
ISTD Intermediate Tap Exam (2025)
Assistant Coach at CEDC since 2022
Broadway Dance Center Training Summer 2024
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