Dana Schlanger (School Director) is an arts administrator and musicologist with extensive international experience in arts management and education. Before becoming Director of the Dena Wosk School of Performing Arts in 1999, she has worked for the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tel-Aviv University and several community centers in Tel-Aviv, has published extensively on music and the performing arts and was actively involved in all aspects of the cultural scene. Dana is also the Delegation Head for the JCC Maccabi ArtsFest. She continues to enjoy her work at the school and attempts to constantly create new and exciting courses for our talented students!

Nathalie Marrable - JAZZ
Nathalie is classically trained at Boston Ballet School and Joffrey Ballet School, and her training in Musical Theatre and Jazz comes from the Broadway Dance Centre in New York. She is a certified teacher in all forms of dance from the International Students & Teachers in Dance
(ISTD) organization. Nathalie feels blessed to have danced professionally with both Boston and Joffrey Ballet companies as well as Alberta Ballet, Synergy Dance Theatre in London, UK, and Tokyo Disney. She has been in the cast of many musicals such as Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Dirty Dancing the Tour; her latest joy is her status as one of Madonna's performers. She has taught many wonderful students in South Africa, Europe, USA and Canada and is looking forward to a fantastic year here with us!

Jana Berengel - JAZZ, HIP-HOP
Jana's dance career boasts an impressive list of credits including Tokyo Disneyland, Princess Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruises, two Canadian concert show tours throughout Israel, Dubai, Egypt and the Middle East. She was the choreographer for famed Miami club BASH. She has been featured in videos, short films, and television commercials including principal spots for Telus Mobility, Energizer Batteries, Reactine and Citroen Cars.

Annie Au - BALLET, JAZZ
Annie started dancing at the age of 4. Her training includes ballet, jazz, modern and hip-hop. Over the course of her dance training, she had the opportunity to work with choreographers and teachers from Hong Kong, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. She is a member of the Source Dance Company and was on the University of Alberta Dance Team. She has performed and competed in cities such as Las Vegas and Portland. In 2005, she was honored to assume the role of Chinese dance soloist in the Alberta Centennial Celebration.

Tamara Cohen - JAZZ, HIP HOP
Tamara has been dancing professionally for the past six years and has performed in both film and stage productions. She has trained with the best local instructors as well as renowned international choreographers (Eddie Garcia,Chris Dupree,Steven Stanton). In 2006 she was a part of MOVE: the company, Vancouver's most recent professional contemporary company, as well as discovered her love for teaching dance and sharing her passion with her students.

Jennifer Stewart - JAZZ, TAP
Jenny has danced across Canada and the US with companies like Dance Nouveau, Pro Troupe and Legends Alive! and has worked with many influential and inspiring professional dancers. Jenny has choreographed for fitness pageants and fashion shows and was also proud to assist with the choreography for the World Track and Field Championships in Edmonton. Originally a prairie girl from Alberta, Jenny moved to Vancouver in 2002 to pursue a career as a performer. She has been seen in various live shows like Godspell, West Side Story, Music Man, Crazy for You, Mack & Mabel, Lost Vegas Live!, Fosse, Fosse, Fosse and the opening program for the Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards. Jenny has danced with the BC Lions' Felions Dance Team, the Urban Tap Squad, NY Jazz Co. and Eadoin Productions. Most recently Jenny traveled the Mexican Riviera dancing for Carnival Cruise Lines.

Andy Cohen - TAP
Andy has been tapping for nearly a decade, be it in tap class, down the sidewalk, or under his desk at school. Andy has his Gold Medallion certification With Honours from the Canadian Dance Teachers Association, and has tapped four times at International Tap Dance Day celebrations. Andy has been performing theatre around the Lower Mainland, most recently as the vivacious 'Teen Angel' in the TUTS production of Grease which won him a 2007 Ovation Award. Also, Andy was recently accepted in the UBC Acting conservatory training program.

Stephanie Hart - TAP, HIP-HOP
Steph has been dancing since the early age of three. Originally from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, she trained at Brenda's School of Baton and Dance (under the direction of Brenda Bennett) in jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop, lyrical, as well as baton twirling. She recently moved to Vancouver to pursue a career as a professional dancer, and is currently training with the Source Dance Company. Stephanie has performed in many shows including Disney Canada's 'Winnie the Pooh day in the Park' in Niagara Falls, as well as Disney's 'Magic Music Days' in Florida, and California.

Jennifer Polsky - HIP-HOP
started her dance training in her early teens with the Lisa Stevens Dance Company and went on to dance with the BC Lions Dance Team for four years. She has been teaching Hip Hop at the JCC for a few years. She loves working with children since she has her ECE training and works in the ECE department as well.

Anna Kuman - MUSICAL THEATRE
Anna has been dancing since the age of six and achieved high marks in her Canadian Dance Teacher's Association Exams, receiving bronze, silver, gold and gold star medals in Tap and Jazz. After high school, Anna was accepted into the three year Musical Theatre Diploma Program at Capilano College, from which she is now a proud graduate! This summer Anna was a cast member in the Arts Club's production of The Producers. This fall she will be appearing in Musical of Musicals: The Musical for the Vancouver International Fringe Festival as well as URP's High School Musical 2. Anna has always enjoyed teaching and can't wait to start a fun year with the kids at the JCC!

Carmen Rivas - FLAMENCO
started studying with Rosario Ancer at the Centro Flamenco in 1989 and then joined the professional company in 1995. She has performed in the Annual Vancouver Flamenco Festival and has toured throughout BC with the Flamenco Rosario Company. In addition she has performed with the Vancouver Opera's production of Carmen. Our own Carmen is a familiar figure at the JCC and we welcome her back to teaching Flamenco!

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