Aspire Dance Academy
Seek, Dream, Pursue...DANCE!
Miss Michelle is the Director of Aspire Dance Academy and has been teaching for over 20 years. She is originally from Calgary, AB, where she started dancing at the age of three. Dancing every day of the week, she received top marks in examinations taken in Ballet (R.A.D., B.A.T.D. and D.E.S.) and Jazz and Tap (A.D.A.P.T. and Al Gilbert). She enjoyed taking part of annual competitions and received several awards for most promising and outstanding dancer.
Throughout her dance training, Michelle had the opportunity to travel with a local performing troupe and in 1988 performed at the opening ceremonies for the Calgary Olympics. Being extremely ambitious, she received her Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) teaching certificate at a young age and has successfully entered hundreds of students for Graded and Vocational RAD examinations. In 2004, Michelle moved to Invermere, B.C., where she opened Aspire Dance Academy. In just a few short years, her studio grew to 185 students. In 2006, she married and moved to Cranbrook to be with her husband. Shortly after, she opened a new location in her new home town, Cranbrook.
Believing that diversity is the key to a well-rounded educator, Michelle continues to attend workshops and seminars throughout Canada and the US and is always excited to share all her new and exciting ideas with her students!
Miss Michelle Navratil-Director & Instructor
Miss Taryn Van Hoek - Instructor
Miss Taryn has been dancing since the age of 4 years old. She trains in ballet, jazz, tap, acro, contemporary, hip hop and musical theatre. She has a true passion for dance and has attended the 'To The Pointe" summer dance intensive programs in Calgary. She has taken her RAD Intermediate ballet exam and is now training in RAD Advanced Foundation. Miss Taryn is excited to be working with her students again this season.
Miss Kat Wilkinson - Instructor
We are excited to welcome Miss Kat this year. She is originally from Edmonton and has lived in Kimberley for 19 years. She graduated from College of the Rockies in Kinesiology. She is a level 2 Coach for Gymnastics and Trampoline. She is also a NCCP and Active start Facilitator and a coach evaluator. She is a dedicated and hard-working coach and strives to give children a variety of enriching learning experiences based on their interests. She sees enjoyment in their play and is able to learn from them through their individual personalities and uniqueness. Welcome Miss Kat!
Miss Caitlin Paulson - Instructor
Bio to come soon. Stay posted.
Miss Callie Bohan - Instructor
Miss Callie has been training since the age of 4 in various disciplines including ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary/modern, and hip hop. She has a passion for dance, attending intensives including Harbour Dance in Vancouver, Groove Street, and is excited to further expand her repertoire. She is currently dancing with our competitive team and has been very successful with her time at Aspire winning many awards and scholarships. Miss Callie is looking forward to sharing her love of dance with her students this upcoming season.
Miss Emily Keitch - Instructor
Bio to come soon. Stay posted.