Faculty

Yun

DWS Founder
Dance Mix, Contemporary, Jazz
Yun Cheng has more than 20 years of professional experience in dance, choreography, and dance education in Canada and China. She received her B.F.A. Degree from Beijing Dance Academy, and later received her Postgraduate Certificate in Arts Management from Beijing University. Yun hopes to enrich cultural life for the local community by providing different kinds of dance programs and performance opportunities for DWS students.

Anya

*Ballet, Contemporary*
Anya Grechko started dancing when she was 8 years old. She graduated from the Institute of Culture and Arts in Ukraine with a Master’s degree in choreography. For more than 20 years, she has been involved in dance. She has been teacher for more than 5 years, specializing in contemporary, jazz, modern jazz, ballet, and folk dance.

Sam

*Contemporary, Ballet,*
Sam Vaherlehto graduated from The Finnish National Opera Ballet School in 2007 and worked for the Finnish National Ballet until 2010. He has performed in various classical ballets and works by contemporary choreographers such as Ohad Naharin, Kenneth Kvarnström, Christian Spuck, and William Forsythe.

Egor

*Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop*
Egor Pleshakov is a leading dance teacher and choreographer from Russia who has been dancing since he was 10 years old. He has judged dance competitions and directed dance performances. Egor captivates every audience with his structural modern dance style, a fusion of jazz, contemporary, and hip-hop.

Polina

*Ballet (Pointe), Contemporary*
Polina Rud trained in ballet at the St. Petersburg Ballet Academy and has danced at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and Hermitage Theatre. She has taught ballet, modern dance, and stretch classes for kids and adults in Europe, South America, and China.

Hsiao Yu

*Contemporary, Ballet*
Hsiao Yu is a professional dancer from Taiwan who has been dancing since she was 6 years old. She has a Master’s degree in Dance from PCCU (Chinese Culture University). She was a dancer in Taiwan Sun-Sheir Dance Theater and Shanghai Jin Xing Dance Theater.

Teaching Asisstants

The goal of a DanceWorks education is not simply to gain a better understanding of your body movements, or to develop strength and control. Dance should push DWS students to become confident and expressive individuals, and ultimately encourage them to foster this creativity in others.

DanceWorks provides opportunities for students to assist classes in order to further develop their own dance and communication skills, and to establish this wonderful relationship of older dancers helping younger dancers to discover themselves.

JoannaJoanna began to dance with DWS when it first started. She likes dance because it is enjoyable. Dance has helped her to become more confident, and improved her mind and body coordination. — **Joanna**
Joanna began to dance with DWS when it first started. She likes dance because it is enjoyable. Dance has helped her to become more confident, and improved her mind and body coordination.

IvyIvy started dancing when she was 3 years old. After joining DWS for 1 year, she has become more confident. Ivy feels that when she dances, she is her true self. The next dance style she hopes to learn is hip hop. Outside of dance, Ivy also loves … — **Ivy**
Ivy started dancing when she was 3 years old. After joining DWS for 1 year, she has become more confident. Ivy feels that when she dances, she is her true self. The next dance style she hopes to learn is hip hop. Outside of dance, Ivy also loves music, especially singing.

IsabellaIsabella has been dancing since she was 3 years old. She has Latin music inside her - ever since she was little, she has had an instinct for dance. She started dancing at DWS when she was 6. Isabella also loves to bake cakes! — **Isabella**
Isabella has been dancing since she was 3 years old. She has Latin music inside her - ever since she was little, she has had an instinct for dance. She started dancing at DWS when she was 6. Isabella also loves to bake cakes!

EmilyEmily started dancing when she was 4 years old. After joining DWS for 2 years, dancing has become more and more important and essential to her. She loves animals and flowers. — **Emily**
Emily started dancing when she was 4 years old. After joining DWS for 2 years, dancing has become more and more important and essential to her. She loves animals and flowers.

SamanthaSamantha started dancing when she was 4 years old. After she joined DWS, she is more passionate about dance than ever - it has become a part of who she is. She can't wait to try out different dance styles. Apart from dance, she enjoys other … — **Samantha**
Samantha started dancing when she was 4 years old. After she joined DWS, she is more passionate about dance than ever - it has become a part of who she is. She can't wait to try out different dance styles. Apart from dance, she enjoys other performing arts.