MainStreet Dance

MainStreet Dance opened its doors in October 2001. The studio was opened by Ms. Jacqueline Gobeil and her vision that Every Body Can Dance. She wanted to give students a different opportunity leaning away from the competitive aspects of dance and nurturing in all her students the love for the art of dance. Students focus on performance and exams, not on winning trophies or awards. The focus is on making others smile and feeling confident in their abilities as a performer. The studio was run for the first year out of her living room and the first recital had only 15 dancers at a local community theatre.

Nearly 10 years later the studio has grown to three rooms, two location and recently showcased its 9th annual recital with over 100 performers at the state of the art Markham Theatre. Although the studio is constantly growing Ms. Jackie has kept to her original vision that Every Body Can Dance!

Lucy Biadi

Teacher

Hip Hop

BA, B.Ed, ABATD

Lucy Biadi has been teaching Hip Hop at MainStreet Dance since 2003. Her up to date choreography and energy keep the students motivated to learn and perform. She is a secondary school teacher with the York Region District School Board. She also has a BA in Psychology and Italian and a B.Ed from York University.

She is a teacher with the British Association of Teachers of Dancing and studied both BATD and RAD styles of dance.

Besides her love of Hip Hop Mrs. Biadi is trained in Jazz, Tap and Ballet and is an exceptional choreographer. She was selected by the staff to choreograph dances for our Disney dancing program in July 2008.

Ramya Kumar

Teacher

 BA. Hons, MA, English Teachers Certificate UK,

Nritya Kala Ratna Award - AP, Saraswati Nitya Kala Mandir Hyderbad

"My focus is to promote and share the multicultural mosaic of Canada through the universal language of Dance" - Ramya Kumar

Mrs. Ramya Kumar is the director of Payal Dance Academy and Binara's Entertainment Corporation as well as the Bollywood Teacher at MainStreet Dance. Established in 1987 her school Payal Dance specialized in Traditional, Classical and Folk style Indian Dance, Bollywood and Jazz instruction. To date Payal and Binara's have staged over 580 performances around the world.

As a dancer Ramya has performed for world dignitaries such as Her Highness Queen Elizabeth II, former Prime Ministers of Indian and Sri Lanka, the former premier of British Columbia as well as for popular stars from India's film industry and Canada's political dignitaries.

Dorothy Pfeiffer

Teacher

Flamenco, Ballet

BFA

Dorothy Pfeiffer is the leading dancer with the Paula Moreno Spanish Dance Company. She holds an Honours Bachelor for Fine Arts in Dance from York University. She has studied Flamenco dance both in Toronto and Madrid and has performed with a variety of Orchestras across North America.

Dorothy has been teaching Ballet and Flamenco for many years at various schools in Ontario. She is also the artistic director for her own company Companeros de Baile.

Jacqueline Gobeil (Ms. Jackie)

Owner, Director and Teacher

Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Hip Hop, Acrobatics, Bellydance

BA, ABATD  

 

Ms. Jackie is the owner and artistic director of MainStreet Dance. She opened the school in October 2001 with her vision that "Every 'Body' Can Dance". She wanted to give students a different opportunity; leaning away from the competitive aspects of dance and nurturing in all her students the love for the art of dance. Students focus on performance and exams, not on winning trophies or awards. The focus is on making others smile and feeling confident in their abilities as a performer.

 

Jackie's background in dance started at the young age of 4. Over the years she has trained in Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Pointe, Hip Hop, Acrobatics, Flamenco, Bellydance, Bollywood and Highland. She started teaching and creating original choreography at the early age of 10 as she would teach the neighbourhood children who were unable to attend classes themselves and coordinate shows for the neighbours in her parents basement.

 

She received a degree in Psychology from York University with a focus on education and child development. Also studying Dance Therapy in the USA, she has a first hand knowledge of how dance can truly change your life and how therapeutic dance is. She loves teaching students of all ages and abilities including a variety of special needs.

 

She is a former dance competitor and has been a member of a number of amateur dance companies. Now belonging to Binara's Entertainment she has travelled internationally to perform with her colleagues at special events such as in Bermuda for the minister of travel.

 

Jackie has furthered her studies at the National Ballet Schools Teacher Training for Professional Development, and attends many conferences and classes always furthering her education and the education of her students.

 

Jackie is a member of the British Association of Teachers of Dancing, a dance teachers association from Scotland. She teaches a combination of the BATD curriculum and her own concepts in her classes. She is the driving force behind our annual recitals, the MainStreet Dance Company and our international dance opportunities such as our Dancing at Disney program.