MEET OUR TEACHERS
Our diverse team of arts educators come from a variety of performance backgrounds. Read their bios below and get to know them!
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Helen Wang (Founder)Hao (Helen) Wang is a theatre creator, arts educator, performer, arts manager, producer, and the Director of the International Musical Theatre Project. She attended the University of Toronto for Arts Management, and since then has been producing shows, managing international theatre tours, and travelling internationally to develop cross-cultural arts projects and build platforms to support arts educators locally and internationally. Helen is passionate about building a diverse community of theatre performers in her community of North York, and is dedicated to helping her students shine on every stage they take on in their lives.
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Veronica yaoVeronica is the General Manager at Haois International Arts and a multi-disciplined professional with over 10 years of practical experience in vocal performance, specializing in musical theatre. She has a background running interactive educational programs for children, and brings passion to every class she teaches. Veronica loves working with young performers to help them find their singing voices and stage presence.
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Madison hurrellRaised in Acton, Ontario, Madison had exposure to the performing arts from a young age. Dancing, singing and performing throughout her childhood eventually brought Madison to Toronto where she studied Performing Arts at Randolph College, giving her the opportunity to perform in the 2017 Toronto Fringe Festival, and in MOLL - a new Canadian musical by Leslie Arden and Cathy Elliott. Since graduating, Madison has worked as a choreographer for The Ding Dong Girls, a new musical comedy in the 2018 Toronto Fringe Festival, as a dancer for the Toronto Wolfpack and Toronto Rock sports teams, as a dance teacher at her home studio in Acton, for Quick Ball change Inc & The Travelling Stage, and as an actor for Inspiring Imaginations, where she plays various Disney and Marvel characters for parties and corporate events.
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RAINE WELSHRaine is a multitalented, bilingual performer originally from Vancouver, Canada. They have been working in both the theatre and film industry for over 8 years, eventually leading them to New York to study musical theatre. They have recently graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) where they have honed their skills alongside several broadway performers. Raine specializes in musical theatre, singing and safely mastering the power of mix belting, acting for stage and TV, breaking down Shakespeare and improv.
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CHRISTOPHER WilliamsChristopher (Chris) Is a Jamaican-Canadian university graduate from the University of Toronto. He has a keen interest in community engagement through the lens of arts and theatre/performance. With over 10 years of experience in various instructor roles, Chris has researched, planned and facilitated a variety of programs that led to inclusive, healthy and engaging programming for children and youth of many ages.
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ALY CARRIGANAly Carrigan is a Voice teacher and vocal coach from Calgary, Alberta. She has performed in musicals in both Canada and the US, including performances of New Works at the NYFA Professional Conservatory of Musical Theatre in New York City. She studied vocal performance at the University of Alberta in Edmonton and has been singing most of her life. Her specialties include opera vocals, aural/theory skills, and voice acting (both on stage and behind a mic). She’s taught both children and adults alike how to sing and speak properly so as to avoid tension and strain, while also instilling a joy for music through the process. Her favorite thing about teaching is seeing students find how music and the arts are core to their every day lives, even when not used as a career option.
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ARDYTH JOHNSONArdyth holds a B.A in Theatre Studies from the University of Winnipeg and a graduate with Second City Conservatory. Ardyth has toured throughout North America with Mime Unlimited, Theatre Beyond Words and many other professional companies. Ardyth performs, writes and directs. Ardyth since 1987 has regularly performed Classic Mime , Charlie Chaplin, “Beth Hickadilly” (a medieval character) at festivals, corporate events and many more venues. When Ardyth is not performing, she is busy teaching as an arts educator in physical theatre, plus workshops all over Canada and Internationally.
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