MEET THE TEAM
THE VPS FAMILY
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Katy Schroeder - Director & Founder
A graduate of the Musical Theatre Diploma Program at The Randolph Academy in Toronto, Katy has been trained in all aspects of the performing arts including jazz, ballet, musical theatre performance and choral and acting technique. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in French and Theatre from UBC, an Honours in Advanced R.A.D. Ballet and credits in film and theatre including The Stratford Festival of Canada. As a teacher, Katy aims to inspire students and teachers with her passion for the performing arts and strengthen one’s physical strength, theatricality, voice and self-confidence.
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Rebecca Evans - Director of Dance
Rebecca is an ADAPT Certified Instructor who strives to create a warm, welcoming environment in the dance studio for dancers of all levels and ages. Her dance training includes completing Intermediate III ADAPT Jazz & Tap Exams and the R.A.D. Grade 8 Ballet and Advanced Foundation Ballet Exams. She has competed as a member of Team Canada at the World Tap Dance Championships in Germany, and upon her move to Vancouver, she trained with the Source Dance Company and Harbour Dance Centre’s Intensive Training Program. Rebecca’s passion for teaching and love of performing arts is shared with each and every student, as she encourages them to explore their creativity and reach their full potential.
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Eliza De Castro - Musical Director
Eliza is music director, educator and performer hailing from Brisbane, Australia. Eliza always been an avid lover of the Performing Arts, growing up in choirs, music ensembles, theatre shows, and learning the piano and violin. Before moving to Vancouver, Eliza was the Queensland Music & Production co-ordinator of the Australian Girls Choir where she provided high-quality music education and performance opportunities to Brisbane’s finest young talent. Eliza has also travelled with the not-for-profit organisation Girls from Oz delivering music education programs to children in remote Indigenous communities around Australia. Eliza has been actively involved in the musical theatre space as a music director and performer, and her most recent credits include Spring Awakening (Millennial Productions), We Will Rock You (Ipswich Theatre Company), and Bring It On (PRIMA Org). Eliza has a strong enthusiasm for mentoring young performers and is delighted to be sharing her passion for theatre with the VPS community.
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Josie Mcmillen - Instructor
Originally from Alberta, Josie is a positive, passionate, and fun-loving dance instructor with a deep understanding of the body’s anatomy and has an attentive approach when it comes to dance. When she began her journey in Vancouver she trained with Harbour Dance Centres Intensive Training Program and then their Alumni Training Program. With a special passion for hip hop, she's performed and competed with competitive hip hop teams across North America (TwoFourSeven, E.P Ryderz) and she brings that same energy and commitment to their teaching.
Josie focuses on technique, injury prevention, and helping students of all levels build confidence while having fun. Her dynamic approach makes learning enjoyable and inspires students to reach their full potential.
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Ashlynn Poworoznyk - Instructor
Originally from Airdrie, Alberta, Ashlynn grew up training in jazz, ballet, lyrical, hip hop, contemporary, acro, tap, and musical theatre, and has proven herself to be a versatile dancer. She began her teaching career at Elements Dance Co, which is what ignited her spark and love for teaching.
Taking a big step forward, Ashlynn recently moved to Vancouver to further her professional dance education at The Source Dance Company. She has achieved milestones such as completing her Advanced ADAPT Jazz & Tap Exams, R.A.D. Advanced Foundation Ballet Exam, and the Business of Dance Program. This summer, Ashlynn embarked on the Hollywood Summer Tour, where she was able to further her training at major Los Angeles studios.
With a commitment to fostering a positive and uplifting atmosphere in her classes, Ashlynn cherishes the connections she forms with her students and peers. She is so excited to join the VPS family and can’t wait to share her passion and knowledge with everyone!
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Neve Kelly - Instructor
Neve (she/her) has been dancing from the age of six and has been immersed in the dance community ever since. She finds joy in teaching different disciplines of dance to people of all ages and levels of experience. Neve believes in giving all her students an equal opportunity to excel at dance and creates an inclusive, safe space for anyone and everyone who wants to dance. While supporting dancers to reach their full potential, Neve keeps a fun and positive environment for all.
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Emma Pedersen
Emma began her performing journey as a star on the top of a Christmas tree in a pantomime long ago, and it all rolled down hill from there! Training in multiple disciplines until graduation, Emma was accepted into Sheridan College in Toronto where she got her diploma in Musical Theatre Performance and starred in Chicago as "Velma Kelly".
She came back to Vancouver after years in the film industry to diversify her work. Since returning to the west coast Emma had worked on multiple song and dance heavy shows such as Schmigadoon, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, and the upcoming feature Hanne on the High Sea. She starred as "Dyanne" in Million Dollar Quartet last summer, and will be joining ArtsClub Theatre again this fall for the star of the 2025 season as "Mary Delgado” in Jersey Boys. Some of her fondest memories in theatre were those early years attending camps with other theatre nerds, and hopes to in-still focus, tenacity, and the joy of performing in all the students she teaches.
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Lucy Price - Instructor
Lucy Price grew up in Vancouver BC, she has been working with kids for about 4 years now and absolutely loves it! She grew up training at a local studio where she trained in jazz, contemporary, acro, ballet, and lyrical. She has performed and competed all around the Vancouver area. Her favourite thing about teaching dance is being able to share her passion with the younger generation. Seeing the kids grow and start to develop their own style and love for dance is very inspiring to her. She also loves to watch kids advance their skills throughout the year. She’s so excited to start a new year with VPS!
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Hailey Christie-Hoyle - Instructor
Since graduating with an Honours Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance Program from Sheridan College in 2022, Hailey has been working across Canada as a professional theatre artist. Most recently she performed in Elf: The Musical with The Arts Club Theatre Company! A highly trained actor, singer and dancer, Hailey has experience teaching all performance art disciplines to students of all ages. With over 7 years of teaching experience, she has developed a teaching style that is playful, collaborative and student-directed. She loves to find out what excites her students, help them to explore their interests, and build interpersonal skills and self confidence. As well as teaching and performing, Hailey also loves to choreograph and direct. She shares this passion with her students by inviting them into her creative process, and providing opportunities for students to utilize their own creativity.
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Ana Ximena Martínez Lima - Instructor
Ana Ximena began her ballet training at a very young age, and her passion for the art form only grew with time. For many years, she attended her local ballet school under the direction of Alberto Terrero, a former principal dancer with the National Ballet of Cuba. Ana Ximena went on to complete her professional studies at the National Ballet School of Cuba "Fernando Alonso", where she graduated as a dancer and teacher with a specialization in classical ballet. Following her studies, she completed an internship with the Barcelona City Ballet in Spain, and later began teaching lyrical, jazz, and ballet classes at an academy in her hometown. In order to continue her education, Ana Ximena moved to Vancouver, where she is currently studying Kinesiology at Capilano University to learn more about injuries and the dancer's body.
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Markayla Chapman - Instructor
Markayla is a dancer from Brampton, Ontario and began her dance journey at her studio when she was three. At the age of eight she joined her studios competitive team and continued until graduation. She has been teaching for 2 years now and has taught and trained in styles Acro, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Ballet, Lyrical and Contemporary. Her training also includes R.A.D. from grade 1 to 8 and Intermediate Ballet Exams. Markayla is very excited about being a part of the VPS Team and elated to share her love of dance through dance education. One of her main goals is to create a studio space that is welcoming, creative, structured and supportive.
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Paula Higgins - Instructor
Paula is a musical theatre performer and graduate of Vancouver Film School and Canadian College of Performing Arts. She spent this past summer at Theatre Under The Stars as Miss Honey in Matilda the Musical and will be playing Belle in Align Entertainment’s Beauty and the Beast this winter at the Michael J Fox Theatre. Paula looks forward to sharing her love of performing and musical theatre with VPS!