About our director, Andrea Gaw
Raising the barre since 1991
"I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself."
~Mikhail Baryshnikov, famous dancer & choreographer
Andrea Gaw would say this quote sums up the underlying foundation of what she has created since 1991 in her Kemptville-area dance Academy - a place where children and young adults are free to learn, dance and “be themselves”.
Andrea has shared her love of dance with the community by training over 2500 students of all ages over the years, and her reputation of professional care and quality dancing is unsurpassed. She is a seasoned teacher who encourages laughter and fun, while working students to their full potential. Dancers have the freedom to express themselves in a place of acceptance and care.
Andrea’s quiet patience and special rapport with her students is a huge draw for the Academy’s classes. Her unique, humorous approach warms the classroom and she encourages her students to express themselves through dance in a safe, non-competitive atmosphere.
Andrea's Expertise
Certified with the Canadian Dance Teachers Association as well as in Progressive Ballet Technique, Andrea has experience in ballet, jazz and tap, and brings her learning and expertise to each class. She started dancing at the age of five, and as a young student was mesmerized by the dancing of professionals like Karen Kain. Today, her passion for dance is unabated, and continues to grow through experiences like the DanceLife Teacher Conference (Phoenix, AZ & Las Vegas, NV), as well as other dance teacher training experiences hosted by the National Ballet School of Canada (Toronto, ON), the RAD Teacher Training (Banff, AB), Dance Teacher Expo (Toronto, ON). C.D.T.A. Conferences, and many other professional organizations.
Classes at the Academy...
How we run our classes
Academy classes are offered in one of two ways:
classes that are run by the SEASON, and classes that are run by SESSION.
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Season= runs from September to June (similar to school), & finishes with a performance
Session= runs from a 4 to 10 week course (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer)
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The schedule will indicate which classes are which. Please note the time commitment when you register. ​
Please note there are Payment plans for our SEASON classes only.