Anjelica Gilroy
Certified ADAPT Jazz & Tap Teacher, Alixa Flexibility M1
Ms. Anjelica began her dance training at the age of three in ballet, jazz, and tap. By the age of six, she was already competing in these styles, later expanding her training to include acro, hip hop, lyrical, and musical theatre. Throughout high school, she performed and choreographed for the musical theatre program, earning the program’s top scholarship upon graduation. She completed her RAD ballet exams through the intermediate level, along with ADAPT exams in both jazz and tap through intermediate level 3.
In 2012, Ms. Anjelica was honoured to be selected for the Canadian National Tap Team under the direction of Everett Smith (Top 4 finalist on So You Think You Can Dance Canada). She proudly represented Canada at the IDO World Championships in Germany.
In the summer of 2021, Ms. Anjelica completed her Alixa Flexibility Module 1 certification. She has since gone on to complete her ADAPT Jazz & Tap Teacher Training and is now a fully certified ADAPT instructor.
Ms. Anjelica’s teaching emphasizes strong technique, musicality, and artistry while fostering a positive, supportive, and motivating environment. She is passionate about sharing her love of dance and is dedicated to inspiring her students to feel confident, accomplished, and proud both in and out of the studio.
Shauna Bartley – Assistant Director/Office Manager
B.A.T.D Certified Member, ADAPT Certified, PBT Certified, Acrobatic Arts M1 & M2
For over 20 years Ms. Shauna studied Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical, Musical Theatre, and Acro. Her passion for instructing young dancers started at the age of 14 when she began assisting classes. Ms. Shauna was later hired as a full-time teacher at the age of 18 in the disciplines of Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical, Acro and Musical Theatre. To gain more knowledge and experience, Ms. Shauna attended and successfully completed the 3 year A.D.A.P.T (Associated Dance Arts for Professional Teachers) certification program, 2 year Performance Dance program at George Brown College, Level 1 and Level 2 in acrobatics through the Dance Educators of Canada Forum for Acrobatic Dance, completed the Acrobatic Arts Module 1 and 2 certification and recently became certified in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT). Ms. Shauna is also a certified member of BATD.
In the last 22 years as a teacher and choreographer, students that she has had the honour of working with have won numerous awards including; Young dancer of the year, choreography awards and many overalls in groups, duets, trios, and solos. Throughout her many hard working years as a teacher/choreographer Ms. Shauna had the opportunity to work as an Assistant Artistic Director and Office Manager to add to her working knowledge within the dance world.
Ms. Shauna takes great pride in creating a positive and motivating learning experience. She is very enthusiastic towards sharing her passion for dance with all the young dancers that she has had the privilege of working with and strongly encourages them to set goals and dream big.
Madison Mapes – Competitive Director
BA.H, ADAPT Certified, Acrobatic Arts M1, P.A.A, ADE Acro
Ms. Madison has loved dancing since she joined at the age of 3. She became competitive shortly after and was successful and passionate about being a dancer. She won many awards, overalls and choreographed high school musicals until she completed high school. Along the way during studio training she completed up to Grade 7 RAD ballet exams and trained in upper level ballet classes upon completion. She also completed all of her ADAPT exams up to Intermediate 3 jazz and tap.
After teaching her first class Ms. Madison knew it was the right career for her, she has always been interested in making an impact on children and what could possibly be better than doing it as a dance teacher? Ms. Madison has been a recreational and competitive teacher for multiple years and choreographed many routines during this time that have had great success.
In summer 2021 Ms. Madison completed her ADAPT teacher training to be fully certified for jazz and tap and her Acrobatic Arts Teacher Training Module 1 for Acro. She achieved her BA.H in Psychology from York University in June 2020 and during her time completed many dance courses, classes and attended workshops to keep up her training. She is in the process of becoming an Early Childhood Educator through St Lawrence College Online Program to hopefully add to her career as a dance teacher.
Using what she has learned in her education and her strong love for children she is excited to see where being a dance teacher can take her. She has worked at Whitby Dance Company for multiple years and is excited to continue to make a positive impact on the dancers.
Kathleen Rogers – Administrator/Social Media
Alixa Flexibility M1, Acrobatic Arts Preschool Certified, ADAPT Certified
Kathleen is a WDC alumni with 14 years of dance experience in Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Musical Theatre, Acro, Hip Hop, Lyrical and Contemporary. She has been dancing since the age of 2 and it’s been her passion ever since!
During Kathleen’s dance career she has had the amazing opportunity to dance with the Toronto International Ballet in their yearly performance of the Nutcracker alongside the Bolshoi Ballet dancers for three years. She also has had the chance to dance in the Globetrotters half time show and perform with her amazing WDC team at Disney!
As a proud graduate of Whitby Dance Company, Kathleen understand firsthand the transformative power of dance education. From novice to a seasoned performer, Kathleen has grown through the studio’s nurturing environment, and now it’s her turn to create that nurturing space for you!
Kathleen is now Alixa Flexibility Module One Certified. This certification not only enhances her understanding of the human body’s capabilities but also equips herself with innovative techniques to help you reach new levels of flexibility and grace. In addition to that, Kathleen has also earned her Acrobatic Arts Preschool Certification. This will enable her to seamlessly blend the beauty of dance with the thrill of acrobatics, offering your little ones a dance experience that provides creativity, coordination, and confidence.
Kathleen is so excited to be back with the WDC team taking on the role of teaching and enrolment coordinator! Kathleen is excited to dance with you and hopes to inspire a new generation of young dancers.
Amia Ogieva
Amia brings over 25 years of dance experience and more than a decade of teaching to the studio. Trained in a wide range of styles including ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, lyrical, and musical theatre, she ultimately chose to focus her professional career on Hip Hop — a genre where she has thrived as both a performer and choreographer.
Amia has taught across Ontario, working with dancers of all ages, from preschoolers to adults, including specialized classes in both Hip Hop and Heels. Her high-energy teaching style, combined with her passion for movement and mentorship, creates a dynamic and inclusive learning environment for every student.
Amia is excited to share her knowledge and love of dance with the Whitby Dance Company community and looks forward to an inspiring season ahead.
Taylor Hand
Taylor is a professional dancer and experienced teacher who took her first dance class at the age of 18 months! She grew up as a competitive dancer and became very passionate about dance. Taylor began teaching at the age of 15 when she was named the choreographer for her high school’s musical theatre program. She created choreography for the shows, taught it to her peers, held lunchtime rehearsals, designed costumes, helped direct scenes, and also performed! Her show credits include “The Wizard of Oz”, “Godspell Jr.”, “Sister Act Jr.”, and“Newsies Jr.” Taylor was awarded the scholarship award for outstanding work in the performing arts at her highschool graduation.
In March 2024, Taylor created her own professional dance company called “Verve Dance Collective”. This company is an entertainment-based collective that acquires dancers for professional performance opportunities. Their show credits include multiple galas and events for RBC Bank and The Benefit Alliance, which she choreographed and performed in. She also had the pleasure of getting to perform at the 2024 Premier Awards alongside the Centennial College Ignite Dance Crew.
In April 2025, Taylor graduated from Centennial College’s Dance Performance program with honours. She also received a Centennial College Dean’s Award for Outstanding Entrepreneurship for the creation of her dance company. Taylor is also certified in the Artistic Dance Educators (ADE) Jazz Syllabus.
Taylor is very passionate about teaching dance and wants to inspire the next generation of dancers. She is very excited to be apart of the WDC team!