Stephanie Applin
Instructor
Career plans are not typically something that most eight-year-olds would consider. Amazingly, however, it was at this age that Stephanie already knew she wanted to be a ballet instructor. Talented and eager, she shone in competition but chose not to pursue a professional dance career and instead followed her heart. Inspired by Kristine Letson, director of the Academy of Ballet, Stephanie discovered her love of teaching ballet at a young age, leading her to attend the prestigious teacher training program with the National Ballet School of Canada. Stephanie's training included courses in dance pedagogy, child psychology, body conditioning, kinesthetic anatomy, and neuromuscular education. Stephanie graduated from the program with honours in the Cecchetti Division.
Recognizing the value of keeping up to date with her training, Stephanie uses summers and off-hours to attend professional training programs, refresher courses, and workshops that keep her on her toes in the worlds of conditioning, movement, anatomy, and Irene Dowd studies.
With immense professional training and performing experience, Stephanie is highly sought out for both teaching and choreography, creating award-winning routines for many dance companies and studios throughout North America. Teaching in the Vancouver area for the past twelve years has served to reinforce the importance of education, not only in dance, but in any pursuit, to which Stephanie readily attests, "Taking the teacher training program is the smartest decision I could have made for my career. There isn't a day in the classroom I don't pass on the inspiration and information I learned while attending school."