Faculty

Alexandra Woodley began dancing at the age of three. Alex took examinations in ballet with the Royal Academy of Dance and jazz and tap with the Canadian Dance teachers Association. Alex began competing at the age 5 in provincial and national competitions. She also expanded her knowledge of dance through participating in conventions and summer intensives both in Canada and internationally.

In 2015 Alex moved to Toronto and obtained a certificate in Dance Preparation (2016) and a diploma in Dance Performance (2018) from George Brown College (GBD) in association with Canada’s Ballet Jorgen. Upon graduation Alex was the recipient of the GBD Leadership, Choreography and Acting awards. The choreography award was a one-year mentorship under Hanna Kiel, director of the dance company Human Body Expression. 

Alex began her dance teaching education in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, modern and musical theatre at her local studio completing the Dance Teacher Training Program (2014) and took on her first independent teaching position at the age of 17. Alex has had the privilege of teaching at many studios across Alberta and Ontario. She is passionate about creating a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment that celebrates a dancer’s desire and passion no matter their age or ability. Alex is thrilled to be able to work with the students at Devotion Danceworks!

Amber was born and raised in Calgary where she found her passion for dance. She trained in multi-disciplinary styles such as jazz, ballet, contemporary, lyrical, musical theatre, etc. However, she found and began to pursue her strong passion for street dance, specifically in the styles of femme, hip hop, and R&B, when she became a student with illFX Education. She has also trained and is hungry to continue to learn in styles of house, funk, afro, and many more.

Amber has trained and performed through several opportunities, including Dance the Magic in Disneyland, The Dance Awards in Las Vegas, Artists Emerge in Vancouver and Edmonton, We Day Alberta (2019), and many other opportunities. You can catch her in advertisements for food chains, such as RE:GRUB and Chronic Tacos.

As she learns more about the art and culture around dance, Amber’s goal is to, alongside her fellow hip hop teachers, construct an understanding of hip hop based on origins and foundation that acknowledges history. She hopes to further the understanding of the dance when it translates into more complicated choreography. She believes that hip hop culture should be preserved and spread in its authenticity.

Thanks to her mentors and teachers, Amber is ecstatic to be a part of the Calgary community of dance instructors. She is always excited to grow as a dancer and to share her passion with the next generation of aspiring dancers!

Isabella Tarasoff is a dancer, choreographer and educator. Born in Edmonton and
raised in Calgary, Alberta. Isabella has had the opportunity to train under various street dance choreographers and mentors from a young age which has impacted her and allowed her to have influences in a variety of styles of street dance and choreography.  In the last five years, under the direction of Universesoul Dance Studio, Isabella has had the opportunity to travel across Canada and with the company to train under various well-known choreographers and compete at reputable competitions such as Release Dance Competition & Arists Emerge.

Recently she has developed a passion for creating and exploring movement and has
had the opportunity to share her choreography and artistry with others in the Calgary
dance community with the intention to give back to the community that serves her.

Jenna began her dance journey at the age of 5 in Calgary. After dancing competitively for 10 years she entered the Central Memorial dance program where she learned about dance from a professional perspective. Jenna graduated from the Associated Dance Arts for Professional Teachers program in Jazz and Tap in 2019. She has also always prided herself on constantly growing and trying to learn as much as she can. Jenna has taken Acro Dance Teacher Association junior and intermediate training workshops, Acrobatic Arts modules one and two workshops, Sugarfoot injury prevention certification, MuvMethod stretching program, and Alixa flexibility module 1 and 2 training courses. Jenna has been sharing her teaching and passion with dancers for over 10 years and is looking forward to continuing to learn and share with dancers for years to come!