Faculty
The faculty at PURE is composed of Directors and Instructors who share the same passion and collaborate their expertise to create a positive learning environment for our families.
PURE Directors
PURE Managers &
PURE Instructors
Our instructors are a team of educators well versed in Dance and the Performing Arts from a variety of different backgrounds.
Holly Winter
Bloom & Grow Manager & Competitive Coach
Dance has been a huge part of Holly's life. She has trained in many styles including ballet, jazz, commercial, hip hop, musical theatre, heels, ballroom and many more. This training has taken place all around the world in places such as Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, England, China, and Toronto. Holly’s credits include being part of the Toronto Raptors Dance PAK, Holland America Cruise Line performer, commercials, music videos, and more. Holly has extensive experience working as a choreographer, receiving several awards recognizing her work. Holly has recently branched out choreographing and directing multiple music videos.
Holly has been part of the PURE family for 10 years and takes on the roles of Teacher, Competitive Coach, Early Years Coordinator and is the proud creator of PURE's Early Years Program - Bloom &Grow. Holly is excited to start another season and to share her experience and love for dance with the all the PURE students.
Kristi Rodriguez (Thompson)
Marketing Manager and Competitive Coach
Kristi Rodriguez (Thompson) is recognized as an internationally acclaimed choreographer, master class teacher, and dedicated trainer for dancers. Specializing in competitive dance choreography and training dancers in technique across various styles, Kristi prepares them for the professional world. With over a decade of experience, she has had the privilege of gracing stages across North America.
Renowned for her visionary choreography, Kristi's dynamic routines have garnered prestigious recognition, distinguishing her in the competitive dance landscape. Beyond her home in Canada, her influence extends internationally, including a role as a master class teacher at esteemed institutions such as Michigan State University, University of Windsor, and Ontario Secondary Schools .
Kristi's commitment to shaping the future of dance goes beyond choreography; she wholeheartedly dedicates herself to training dancers for the professional dance world. With a remarkable ability to inspire excellence in her students, Kristi's choreography is marked by a captivating blend of innovation and distinction, seamlessly weaving together expressive elements that evoke deep emotions and showcase the dynamic strength of each dancer.
Since 2013, Kristi has been a pivotal figure in the PURE dance community, making substantial contributions to the competitive teams and earning multiple overall choreography awards, and etching her distinctive style into the heart of dance expression.
Tiffany Trofin
Collective Program Manager, Cecchetti Ballet Program Manager, Dance instructor and Collective Coach
Tiffany Trofin has over 25 years of dance teaching experience. She has trained and taught a variety of styles including ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, musical theatre, lyrical and creative movement. She loves teaching dancers of all ages and enjoys catching up with former students, many who now have their own children enrolled in dance! As a very active member of the Cecchetti Council of America, Miss Tiffany enjoys many professional development opportunities throughout the year. She also assists in facilitating professional development events for others, and is an aide for local Cecchetti ballet examination sessions.
One of Miss Tiffany’s passions is creating performance opportunities for dancers of all experience levels. She is excited to introduce the Collective program to PURE, which is a non-competitive performance group that connects with the community through dance. She believes that dance is something that can be enjoyed by everyone, whether as a performer or an audience member. It’s a wonderful way of spreading joy to all!
When not educating students in the area of dance, you can find Miss Tiffany educating students in many other ways. As a teacher for the Lambton-Kent District School Board she has the opportunity to work with students in all age divisions.
Miss Tiffany is delighted to be on staff at PURE, and is looking forward to making connections with dancers for many years to come!!
Queianna Park-Davis
Wallaceburg Location Manager, Dance Instructor, Wallaceburg Competitive Coach
Queianna (Q) has always had a passion for dance and performance. She got her start with teaching in her teen years, where she started in the PURE Assistant Program, and eventually became a teacher at PURE's Florence location. In high school she choreographed and performed in 2 musicals, along with choreographing for her schools competitive dance team, which placed in overalls.
After graduating from PURE's Company Program, Q pursued post-secondary education at York University. She danced and choreographed for one of their competitive dance teams, took classes about dance in society and media, choreographed and performed in multiple drag shows, and took dance classes throughout Toronto. Studying in sociological aspects of dance from a dancer’s perspective has influenced her growth and mission as a dance educator.
Now Q’s focus is dance education. She has taught master classes/intensives in other studios, for OSSDF, and is tackling wedding dance choreography this year! She currently manages and coaches the Competitive Crew team at the Wallaceburg PURE location. Her goal as a dance educator is that every dancer becomes the best person and dancer they can be, as the two definitely go hand in hand.
Faith Hudvagner
Chatham Location Manager, Dance Instructor, & Competitive Coach
From a young age Faith began taking dance lessons, but little did she know she was going to fall in love with the art of dance and that it would be such a large part of her life. When she was 9, Faith began dancing competitively and continued her competitive journey until graduating high school in 2018. She began teaching dance when she was only 15 years old and since then has had the opportunity to work with children of all ages in a variety of styles of dance. After graduating high school she began teaching dance at the competitive level and has grown to love and appreciate dance as well as the important role dance instructors/competitive coaches play in their students' lives more than ever before. Faith's love of dance and teaching has allowed her to travel all over Canada and the United States competing and performing with some of her closest friends, while being provided the opportunity to learn from many professionals in the business. Now, she has completed her Bachelor of Science in Health and Biomedical Science as well as obtaining her Bachelor of Education. Being in the Education field has allowed Faith to use her skills of working with children of all ages to develop new methods of delivering material that can be understood by all of her students. Faith is always looking forward to an opportunity that allows her to share her knowledge and passion for dance with her students, while constantly fostering their own creativity and individuality in a supportive, positive, fun, and uplifting environment that is PURE Academy.
Tawnie Clarke
Lakeshore Location Manager, Dance instructor & Competitive Coach
he forefront of Tawnie’s life. Finding that love for it in the younger days and carrying it with her to this current time. Dedicating herself through years of competitive dance and artistic training, Tawnie was always willing to take any risk in order to fulfill her passion. Carrying her future to Los Angeles, California with the purpose of widening her knowledge. After many years and opportunities, she took back everything she has learned to the PURE Fam.
While spending years in the dance world and watching its evolution, Tawnie has grown to approach dance in a different way. Finding comfort in the creative outlook and applying that to the way she teaches her classes. She wishes for every student to enter the studio with the motive of approaching her classes as a human, not just a dancer. With the belief that dance is one of the purist art forms, vulnerability is the most important expectation she has for her students.
As she has been a part of the PURE family for years now, she is happy to have the managerial role at the Lakeshore location with the purpose of extending her safe space from not only the classroom, but studio wide. As Tawnie carries on with the growth of PURE, she promises to continue using dance as an opportunity to vulnerably create art, as well as passionately building a safe atmosphere for young dancers to express themselves through dance.
Nicole Coombes
Dance/Acro instructor, Competitive Coach
Nicole started dancing at the age of three and has loved it ever since. She was an assistant teacher for five years, which led to her love of teaching dance and working with children of all ages. She has been trained in multiple styles including tap, ballet/pointe, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, and contemporary. Nicole was a competitive dancer for eight years, and she has travelled all over North America learning from world renowned choreographers. She has won various awards and scholarships to New York and Los Angeles. At the age of 17, she was signed with The Movement Talent Agency residing in California.
Nicole is certified in the Acrobatics Arts program. This program allows dance teachers to learn exercises and drills to increase students’ strength, flexibility, and endurance; techniques for spotting balancing, limbering, and tumbling skills; practical, hands-on experience. Nicole has graduated with a diploma in the Physiotherapy/Occupational Therapy Assistant program, and continually applies her education from the field in the way she teaches to help better her students. She continues taking dance classes/courses so she can pass new knowledge to her students.
Nicole loves sharing her passion for dance with her students, and watching them grow both as dancers and individuals in the welcoming, positive, fun and family oriented atmosphere that PURE is!
Kiana Flood
Dance Instructor, Competitive & Collective Coach
At the age of 3, Kiana Flood got involved in dance, and movement quickly became a big part of her life. Competing between the ages of 11-18 further pushed her in pursuing her dreams. Through the training at Nancy Pattison’s Dance World, she was able to achieve many awards, such as being selected for The Collective at DanceMakers Inc, where she traveled with and was mentored by many world-renowned choreographers. Now, Kiana has graduated with her degree in Kinesiology, she continues to explore the unlimited possibilities of the human body, and is sharing her knowledge all throughout Essex County in hopes to inspire young minds.
Leia Sumoba
Dance Instructor
Leia has been dancing since the age of nine and has been dedicated and passionate about it ever since. She has several years of experience in performance and competitive dance, both nationally and internationally. Her training includes ballet, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, tap, and many other styles of dance. Leia has been teaching/assisting in the classroom for the past four years. Leia has also choreographed competitive dance routines at a secondary level. She has a strong sense of leadership and fantastic ability to connect with all of her students and is excited to be on faculty with PURE sharing her love of dance and watching her students smile, learn and grow!
Juliana Zuech
Dance Instructor
Born in Windsor, Ontario Juliana started her training at dance studios across Windsor. Her passion and love for the art of dance vastly grew when she took her very first dance class at the age of three. Ever since this moment dance has been a significant part of her life and has played a major role in the person and artist she is becoming. Growing up Juliana had the opportunity to train under a variety of exceptional teachers, mentors, choreographers; training in ballet, jazz, hip hop, ballroom, contemporary, lyrical, and tap. At the age of eight she decided to take her training even further and joined dance companies in Windsor, Ontario. 10 years in competitive dance allowed Juliana to travel amongst Canada and the US meeting and engaging with other dance mentors and peers that helped push her career and explore/ find herself as an artist.
In 2015 she furthered her training and education in Detroit, Michigan and is now a recent graduate with honours from Wayne State University with a Bachelor of Fine, Performing, and Communication Arts degree as a dance major. In school she trained in ballet and a variety of modern techniques. Through college she has been exposed to a variety of opportunities and Academic classes that continued to develop/ shape the performer, artist, mover, and choreographer she became during her four years. She has performed works choreographed by Twyla Tharp, Dwight Rhoden, Molly Shanahan, Nicholas Liecter, Brian and Shaina BAIRA, Jennifer Harge, Aaron Smith, Haleem Rasul, Meg Paul and many other artists. She also had the experience of being a member of two dance companies during her time in school. Juliana ended her time at Wayne State in 2019 producing her Capstone piece Don’t Hold on to… Just Go, a reflection on her growth and successes during her time at Wayne State.
Juliana has been teaching dance for 6 years and has been able to work with students of all ages, levels, and disciplines of dance. Juliana loves being able to share her passion for dance with her students and relay everything she has learned growing up to them. She truly believes dance is a form of communication where she and her students can learn from each other and can use this form of art to say something or express themselves in ways words can’t. Juliana loves being a part of the PURE family and looks forward to each new season of dance.
Hannah Ross
Dance Instructor
Hannah Ross has been dancing since the age of 4, and every time she hits the stage you can see her passion and love for dance. She has been a part of PURE's Competitive program for several years. Hannah has been privileged to work closely with many dance educators in her home town and internationally. Hannah is excited to be able to share her passion, hard work and dedication to the arts with students in the classroom setting at PURE!
Ainnsley Russett
Dance Instructor
Ainnsley has been dancing for over fourteen years, training extensively in ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, lyrical, modern and hip hop. She is a recent graduate from the Walkerville Centre for the Creative Arts dance program, and is attending University of Windsor in their Honours Psychology program. She spent many years giving back to the Windsor-Essex community as a member of a dance performance team, and has spent the last seven years involved in a program that allows students of all abilities to experience the joy of dance and movement. Her time as a teacher assistant as well as her time spent within the dance community has taught her many valuable skills such as leadership, accountability, respect and kindness. Ainnsley has dreamed of being a dance instructor for as long as she can remember and she is so excited to share her love and passion for dance with all of her students!
Shanna Madruga
Dance Instructor
Shanna started dance at the age of 3 and she has fallen in love with it. She has been on a competitive team competing across the United States and Ontario since the age of 6. She is trained in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary, and acro. Shanna has been part of an assisting program since the age of 12. This program helped her find her love of teaching and she loves being part of dancers’ experiences at PURE. Shanna is one of the two Assistants working alongside the PURE directors. She can’t wait to share the PURE experience with the young dancers.
Alaina McIntrye
Dance Instructor
Alaina found her passion for dance at the age of seven and has enjoyed exploring the art and movement ever since. She spent five years on a performance team going around her community and sharing the love of dance with those around her. Throughout her years of dancing she has been trained in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, and pointe. She joined the Competitive Crew at PURE when she was 14 and has loved her experience on the team. Alaina discovered her love of teaching when she first started assisting classes at the age of 11 and is excited to share this passion with her students this upcoming season.
Madison Pedersen
Dance Instructor
Madison started dancing at the age of 1.5 and knew she loved it as soon as she stepped into the studio. She has been at PURE for 10 years, and for 9 of those years she has been on the Competitive Company team. She has trained in various styles of dance including: ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, acro, hip hop, musical theatre and heels.
In the 9 years that Madison has danced on the competitive team she has been fortunate enough to compete and attend conventions, learning and growing from teachers and dancers from all over the world. In conventions she has been presented with scholarships, most recently through an audition process she was selected to be a Pro Reveler assistant for an American company called Revel Dance Convention.
Madison is so grateful for every door that was open and every opportunity that has been given including being an assistant at PURE for 4 years and now teaching her own classes.