FACULTY
The Canadian School of Ballet takes pride in our faculty being the best in their field. They all have the training, experience, and dedication to train excellent dancers.
Regeanna Stubel
Owner, Director, RAD RTS – Ballet
Regeanna Stubel is the proud owner of The Canadian School of Ballet and has been teaching at CSB for over 25 years! Regeanna started dancing at the age of 5 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and has completed all of her RAD exams from Primary to Intermediate ballet. In 1991, Regeanna moved to Kelowna and studied ballet under the instruction of Melville Brown at The Canadian School of Ballet. She performed in many roles of The Nutcracker and in her graduating year, Regeanna was accepted into The Banff Center of Fine Arts for their 5-week summer dance program. Regeanna is a registered ballet teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance. Regeanna co-owned CSB with Carley Bailey from 2011 – 2024, and took over as the owner in 2024.
Carley Bailey
Company B, Jazz, Tap
Ms. Carley was born and raised in Kelowna and grew up dancing at The Canadian School of Ballet. She went on to further her performing arts education at The Canadian College of Performing Arts (CCPA) where she trained under one of Canada’s most prominent instructors and choreographers, Jacques Lemay. Upon graduation, Ms. Carley was hired as a headlining singer and dancer on board Holland America and Carnival Cruise Lines. After 10 years of living out her professional dream as a singer and dancer, Ms. Carley returned to Kelowna where she began a new career. Ms. Carley was the co-owner of CSB with Regeanna Stubel from 2011-2024. She teaches jazz and tap and is the Artistic Director of the studio’s performance companies – Company B and Junior B.
Taylor Gnam
Contemporary, Lyrical, Company B
Ms. Taylor began her dance training at The Canadian School of Ballet in Kelowna before she moved away at the age of 13 to attend the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Professional Division for five years. She then moved to Vancouver where she completed the Arts Umbrella Graduate Program with a Dance Diploma. Ms. Taylor worked as an apprentice with the professional ballet company Ballet BC before becoming a full company member and directors assistant for Vancouver based dance company Project20. Ms. Taylor and her husband moved to Kelowna in 2015, where she began teaching for CSB. She has won many awards for her choreography including people’s choice awards, top choreography in individual age groups and top choreography overall. Ms. Taylor is a certified Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) Teacher as well as a certified Barre Instructor.
Mackenzie Denis
ARAD RAD RTS – Jazz, Tap, Acro, Ballet
Mackenzie began dancing at the age of 3, training in RAD Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Contemporary. Since joining The Canadian School of Ballet in 2015, she has completed her Royal Academy of Dance Advanced 2 examination with Distinction and had numerous roles in The Nutcracker including the Rat King and Clara. Furthermore, Mackenzie was invited to dance alongside professional dancers in Ballet Kelowna’s Canadiana Suite and even had the opportunity to be a part of Disneyland’s Dance the Magic Parade. She was fortunate enough to compete in many local and out-of-province competitions while in CSB’s Company B. In 2018, Mackenzie travelled to San Diego, California, participating in DancerPalooza’s very own Travis Wall Experience where she took classes from Travis Wall, Mark Meismer, Teddy Forance, and various others. During that same year, she became a faculty member of CSB. Mackenzie is a Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) certified teacher, Acrobatic Arts Certified Teacher and a Royal Academy of Dance Registered Teacher.
Emma Donley
ARAD, RAD RTS – Ballet
Emma trained in the R.A.D. Ballet method, and with coaching from Mel Brown, Loretta Lachner, and Penny Hudson, Emma achieved the highest level examination (Advanced 2) in 2002. Emma received scholarships to train at dance programs with Alberta Ballet School and the Banff Centre for the Arts. Emma has worked with many great instructors such as David LaHay (Ballet Kelowna), Susan Toumine (Banff Centre for the Arts), Annette Av Paul (Banff Centre for the Arts), and Lisette Salgado and David Lucas (Royal Winnipeg Ballet). Emma performed with Velocity Dance Company, Josh Beamish, a demi-soloist role with Ballet Kelowna in “La Sylphide”, and the role of Sugar Plum Fairy at the Canadian School of Ballet’s Nutcracker, coached by David LaHay and Susan Toumine. Emma has been teaching at The Canadian School of Ballet since 2000 under the mentorship of Mel Brown, attaining her R.A.D Teaching Certificate in 2001. Emma is part of the artistic staff for CSB’s Nutcracker and along with Chris Larsen, created CSB’s Pre-Professional Program and Dance Training Okanagan.
Chris Larsen
RAD PDTD, RAD RTS Ballet
Chris is a graduate of the National Ballet School of Canada. Dancing with Ballett-Art François Klaus in Switzerland, the Hong Kong Ballet and the prestigious Birmingham Royal Ballet where he danced for 10 years and retired in the position of Soloist. He danced in a large range of roles from corps de ballet through to principle parts in many of the great classics as well numerous new works, and also had the opportunity to have roles created on him. Throughout his career he had the opportunity to be on many international tours and dance in international Galas. Since retiring from professional dance, Chris received The Professional Dancers Teaching Diploma from the Royal Academy of Dance and returned home to British Columbia.
Chris has adjudicated for Danceworks Festival in Victoria, and the Kootenay Festival of the Arts in Trail, B.C. Often called upon by the RAD to guest-coach workshops and seminars, Chris has also guest taught for intensives in Vancouver, Toronto, LA, and Prince George and most recently was invited to guest teach at the Victoria Academy of Ballet.
Chris started teaching at The Canadian School of Ballet in 2014 and is part of the artistic staff for CSB’s Nutcracker and along with Emma Donley, created CSB’s Pre-Professional Program and Dance Training Okanagan.
Taya Stubel
Hip Hop, Jazz
Taya began dancing at CSB when she was 3 years old and has trained in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop and contemporary. Taya has performed in 13 productions of the Nutcracker and was a part of CSB’s Company B for 5 years, where she has danced in the DisneyLand parade and performed at Swinging with the Stars, a fundraise for the Central Okanagan Hospice Association. In 2019, Taya travelled to Long Beach, California and participated in the summer intensive “DancerPalooza” where she took classes from Travis Wall, Twitch, Teddy Forance, Mark Meismer and many others. In 2020, Taya became a member of the CSB faculty, and currently teaches hip hop and jazz!
Kait Strauss
Tap
Ms. Kait is a Pennsylvania native and has called Kelowna home since 2016. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Dance Performance from Oklahoma City University with a focus in ballet, rhythm tap, jazz, and musical theatre. While at university, she participated in several of the dance companies across campus including Rhythms Hip Hop and Stomp team and the renowned American Spirit Dance Company. Through participation in these companies, Kait had the opportunity to perform on campus and off at various events throughout Oklahoma City as well as the city’s televised Centennial Celebration in honour of 100 years of statehood. After her time in Oklahoma, she moved to New York City to audition and train as a dance professional. Following a few years chasing dreams and a move to Buffalo, NY, Kait discovered her passion for teaching. She took a job instructing adults in all genres of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, musical theatre, barre, burlesque, and body percussion. Ms. Kait has been part of the Tap Faculty at The Canadian School of Ballet since 2016. In addition to teaching dance, she enjoys travelling, hiking, swimming in the lake, riding her motorcycle, skiing, and spending time with her husband and beloved pup
Graycen Mackay
Ballet
Graycen has been dancing since she was 4 years old. She joined CSB in 2015 and has trained in jazz, ballet, contemporary, hip hop and tap. She has performed in 8 Nutcracker productions and has been a part of CSB’s Company B for 6 years where she has competed in both local and out of town competitions. During that time, she was accepted to numerous summer programs and attended The Royal Winnipeg Summer Intensive in 2018. She also had the opportunity to participate in Dance the Magic at Disneyland with the rest of Company B in the parade and on the Disney stage. In 2021, Graycen danced as Clara in the Nutcracker and began assistant teaching RAD ballet from Kinder to Grade 3 ballet. She is currently attending UBCO to pursue her Bachelor of Arts Degree majoring in psychology in hopes of being an elementary school teacher.
Madison Wightman
E.C.E. – Ballet (Pre-Dance)
Madi began dancing at CSB when she was 3 years old and has trained in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop and contemporary. She has performed in many performances of the Nutcracker and in numerous dance competitions and events. Madi was a part of CSB’s Company B for 5 years where she has participated in events such as the Mamas for Mamas Gala, Swinging With the Stars, and dance competitions in Lake Louise and Vancouver. In the 2019/2020 season, Madi began assistant teaching ballet classes to 3-5 year olds with Ms. Barb. Madi currently teaches ballet to our 3-5 year olds and she is also a certified Early Childhood Educator (ECE)!
Guest Instructors
Jen Bitcon
Jen is an experienced teacher, choreographer and dancer from Kelowna, BC. She trained at the Canadian School of Ballet for 16 years, and prides herself on her extensive training in a variety of styles including Jazz, Tap & Ballet. Jen has completed examinations up to Advanced 1 RAD Ballet and has performed in 11 performances of CSB’s The Nutcracker, which has included the role of “Arabian Queen”. She also spent numerous years competing in competitions across the Okanagan.
Working with kids has always been a passion for Jen, and she has been teaching dance for 9 years to students ages 3-18, along with adults. In 2022, Jen moved to North Vancouver and continued teaching dance at Inspired By Dance Company to pre-school, recreational and competitive students. She continued her training by dancing in their Alumni Program and taking classes at Harbour Dance. In addition to dance, Jen holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education from UBC and works as an elementary school teacher. Jen is thrilled to be back at CSB again, and teaching as a guest instructor.
Desirée Bortolussi
Desirée Bortolussi is a dance artist and educator born and raised in Kelowna, on the unceded territory of the Syilx/Okanagan people. Her love of dance began at just five years old when she stepped into The Canadian School of Ballet, where Ms. Emma was her very first ballet teacher. From that moment, dance became a lifelong passion, and CSB has remained a meaningful part of her journey ever since. She had the privilege of training under the guidance of Mrs. Brown, completing her R.A.D. ballet training at CSB, and participating in summer intensives across North America.
Desirée went on to build a fulfilling 13-year professional career with Ballet Kelowna, where she performed a diverse range of classical and contemporary repertoire and had the honour of performing title roles in works including Alysa Pires’ Macbeth and John Alleyne’s A Streetcar Named Desire. Throughout her career, The Nutcracker held a particularly special place in her heart, from beginning as a tiny mouse to eventually dancing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Experiencing the magic of the production from the youngest dancers’ roles through to one of its most iconic characters remains one of the most meaningful parts of her dance journey.
After retiring from professional dance in 2024, Desirée continues to share her passion through teaching and choreography, nurturing young dancers as they pursue their own dreams. With over a decade of teaching experience, her approach combines strong technical foundations with artistry, musicality, and a deep understanding of the body, creating a supportive and inspiring environment where dancers of all ages and abilities can grow in both skill and confidence. Desirée is also currently completing her Registered Massage Therapy certification and looks forward to beginning her career as an RMT in early 2027.
Shayla Hutton
Shayla Hutton (Kelowna, BC, Canada) (she/her) began her dance training at the age of four with The Canadian School of Ballet. After graduating from high school, she moved to New York City to further her training at the Joffrey Ballet School, where she was invited to join and perform with the Joffrey Ballet Concert Group under the direction of Davis Robertson. Throughout her career, Shayla has trained and worked closely with renowned ballet masters including Stacy Caddell, Nicole Duffy, Sam Meredith, and Brian McSween. She has performed works by Gerald Arpino and George Balanchine, as well as original creations by Africa Guzman, Gabrielle Lamb, Roger C. Jeffrey, Gary Chryst, Julie Bour, Jean Emile, Tyler Gilstrap, Davis Robertson, Dawn Marie Bazemore, and Samuel Pott. Shayla danced professionally with the Joffrey Ballet Concert Group for four seasons and spent nine seasons with Nimbus Dance under the artistic direction of Samuel Pott. During her time with Nimbus, she performed as a principal dancer and originated numerous roles in world premiere productions presented at prestigious venues including the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Tanglewood, and the Walton Arts Center. In addition to her performing career, Shayla has extensive experience as a dance educator, teaching a wide range of styles including ballet, pointe, contemporary, modern, jazz and tap. Passionate about mentoring the next generation of artists, she has worked with students of all ages and skill levels, from young beginners to pre-professional/adult dancers. Shayla also has taught in many outreach programs within the public school system in New Jersey, bringing dance education to hundreds of students each year and helping foster creativity, self-expression, and a deeper appreciation for the arts in underserved communities. Her teaching emphasizes strong technical foundations, artistic expression, musicality, and confidence both inside and outside the studio. Shayla is thrilled to return to Canada and continue her professional dance career where her journey first began.