Teachers
Lisa Brandt
Owner and Artistic Director of Panorama School of Dance, Lisa has been classically trained through the Royal Academy of Dance.She has over 28 years experience teaching ballet to all ages. She has held a teachers certificate from the Royal Academy of Dance since 1991. Lisa Brandt is a Royal Academy of Dance Mentor, where she is employed by the Academy to work with young teachers and coach them with their study of the RAD Teacher's Certificate.
Ms. Lisa's greatest desire is to touch a life, building strong individuals, who not only benefit from being trained in dance but also gain many life skills through dance education that will help them for years to come. Lisa Brandt discovered the passion to dance at a very young age. It is her goal as a professional dance teacher to motivate or instill in her students the same passion that she has for the art form. Her goal is to make a difference in each and every life that enters the door to her classroom.
Over the years, Lisa has had many opportunities to enjoy teaching courses, for example the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Teacher's Course, dance instruction in St. Petersburg, Russia at the Mussorgsky Theatre, and the many courses offered to our Royal Academy of Dance Teachers.
Lisa Brandt owns and operates her dance school with integrity and fairness to all her students. She believes that children of all ages will gain so much from their dance training.
Jennifer Basa
Jennifer's life-long love affair with dance began when she was four and felt her ballet teacher's pointe shoe for the first time. For the next 12 years she competed throughout BC in modern, lyrical, tap, jazz, stage and studied RAD ballet for over 10 years. After graduating from high school, she decided to explore her other creative side, acting & theatre, and appeared in various commercials throughout Canada and the US. After traveling abroad, Jennifer returned to Vancouver and received her diploma in business marketing from BCIT and eventually returned to her first love, ballet, to complete her Certificate In Ballet Teaching Studies with the Royal Academy of Dance. She has trained up to Advanced 2 level and received distinction on her Advanced 1 Ballet exam.
With a strong desire to better understand the body and how it can be conditioned for ballet, Jennifer began practicing Pilates and has since become a Certified Pilates instructor throughout Vancouver. She trained under Marta Hernandez with the PhysicalMind Institute of Canada as well as Emmie Li to receive her Pilates Certification. Jennifer teaches Pilates to all ages and disciplines including students at various dance schools. She is also an instructor with Canada's very first "barre style" workout, The Dailey Method, which combines the disciplines of ballet barre work, yoga and pilates. Her passion always remains in Ballet with the goal of developing her students into strong, balanced dancers.
Jenny Branham
Jenny has been teaching at Panorama School of Dance since 2005 but began dancing and performing throughout Canada and the U.S at a very early age. She studied at various local dance schools and was a member of the B.C Lions Felions Dance Team. Most recently, Jenny obtained her bachelors of Human Kinetics from UBC and was accepted into the UBC Teacher Education program. For the past 7 years, Jenny has been professionally teaching and choreographing dance for students of all ages and abilities. She views teaching as a rewarding experience and loves to see her students learn and grow from year to year. Jenny has done extensive work developing dance education (in particular hip hop) for P.E classes and community after school programs throughout the lower mainland. She teaches dance classes for many local elementary and secondary schools, as well as, professional development workshops for school teachers interested in dance. Her teaching is focused on beginners with an emphasis on fun and fitness. Jenny's classes provide a new and exciting approach to teaching dance that is successful with both teachers and students.
Marisa Brandt
Marisa began her dancing career at the very young age of 2. Taught by her mom Ms. Lisa, Marisa quickly found her own love of dance. She has been classically trained in RAD Ballet and has completed exams up to the Advanced Foundation level. Marisa also enjoyed training in modern, jazz, lyrical jazz, tap and hip hop.
She has competed at many competitions from the age of 5 up to the age of 18. She was awarded the Junior Ballet Champion Trophy at the age of 8 and has also won numerous other trophies and scholarships.
Marisa performed in "The Nutcracker Ballet" with the Royal City Youth Ballet at the age of 7. She was a member of the Panorama Youth Company since the age of 7 and has danced in many places, such as Disneyland, PNE, Cruise Ships, Whistler, Parades and many local performances around the Lower Mainland.
At the age of 16, Marisa traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia to train in a 2 week dance intensive at the Mussorgsky theatre. Marisa will remember this experience for the rest of her life. She learned sections from different well known Ballets, as well as having the opportunity to work with the professional dancers in Pas De Deux.
Marisa trained at 'The Edge for Performing Arts Centre' for 3 summers in Los Angeles, California, dancing under many well known choreographers and teachers from all over the US. She has also attended a number of dance conventions in Vancouver such as, Triple Threat Dance Convention, and the Coastal Dance Rage Convention, and has been taught by the well known, Benji Schwimmer, Blake McGrath, Napoleon & Tabitha from the hit TV series, "So You Think You Can Dance".
Marisa started student teaching at Panorama at the age of 11, and gained her own classes at the age of 16 in 2004. She has been teaching Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Tap, and HipHop.
Marisa has had the passion of dance ever since she was a very little girl, and she feels that she is right where she is supposed to be, teaching kids to love dance the way she has her whole life.
Michelle Gisby
Michelle Gisby is one of the lower mainland's most dynamic teachers/choreographers! Discovering dance at the age of six, by age ten Michelle knew that her passion for the arts would continue to be a part of her life, always. Trained by many top local and internationally known professionals, Michelle's extensive training includes tap, jazz, musical theatre (stage & song and dance), lyrical and ballet. Michelle's proficiency in tap led her to the opportunity to be selected for solo choreographed works by world-renowned tap legends William Orlowski and Malcome Gayle. As a student, the result of Michelle's combined talents and studies won her numerous scholarships to train in Los Angeles, Florida, Las Vegas and more. Michelle was one of the lower mainland's top competitive dancers, regularly participating in annual provincial level events that featured all competitive "overall" scholarship/award winners. Michelle now passes on her knowledge to some of the most talented dancers of the next generation! Several students under her guidance have performed shows in Disneyland, been hired by Princess, Carnival and Royal Caribbean Cruiselines, become members of the Source Dance Company and followed their own dreams of professional success on many levels. Michelle has also been called on to offer her knowledge to a variety of projects in the theatre - movement training and/or choreography of musicals and dramatic plays. Michelle is loved by her students and colleagues for her vitality, creativity and incredible sense of humour she brings to each day in the studio and at every event! Her wit and enthusiasm has a way of motivating all around her with tremendous positive energy, and her musicality and keen eye for technique has brought her numerous awards for her choreography.
Ashleen MacPherson
Ashleen Cara MacPherson is
a graduate of the dance program at the Edmonton School of Ballet at Vimy Ridge
Academy in Edmonton, Alberta.
There she was trained in all forms of dance and at the age of 16 began choreographing
and teaching. Upon graduating, she was hired by Princess Cruise Lines as a
dancer and entertainer, and did numerous contracts with the company. Ashleen is also a graduate of the
Canadian College of Performing Arts, where she studied acting, singing, and
dancing. She has also adjudicated
for several vocal, dance, and talent competitions, is currently working in the
film and television industry, and will soon be attending school for make-up
artistry. Ashleen loves teaching
at Panorama School of dance, and can't wait to see what this year brings!
Robert Policarpio, ARAD
Robert hails from Manila Philippines. He danced professionally with Philippine Ballet Theatre and Ballet Philippines where he performed soloist roles from the classical repertory and in works of international choreographers such as Robert Barnett, Tom Pazik, Paul de Masson, Jan Linkens, Agnes Locsin, George Balanchine , just to name a few. He is also a ballet restager, the highlight of which when he had the opportunity to travel to China to restage the ballet "La Gitana" for the Central Ballet of China and the ballet "Camille" for the Beijing Dance Academy.
Upon retiring from the dance scene, Robert moved to Brunei Darussalam to become the resident ballet teacher/Director of the Panaga Dance Centre for 17 years until his migration to Canada in 2010.
Robert is a certified Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) teacher and a Stott Pilates instructor.
Heather Price, ARAD
Heather began her ballet training at the age of 4 under the Cecchetti Method, and continued on with the Royal Academy of Dance after the age of 8, achieving her Advanced 1 exam and training at an Advanced 2 level. Heather has been teaching Ballet and various other dance forms, including Modern, Jazz, and Tap since 2002, and has just completed the RAD's Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies program, which grants her fully registered teacher status. Heather spent 3 years in London, Ontario teaching, training, and performing while attending university. She had the privilege to train with Dale Yoshida, a former principal dancer with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and performed in many fashion shows and charity events throughout the London area. She is also currently enrolled in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UBC, as she trains to become a pharmacist. Heather has been a member of the Panorama School of Dance family since 1994, and is very happy to be back to pass on her knowledge and passion for dance to the students at Panorama.
Carly Roguski
Carly started her dance career at the age of three in Edmonton, Alberta. Carly has trained extensively in Classical Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern and Tap. She completed the Professional Training Program at Dance Alberta in 1998 and went on to dance in their Professional Dance Company for three seasons. In her last year with the company Carly took over as Co-Artistic Director, producing a brand new show called the "Off Centre Dance Project." Carly has also trained at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Alberta Ballet, San Francisco Dance Centre, Broadway Dance Centre and the Edge Studio in Los Angeles. After leaving Dance Alberta, Carly took her training to California where she danced professionally with the Visual Rhythm Dance Company, a vibrant, eclectic jazz company that performed throughout the state of California.
Carly has been teaching dance for the past 9 years in Alberta and British Columbia and is in her 5th year at Panorama. In November of 2007, Carly completed her Certification in Ballet Teaching Studies and became a registered teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance.
At Panorama, Carly teaches R.A.D ballet, jazz and lyrical as well as continuing as the Director of the Panorama Youth Company.
Carly wishes to thank all her students who continue to surprise and inspire her on a daily basis.
Stacey Spencer
Stacey's love of dance began at the age of five. She started taking jazz and ballet and soon found herself adding Modern, Tap, Lyrical, and Hip Hop. Stacey has studied and trained in both Cecchetti and Royal Academy of Dance ballet forms, successfully completing many exams.
Over the years, Stacey has competed in many different local and international dance competitions, traveling as far as Portland, Oregon with her groups. Stacey also has performed in many local venues such as Vancouver's PNE and the BC Lions Half Time show.
Stacey began student teaching at Panorama in 2004 and now is so excited to have classes of her own.
She is also currently enrolled in General Studies at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and absolutely loves it.
Stacey cherishes all the time spent dancing, learning and making life long friendships at Panorama and is so pleased to now be able to pass that on to her students.
Jen Varney
Jennifer was born and raised in Vancouver, BC and has been performing and teaching professionally for 15 years. She has had 20 years of extensive training in Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Modern, and Hip Hop. Her television and movie credits include the NBC series "Just Deal" and the major motion pictures "Saving Silverman" and "Dudley Do Right". Along with these Jennifer has been seen in commercials for Honeycomb cereal, Sniggle Sticks Toys, and a corporate video for Sony Corporation. Jennifer's stage credits include productions for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, The Canadian Armed forces show Tour in Africa, and Tokyo Disneyland where she performed as a featured dancer in "Once Upon a Mouse". She was also an original cast member and featured performer in the Broadway Revue "Encore" show at Tokyo DisneySea. Jen has trained with the best from Vancouver, New York, Los Angeles, and Japan.
