kia henriksen

ADAPT, ADTA, PBT

Dancing since the age of three, Kia has trained in tap, ballet, jazz, and acrobatics with experience in lyrical, hip hop, and contemporary.  She has completed ballet examinations through the RAD, grades 1-8 and the Intermediate vocational level, as well as jazz and tap examinations through both the CDTA, Al Gilbert, and ISTD syllabi. At sixteen she discovered her passion for teaching and sharing her love of dance, at seventeen she took over the tap program of her childhood studio, teaching both recreational and competitive classes, and hasn’t looked back.

She has choreographed award-winning competitive numbers in a variety disciplines and truly appreciates every opportunity to continue growing as a dance educator. Recognized as an innovative choreographer in the Acro and Contemporary categories, she loves to use the art of dance as a way to express her thoughts and opinions on various subjects.

Kia is a fully certified ADAPT, (Associated Dance Arts for Professional Teachers), jazz and tap instructor; she has prepared countless students for ADAPT examinations and has mentored many Junior Instructors and Teaching Assistants over the years. 

She is a Premiere Professional ADTA Instructor, (Acro Dance Teacher's Association), with certification in the junior and intermediate syllabus and the advanced syllabus still in progress.  Most recently, she has completed her level two training and certification with Progressing Ballet Techniques and is looking forward to teaching various styles of dance to all ages. 

Grateful for the opportunity to make a career out of her lifelong passion, she has been inspired by many teachers, peers, professionals and students and hopes to inspire others with her passion for the art of dance.

Renée Bauwens

Renée was raised in Merritt, BC and studied ballet under Linda Sanford for a decade, completing RAD exams from Grade 1 through Grade 8, plus Intermediate foundation, with Honours and Distinction. In 2003, she attended provincials in Kamloops, BC.

Renée’s passion for teaching began as an assistant dance teacher in her youth and continued into other subjects. Renée studied English Writing and Rhetoric and Visual Arts at the University of the Fraser Valley. She graduated with a BA and TESL certificate. For one semester, she also attended an art school in Poland, and dance has always remained part of Renée’s life. She has been involved in video art dance projects, socially, and has consistently danced for self-expression and personal entertainment. Eventually, she went on to teach English at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland. After moving back to Canada, she began teaching art classes to children and adults. On several occasions, Renée participated in Love to Dance “Dance, Music, Art” camps as an art teacher.

Renée loves engaging with children and is very excited to join the LTD community as a ballet teacher to the youngest classes, namely Ballerini, Ballet Fun, Ballet Basics and Pre-Primary. She hopes to bring enthusiasm to the classroom and inspire love for dance, music and expression.

Additionally, Renée believes ballet is not just “fun,” but that there are many practical advantages of practicing ballet, extending beyond physical and mental benefits.  In her words, “Ballet taught me self-control, self-discipline, and built my character, as it both humbled and strengthened me. It made me resilient and helped me learn the benefits of honouring commitments. Additionally, I have been able to pick up any other dance style I’ve tried almost instantly, plus it helped calm the asthma attacks I suffered with as a child.” Renée aims to encourage, train and foster young dancers’ abilities and confidence so that they may gain as much from dance as she has.