Stacey-Lea Marhue

Owner & Artistic Director - Musical Theatre, Dance, Vocals

A Toronto-born performer and choreographer with a 30+ year career in dance and theatre, celebrated for her roles in acclaimed Mirvish Broadway productions, like "Miss Saigon" and "The Lion King," and her passion for teaching arts at BDM Studio.

  • Stacey-Lea was born & raised in Toronto, where she studied dance & theatre at Claude Watson School for the Arts and at the Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). Her professional career as a singer/dancer for over 30+ years has enabled her to travel the globe. Stacey-Lea is a proud member of ACTRA, CAEA & AEA (the professional actor's unions for stage, theatre, and film). Select stage credits include, MISS SAIGON (Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto), "THE WHO'S TOMMY" (Elgin Theatre in Toronto, Germany Productions & Canadian Tour), "RENT" (Mirvish Theatre in Toronto, US & Japan Tour), "THE LION KING" (Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto), "LA CAGE" (Toronto & Canadian Tour)... among others. Not only is she comfortable on stage, but in front of the camera as well. Stacey-Lea has worked with Patti LaBelle, Lorraine Braco, Cuba Gooding Jr in "SING" (Movie), Joe Mantegna in "SMALL VICES" (Movie), Gene Roddenberry "Earth Final Conflict" (TV Series), "Global Domination" (Sony CD Rom). She has been in various TV commercials selling products for Winners, KFC, Foodland Ontario, The Bay, Heinz Ketchup, and more! Most recently Stacey-Lea can be heard as the vocalist portraying the character Madam Wang on the Canadian debut album of "GOLDEN LOTUS the Musical". Throughout her career she has never lost her love of teaching. Stacey-Lea has taught dance & fitness classes for the Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, as well as many dance studios throughout the GTA. She also enjoys choreographing for stage & TV! You may have seen her choreographic work at the Toronto International Jazz Fest, the Toronto Beaches Jazz Fest, ESA production of "RENT", Malvern CI production of "West Side Story". Stacey-Lea has joined forces with Unionville Theatre Company as choreographer, working alongside Canadian and Broadway musical theatre veterans such as Mark Cassius. Most recently choreographing UTC’s outstanding productions of “Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. & “Grease”. In 2025 she was invited to assist the UTC youth division as a mentor in choreography. Stacey-Lea hopes that all of her students walk away with a love, and deeper understanding of the arts here at BDM Studio.

Valentina Polanco

Instructor - Ballet, Dance, IDTS, IBBFA

A Toronto-based ballet artist from Colombia, whose impressive career spans performances in classical masterpieces, international competition finals, and a robust teaching journey across North America.

  • Valentina grew up in Colombia, where she began her dance training with a focus on ballet. This Toronto-based artist has performed various roles in neoclassical works & classical ballets, including The Nutcracker, Gisselle, Don Quixote, and Romeo & Juliet. She has trained under recognized artists such as Andrea Wolff, Geta Constantinescu, Laetitia Clement, Nicola Pantin, & Derek Sangster. Valentina was a finalist in both, World Ballet Competition (USA) and Addicted 2 Dance Competition (Colombia). She is a graduate of Dance Performance from George Brown College, and has trained at Andrea Wolff Ballet in Colombia and under scholarship at Miami City Ballet, Ballet Austin, Joffrey Ballet School and Ballet Hispanico in the United States. She was also part of the Mentorship program with the recognized company Canada’s Ballet Jorgen during the 2021-2022 season. Valentina has completed the Dance Teaching Certification with IDTS & the Barre Instructor Certification with IBBFA. In her home country, Valentina taught ballet, pointe, classical variations and creative movement to dancers of all ages at IJR Ballet School and MIA Dance Academy. After moving to Canada, Valentina continued teaching at Canada’s Ballet Jörgen and Creative Children’s Dance Centre. She enjoys teaching young dancers to adults, at all levels!

Reece Rowat

Instructor - Dance, Musical Theatre, DAC

From Port Moody to the world stage! Now based in Toronto, Reece shines as an actor, dancer, and educator with credits in acclaimed productions like Kinky Boots, Beauty and the Beast, and Tiny Pretty Things on Netflix.

  • Originally from Port Moody, BC, Reece has had the opportunity to work as a performer all across the country, and the world! He is now based in Toronto and works regularly as an actor, dancer, and dance educator. Selected performance credits include Kinky Boots, Beauty and the Beast, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Singin’ in the Rain. (Drayton Ent.), Elf: The Musical (Theatre Aquarius/Drayton Ent.), The Little Mermaid (Capitol), Kyle O’ Boyle in Legally Blonde (Stage West Calgary), Ross Petty’s A Christmas Carol (Elgin Theatre), Snowboy in West Side Story (Rainbow Stage), Les Feux Follets, Soul of the Island (Charlottetown Festival), Godspell, Hello Dolly!, Brantwood 1920-2020 (Theatre Sheridan), The Middle Eastern tour of Pinocchio (Creativiva), and several productions for Carnival Cruise Lines. Film credits include Tiny Pretty Things (Netflix), Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (CBS), The Silence (Netflix) A Christmas Carol (Family Channel/YTV) A Nutcracker Christmas (Hallmark). As a dance educator, Reece has taught at dozens of studios throughout the GTA as part of the Quick Ball Change Inc. roster specializing in jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary, choreography, and musical theatre. He obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Musical Theatre from Sheridan Institute.

Anya Goodwin

Instructor - Dance

Anya, a Vancouver native, discovered her love for dance at age 7, progressing from classical styles to Hip-Hop and Lyrical, and has since flourished as a performer and inspiring dance teacher in renowned productions and educational programs.

  • Born and raised in Vancouver BC, Anya began dancing at the age of 7. She started in classical styles such as Jazz, Ballet and Contemporary. From small studios in community centers to strict curriculum at Goh Ballet Academy, Anya instantly fell in love with the art. Her passions led her to competing in Hip-Hop, Jazz, Contemporary and Lyrical alongside Boogaloo Academy. She started working professionally at the age of 15, where she performed at the Harlem Globetrotters Halftime Show, danced in artist Capri Everitt’s “Girl Stand Up” music video, as well as a soloist in rap artist’s Dani and Lizzy’s “Magma”. She has performed at the Walk so Kids can Talk fundraiser, and helped to bring Samantha Presley’s vision to life at the Vancity Project Choreography Showcase. She was also a backup dancer for Capri Everitt in Paul Anthony’s “Talent Time” (Prime Video). She has achieved her Certificate of completion in Commercial Dance at George Brown College, where she trained with decorated teachers such as Allison Bradley, Derick Robinson, Jennifer Robichaud to name a few. Anya performed in the production “In Haus” and “Next stage” as both a soloist and ensemble dancer. She has been a student teacher for summer programs at both Boogaloo Academy and George Brown College, where she absolutely fell in love with teaching young dancers. Anya is a fun, motivated and passionate person in and outside of the studio, and is always eager to see her student’s artistic passions soar!

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Isabella Sanchez

Instructor - Acrobatics, Dance, BATD, Music

Isabella is a dynamic performer and dance educator based out of Pickering, who also has a profound love of music, and music education. She looks forward to sharing her passion for dance and music with her students.

  • Isabella is a dynamic performer and educator based in Pickering, whose profound love for dance began at DLDA over 16 years ago. Over the years, she has honed her skills across a vast range of dance styles. Her hard work and dedication have earned her numerous awards of distinction, including multiple international scholarships and top scores for her solos, trios, and group routines. Notably, she proudly represented Canada at the Dance World Cup in Portugal, bringing home a silver medal in the Acro and Contemporary categories. Through Isabella’s dance career, she’s had the privilege of learning from esteemed members of the dance community, including Mohogany Brown, Jade Whitney, Andrew Kyrzyk, Alexandra DeLory, Andrew Dragert, and Lianne Tammi. Today she continues to evolve as an artist through a combination of ongoing strength, acrobatic, and technical training. As an acrobatics performer, she was selected as a member of the Toronto Raptors dance/tricks crew for the 2024-25 basketball season. Isabella found a calling in teaching and choreography at 16 years old. In addition to her dance accomplishments, Isabella has spent the last decade immersing herself in a musical journey with the Royal Conservatory of Music. She has pursued formal training in flute and piano, complemented by her self-taught proficiency in ukulele and guitar. This multifaceted musical exploration has broadened her artistic palette while deepening her understanding of rhythm, melody, and expression.

Lily-Fay Mowbray

Instructor - Dance, Acrobatic Arts, Musical Theatre

Toronto native Lily-Fay, a seasoned dancer and choreographer, teaches full-time at BDM Studio while continuing her advanced training; she's also a member of ACTRA, boasting numerous TV and commercial credits alongside notable actors.

  • Born and raised in Toronto, Lily-Fay studied Musical Theatre at the renowned Etobicoke School for the Arts, as well as training at the advanced level in ballet, jazz, lyrical, acro and tap at BDM Studio. She has represented BDM Studio for 12 years as a Dance Company Member… winning overall awards and highest scored awards for her solo and duet performances. After many years as a dance teaching assistant, Lily-Fay now teaches full-time along with choreographing during the busy dance competition season. She continues to hone her skills with ongoing training at the advanced level by attending professional dance classes throughout the GTA, and is ecstatic to have received a scholarship in to the Joffrey Ballet PreProfessional dance program in New York City for the summer of 2025. As a member of ACTRA, Lily-Fay has been cast in numerous TV Commercials & Voice Over recordings. She has had the pleasure of working alongside Catherine Bell, Chris Potter and Peter MacNeill in the “Good Witch’s Wonder” (TV series for the Hallmark Channel). Lily-Fay was recently cast in season 6 of the “Handmaids Tale” on HULU, along side Elizabeth Moss. Other notable performances include the Holiday Pops choir performance at Roy Thomson Hall starring Measha Brueggergosman, and as a featured performer in ESA’s show choir “Splash”, winning first place at the Show Choir Canada Competition. Lily-Fay looks forward to working with all of her dance students throughout the year and sharing her love of dance at BDM Studio.

Claudia Cantarutti

Instructor - Dance

Claudia is a proud Toronto native and University of Toronto student who channels her extensive dance expertise into teaching and choreographing full-time at BDM Studio, where she eagerly shares her passion for dance with students year-round.

  • Claudia was born and raised in Toronto, and is still proud to call it home. After graduating from St Patrick CSS in the enriched arts program as a dance major, Claudia went on to further her studies at the University of Toronto with her sights on becoming an elementary school teacher. Her dance training at BDM Studio since the early age of 6 years included extensive training in jazz, lyrical and ballet (RAD examinations). She has won various awards as a dance competitor while representing BDM Competitive Company over the years. After assisting in many of the recreation and company dance classes as a senior dance student, Claudia now teaches and choreographs full-time at BDM Studio. She looks forward to working with all the students throughout the year, and can not wait to share her passion for dance.

Morgan Gardner

Instructor - Instrumental Music

Meet Morgan: An accomplished multi-instrumentalist and educator with over a decade of experience, passionate about customizing learning and fostering creativity!

  • Morgan is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, sound designer, and educator with over a decade of experience as a professional musician. He has performed and recorded with artists including Peter Elkas, Luna Li, Gold Complex, The Hunnyrunners, Callan Furlong, Steve Gleason, as well as composing and designing sound for organizations such as Soulpepper Theatre, The National Theatre Centre, Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (CCVT). As an educator, Morgan believes in customizing his teaching approach to the interests of his students, the importance of creativity and improvisation to student learning, and in having fun!

Myles Mowbray

Instructor - Kinder & Junior Instrumental Music

From mastering multiple instruments and teaching music to coaching tennis and earning a black belt in karate, Myles is a multi-talented mentor dedicated to sharing his passions with students at Beaches Dance & Music Studio.

  • Myles started taking piano lessons at the early age of 4 years. By the time he was 10 years old he was proficient in both piano and drums, and shortly thereafter added acoustic and electric guitar. Over the years Myles has studied music with Iain Stewart (piano), Lennox Campbell-Berzins (piano, drums, guitar) and Andrew Dawson (drums, electric guitar). He was also part of the Neil McNeil school band and music department for 4 years, playing percussion and keyboard. Myles was hired as an assistant to Andrew Dawson in the Kinder Drumbeats class in 2018, and started teaching beginner drums, guitar and piano full-time at BDM Studio in 2020. He is presently the drummer for a new up and coming Toronto band, Touchdown Girl. In addition to teaching music lessons, Myles is a certified tennis coach with Tennis Canada (TPA) and has been coaching children of all ages at Kew Tennis club and Variety Village. He also has his black belt in karate through JKA (Japan Karate Association) and has assisted the children’s classes in the Dojo Toronto location. Myles looks forward to working with his students every week, and sharing his love of music at the Beaches Dance & Music Studio.