Staff Faculty

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 choreographed two seasons at Unionville Theatre Company for their productions of “Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. & “Grease”. She was also a mentor in choreography for their production of ”Annie Jr”. 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

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!

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 acclaimed Etobicoke School for the Arts. After 12 years of training and competing with Beaches Dance & Music Studio, 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. She was recently honored to receive a scholarship to the Joffrey Ballet PreProfessional dance program in New York City, training with world renowned choreographers and dance instructors. As a member of ACTRA, Lily-Fay has been cast in numerous TV Commercials & Voice Over recordings. She has had the pleasure of working with Catherine Bell, Chris Potter and Peter MacNeill in the “Good Witch’s Wonder” (TV series for the Hallmark Channel). Lily-Fay was also cast in season 6 of the “Handmaids Tale” (TV series on HULU), and can also be seen in season 5 of “The Boys” dancing along side Broadway talent Daveed Diggs (TV series on PRIME VIDEO). She is thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with “The Next Step” choreographer, Amy Wright on set of “The Boys”. 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.

Kaitlyn Wood

Instructor - Dance, Acrobatic Arts

Kaitlyn is a Toronto-based dance educator and performer with many notable performance credits under her belt. Highly skilled in a variety of dance genres, she brings energy, precision, and creativity to every class. Kaitlyn is enthusiastic about sharing her passion and expertise with all the dancers at BDM Studio.

  • Born and raised in the Greater Toronto Area, Kaitlyn has been dancing since age 5, performing and training in a wide range of styles from Jazz, to Contemporary, to Commercial/Hip-Hop. She found her love of dance early in her life and has been fostering it ever since. She had the privilege of studying Dance choreography/ performance at York University, and graduated in 2025 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts. Some credits of her emerging career include The Diluminati Tour with artist Diljit Dosanjh at the Roger’s Center, Jekyll and Hyde with Doctor Bird Productions, The Unveiling with Parahumans Dance Company, and most recently Resurgir with Tonalli Dance Productions. During her time at York University she was a company member of the York Dance Ensemble, and was able to be a part of numerous showcases under the direction of prominent Toronto dance-artists Syreeta Hector and Jane- Alison Mckinney, including mixed work Here and Now, and Yellow, performed at the York University Markham campus opening ceremony. The 2026-2027 season will be Kaitlyn’s first season with Beaches Dance & Music, she is beyond excited to be able to foster the talent and passion of the young artists at BDM. 

Photo Coming Soon

Isabella Sanchez

Instructor - Acrobatics, Dance

Isabella is a dynamic performer and dance educator based out of Pickering. She has a profound love of dance and looks forward to sharing her passion at BDM Studio.

  • Isabella is a dynamic performer and educator based in Pickering, whose profound love for dance began at DLDA. 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 competition 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. 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. She is a staple member of the Toronto Raptors Dance/Tricks Team, performing at all home games at Scotia Bank Arena. 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. She has pursued formal training in flute and piano. This multifaceted musical exploration has broadened her artistic palette while deepening her understanding of rhythm and melody.

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.

Myles Mowbray

Instructor - 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.

Kunal Singh

Instructor - Instrumental Music, Vocals

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

  • Kunal is a music educator, professional vocalist, and guitarist with a passion for helping students discover confidence and creativity through music. He has taught voice, guitar, piano, and music theory to children, teenagers, and adults through private and group instruction. He has teaching experience in both Toronto and in India. Kunal has performed internationally with Disney Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise. Kunal holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Vocals, a Diploma in Contemporary Vocals & Music. Kunal believes that every student learns differently and strives to create a supportive, engaging, and inclusive environment where students can build strong musical foundations while developing confidence, creativity, and a lifelong love of music. Outside the classroom, Kunal enjoys songwriting, live performance, and exploring a wide range of musical styles, bringing that same creativity and enthusiasm into every lesson. He looks forward to sharing his passion for music with the students and families of Beaches Dance & Music Studio.