
Instructors

Natasha
Natasha Chichkine began her ballet training at Black Mountain Dance Company (now Southern California Ballet) under Sylvia Palmer-Zetler. She continued her studies in Vancouver, focusing on ballet, contemporary, lyrical, and jazz. In 2012 she graduated from Vanleena Dance Academy in North Vancouver, after completing the Royal Academy of Dance vocational syllabus with her Advanced II examination. She recently graduated from Simon Fraser University with her B.Sc. in Kinesiology and Psychology focusing on Active Health and Rehabilitation. She also teaches rec dance classes at SFU, and works as a movement therapist with Club Aviva in Coquitlam. Natasha joined ICanDance! in 2015, and is continuing to apply curriculum designed by Marni Robson when teaching.
Kelly
Kelly Wu began studying dance in childhood. At the age of 12, she entered the high school affiliated with the Guizhou Dance Academy, majoring in Chinese folk
dance performance. After graduating from the arts school of Guizhou University, majoring in dance education, Kelly attended the renowned Beijing Dance Academy for further study in the choreography of Chinese folk dance and modern dance. Kelly brings years of performance to her teaching of Chinese folk dance, Chinese classical dance, and repertoire rehearsals, drawing on her extensive training to offer classes in technique and basic dancing skills. She performed in the large-scale Miao folk dancing drama Genting Flying Song, the folk poem Colorful Guizhou and in the opening ceremony of the Huangguoshu waterfall festival. She also performed in the video of the Guizhou Spring festival, the Colorful Guizhou dance contest and the opening ceremony of the 9th Traditional Minority National Games. After many appearances in large-scale art performances, Kelly was chosen to tour with dancing troupes to Singapore, Malaysia and other Asian countries for cultural exchanges and art communication. She brings these rich experiences to her performing and teaching. As a mother living abroad, Kelly’s hope in teaching Chinese dance in Canada is to introduce children to Chinese traditional arts and inspire an appreciation of the cultural heritage of China. As a bridge to Chinese culture, her ICanDance! classes offer every participant an opportunity to deepen their understanding of a traditional art form and to fall in love with Chinese dance.
吴亚(Kelly Wu)苗族,自幼学习舞蹈,12岁进入贵州省艺术学院舞蹈系附中学习“中国民族民族民间舞表演专业”。 毕业于贵州大学艺术学院舞蹈系“舞蹈教育专业”,曾赴中国舞蹈界最高学府北京舞蹈学院进修学习中国民族民间舞编导及现代舞编导。主要擅长《中国民族民间舞》,《中国古典舞》,《舞蹈基本功训练》,《技术技巧》,《剧目排练》的教学。曾参演大型苗族舞蹈诗《云顶飞歌》、大型民族舞蹈诗歌《多彩贵州》,曾参加贵州省“黄果树瀑布节”开幕式演出,贵州省春节联欢晚会录制,多彩贵州舞蹈大赛,全国第九届少数民族传统体育运动会开幕式演出等。多次参加各类大型文艺演出活动。并先后赴新加坡,马来西亚等国参加国家旅游局中国和新加坡文化、中国和马来西亚文化交流演出。表演及教学经验十分丰富。在加拿大教授中国舞的初衷是因为自己作为一位母亲,身在海外。由衷地希望自己的孩子能够学习到更多的中国传统文化,更希望培养孩子从小对中华文化的热爱,认同和传承。舞蹈艺术作为传播中国文化的桥梁,可以让更多身在海外的家长和孩子们了解中国文化,爱上中国舞蹈。

Jan Cooper
Jan Cooper is the head of Cooper Studios, Pump Records & Jan Cooper Publishing.He is considered one of Canada's top vocal coaches. He has worked with many of the industry's top producers and writers, including Loverboy, Whitesnake, Grammy award winning producer Bob Rock, Alex Wong of So You Think You Can Dance, Lisa Brockop, Madeleine Arthur( lead actress in the Oscar nominee film Big Eyes ) and US5 among many others.
Jan acts as a representative for bands at the world music trade show MIDEM in Cannes for the past 25 years as well as Berlin's Popkomm. Last year he signed over 20 acts to 8 labels which Included Warner Chappell.
He attended Julliard School of Music workshops and was a high school teacher for eight years. Jan also sang in his own band for 20 years and has been involved in musical theatre both on stage and as a director. He judged at international singer/songwriter competitions in Canada as well as in Belarus, Romania, Baton Rouge and Cairo.

Kevin
Kevin Mand is a professional working dancer in Vancouver, and has also trained, taught and worked in multiple cities across North America. With a talent for the camera, he loves to both dance and choreograph for Music-Videos, Movies, TV-shows and short-films. Kevin also has a strong passion for directing and filmmaking that he combines with his dancing to create multiple dance short films! Now along with his ICanDance! family, Kevin is excited to be teaching and working with all the lovely students here to help build their confidence, diligence and self-expression!
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Benji
Benji Epstein is a Pop Fusion instructor for ICanDance! He has been dancing for 12 years doing Hip Hop, Breakdance and Stage. Benji is the recipient of the Surrey Festival of Dance Mary Ledger and Honours Award, and group awards Dance Power High Gold and Peak Invitationals High Gold with RNB Dance groups. Benji has had vocal training and participated in the Vancouver Chamber Choir FOCUS program and was awarded Argyle Secondary Junior Jazz Choir Most Outstanding.
