Odessa Wowk
Odessa is a graduate of the University of Calgary, with a degree in Dance from the Faculty of Kinesiology and the Faculty of Fine Arts where she studied dance pedagogy, performance, choreography, and human anatomy. She also holds a Dance Diploma from Grant MacEwan College in addition to her training and advanced certificates in ballet (RAD & ISTD), tap (ISTD), Jazz (ISTD), hip hop, modern, contemporary, lyrical, and Ukrainian folk dance. She trained in Latin and Afro-Cuban dance styles at the University of Havana, Cuba, and has taken classes at The Edge in Los Angeles, and at Broadway Dance Centre and Steps On Broadway in New York City.
For several summers as Head of Dance at Camp Manitou, Ontario, Odessa taught children ages 7 through 16 in the dance program of the summer sports and arts camp. Locally, she is regularly invited into Edmonton and Greater Edmonton area schools to provide dance instruction to both teachers and students.
As a performer herself, she has performed and competed in dance competitions and festivals across Alberta, as well as in Florida, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Hawaii. She continues to attend major workshops and competitions to keep herself aligned with the latest developments in the dance world.
Since the studio’s inception under Odessa’s direction, Zero Gravity has won numerous dance and choreography awards and scholarships at festivals and competitions in Edmonton, across Alberta, and in the United States. Several high score dances as well as soloists and duets have been invited to perform in competition final dance-offs, resulting in additional awards and scholarships.
With over fifteen years of teaching and choreography experience behind her, Odessa is honoured to welcome to Zero Gravity Dance students from Edmonton, St. Albert, and beyond.
Colleen Boe, ARAD RTS
Colleen was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, and is a fully registered teacher of the Royal Academy of Dance. She received her initial training at the Alberta Ballet School with Deborah Morgan, Lambros Lambrou and founder Ruth Carse. She completed her Advanced Level 2 Ballet Examination with distinction, becoming an Associate of the Royal Academy of Dance. During her student training, she performed with Alberta Ballet Company and appeared often as a dancer with the Edmonton Opera and the Edmonton Musical Theatre Association.
Colleen became a company member of Alberta Ballet and the Banff Festival Ballet before going on to study at the Quinte School of Dance in Ontario and then the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. Performing classical repertoire pieces including Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Les Sylphides and Giselle, Colleen had the opportunity to appear on stage with exceptional artists like Evelyn Hart. During this time, Colleen studied with many renowned teachers and choreographers including Brian McDonald (Les Grands Ballet Canadiens), Choo Chiat Goh (Goh Ballet), Gretchen Ward Warren (University of South Florida), Laura Alonso (Cuban Ballet), Alexander Grant and Reid Anderson (National Ballet of Canada), David Earle (Toronto Dance Theatre) and Sandra Neels (Merce Cunningham Dance Company).
Colleen obtained her Teacher’s Diploma in 1989 from the Royal Academy of Dance under tutelage of Deborah Morgan and Ross Brierton. In over 20 years of teaching, Colleen has prepared hundreds of students for ballet examinations, adjudicated dance festivals, won choreography awards and developed a solid reputation for quality ballet instruction. Colleen’s professional experience and her lifelong passion for dance make her a well-respected member of Edmonton’s dance community.
Colleen endeavours to train dancers to think critically and creatively as well as develop a deeper understanding of themselves and the art of ballet. She is pleased to be able to share her experience with the students of Zero Gravity Dance.
Paula McWilliams
NBSTTP, RADTC, BGS, BEd
Paula is a graduate of the teacher training program at the National Ballet School and also holds a Bachelor of General Studies degree with a minor in Dance, and a Bachelor of Education degree from Simon Fraser University. As a registered RAD teacher Paula has been teaching ballet for 15 years, in that time building a strong ballet program at the Dance Connection in Ladner, BC. Currently she is also a teacher with Edmonton Public Schools. A former dancer with Dance Alberta performing company, Paula has danced in ballets such as La Sylphide, Family Scenes and Festival. She has worked with Susan Toumine, Anette av Paul and Arnold Spohr. While at National Ballet School she worked with Carina Bomers, Mavis Stains and Nancy Gilmore.
Paula believes in bringing the love of dance into her ballet classes while helping students become thoughtful technical dancers. She is excited to be part of the Zero Gravity Dance team.
Kelly Stabile
Kelly is very excited to be a part of the Zero Gravity Dance team. She has had a passion for dance since a very young age when she trained in ballet, jazz and tap for many years, and continues to love every form of dance today. It especially brings her great pleasure to watch her daughter dance in all her performances, leaving her to feel tremendously proud of all her daughter has accomplished in dance so far and excited to see her grow and continue to develop new skills.
One of Kelly’s fondest performance memories is choreographing and performing in the opening and closing ceremonies of Edmonton’s 2001 World Track & Field Championships. Currently teaching pre-school in St. Albert, where she lives with her husband, daughter and son, Kelly loves working with young children. Her position allows her to exercise her own crafts skills while helping children to begin to develop their own talents. Her patient and understanding nature, along with her love of being active and involved in many activities make her an ideal dance instructor. Her Intellidance Method Certification only adds to her many qualifications.
Kelly looks forward to teaching in the preschool and pre-competitive programs at Zero Gravity Dance and “can’t wait” to help her students reach their full potential and accomplish their dancing dreams.
Chantelle Bjornstad
Chantelle found her love of dance at the age of four. She is trained in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, modern and musical theatre. She has completed examinations from Pre-primary to Advanced in CDTA and RAD syllabuses. She spent several summers training with Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Alberta Ballet’s professional programs, and on scholarship with Sherry Walsh Dance Academy in Ontario.
She started performing professionally at a young age in the annual Kinsmen’s Telemiracle with Bob McGrath and Fred Penner, the Legends Alive tour, The Alberta Ballet’s Nutcracker and in Dare to Dance Production. You can even see her in a country music video on CMT!
At the age of eighteen Chantelle moved to Tokyo, Japan, where she performed as a dancer for Tokyo Disneyland. She continued on to a career with Anita Mann Productions and Stiletto Entertainment in Los Angeles, California, dancing and singing her way around the world with Holland America and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines for 10 years.
Chantelle has made her home in Edmonton, Alberta for the last 11 years. She is an award-winning choreographer for ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary and musical theatre. On top of her choreography and instruction at studios in Edmonton, she also teaches workshops, summer intensives, and adjudicates at festivals and competitions throughout Canada. She takes pride in helping to prepare students for national level examinations. She also organizes, trains, choreographs and chaperones students enrolled in the competitive dance programs where she teaches for provincial, national and international competitions.
Kari DeChamplain-Pipella –
Acro-Flexibility
Kari is presently a yoga instructor at several St. Albert yoga studios. She teaches a variety of yoga styles and especially loves teaching yoga to children and youth, from preschool to high school, showing them that moving the body makes kids feel good. Kari’s background includes 15 years as a gymnastics instructor during which time she choreographed many and various floor routines. In addition, she is an active dancer in an adult jazz/contemporary group – she still loves to compete and perform!
Kari hopes to pass along her passion for movement, an understanding of working within the body’s capacity, and an ease in making the most difficult skill look effortless.
Courtney Woods
Involved in the Alberta dance community for over 25 years, Courtney Woods has had the amazing opportunity to train under some of the most influential individuals in the diverse dance industry all over Canada and the United States, and in numerous styles, including Jazz, Tap, Ballet, HipHop, Funk Styles, Modern, Lyrical, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, African, and Latin. With over 15 years of experience on the competition circuit, completing Advanced exams in both A.D.A.P.T Jazz and Tap, and training with a specialization in Tap, Musical theatre, and HipHop, her passion for the Art ensures a desire that the Alberta dance scene is not only a great place to learn and grow as an artist but remains a cultural hub for the Performing Arts.
Courtney has been a part of numerous shows and events including Rhythm in the Garden, the Lilac Festival, multiple seasons of Dance Explosions, West Side Story, a month-long tour of Hip Hop Saved My Life in mainland China, and most recently a multi-genre dance production, A Dance Journey - Traveling in Time, for the 2017 Edmonton Fringe Festival. She has adjudicated at festivals and competitions in all over Western Canada, has danced in numerous Tap, HipHop, and Contemporary shows in Los Angeles, St. Louis and Chicago, was a founding member of two Tap companies: “MADD Rhythms Canada”, and “Fab Feet”, and continues to work in numerous Early Learning Programs, Jr. and Sr. High schools and Special Needs programs across the province.
While ensuring today’s dancers learn and master the steps is her principal goal, Courtney hopes to also clarify the roots and history behind the Art form so that her students begin to fully appreciate how dance has evolved and where it is undoubtedly headed.
Mikayla Marrelli
Mikayla Marrelli is originally from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where she grew up dancing competitively. She has trained at programs across Canada and the USA including Interlochen Center for the Arts, Debbie Allen’s summer intensive and many more. She continued her training, graduating with honours from Ryerson University’s dance program. At Ryerson she worked with Robert Glumbek, Lauren Cook, Vicki St. Deny and Hubbard Street Dance Company to name a few. She also performed as a dancer for Toronto Blue Jays for two seasons. Mikayla has toured across Canada with the Toronto dance company Gadfly, and has been featured in the films Stage Fright and most recently Work It!
Mikayla is excited to be joining Zero Gravity Dance. She can’t wait to use her own knowledge and her sense of “Dance fuels my soul,” to begin teaching and helping her students learn and grow.
Hannah Rhodes
Bio coming soon
Sophia Ponciano
Sophia commenced her dance experience when she was four years old. At the age of nine, she joined Zero Gravity Dance and continued her training in the disciplines of ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, contemporary and hip hop. Since 2014, she has volunteered as an assistant instructor to studio director Odessa Wowk in class while expanding her own experience and passion for dance by training and competing. Sophia has successfully completed her RAD Intermediate Ballet Examination certificate, and in competition has won in Las Vegas a West Coast Dance Explosion National Finals “Disney’s Be Discovered” scholarship to Paris, France.
One of the longest-serving members of the Zero Gravity family, Sophia currently teaches classes and coaches individually students at all levels across all disciplines, sharing her intense energy and enthusiasm for dance, and raising that same passion in all with whom she works.
Amy Oligny
Bio coming soon
Emily Rink
Emily began her dance experience at the age of three. She first fell in love with ballet, but soon expanded her training into the styles of jazz, lyrical, contemporary, musical theatre and tap. At the age of ten, she joined Zero Gravity and continued her passion for dance while competing and training under the guidance of Odessa Wowk and the incredible ZGD faculty. Since 2015, Emily has been volunteering as an assistant instructor working with many children ages three to twelve in the disciplines of ballet and jazz. She has had the opportunity to expand her knowledge through many workshops around Alberta while also competing and attending workshops in Las Vegas and California. Emily has also successfully completed several RAD ballet examinations, and her extensive dance training and knowledge has given her opportunities to choreograph, teach, as well as to perform featured dance roles in Spruce Grove Composite High School’s productions of Cinderella (2018), All Shook Up (2019), The Lion King (2019) and Freaky Friday (2020).
Emily brings an enthusiastic and nurturing atmosphere to the studio and is excited to meet new students with whom to share her love for dance.