• Elyse Hutchinson Hammond
    Director

    Elyse Hutchinson Hammond has served as the Director of the Lois Laxton Dance Studio since 1994, when the baton was passed from Miss Laxton to a new generation. Elyse’s dancer career, however, started long before that date as, from an early age, she was immersed in the world of dance and irresistibly attracted to the performing arts. Read more

  • Jasmina Salman
    Instructor

    Jasmina Salman is the assistant Director of the Lois Laxton Dance Studio. "Miss D", as she is fondly known, commenced her formal training at LLDS and continues to delight and amaze our students with 27 years of teaching expertise in all dance disciplines. Read more

  • Amanda DeFreitas
    Instructor

    Amanda DeFreitas graduated from Etobicoke School of the Arts where she majored in musical theatre. She was plucked out of high school and placed into the Stratford Festival's performing company in the cast of West Side Story and The Tempest.

    From there, she went on to a nine year career in the musical theatre and film/T.V. industries. Read more

  • Melissa Spagnoli
    Instructor

    Melissa Spagnoli has studied all disciplines of dance at LLDS. Beginning at a young age, Melissa had completed 12 successful years as a competitive dancer where she was successful as a dancer and choreographer.

    Melissa had the opportunity in 2005 to travel to Greece with the LLDS dancers where she performed on land and cruise ship. Read more

  • Carissa Bowerman
    Instructor

    Carissa Bowerman started dance with Lois Laxton Dance Studio at the age of 3, and has had the opportunity to be in competitive dance and perform overseas in Greece and Spain. Carissa has also had the opportunity to dance with the McMaster Dance Company, where she has choreographed and performed in various venues and competed against other Universities. Read more

  • Barbara Keenliside
    Instructor

    Barbara’s first dance class was at the age of 3 in Burlington, Ontario. It was love at first step and she never looked back. With over 25 years of training, she has excelled in various exams including R.A.D. ballet, C.D.T.A. and P.A.E.C. ballet, jazz, and tap. Barbara has also performed competitively in jazz, tap, and modern across Ontario and the United States. Read more

  • Katelyn Kusmirski
    Instructor

    Katelyn Kusmirski is a Sheridan College Graduate in the field of Early Childhood Education. Katelyn has had extensive dance training since early childhood at LCSD in the many various dance forms such as Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Modern and Hip Hop. She has been attending the Students Honours Intensive Program (S.H.I.P) at the University of Buffalo in association with Dance Masters of America. Read more

  • Meaghan Ingleby
    Instructor

    Meaghan Ingleby began dancing at LLDS at the age of 7. She joined the LLDS competitive dance team at the age of 8 and competed for over 10 years and prepared for her Canadian Dance teachers' Association examinations in Ballet, Jazz and tap will excellent results. Read more

  • Beatrice Hammond
    Instructor

    Beatrice Hammond is the proud granddaughter of Lois Laxton and has been dancing at the studio from the age of three. As she has matured, her repertoire has extended to the styles of ballet, jazz, tap, acrobatics, hip hop, musical theatre, modern, and lyrical. Read more

  • Jennifer Lennie
    Instructor

    Jennifer Lennie has over 25 years of dance experience in a variety of styles including ballet (R.A.D. and Cecchetti), jazz, and modern. She completed her training at the Edmonton School of Ballet where she received her Intermediate Level in Cecchetti ballet. Jennifer was a member of the Edmonton Festival Ballet, performing classical and contemporary ballets throughout Alberta, including Swan Lake, Peter and the Wolf and Alleged Dances at the Edmonton Fringe Festival. Read more