Michael Raynaud
Michael trained locally from the age of seven before starting his formal training at The Paris Opera Ballet School under Claude Bessy at the age of ten. He stayed there for six years then went on to study at the National Conservatoire in Paris, where he gained his Arts Baccalauréat and Unités de Valeurs in anatomy, Ballet history, and musicality.
On completing his training, Michael joined English National Ballet, performing many roles in the company’s Repertoire, favourites being Harald Lander’s Etudes and Sir Kenneth Macmillan’s Rite of Spring.
Michael later discovered a passion for teaching the next generation of dancers and obtained his Professional Dancers Teaching Diploma from the Royal Academy of Dance. He was Associate Tutor for Ballet studies at GSA at the University of Surrey and has worked regularly for the Royal Academy of Dance, London Junior Ballet, for Professional Dance Experience, Ballet Theatre U.K. as well as South East Ballet Scholars. He also had numerous guest teaching engagements in Brazil, Australia, Italy, Sweden’s International Ballet School, Portugal’s Conservatorio de Dança do Vale do Sousa, and New Zealand Dance Masters International.
In September he joined as a classical ballet tutor the Upper School of Elmhurst, in association with Birmingham Royal Ballet. There he delivers daily ballet classes, Graduates rehearsals, pas de deux, solos and repertoire.
On completing his training, Michael joined English National Ballet, performing many roles in the company’s Repertoire, favourites being Harald Lander’s Etudes and Sir Kenneth Macmillan’s Rite of Spring.
Michael later discovered a passion for teaching the next generation of dancers and obtained his Professional Dancers Teaching Diploma from the Royal Academy of Dance. He was Associate Tutor for Ballet studies at GSA at the University of Surrey and has worked regularly for the Royal Academy of Dance, London Junior Ballet, for Professional Dance Experience, Ballet Theatre U.K. as well as South East Ballet Scholars. He also had numerous guest teaching engagements in Brazil, Australia, Italy, Sweden’s International Ballet School, Portugal’s Conservatorio de Dança do Vale do Sousa, and New Zealand Dance Masters International.
In September he joined as a classical ballet tutor the Upper School of Elmhurst, in association with Birmingham Royal Ballet. There he delivers daily ballet classes, Graduates rehearsals, pas de deux, solos and repertoire.
Erin McNeill - PDA's Artistic Director
Erin began training at the young age of four, under the watchful eye of Dolores Kirkwood at Kirkwood Academy in New Westminster. She joined Royal City Youth Ballet Company where she performed and toured many ballets including The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Coppelia. She also had the pleasure of performing in Royal City Musical Theatre Company's productions of Hello, Dolly! and Gypsy as a chorus girl and dancer.
In 2003, Erin joined Pacific DanceArts in Vancouver and was soon after accepted into the pre-professional division under the direction of Li Yaming. There she had the opportunity to perform both neo-classical and classical work including Swan Lake; Grand Pas de Deuxs from Le Corsaire, The Nutcracker, Raymonda and La Bayadere; as well as original choreography. In 2009, she competed in the Youth America Grand Prix Finals in NYC. Upon graduating, Erin moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to dance professionally with Atlanta Ballet, directed by John McFall and Sharon Story. While at Atlanta Ballet, she performed and gained exposure to many different styes and repertoire including Michael Pink's Dracula, David Bintley's Carmina Burana, James Kudelka's Four Seasons and Christopher Wheeldon's RUSH, as well as practicing Gaga technique for Ohad Naharin's Minus 16. She also worked with NYCB's Troy Schumacher on original work, George Balanchine's Who Cares?, and Christopher Hampson as the lead in his piece Silhouette. Erin also performed leading roles in Atlanta Ballet's productions of Cinderella and Snow White.
In May 2014, Erin appeared as a guest artist in Irene Schnider's production of Coppelia performed by Coastal City Ballet. And in June of that same year, she was one of twenty-two dancers invited from around the world to attend the Ballet Program at The School of Jacob's Pillow. There she performed in the season opening Gala in a new work choreographed by the award winning Choreographer Jessica Lang. Under program Director Anna-Marie Holmes, Erin worked with a faculty of choreographers, artists, and directors, including Dinna Bjorn, Adam Sklute, Madeleine Onne, and Maxim Beloserkovky.
During her season with Coastal City Ballet, Erin performed the lead role in the season opener of Don Quixote as Dulcinea in “Dream Scene”, lead soloist in a new work by Wen Wei Wang and was honoured to be cast as Cinderella in Ms. Schnider’s production of Cinderella, one of her favourite roles.
In October 2015, Erin travelled to Ireland to join Cork City Ballet as a Soloist. There she performed Yury Demakov's Swan Lake under the direction of Alan Foley in the Cork Opera House. And in June of 2016, Erin joined the prestigious English National Ballet under the direction of Tamara Rojo CBE to perform Derek Dean’s Swan Lake in the Round, in the world famous Royal Albert Hall in London. Also with ENB she performed in George Williamson's My First Sleeping Beauty.
In 2016 Erin joined Ballet Theatre UK as a Principal dancer and has performed and toured several lead roles such as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet which was a new creation and successfully reviewed in Dancing Times, the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, The Sugarplum Fairy in the Nutcracker, Titania in A Midsummer Nights Dream, and the Little Mermaid in Christopher Moore’s The Little Mermaid. As well as performing a selection of feature roles in the 10 year Anniversary Gala of the company where she was again highly praised for her work in the August 2018 edition of Dancing Times UK.
In 2003, Erin joined Pacific DanceArts in Vancouver and was soon after accepted into the pre-professional division under the direction of Li Yaming. There she had the opportunity to perform both neo-classical and classical work including Swan Lake; Grand Pas de Deuxs from Le Corsaire, The Nutcracker, Raymonda and La Bayadere; as well as original choreography. In 2009, she competed in the Youth America Grand Prix Finals in NYC. Upon graduating, Erin moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to dance professionally with Atlanta Ballet, directed by John McFall and Sharon Story. While at Atlanta Ballet, she performed and gained exposure to many different styes and repertoire including Michael Pink's Dracula, David Bintley's Carmina Burana, James Kudelka's Four Seasons and Christopher Wheeldon's RUSH, as well as practicing Gaga technique for Ohad Naharin's Minus 16. She also worked with NYCB's Troy Schumacher on original work, George Balanchine's Who Cares?, and Christopher Hampson as the lead in his piece Silhouette. Erin also performed leading roles in Atlanta Ballet's productions of Cinderella and Snow White.
In May 2014, Erin appeared as a guest artist in Irene Schnider's production of Coppelia performed by Coastal City Ballet. And in June of that same year, she was one of twenty-two dancers invited from around the world to attend the Ballet Program at The School of Jacob's Pillow. There she performed in the season opening Gala in a new work choreographed by the award winning Choreographer Jessica Lang. Under program Director Anna-Marie Holmes, Erin worked with a faculty of choreographers, artists, and directors, including Dinna Bjorn, Adam Sklute, Madeleine Onne, and Maxim Beloserkovky.
During her season with Coastal City Ballet, Erin performed the lead role in the season opener of Don Quixote as Dulcinea in “Dream Scene”, lead soloist in a new work by Wen Wei Wang and was honoured to be cast as Cinderella in Ms. Schnider’s production of Cinderella, one of her favourite roles.
In October 2015, Erin travelled to Ireland to join Cork City Ballet as a Soloist. There she performed Yury Demakov's Swan Lake under the direction of Alan Foley in the Cork Opera House. And in June of 2016, Erin joined the prestigious English National Ballet under the direction of Tamara Rojo CBE to perform Derek Dean’s Swan Lake in the Round, in the world famous Royal Albert Hall in London. Also with ENB she performed in George Williamson's My First Sleeping Beauty.
In 2016 Erin joined Ballet Theatre UK as a Principal dancer and has performed and toured several lead roles such as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet which was a new creation and successfully reviewed in Dancing Times, the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, The Sugarplum Fairy in the Nutcracker, Titania in A Midsummer Nights Dream, and the Little Mermaid in Christopher Moore’s The Little Mermaid. As well as performing a selection of feature roles in the 10 year Anniversary Gala of the company where she was again highly praised for her work in the August 2018 edition of Dancing Times UK.
William Patrick Howell
was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He started his dance training at age 15 at thethe Giacobbe Academy of Dance. At age 18, he was offered a full scholarship to train at Pennsylvania Ballet’s Rock School for Dance Education. After two years there, he trained at the School of American Ballet in New York City on full scholarship, where he also appeared in the feature film "Center Stage." Howell started his professional career at BalletMet Columbus, where he danced many leading roles including Laertes in Hamlet, Benvolio in Romeo & Juliet, Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Jonathan Harker and Renfield in Dracula, among others.
From 2004-07, Howell danced as a soloist with the United Kingdom's Northern Ballet Theatre, where he performed roles including the title role in Peter Pan, Gypsy pas de deux in La Traviata and the final role before his departure, D’Artagnan in the critically-acclaimed Three Musketeers, a role Artistic Director David Nixon created on him. While dancing in England, Howell was named dancer of the month in Dancing Times magazine. He also traveled throughout Germany and France dancing in Don Quixote and served as a staff member to the Blue Lakes Fine Arts Camp.
In 2008, Howell joined Milwaukee Ballet as a Leading Artist, where he performed numerous principal and soloist roles. His personal favorites were the title role in Stephen Mills’ Hamlet, Frolo in Michael Pink’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Captain Hook in Michael Pink’s Peter Pan.
In 2011, Howell took a three-year leave from Milwaukee Ballet to work with Theatre Augsburg in Germany, where he worked with various choreographers including William Forseyth, Christian Spuck, Itzik Gilili, Edward Clug, Demis Volpi, Douglas Lee, Maurice Causey, Annabelle Lopez ocha, Young Soon Hue and Kevin O’Day among others. He had many works created for him including The Prince in Cinderella choreographed by previous Genesis winner Mauro De Candia. In 2012, Howell won the prestigious Theatre prize for this role in William Forseyth’s Herman Scherman.
Howell also performed alongside some of Europe’s greatest dancers in galas and dance festivals throughout Germany, Turkey and Serbia. Milwaukee Ballet’s Michael Pink joined Howell in Augsburg to create the title role in his celebrated new production of Dorian Gray on him.
In 2014, he returned to Milwaukee Ballet, where he reprised his role of Dorian Gray in 2016. Howell has also danced in Mark Godden’s Angels in the Architecture, Michael Pink’s Mirror Mirror, the Sheikh in Scheherazade, Beast in Beauty and the Beast, the title role in Dracula, the pas de deux of Val Caniparoli's Lambarena and as Rodolfo in La Bohème, where he performed alongside his wife Nicole Teague-Howell.
In 2017 Patrick expanded his career to include teaching. He became a faculty member with the Milwaukee Ballet School and Academy as well as a teacher in the internationally attended Milwaukee Ballet Summer Training Program. He was a part of the national audition tour for this program. His teaching experience includes students as young as twelve years old through to pre-professionals. He has also taught company class for Milwaukee Ballet and Theatre Augsburg. In 2021,
From 2004-07, Howell danced as a soloist with the United Kingdom's Northern Ballet Theatre, where he performed roles including the title role in Peter Pan, Gypsy pas de deux in La Traviata and the final role before his departure, D’Artagnan in the critically-acclaimed Three Musketeers, a role Artistic Director David Nixon created on him. While dancing in England, Howell was named dancer of the month in Dancing Times magazine. He also traveled throughout Germany and France dancing in Don Quixote and served as a staff member to the Blue Lakes Fine Arts Camp.
In 2008, Howell joined Milwaukee Ballet as a Leading Artist, where he performed numerous principal and soloist roles. His personal favorites were the title role in Stephen Mills’ Hamlet, Frolo in Michael Pink’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Captain Hook in Michael Pink’s Peter Pan.
In 2011, Howell took a three-year leave from Milwaukee Ballet to work with Theatre Augsburg in Germany, where he worked with various choreographers including William Forseyth, Christian Spuck, Itzik Gilili, Edward Clug, Demis Volpi, Douglas Lee, Maurice Causey, Annabelle Lopez ocha, Young Soon Hue and Kevin O’Day among others. He had many works created for him including The Prince in Cinderella choreographed by previous Genesis winner Mauro De Candia. In 2012, Howell won the prestigious Theatre prize for this role in William Forseyth’s Herman Scherman.
Howell also performed alongside some of Europe’s greatest dancers in galas and dance festivals throughout Germany, Turkey and Serbia. Milwaukee Ballet’s Michael Pink joined Howell in Augsburg to create the title role in his celebrated new production of Dorian Gray on him.
In 2014, he returned to Milwaukee Ballet, where he reprised his role of Dorian Gray in 2016. Howell has also danced in Mark Godden’s Angels in the Architecture, Michael Pink’s Mirror Mirror, the Sheikh in Scheherazade, Beast in Beauty and the Beast, the title role in Dracula, the pas de deux of Val Caniparoli's Lambarena and as Rodolfo in La Bohème, where he performed alongside his wife Nicole Teague-Howell.
In 2017 Patrick expanded his career to include teaching. He became a faculty member with the Milwaukee Ballet School and Academy as well as a teacher in the internationally attended Milwaukee Ballet Summer Training Program. He was a part of the national audition tour for this program. His teaching experience includes students as young as twelve years old through to pre-professionals. He has also taught company class for Milwaukee Ballet and Theatre Augsburg. In 2021,
Yana Dragieva
Born in Shumen, Bulgaria, Yana Dragieva has studied classical ballet in the Vagganova system since the age of six. She graduated from Sofia National Music and Dance University Choreographic department in 1996 in the class of prima ballerina Kalina Bogoeva. She continued her professional development with famous Masters such as Tadeusz Matacz and Alexander Ursuljiak from John Cranko School, Loippa Aroijo from Cuba National Ballet School, Seriozna Petrosjan in Erevan and Master Daniel Sallier in Montreal. Her mentor in her teaching career was Alexander Ursuljak, former director of Stuttgart Ballet School.Yana's professional dancing career started in Varna's State Opera house and continued later at State Music Theatre, Sofia. During this period she toured and later lived and performed in Wiesbaden, Germany, Finland, Norway and France. Yana has a Bachelor Degree from Bulgarian National Music University in Dance. She specialized in Classical Ballet Pedagogy Vaganova system, Choreographing and Rehearsing.
Isak Doran Enquist
Isak Enquist is a dance artist and experimental musician/sound designer, currently living on occupied traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh, Skwxwú7mesh, and xʷməθkwəy̓əm nations. Raised in the Kootenays/Ktunaxa of Canada, Isak began formal training in Shotokan Karate-Do before pursuing post-secondary dance education at Simon Fraser University and Modus Operandi (Vancouver), as well as summer intensives with The Ailey School (Italy and New York) and Springboard Danse Montréal. He has worked professionally with Out Innerspace Dance Theatre, Compagnie Vision Impure, Dance Victoria, Mahaila Patterson-O’Brien, Amber Funk Barton (the response.), Mascall Dance, Generous Mess, Radical System Art and Corporeal Imago. Isak is also a founding member of CAMP, contributing as a dancer and choreographer. Touring with these companies have included performances across Canada, USA, Europe and Israel.
Paul Tavai-Latta
Celebrating 50 years this fall, The Paul Tavai-Latta Polynesian Dancers & Co of Canada thrives under the direction of Master Kumu Hula / Ra’atira dance and culture specialist: Paul Ma’e Ma’e kapua O Kahala Tavai Latta. Paul is the most sought after educator of Ma’ohi (Polynesian) studies in Canada. For over 49 years, Paul has specialized in indigenous traditional & contemporary dance, music, costume, art, culture, history, geography & live stage performance of all Polynesia.
Paul was adopted, lived, raised, schooled and trained in the South Pacific, throughout Tahiti, Mo'orea, Raiate’a, Bora Bora, Fiji, New Zealand, and Aitutaki. Eventually, he settled in Rarotonga, Cook Islands and Hawaii for many years. This early introduction to the Polynesian way of life fostered Paul's life-long passion for all that is Polynesian, which continues to this very day.
Soon after Paul’s family arrived in Vancouver, Canada, “Tavai’s Polynesia!” was founded by Paul’s parents, Pat & Colleen in 1968. This early and rich immersion led Paul to start his own Polynesian dance school and performing troop in Surrey B.C at the early age of 11. Paul became Canada’s youngest accredited, dance teacher, complete with top award winning students, and known for his own live shows - and Canada’s only Fire dancer. Thus, the Paul Tavai-Latta Polynesian Dancers & Co. were born! The rest is history!
Now with over 5 decades of performances and teaching of local , national & international dance classes, workshops, and sharing his knowledge of Authentic Polynesian & Island Dance, Drums, Music, Culture Geography Customs, Language, Paul continues to be a respected Kumu to students of all ages & levels!
Since 1973, Paul has produced and performed more than 250 shows a year in over 7 countries worldwide inc. Live shows, Tours, Royal Caribbean / Celebrity cruises, Disney films, Movies, T.V., Commercials, Festivals, Competitions, and a royal performance for the Queen Pariki of Rarotonga Cook Islands; in addition, several world tours to Europe, Japan, Las Vegas, Mexico, Rarotonga, Tahiti & Honolulu. His company offers over 15 different Professional & Non Professional Polynesian, Middle Eastern & Variety production shows which are highly acclaimed locally, nationally & world-wide.
Paul & his dancers continue to win the majority of competitions they enter while holding 25 100% World Record Perfect Scores.
With many more opportunities in the field of entertainment and education still to come, inc all new “ZOOM” classes, Paul shows no signs of slowing down!
Dedicated to preserving and perpetuating the Polynesian culture, Paul brings the South Pacific to life in all that he does!
Paul was adopted, lived, raised, schooled and trained in the South Pacific, throughout Tahiti, Mo'orea, Raiate’a, Bora Bora, Fiji, New Zealand, and Aitutaki. Eventually, he settled in Rarotonga, Cook Islands and Hawaii for many years. This early introduction to the Polynesian way of life fostered Paul's life-long passion for all that is Polynesian, which continues to this very day.
Soon after Paul’s family arrived in Vancouver, Canada, “Tavai’s Polynesia!” was founded by Paul’s parents, Pat & Colleen in 1968. This early and rich immersion led Paul to start his own Polynesian dance school and performing troop in Surrey B.C at the early age of 11. Paul became Canada’s youngest accredited, dance teacher, complete with top award winning students, and known for his own live shows - and Canada’s only Fire dancer. Thus, the Paul Tavai-Latta Polynesian Dancers & Co. were born! The rest is history!
Now with over 5 decades of performances and teaching of local , national & international dance classes, workshops, and sharing his knowledge of Authentic Polynesian & Island Dance, Drums, Music, Culture Geography Customs, Language, Paul continues to be a respected Kumu to students of all ages & levels!
Since 1973, Paul has produced and performed more than 250 shows a year in over 7 countries worldwide inc. Live shows, Tours, Royal Caribbean / Celebrity cruises, Disney films, Movies, T.V., Commercials, Festivals, Competitions, and a royal performance for the Queen Pariki of Rarotonga Cook Islands; in addition, several world tours to Europe, Japan, Las Vegas, Mexico, Rarotonga, Tahiti & Honolulu. His company offers over 15 different Professional & Non Professional Polynesian, Middle Eastern & Variety production shows which are highly acclaimed locally, nationally & world-wide.
Paul & his dancers continue to win the majority of competitions they enter while holding 25 100% World Record Perfect Scores.
With many more opportunities in the field of entertainment and education still to come, inc all new “ZOOM” classes, Paul shows no signs of slowing down!
Dedicated to preserving and perpetuating the Polynesian culture, Paul brings the South Pacific to life in all that he does!
Thys Armstrong
Thys Armstrong was born and raised in North Vancouver and began dancing at RNB Dance & Theatre Arts at a very young age. There, he trained in a variety of styles with teachers Charmaine Nobes, Haley Walker, and Vicki View, among others. Upon graduating, Thys left Vancouver to study at the University of Ottawa. During his studies he coached and choreographed for the UOttawa Dance Company. Thys was also a performing member of the Ottawa Rhythm Initiative – this community of tap dancers and musicians collaborate with national and international artists to re-introduce tap dance as a musical art form. In 2015 Thys moved back to Vancouver to join Coastal City Ballet, under the direction of Li Yaming and Katie Bois, where he danced Swan Lake (Rothbart), Giselle (Hilarion), Midsummer Night's Dream (Oberon/Lysander). There, he also had the opportunity to rehearse and perform works by Ben Stevenson, Irene Schnieder, Joshua Beamish, Wen Wei Wang, Erica Trivett, among others. Professionally, Thys has been featured in the film “Centre Stage: On Pointe,” in the TV series "UnREAL!" and has worked closely on many independent dance projects with choreographer and teacher, Monica Proença. In 2019 Thys moved to Amsterdam to train with the Henny Jurriens Foundation and perform works by Jort Faber with 3120Dance Collective. He has been a company member with Decidedly Jazz Danceworks since 2021 and is excited to continue his journey into the deep world of jazz dance.