Meet the Teachers

Meet the passionate and talented team behind Sol Dance! With their unwavering commitment to nurturing creativity and fostering a love for dance, our instructors inspire students of all ages to discover their rhythm and express themselves through the art of movement.

Jacklin Buckley RAD-RTS

Ballet

Mrs. Buckley has called the Okanagan home since moving from
Calgary at the age of 10. She met her husband in Toronto while attending the Teacher’s Training Program at Canada’s National Ballet School. Upon graduating from the program where she trained in both the RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) and Cecchetti styles of classical ballet, promptly moved back to Penticton. She and her husband are enjoying the best adventure of their lives to date, raising their four children! Spontaneous dance parties are a frequent occurrence in the Buckley household and when Mrs Buckley isn’t dancing at home she loves to share her joy of dance with others in the studio. She can’t wait to meet all the new (and returning) dancers in the studio this season!!

Jaicee Payette

Tap

Jaicee grew-up dancing in nearby Westbank, training in a number of genres including tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical and modern. During her training years, Jaicee completed numerous levels of RAD ballet exams, ADAPT jazz and tap exams, and was afforded the opportunity to perform in the States and Mexico with a touring dance group. Following the end of her training years, Jaicee taught and choreographed for high-level competitive students in Lake Country for nearly 8 years, with her choreography receiving recognition and associated awards in the competitive circuit. Teaching dance has been something Jaicee has always loved to do, and she genuinely enjoys imparting her dance knowledge to the younger generations. Jaicee can't wait to welcome you to her class!

Nadine Ashby

Acro, Hip Hop, Jazz

Hi! I'm Miss Nadine and I am so excited to get to know you this season! I was born and raised in Penticton and have been dancing since I was about 3 in this very same studio. You could say the studio is quite literally my second home. It's pretty cool to be able to say I'm now teaching in the same studio I grew up taking dance in. I've danced all different styles over the years such as ballet, hip hop, modern, lyrical, jazz, tap, and acro. I've been fortunate enough to receive my acro certification in 2018 with Acrobatic Arts. I am heading into my 21st year of dancing and 8th year of teaching.
When I'm not dancing I'm working on my photography and spending time with my dog, Sydney. She’s a 2-year-old Australian shepherd with a TONNE of energy. You will often find me dancing in the kitchen while making dinner and constantly coming up with new ideas for the next routine.

I'm so excited to meet all of you this upcoming season and bring you along for all the fun things we are going to learn and accomplish together!

Kailyn Beaudoin

Preschool

Hi! I am Kailyn Beaudoin, better known as Miss Kailyn. I have been around this dance studio since before I was born. As soon as I was 3 years old I started dancing and never looked back. I started teaching in 2017 and it turned into my passion. I love teaching all the young little dancers and seeing them have fun and develop many skills. My pre-school classes will always hold a special place in my heart. I cannot wait to continue to teach this year and to welcome back all my little dancers and to meet many new smiling faces. When I’m not dancing I can be found playing slopitch, volleyball, or curling with my mom and my sister. Outside of always being moving I am in Nursing School at UBC Okanagan.

Sophia Ferlizza

Acro, Jazz, Ballet

Sophia Ferlizza, or just Miss Sophie, is a lifelong resident of Summerland, British Columbia. She has embraced the art of dance with unwavering dedication and since her earliest memories, dance has been an integral part of her life. At the age of 10, she began her journey as a competitive dancer. Sophia's ardent love for dance has shone brightly through her performances, resulting in multiple awards and recognition, including an esteemed Bronze Medal Certificate from the Canadian Dance Teachers Association Acrobatic Exams. Dance has consistently been Sophia's true passion, serving as a constant source of joy and fulfillment. With enthusiasm, she eagerly looks forward to imparting her dance expertise to her students, aspiring to inspire them to pursue their own passions with the same level of commitment and enthusiasm that she embodies for dance.

Fun fact: Her last name rhymes with pizza. (yum!)

James McCullough

Hip Hop, Breakdancing

My name is James, and I am currently 26 years old. Originally from Toronto, I moved to Osoyoos when I was around 14 years old. Dance has been a significant part of my life since the age of 10, particularly breakdancing, which has become my primary dance style. As I grew older, around 14 years old, I began immersing myself in various hip-hop styles and expanding my dance repertoire.

My love for hip-hop has been ingrained in me for as long as I can remember; it truly defines my existence. My ultimate ambition is to share this profound passion with everyone I encounter! Additionally, I have an unshakeable fondness for bacon and skateboarding, which undoubtedly rank as my other two favorite things in the world!

Maliyah Azam

Hip Hop

Hi, I am Maliyah Azam! I have been dancing at Even Dance since I can remember. I know that I have always been drawn to HipHop since the day I realized what it was and what genre of music comes along with it. I hope that all students can find the type or types of dances that make them their happiest version of themselves, just as I did with HipHop. Dance has been an outlet for me throughout the years and it has taught me what it means to have fun as well as work hard if you want to be better at the things you love. I love to dance but I also love living in Summerland! In Summerland I enjoy hiking, running and spending time with my loved ones (especially my dog). You can also find me eating sushi, watching marvel movies, playing video games or studying psychology at Okanagan College. Sometimes it may be hard to find me in the crowd of students at Even Dance. This is because most of them are taller than me! I am proud to say that I love each and every student even if they slightly tower over me! I enjoy watching my students grow as people and as dancers, throughout each season, it is always so special to see the progress made within just one year of dancing. Speaking of each season, I can’t wait for this season to start and to share new memories and experiences with everyone at what is now Sol Dance! See you soon!

Dana Chapman

TAP

Miss Dana grew up in Saskatchewan and started dancing at the age of 4. She took classes and exams in ADAPT tap and jazz, RAD Ballet, CDTA tap, jazz, and ballet as well as SDTA for highland. After moving to Alberta she started a dance studio at a young age and owned and taught at a competitive studio for 14 years. Miss Dana loves the performance and artistic side of dance but also appreciates that through dance children can learn to work as a team, build their confidence and self-esteem and learn a challenging skill through their own dedication and hard work.

When she’s not at the studio Dana, is a busy mom to 2 awesome children and is the Family Navigator for the Southern Interior YMCA working with young families.
She looks forward what this year brings and hopes to create a safe and positive space for students to learn and grow through dance.