Meet the Sapphire Dancers

With 15 years of dance training in both competitive and recreational levels, Kathryn Wiltshire has acquired a background in a variety of dance styles with an emphasis in jazz and hip hop. Kathryn also has extensive training in ballet, lyrical, musical theatre, modern and gymnastics. She has a strong interest in aerial arts and has recently begun training in this area.

Alongside her training, Kathryn is also sharing her love of dance by teaching all ages in the Greater Toronto Area. She is currently teaching with U Got Dance, which is Toronto’s largest mobile dance company as well as at InsideOut, a dance/fitness studio. In the past Kathryn has also taught at Seneca College and 5 Elements Inspirational and Motivational Enterprises, among various other prominent Toronto studios.

Kathryn holds an international certification by Dance Educators of America (DEA), enabling her to teach dancers in the disciplines of jazz, tap, ballet, acrobatics and modern.
As of December 2008, Kathryn is a successful graduate of the Commercial Dance Program at George Brown College - an intensive triple “threat” program combining the elements of dancing, acting and singing.

As the founder of Sapphire Dance Productions, a fresh new performing company, Kathryn hopes to take her professional dance career to the next level by launching into the community this fall. Kathryn's passion and talent for dance makes her a very sought after performer in the world of dance.

Abigail (Abby) Prebble has been competing and performing in dance and gymnastics throughout Canada for 10 years. Abby competed in gymnastics at the provincial level at the age of 10. When she was 12 she decided to expand her knowledge in the performing arts and discovered dance.

Abby has extensive training in acro, jazz, contemporary, ballet, hip-hop and musical theatre. She has an endearing passion for the performing arts and has a heart for creativity. In 2007, Abby began to train vocally with Big Voice Studios in Toronto. Prior to training at Big Voice Studios, Abby attended acting classes at Armstrong Acting Studio in Toronto. She trained professionally in acting and vocal for a year before being accepted to George Brown College for the Commercial Dance Studies program. She is professionally trained in contemporary jazz, ballet, hip-hop, acting for theatre, film and television and vocal.

During her time at George Brown College, Abby discovered a new art form known as Aerial Contortion (straps). She continued with Aerial Contortion after college and is now a partner in the performance company Cirque Fusion. Abby is a passionate learner and teacher, she has a love for the arts and possesses a creative edge that allows her to be a true, unique and captivating artist.

Ballet lessons began at the age of three years, and continue on to this day. Blessed with supportive parents and family, Kaylan Shearer has been able to maintain a growing career in dance all the way through her life. Studying ballet according to the Royal Academy of Dance, she has had the pleasure of working with Georgina Hayball, Robin Swez, and Susan Spring among many other phenomenal instructors. Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Musical Theatre, Hip Hop, Arabic Belly Dance and Salsa are among the other styles she has trained in over the course of her life as a dancer.

Recently Hip Hop has been the focus of Kaylan’s passion for dancing. Luther Brown, Tre Armstrong, Danny Davalos, Mario (Jungle) Castillo, Kwame Mensah, Janet Castillo are but a few of the amazing choreographers and teachers she has worked with. As a core member in original DLM Crew, Kaylan then moved on to run the Regiment Dance Corp with her four tightest friends and fellow dancers. After spending time in Los Angeles at the Millennium Dance Center, Kaylan decided that branching out into new forms of dance would be essential to her career. She began working with Lopa Sarkar with her incredible Bollywood dance crew - Divine Heritage Artistry (DHA). Rehearsals for DHA were held in the National Ballet School, which stirred up her long love affair with her first discipline.

Inspired by the studio ballet bars at the school, Kaylan sought out new opportunities in the world of modern and contemporary ballet and found exactly what she needed. Kinetic Elements, by Kendra Hughes. Kinetic Elements is a fresh modern/contemporary ballet company with incredible potential and an environment that fosters growth for dancers and choreographers alike. To this day she remains at the core of the company, and enjoys every moment of it.

There is always more room for more dancing. When asked to join another newly forming crew, Kaylan leapt at the opportunity. The Sapphire Dance Crew was just taking off, and artistic director Kate Wiltshire was making all the right moves.

Kaylan is also a signer, songwriter and published poet. She frequents open mic nights throughout Toronto, and enjoys the small intimate, underground audiences she creates for. Her music is written with the goal of uplifting and inspiring those who listen to it.

Stephanie Patricia Deleuze has developed a strong foundation in various styles including Jazz, Hip-Hop, Lyrical and Musical theater. Her interest in the entertainment industry began when she was very young which lead her to pursue classes in both dance and drama. As she entered high school Stephanie began to focus mainly on dancing which motivated her to train at several reputable studios in the Greater Toronto Area.

Currently Stephanie is a graduate from the Yorkville School of Make-up and Aesthetics, and is now balancing a parallel career in both aesthetics and performing arts. As a new member of the Sapphire Dance Company she is hoping to explore a wider range of choreography and technique.