Our Faculty

Bio coming soon.

ABT NTC PP-3, ADAPT.

Alexandra DeLory is an experienced and certified dance instructor, creative choreographer, and certified adjudicator. Primarily, she serves as the Co-Director of the Sandra Amodeo Dance Studio, managing the studio’s dance curriculum and day-to-day operations as well as instructing and choreographing for their recreational and competitive teams. Over the course of her 15 year teaching career, she has been recognized for the outstanding technical training of her students and her award winning choreography.

Alexandra was honoured to be awarded the recognition of Markham’s Best Dance Instructor by Reader’s Choice 2020.

Alexandra’s inter-disciplinary expertise and dynamic teaching style make her a sought after adjudicator, teacher and choreographer throughout Ontario. She can regularly be found instructing, choreographing and sharing her passion with dancers at conventions, competitions and studios across the province. 

Alexandra has been a student of dance for 30-years and counting. She has trained extensively as a competitive dancer in many disciplines, including, Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Acro, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Contemporary and Musical Theatre.

Alexandra is a member of the Professional Adjudicators Alliance and She has obtained her certification in the ABT NTC levels pre-primary to Level 3. She has completed ballet exams under the Royal Academy of Dance as well as Jazz, Tap and Acro exams with BATD.

As a dancer, singer and actress, Alexandra has performed in both theatrical and commercial productions. She has been in feature films, numerous commercials, television, industrial shows and musicals.

With her knowledge, expertise and love of dance, Alexandra’s goal is to ignite a lifelong passion for arts within each of her students.

Bio Coming Soon

Emily began her dance training at the Sandra Amodeo Dance Studio at age 5 and joined their competitive team at age 7. She took classes in a wide range of styles, including contemporary, ballet, hip-hop, tap, musical theatre, lyrical, and jazz. During her time as a SADS student, Emily was an assistant teacher for six years. After graduating in 2018, Emily began to lead her own classes at the studio.

Emily is a graduate of the Arts Unionville Dance program at Unionville High School. Within the Arts Unionville program, she trained mainly in the disciplines of ballet and modern dance and took classes with many notable guest choreographers. Emily also participated in school dance performances as both a dancer and choreographer. Currently, she is working towards her BA in English at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Outside of teaching dance throughout both the regular season and the summer, Emily has years of experience working with children from leading an after-school creative movement program at a local Montessori school, as well as working as a counsellor and supervisor at various dance and drama camps for the City of Markham.

This is Emily’s sixth year of teaching at SADS. She is looking forward to another great season of dance!

Starting at the age of 7, Dana began her love of dance at SADS. She has studied tap, jazz, ballet, acro and music theatre and is a member of the B.A.T.D. and the R.A.D. Performing and competing throughout Canada and the US and spending summers as a Dance Olympus VIP, Dana soon got into teaching and choreographing after graduating from Wexford School for the Arts and has won many awards along the way. 

After graduating, Dana was the youngest member to perform in the Mirvish Production of Crazy For You at the Royal Alexandra Theatre alongside Mickey Rooney! She then went on to perform in Montreal, at Ontario Place and in the Garden Bros. Circus. She has been featured in music videos, commercials, fashion shows and had a chance to perform with Gregory Hines one evening! Dana performed on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and has adjudicated and taught several workshops. While living in Spain, she performed weekly in a show Encorsete at the Teatreneu in Barcelona and taught at Isabel Porcar’s Dance School.  

Even though she has left a few times, she always makes it back to where her love for dance was born and nurtured.

 “There’s no place like my second home, SADS!“

Justina Janzen is a triple-threat performer born and raised in St. Catharines, Ontario. She fell in love with performing at a young age when she started taking dance, piano and acting lessons. She grew up in the competitive dance world, competing from ages 7 to 17 at Broadway Lights Dance Studio located in her hometown. Following this she completed a grad program at JJ Dance Arts in Burlington. She is a very versatile dancer who has trained in jazz, ballet, pointe, tap, contemporary, hip hop, acro, lyrical, musical theatre and ballroom. 

Justina loves the opportunity to perform in front of a live audience and in front of a camera. She had the opportunity to perform in the stage production ‘Dance Star’ at the Avalon Ballroom Theatre, with Edyta Sliwinska and Alec Mazo, as well as other dancers from Dancing with The Stars and So You Think You Can Dance. Justina has also danced for the artist Rêve at venues, including Canadian Music Week, Canfar and Juno Week 2022. In addition to this she competed with Intrepid Dance Company on Season 1 of ‘Canada’s Got Talent’ (CityTV). She most notably appeared in Adam Sandler’s film ‘You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah’ (Netflix), ‘Ginny and Georgia’ (Netflix), ‘The Next Step’ (YTV) and ‘Kids in the Hall’ (Amazon Prime).  She has been a lead actor in the short films ‘Glass Slipper’ and ‘Fever’ and voiced the character “Susie” in the animated series ‘Sea Kids’.

Justina has recently completed the two year training program with Intrepid Dance Company and is looking forward to continuing her training in dancing, as well as acting and singing. She is currently working with Amanda Cleghorn, as a part of her mentorship program. 

Justina’s hard work, commitment to continuous learning, and passion for the performing arts will continue to pave the way for her future.

Originally from Markham Ontario, Emma Lum-Gerry is a young emerging artist who just completed her professional training in the Dance Performance Program at George Brown College in Toronto. She just completed her final performance with George Brown Dance which is set to be premiered in 2022. Emma featured in contemporary modern pieces choreographed by Derek Sangster and Lindsay Aquin. Outside her training, Emma has been a choreographer and instructor at Sandra Amodeo Dance Studio for over five years. She also assisted Toronto based choreographer Allison Bradley and Derek Sangster in commercial jazz classes. Upon completion of George Brown Dance’s Performance Preparation Program in 2019, Emma was able to showcase works by Darryl Tracy. Continuing into her second professional Dance Performance program with George Brown in 2020 Emma performed a piece by Derek Sangster at Dance Ontario, she was also able to create a piece with Lauren Cook before the pandemic hit. She is very excited and eager to continue creating, dancing and performing in high energy and highly physical contemporary dance pieces.

Jamie began dancing at the age of four and studied exclusively at SADS as a member of their award-winning Competitive Team. She trained in various styles of dance including: ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, musical theatre, lyrical, and contemporary. During her 14 years at SADS, Jamie has been the recipient of many awards and dance scholarships. In 2017, she finished in the top 15 of Toronto’s Backstage Studio Pass Youtube Series Competition that saw over 200 participants. Under the direction of JJ Moore, the video has received over 25,000 views on Youtube.

In conjunction with her training, Jamie has worked extensively as a class assistant garnering over 7 years of experience. For the past 4 years, she has been a recreational and competitive dance teacher mentoring her own students from primary to senior level, striving to provide the same positive experience she received from her days as a SADS dancer. She has received recognition for her work with her students at competitions and choreographed numerous award-winning routines.

Over the years, Jamie has also taught at various studios across the GTA. She has led creative movement at a local Montessori School, has been a SADS Summer Dance Camp Counsellor for over 5 years and its Camp Director for 3. Her years of experience in working with children has fostered her love of teaching, and she is currently pursuing her Honours Degree in Educational Studies and Teacher Certification at York University. 

Jamie continues to pursue professional development as a dance instructor. Upon completion of their teacher training program, she is an Affiliate Member of the Performing Arts Educators of Canada (PAEC). She has participated in the Canadian Dance Teachers’ Association (CDTA) Level 4 Modern Syllabus Intensive and recently completed year one of the Associated Dance Arts for Professional Teachers (ADAPT) Training Program. She has also successfully completed Level 3 and Level 4 Breaking and Hip Hop Dance Practices with York University and has shared her expertise in several workshops with Strive Dance.

Gabriella began her dance journey at the age of three, later joining the competitive team at Sandra Amodeo Dance Studio at the age of ten. She has trained in a variety of styles including: acro, ballet, lyrical, jazz, contemporary and modern. 

Her years at SADS not only allowed her to grow as a dancer but also kindled her passion for teaching as she dedicated time to being a Classroom Helper and later a Teacher Assistant. Gabriella is currently an Affiliate Member of Performing Arts Educators of Canada (PAEC).

Dance has always been more than a hobby for Gabriella; it has been a driving force in her educational journey. Her path led her through Unionville High School's dance program and eventually to York University, where she is concurrently pursuing degrees in Dance and Education. At York, Gabriella consistently performed in the annual student-run production, "Bloom." In the spring, Gabriella choreographed for the department's third-year production, "Convergence" and is currently in the process of creating a piece for the fourth-year production. In 2022, Gabriella was granted the extraordinary opportunity to study dance abroad in the United Kingdom at the esteemed University of Chichester, where she had the privilege of learning from local dance professionals.

When not immersed in dance, Gabriella dedicates her summers to caring for young campers as the unit-head for those entering junior and senior kindergarten at a local summer camp.

Carmela Palumbo is a busy mama of 3, Educational Assistant with YRDSB, Entrepreneur, and Dance Instructor.  She started dancing at the age of 3 with Sandra Amodeo Dance Studio and her love for dance grew over the years.  She studied different styles of dance including tap, jazz, acro, ballet, and musical theatre. She began competing throughout Canada and the US, achieving many awards and special awards along the way.  

Carmela is a member of the B.A.T.D and started teaching her own classes at SADS at an early age.  She teaches both competitive and recreational levels to all ages, specializing in Musical Theatre.  She has won many awards for her choreography at competitions throughout her years as a dance instructor.    

Musical Theatre has always been her passion. She enjoys teaching this style of dance to her students because it’s an expressive and creative way to move.  She loves watching them come out of their shells and develop into little performers.  She thrives to see them gain confidence. 

The studio has been a part of Carmela's life for over 30 years and now her daughters too! She is looking forward to another year with her SADS family. 

Jennie began dancing at the age of two taking a mom and daughter ballet class! She trained intensively in Russian Classical ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, acro, contemporary, lyrical, modern and partnering. As a teen, she worked behind the scenes at “So You Think You Can Dance Canada” (CTV) assisting Stacey Tookey and Mia Michaels. She was thrilled to have travelled to Nashville, Tennessee to choreograph and star in the music video for Taylor Mathews’ hit song “Heart On Fire”. In 2015, Jennie danced in the Pan Am Games Closing Ceremonies and Para Pan Am Games Opening Ceremonies under the direction of Paul Becker and Jeff Dimitriou.

Jennie is most known for her role as “Chloe” on Family Channel’s hit series “The Next Step” which airs worldwide in several countries including the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Australia, and the United States. As part of “The Next Step” cast, Jennie toured across Canada performing in a live, interactive show called “The Next Step Live On Stage” which was then turned into a documentary-style movie which played in theatres across the country. Most recently, Jennie co-choreographed a music video for JBU Music artist Victoria titled “Lost In Love”. Currently working as both an adjudicator and instructor, Jennie loves being able to share her love and passion for dancing. She is actively pursuing her career as a dance teacher, winning several awards for top choreography.

Bio Coming Soon

Emily is an experienced performer, teacher and choreographer specializing in acrobatics. She graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences. She earned her Doctor of Chiropractic from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto. Her dance certifications include Junior, Intermediate and Advanced teacher with the Acro Dance Teachers Association (ADTA), and a certified Acro Dance Adjudicator (ADA). 

Emily began dancing at the age of three. She has trained in Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Modern, Tap, Ballet, Pointe, Acrobatics, and Hip Hop. Emily competed regionally and nationally with her hometown studio in Vaughan and continued competing with her University Team. She has participated in several workshops and master classes across Ontario and the US with top choreographers. Emily has worked as a competitive choreographer for several studios in the GTA for over ten years and assisted and taught at Acro Conventions. Emily’s students have won many awards and have competed in both regional and international dance competitions. Emily was captain, choreographer, and dancer with the University of Waterloo’s competitive dance company for 5 years.

Emily focuses on proper alignment and injury prevention in the studio and during the day as a Chiropractor. She is passionate about acrobatics and tumbling and combines her love of dance with her love of functional human movement in her instructor and chiropractic life. Emily is excited to be returning to the SADS family this season. 

Bio Coming Soon

Michelle started dancing at S.A.D.S at the age of 3, studying Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, Acro & Musical Theatre. She quickly joined the competitive team, performing and competing throughout Canada and the US, winning many awards along the way.

Michelle attended Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts with a focus on Ballet and Modern dance, where she performed in many productions. After graduating, Michelle minored in Dance at York University with a major in Sociology. Michelle went on to receive her Bachelor of Education at York University, graduating with a Junior/Intermediate teaching degree with a Dance and Performing Arts specialization.  

Throughout her post-secondary education, Michelle directed the S.A.D.S Summer Dance camp for 11 years and started her teaching journey, working with both recreational and competitive students. She completed her R.A.D ballet examinations and B.A.T.D Jazz, Tap & Acro exams. During her 19 years of teaching, Michelle has enjoyed watching her students explore their creativity and grow into confident dancers!

ABATD, CAEA, ADA, PAA, adv. dip MusicTheatre-performance

Voted Best Dance Instructor in Oshawa/Whitby! Sarah Rorabeck has 15+ years of experience educating children ages 3-18 in dance. As a teacher who still works with recreational, part-time and full-time competitive students, she is well versed in all genres, and specializes in Tap, Musical Theatre and Jazz. Currently, Sarah works full-time choreographing award-winning competitive pieces, putting students through their BATD examinations and adjudicating dance competition across North America.

Sarah Rorabeck is a graduate, with honours, of Sheridan’s prestigious Music Theatre Performance program, where she extensively studied dance, vocal and acting. She holds her Associate level Teacher’s Membership in the BATD in both tap and jazz, and is an accredited adjudicator through Judge Alliance’s PAA program. She is a founding member of the Acro Dance Adjudicators (ADA), where she became a certified Acro and Dance Adjudicator. Currently, she is studying and making her way through modules in the Radar Technique by Rebecca Davies. Sarah is also certified through the Canadian Red Cross with her Standard First-Aid and CPR.

Sarah is a member of the CAEA and has performed professionally in musicals like Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, Anne of Green Gables (& many more), around Canada, with some film and television work thrown in the mix. She’s even been photographed by world-renowned dance-photographer, Jordan Matter (Dancers Among Us). Coming soon, Sarah will be performing in The Rocky Horror Show at Neptune Theatre.

Sarah is very passionate about dance education, specifically teaching clean and safe technique and exploring performance styles within different genres to keep class exciting. She has won several ‘Best Choreography’ awards, specifically for her Tap and Musical Theatre work. Currently she teaches full-time in Durham Region and the GTA. She strongly believes dance teaches such incredible life lessons, and she is thrilled to be able to pass on her knowledge to today’s brave and passionate dancers.

Natalie Yeung(she/they), a Chinese-Canadian raised in Markham, Ontario, began their dance journey at the age of three and trained at Sandra Amodeo Dance Studio where they danced competitively for nine years.

Natalie was also enrolled into the Arts Unionville Dance program at Unionville High School where they studied Modern technique.

Natalie is a recent undergraduate of York University with a Major in Dance and a Minor in English. They had the honour of being a part of the York Dance Ensemble directed by Susan Lee. In June 2022, Natalie was given the opportunity to perform with the VYbE dance team at the CCYAA Celebrity Classic Charity Basketball Game hosted by Simu Liu and Jeremy Lin.

Natalie also participated in the 2022 ProArteDanza Summer Intensive Program to which they were awarded a full scholarship for the 2023 program. In March 2023, Natalie had the opportunity to perform in Stephanie Lake’s award-winning piece, ‘Colossus.’ In the future, Natalie hopes to continue exploring dance and movement in other parts of the world, as well as advocating for East-Asian and BIPOC representation in the dance community.