08/21/2026
Is it the time of year when you are choosing sports and activities for yourself or your kids? Start with the coach.
A coach is entrusted with a child's growing body, confidence and understanding of movement. That's why who teaches your child matters.
A knowledgeable and experienced professional coach has been trained to understand not only what to teach, but when a young body is ready to learn it. They know when to challenge, when to wait, when to correct - and when encouragement is what is needed most.
Beautiful studios and exciting performances are wonderful but when choosing a sport program with your child, look first at the quality of the teaching.
This year, Gabriola Dances’ three teachers bring with them 75 years of collective dance teaching!! They have studied kinesiology, theatre, voice, fine art, and too many styles of dance, sports and movement to list here!
Here are their bios for more details….
Thalia Apostolopoulos:
Not only is Miss Thalia, aka Miss T, as an exceptional tattoo artist and a stunning musician but she also studied dance in Vancouver as part of the pre professional program at the prestigious Arts Umbrella school of dance.
Joining us on her second year she will be our modern, contemporary and Jazz teacher for ages 6-18.
💃3:30-4:30 Thursday Mixed dance styles for ages 6-11yrs **
🕺4:15-5:15 Wednesday Jazz for ages 12+ **
💃5:15-6:30 Contemporary/Modern Wednesday for ages 12+ **
(**kids wanting to take these classes are required to be in a ballet technique class)
Lorraine Price:
This is Lorraine’s 5th year at Gabriola dance and we are very excited that she will be co-teaching kids tap with Miss Mara this year-in addition to her very popular adult tap classes.
Now retired from 30 wonderful years of teaching high school in School District #68, her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology set the stage for teaching physical education and science, and in the latter years the high school dance program.
She was trained by Grace Macdonald in ballet, jazz, character, tap and more. She has also enjoyed years of choreographing recreational and competitive dance and rhythmic gymnastics. She danced in the opening ceremonies of the 1976 Olympics and was a BC Lions Cheerleader! She loves anything to do with dance!!
🕺 Tap for ages for ages 6-18yrs. Wednesdays 2:45-4:30. Sept 17-Dec 3.
12 weeks $150
**This class does not require any other class registration or experience.
💃 Tap for adults. Thursday 4:45-5:45 Sept 17-Dec 3 $275.00
All levels welcome. The class will build slowly to allow beginners to gain skills and confidence 🙂
Mara Brenner:
Mara is the founder, artistic director, ballet teacher/choreographer and Pilates teacher at Gabriola Dance and Pilates.
Mara opened the doors in 2009 after ten years of teaching on Bowen Island and more before that in Montreal.
She has taught many dance styles since she was a teenager and has been a certified Pilates trainer for 25 years. She teaches all ages and levels and is also a provincial level gymnastics judge for Womens, Mens and trampoline gymnastics.
She studied creative arts at Dawson College in Montreal and theatre at UBC.
Miss Mara grows dancers based on the knowledge that the key is to have a very strong ballet foundation.
Gabriola Dance’s annual year-end performances are always popular. There has been more than 20 in the past 16 years!
How does such a small island sustain a dance school and train dancers to also be competitive (if that’s what they want)? Passion-our love of dance is palpable and we train our dancers to be artists who love it too. They come back from university to teach and choreograph solos and then they pass on their love as well.
💃 Preschool creative dance for ages 3-5yrs
Fridays 3:30-4:00
Sept 18th start. 10 weeks $85
🕺 Kinderdance for 5-7yrs
Mondays 3-4:00
⭐️ Junior Ballet for 7-11yrs
Tuesdays 2:45-4:15
🩰 Senior Ballet for 11yrs+
Tuesdays 4:15-6:00
*pointe and performance team by invitation
♥️ Adult Ballet for all levels (including those wanting to sit in a chair!)
Mondays 1:45-2:45
Sept 14-Dec 1st.
12 weeks $315
