Studio West Dance

SWD SUMMER INTENSIVE! 💥We’re excited to welcome AJAY “JAY” MUSODI!

Ajay “Jay”; Jay Musodi is a Congolese dancer, choreographer, and educator based in Vancouver, Canada

He proudly represents Smash Dance Kinshasa, a dynamic performance crew from the DR Congo, and Monsters Paris, a global platform for movement artists.
With over a decade of experience teaching in schools, Ajay blends his background in pedagogy with his passion for dance to create engaging, empowering, and therapeutic spaces for movers of all levels. His signature style fuses traditional Congolese dance forms with street styles, delivering high-energy sessions rooted in community, culture, and creativity.
Jay’s talents have earned him features in campaigns for major brands such as Gucci, Stone Island, Emporio Armani, Redbull Canada, Lululemon, Netflix, and Nickelodeon, among others.

Beyond his commercial success, he remains committed to cultural education, leading bilingual in-school dance residency programs across North America that
promote self-expression, respect, and celebration of diversity through dance.

SWD SUMMER INTENSIVE! 💥We’re excited to welcome CARLEY ISHII!

Carley Ishii (she/her) is a dance artist, actor, and choreographer based out of Vancouver,
B.C. A graduate of the Conteur Academy in Toronto, Carley has worked and trained with prominent dance educators and choreographers across Canada, the US and abroad. Her effortless technical ability, versatility and exquisite stage presence captivates those watching her. Carley’s extensive training across various styles including contemporary, ballet, pointe, lyrical, modern, jazz, tap, acrobatics, partnering, musical theatre, and improvisation has paved the way for numerous performance opportunities. She has danced with Disney Cruise Lines, Release Dance Project, Hit and Run Productions, and several productions with Patrick Roberge Productions.

Other notable credits include Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (NBC); Once Upon a Time (Stage 49); Monsterville: Cabinet of Souls (Universal Pictures), Vials Music Video “Rockstar” (Crawford Filmworks); Michaela Slinger’s Music Video “This Can’t Last
Forever” (Crawford Filmworks), and several commercials and print work.

In addition to her performance work, Carley’s associate and assistant choreographic work include the short film “I Do”, Serena Sun’s Music Video “Homecoming”, and Robotaki’s Music Video “Harbinger”. Carley made her Arts Club debut in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical as assistant choreographer working with Julie Tomaino. Carley’s positive outlook, professional work ethic and vibrant energy keep her actively involved in the dance community. She enjoys mentoring young dance artists, embracing the opportunity to challenge and inspire them. Carley has recently completed her
Bachelor of Arts degree at Simon Fraser University.

SWD SUMMER INTENSIVE! 💥We’re excited to welcome CHRISTIAN LAGASSE!

Christian Lagasse is an internationally recognized choreographer, performer, and educator with over 25 years in the entertainment industry. With experience spanning over 300 productions across film, television, and live performance, his work has been seen on Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, 20th Century Fox, Netflix, Paramount+, and Universal Pictures.

Known for blending his unique creativity with powerful storytelling, Christian has choreographed for acclaimed performers including Jonathan Groff and Cameron Boyce. His work has earned a Chita Rivera Awards nomination for Outstanding Choreography in a Feature Film, alongside premiering at international festivals.

The ability to create captivating performances through movement is one of the most impactful lessons Christian ever received, and can be seen in his work across The Thundermans: Undercover, Honor Society, Alien: ORE, and Disney’s Descendants 1 & 2. It’s with this guidance that Christian serves as an international educator, mentoring the next generation of performers for screen, stage, and beyond.

Register via our parent portal today!

📸 by: Ariana Flynn Photography

In only a few short weeks, we kick off our amazing SWD SUMMER INTENSIVE! 💥We’re excited to share an incredible line up of fabulous teachers. First, we welcome SARAH FORMOSA.

Sarah Formosa, a Canadian dancer and choreographer. Sarah left her hometown of White Rock, British Columbia, at age 17 to pursue her career in dance at the Alonzo King Lines Ballet Training Program in San Francisco. Since leaving San Francisco, Sarah has had a long career in live performance and film and television. In 2021, Sarah co-directed a live-stream dance theatre production called ‘WANTED’ with her company CAMP. She has performed works by Anya Saugstad, Wen Wei Dance, the response. Dance Company, Vision Impure, Raven Spirit Dance Company,  the Vancouver Opera, the Edmonton Opera, and many more. On screen, Sarah is most well known for her work in Disney’s Descendants (Disney) and Schmigadoon (Apple TV+). She has worked on the choreography team for the blockbuster movie Joy Ride (Lionsgate) and most recently on a new feature

It’s that time of year! It’s time to vote in the Delta Optimist Readers’ Choice Awards!

If you are part of our Studio West Dance, we’d love your vote!

🗳️ Voting closes July 20, so don’t wait!

Thank you for being part of our amazing dance community!

Join us for SUMMER TECH TUESDAYS with Miss Manelle and Miss Mikaela!

We've added more dates in July to get a jump on tech training!
Sessions now from July 7 - August 18 !☀️

Junior: 3:30-5:00
Intermediate: 5:00-6:30
Senior: 6:30-8:00

Sign up for Summer Tech today in your portals! 😎
*For those who have already registered, you can sign up for the two additional dates in your portal now!

Today, we celebrate our SWD Class of 2026. 💜💚💜

Watching these dancers grow over the years has been one of our greatest privileges. We’ve seen them learn, persevere, achieve, and become incredible young people both inside and outside the studio.

As they take their next steps, we couldn’t be prouder of all they have accomplished and all that lies ahead for them. Wherever life takes you, know that Studio West Dance will always be your home, your family, and your biggest supporters.

Congratulations, Grads. Your future is bright, and we can’t wait to see where your journey leads. ✨

What a great day celebrating Ladner May Days! Our pirates, Captain Hook, and Tinkerbell took to the streets in true pirate fashion! 🏴‍☠️

A special thank you to all of our parent volunteers who helped decorate our amazing float and walked alongside us throughout the parade!

Recital flowers are now available to pre-order! 💐

Bouquets are only $25 and can be ordered through the store in your Parent Portal until June 3rd. Your flowers will be waiting for you to pick up at the theatre for your selected show!

A simple way to make your dancer feel extra special… without the last-minute stress!

Order Today! ✨

IMPACT! 2026 Year-End Recitals✨

Join us as we celebrate another incredible year of dance at Studio West Dance! Our dancers, teachers and staff have worked so hard all season, and we can’t wait to share these performances with you! 🎉

Tickets are selling fast, so don’t wait to grab yours before shows sell out!
🎟️ www.studiowestdance.ca or through the link in our bio