INSTRUCTORS

Faridae Mody - Founder & Executive Director

Acro, Contemporary & Jazz

Faridae was born and raised in Peace River, Alberta. She spent ten years training in jazz, ballet, contemporary, musical theatre, lyrical, pointe, hip hop, and modern. Faridae earned awards at festivals for her self-choreographed solos and completed her Intermediate 2 ADAPT Jazz exam. Faridae went on to study Musical Theatre at St. Lawrence College in Ontario, where she was named Dance Captain of her year. Since moving to Edmonton in 2014, she has continued to educate herself as a dancer, dance educator and business owner. She is certified as a Jazz & Tap instructor (ADAPT) and a Kids Yoga Instructor (Wee Wild Ones). Faridae continues her accreditation with the Acro Dance Teachers Association and takes classes for graduate dancers here in Edmonton. Faridae also earned her Bachelor of Commerce in Management at MacEwan University.

Faridae has over 17 years of teaching experience. As an educator, she is passionate about teaching dance, but looks to teach dancers more than dance techniques. Faridae is passionate about showing her students what they're capable of and helping them to develop the mental skills to achieve it.

As Founder of the Freedom School of Dance, Faridae believes every child should have the opportunity to dance and is working towards making dance accessible to all families through sponsorships and community involvement!

Mara Palahniuk - Dance Educator

Ballet & Ukrainian

Mara has been dancing since she was three years old. Beginning with Ballet and Ukrainian dance styles, she pursued her passion for dance into many other styles, including Ballroom, Latin, Character and Martha Graham Modern dance. Mara has travelled worldwide for dance, studying at the Alberta Ballet, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet in New York, and the Royal Academy of Dance in London, England. In these programs, many told Mara that she had a natural eye for teaching and a talent for creating choreography. She followed this passion and became a teacher and choreographer at 14 and continued to become Ballet Mistress and Stage Dance Department Head at Windermere Music Academy in 2018. Mara joined Elite Dance Studio to teach Ballet and her new ABC class (Abs, Ballet and Cardio) in 2020. 

Mara has been a professional dancer since the age of 15, when she was accepted to the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers. Since then, she has continued to dance professionally with Shumka, touring throughout Canada and the United States with plans to tour Ukraine in 2022. Mara is currently studying at the University of Alberta as a major in English and minor in Creative Writing, Ukrainian Culture, Language and Literature and Women and Gender Studies, with aspirations to continue her education to become a teacher. Mara is excited to help jump-start the Ukrainian dance program with Freedom School of Dance!

Rebecca Bissonnette - Dance Educator

Jazz, Musical Theatre & Tap

A dance studio kid from way back - like all the way back - Rebecca has always made it a point to have dance in her life. Trained in tap, jazz, ballet, highland, baton, musical theatre, lyrical, hip hop and contemporary (proudly Shelley Tookey trained for 15 years) Rebecca brings her fierce belief that every body is a dance body to every dance floor she has the pleasure of gracing.

Off the dance floor, Rebecca is a beautiful hybrid of educator and artist. You might have seen her passion as a board member with Horizon Players, an Artistic Director with her own theatre company DEPTH Perception Productions, a teaching artist with Workshop West Theatre or as a producer creating shows for voices that don’t often get a platform. Notably, Rebecca produces an annual festival called Living With, which brings audiences and artists together to share their stories about mental health. She also produces a bi-annual showcase titled Dancing In Draft, which provides dancers who are workshopping pieces, an opportunity to bring them to the stage.

Rebecca is always looking for ways to use her voice and being an arts educator is an important piece of that. She has a unique way of addressing issues that we all deal with while being honest, sharing her experiences and letting people know they aren't alone. Students seem to gravitate towards her, and she's taught them all, from babies to young adults. If your voice is stuck, she'll support you in doing the work to find it.

Alia Walker-Janz - Happiness Hero & Dance Educator

Mini Movers & Tap

Alia is a born and raised Edmontonian with several years of dance experience. Dancing in her community led her to the Victoria School of the Arts, where she trained in ballet, jazz, musical theatre, tap and contemporary. She also took advantage of all available master classes through her time at Victoria, learning the history behind traditional dances. While getting her bachelor's degree in Social Science, Alia continued to dance, taking on ballroom dancing and brushing up on her ballet technique.

Alia is committed to further pursuing her dance education and providing the same encouraging support extended to her by previous mentors. 

TIA ROKER - Happiness Hero & Dance Educator

Hip Hop, Kinder Acro, Mini Ballet & Parented Ballet

Tia has been sharing their love of dance with students of the Freedom School of Dance for the past two years.

Originally from Vancouver, Tia began her dance journey through competitive dance, competing in hip-hop, jazz, and contemporary with a strong technical foundation in ballet. Her passion and commitment to the art form led them to train extensively with the Alberta Ballet, where she spent many years refining her technique and performance quality. After moving to Edmonton, Tia continued her ballet training while also joining Motives, a pre-professional training company. Through Motives, she expanded their repertoire into contemporary and hip-hop, building a versatile background that allows them to teach with both artistry and adaptability. At Freedom School of Dance, Tia specializes in hip hop, ballet, and acro, blending technical precision with creativity and expression. Tia's teaching philosophy focuses on helping dancers develop confidence and a genuine love for movement. With a balance of professional training and a supportive teaching style, Tia is committed to guiding dancers at all levels by helping young dancers develop a solid foundation while also encouraging growth, imagination and joy in movement.