Miss Molly – Co-owner/Co-Director/Instructor
Miss Molly Boyetchko (McNulty), has been teaching in the Northwest for 13 years, sharing her passion and joy of dance with her students in Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, Lyrical and Contemporary styles.
Molly began dancing at age 3 in Quesnel B.C., studying at the Quesnel Ballet Studio, under the instruction of Linda Campbell. Here she trained and prepared for her RAD Syllabus Exams, which she took up to the Pre-Elementary Level. As she grew into her teens, she began traveling to Prince George to train and take exams with Judy Russell’s Enchainement Dance Studio. She studied under the very talented, Judy Russell and her mother, Bunny Murray. Molly trained in Ballet until the age of 12, when she then expanded into Jazz, Hip Hop, and Irish dance. She competed locally each season and earned a spot in the Stage Category at the 2004 BC Performing Arts Provincials.
After graduating high school Molly spent time travelling abroad in Australia, lived in Vancouver and trained at Harbour Dance Centre, and studied Photojournalism at Loyalist College in Ontario.
In Ontario she found herself dropping in to the Quinte Ballet School to take Modern, Ballet and Jazz. Dance also became her top choice for photography and journalism assignments.
After Graduating with a Diploma in Photojournalism, she accepted a job offer in Terrace B.C. at the Terrace Standard as the Sports Reporter. Here she met Sophia Palahicky, owner of Sophia’s Dance Studio (2000-2012). At age 22 Molly began teaching dance. Sophia eventually moved away, and Molly decided to take on the monumental task of taking over the dance studio, now known as Free Elements Dance!
Miss Molly is a certified ADAPT Syllabus Teacher. The ADAPT Syllabus Teacher Training Program, is a professional development course in Toronto with the legendary duo of Mr. Brian and Mrs. Faye Foley. Molly is also certified in CDTA Jazz, she plans to complete Balanced Body Pilates training in 2021, and her Progressive Ballet Technique Teacher Training in the near future.
Today her goals are to inspire her students to be confident, creative, and passionate young dance artists, while connecting the community of Terrace through dance.
Miss Jess – Co-owner/Co-Director/Instructor
Miss Jess was born and raised in Terrace, British Columbia. Before starting her dance career in 2004 with Sophia Palahicky’s Dance Studio, she was a provincial level gymnast with the Terrace Peaks Gymnastics Club. After graduating from Caledonia Sr Secondary School, she started her professional dance training in 2009 with the Arts Umbrella Professional Dance Program in Vancouver, BC under the artistic direction of Artemis Gordon. Jessica holds a Diploma in Dance attained from Vancouver Community College in which she graduated in 2012. Jessica is a Certified Canadian Teacher’s Association (CDTA) Jazz, Modern, and Ballet Teacher. In July 2020, Miss Jess received her Associated Dance Arts for Professional Teachers (ADAPT) 3 year Certificate, learning from Canadian dance legends, Brian and Faye Foley at their ADAPT Teacher Training School in Toronto. As a Certified ADAPT Teacher Miss Jess is certified to prepare her students for ADAPT – Jazz Exams.
Since her schooling at Arts Umbrella, she has danced on stage as an apprentice for “Noord Nederlandse Dans” a professional contemporary dance company in The Netherlands with Stephen Shropshire in 2012, “The Response” a professional contemporary dance company in Vancouver BC with Amber Funk Barton in 2013, “ProArteDanza” a professional ballet contemporary dance company in Toronto ON, with Roberto Campanella and Robert Glumbek in 2014, “First Dance Vancouver” a multi-style dance company with Delphine Leroux and Kara Nolte in 2015, and “Body Narratives Collective” an inter-disciplinary contemporary dance company with Meghan Goodman and Julia Carr in Vancouver BC. In 2017, Jessica performed a duet with Julianne Chapple entitled, “Phasmida and Scorpiones” choreographed by Chick Snipper for the Dancing on the Edge Festival in Vancouver, BC.
Miss Jess has taught and choreographed for the following dance schools, Essence of Dance Inc., Surrey, BC, Arts Umbrella, Vancouver, BC, iDance, Vancouver BC, Harbour Dance Studios, Nanaimo, BC, Wesbrook Community Centre, UBC, Danzmode, Burnaby, BC, North Shore Academy of Dancing, North Vancouver, BC, and Dance Co-Marlowe Windsor, Vancouver BC and Free Elements Dance Studio, Terrace BC.
Currently, Miss Jess is the Co-owner/Co-Director of Free Elements Dance Studio.
Miss Emily – Instructor /Co-Director of Company and General Program
Miss Emily was a dancer at Free Elements Dance Studio (formerly Sophia’s Dance Studio)
for 14 years prior to her graduation in 2018. She was an eager participant in the Pacific
Northwest Music Festival, Prince George Dance Competition, and BC Annual Dance
Competition for many years. Emily began dance at the age of four as a recreational.
Jazz and Ballet dancer. Once Free Elements implemented the Company Competitive
Dance Team, Emily jumped at the chance to take part in as many dances as possible to
grow and mature in all styles of dance. She was a dedicated dancer who performed
numerous solos and duets, but her favourite aspect of competition was always the
group dances! Every November, she took part in the Associated Dance Arts of
Professional Teachers (ADAPT) workshops in Prince Rupert and learned from the
incredibly talented and knowledgeable Brian and Faye Foley. At a young age, Emily
also took a CDTA Jazz Exam. Emily has worked as an assistant teacher at Free
Elements Dance Studio since the age of thirteen and began choreographing three years
later. Emily is a well-rounded dancer with many years of experience in many styles, but
her personal favourites are Jazz and Contemporary.
Emily is a dance artist and teacher who continues to learn and train as much as
possible. In the last three years, after graduation, Emily has enjoyed branching out and
trying new dance styles by participating in Adult Heels and Adult Tap classes. She still
chooses to dance in local dance workshops when available. In July 2020, Emily completed her ADAPT
Syllabus Teacher’s Training School certification for Jazz/Tap. Her passion for dance has
never wavered, and she will always continue to search for new opportunities to move
and learn! She looks forward to continuing to further her knowledge of dance in other
formats in the future.
Emily has a passion for working with kids of all ages and has had many opportunities to
gain experience such as subbing at Coast Mountain School District, coaching soccer,
and teaching at the dance studio. This year, Emily will be entering her final year of her
Bachelor of Elementary Education at UNBC Northwest. She is also a certified
Early Childhood Educator Assistant and has worked with early learners for many years.
Emily is very excited to begin the 2022/2023 dance season and implement her
knowledge and creative dance ideas! Her goal for this dance year is to inspire her students to work hard, share their creativity, and continue to share their passion of dance.
Miss Haley – Instructor/ Co-Director of Company and General Program
Miss Haley started dancing at Sophia’s Dance Studio (now Free Elements) in 2003 at the age of 5 and was hooked from the start. She competed at the Pacific Northwest Music Festival from the start, and even performed duets, trios, and small groups from the age of 6. In 2007, she started taking ballet classes. Throughout the years she attended the ADAPT workshops in Prince Rupert every November. Haley also has some early grade certificates from CDTA exams.
At the start of the 2012/2013 season, she injured herself, resulting in having to take a year off from dance. When she came back at the start of the 2013/2014 season, Haley started assisting in a jazz class twice a week and continued to assist classes until graduating.
Over the summer in 2015, Haley travelled to Toronto to take a two-week dance intensive with Canada’s Ballet Jörgen. There she was taught by amazing faculty and company members of CBJ: such as, Cynthia Macedo (Ballet), Dana Bondy (Jazz), and Adrián Ramírez Juárez and Junior Gaspar Caballero (CBJ Repertoire).
During Haley’s graduation year, 2016, she was asked to teach three classes on Saturday afternoons for half the season. She was very excited at the chance to demonstrate new moves and teach the new students of the studio. Haley alongside Kara Ternes organized and choreographed the Caledonia Fashion Show: Dry Grad Fundraiser of approximately 60 students who have never danced on stage before. At her last stage performance with FEDS, she was awarded Most Outstanding Dancer by her peers.
In the fall after high school graduation, Haley travelled back to Toronto to dance at George Brown College (a partner of CBJ). There she completed a Dance Performance Preparations Certificate Program taught by Karen Andrews, Hannah Kiel, Jane Wooding, Laetitia Clement, and many more.
After experiencing unfortunate injuries, Haley came back to Terrace and taught General Jazz and Ballet classes during the 2017/2018 dance season. She left again in the fall of 2018 to go to school at College of New Caledonia, taking business administration. Haley returned in the Fall of 2019 to teach General Jazz and Ballet.
In May of 2020, Miss Haley received her CDTA Ballet Certificate and has completed one year of her ADAPT teacher training school.
Kara Ternes – Administrative Work/Social Media
This 2022/2023 dance season Kara is working for Free Elements Dance Studio behind the scenes doing administrative work and helping manage social media accounts.
She studied dance at Sophia’s Dance Studio starting from the age of 4. At the age of 13, the studio underwent new ownership and became Free Elements Dance Studio where she continued dancing until the age of 18. Kara worked as a dance instructor at the studio for two years after graduation. In 2018, she hung up my teaching hat and started working in the mining industry and attending university pursuing a degree in geology.
Kara is so excited to be back working for the studio and being involved with dance again. She looks forward to all the shows and competitions she will be able to watch this season.
Miss Kira – Instructor
Kira has always had a significant love and passion for dance. She began dancing at the age of three and after that, begged her mom to sign her up for classes. Finally, at the age of 8, she started classes at Free Elements Dance Studio. Kira instantly took a liking to ballet and that has always been her favourite style. She has also enjoyed taking tap classes since 2016 and has now evolved into teaching. In 2017, Free Elements created the Company Team and she was ecstatic. Kira jumped at the opportunity to adapt and grow in classes with older dancers, as well as competing many solos and group dances at Prince George Dance Competition, Pacific Northwest Music Festival and BC Annual Dance Competition. In 2021 and 2022, Kira was fortunate enough to be selected to compete in the BC Provincials for Performing Arts in the ballet category. She has taken Jazz, Ballet and Medal exams with the Canadian Dance Teachers Association and when she is old enough, she hopes to become a certified teacher.
Kira adores working with kids and has thoroughly enjoyed assisting classes since the age of 13. This will be Kira’s second year teaching and she feels so honoured to be working with dancers throughout her final year of high school. Kira is so excited for this season and cannot wait to see what it brings!
Miss Savannah – Instructor
Miss Savannah is currently teaching Acro! It all started at the gymnastic center. She started gymnastics at the age of 5. She had a huge love for it and kept attending classes. Fast forward a few years later, when she was 10 years old, she was brought to bring a friend day at Free Elements. She grew a huge love for dance after that one class. She decided to quit gymnastics and start taking Jazz classes. Through the years, she started to add more genres and grew a huge love for ballet and of course Acro. Savannah joined the company team in the 2017/2018 season. She travelled and competed in groups and solos at multiple competitors up until her graduating year in June of 2022. Through her years of dance, she completed a series of ballet medal examinations from the Canadian Dance Teachers Association. Dance has brought her many opportunities and has given her memories that she will have for a lifetime. Savannah is looking forward to teaching your kids!
Miss Lauren – Instructor
Lauren joined dance when she was 8 years old, she danced for 9 years prior to her graduation. She was also lucky enough to dance for a 10th year with the Company team. During competitions, she got to try a bunch of different styles of dance, but she would have to say her favourite styles were contemporary and modern. Lauren is feeling honoured to be a teacher for Free Elements this year, as well as a TA for some of the classes. She is extremely excited to grow and mature as a teacher, as well as getting the opportunity to learn even more along the way. During the dance seasons in November, she would always try to go to the ADAPT workshop in Prince Rupert with Mr. and Mrs. Foley, as it was great learning opportunity. She has also taken her CTDA Jazz and Ballet exam. Other activities she enjoys are hiking, soccer, and adventuring. The part that Lauren is most looking forward to is getting to watch all the dancers grow, as well as further her knowledge.
Miss Darrah – Instructor
Before this current season of dance, Darrah had been dancing for 13 years. She started when she was 4 years old and eventually took a year and a half off to focus on her schoolwork. She enjoys getting the chance to help other dancers learn and grow every day. Darrah spent 3 years being a part of the Free Elements Company team, it was such an amazing experience that she could share with my friends and family. During her years in Company, she had finally found my favourite styles of dance which are contemporary and acro. Some other hobbies that she enjoys doing are exploring, golfing, and working out at the gym. She is excited to see at the end of the season how much each student has grown from the start of the season.
Miss Emma – Instructor
“When I was younger, people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up and my answer was always a dancer. My family, community, and studio supported me throughout my whole journey and I’m here now living my dream as a dancer.”
Emma has been dancing for 15 years. She joined Free Elements when she was four years old in hopes that she would someday be as good as her older sisters. She has been competitive since day one. In 2017, Emma was accepted into the Free Elements Company Team, where she travelled to competitions and would participate in many solos, duets, and group dances. The more she danced, the more Emma realized her passion for it and began choreographing solos for students.
Since 2018, she has been completing a series of Jazz, Ballet, and Medal examinations from the Canadian Dance Teachers Association to challenge and better her dancing career. During her graduation year at Free Elements, she was awarded Most Talented Dancer by her peers and received the Artistic Achievement Award from her instructors.
After assisting dance classes at Free Elements since Emma was 13, this will be her second year of teaching my own classes, and she looks forward to bringing her own ideas and creativity!
Brenna Metzmeier – Guest Teacher / Choreographer
Brenna Metzmeier is originally from Northern BC. She began her dance training at Sophia’s Dance Studio here in Terrace BC, now known as Free Elements Dance! She began her professional dance training at the Victoria Academy of Ballet. She graduated from its post-graduate Bridge Program in 2016. She has professionally performed with Ballet Etoile, and with Arts Umbrella’s Performance Research Program as well as Lesley Telford’s Company Inverso Productions. She is currently a professional dance artist based out of Vancouver BC. She has danced with Noam Gagnons’ Dance Company, “Vision Impure” and was a part of the creation process of a full-length piece called ‘Pathways’ that premiered at the Vancouver International Dance Festival in the end of March 2019. Brenna will be also teaching at the Free Elements Summer Dance Intensive this August 2021!
Carley Cofield – Guest Teacher / Choreographer
Carley was born and raised on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. After 16 years of extensive training, she settled in Toronto at age 18 to begin pursuing her dream of becoming a professional dancer. Over the years she has had the chance to compete and train all over the world. During Carley’s competitive years, she received “Dancer Of The Year” and a scholarship to train in Paris France, an apprenticeship to assist the Extreme Dance faculty with Melissa Williams (So You Think You Can Dance Canada), “The Next Level” award to train in Los Angeles & New York, “Adjudicators Choice”, as well as numerous scholarships from world-renowned choreographers.
Soon after graduation, Carley was accepted into the Toronto O.I.P. Dance Company. Since then, she has gone on to work with many of Toronto’s top choreographers. Carley has had the opportunity to work on projects and performances for Madonna, Deborah Cox, Capital Cities, Paloma Ford, Shawn Desman, Toronto Fashion Week, “Just Dance” the video game launch, The Much Music Video Awards with international pop-rock band “Hedley”, World Pride, The Pan American Games 1 Year Launch, and many more.
Most recently, Carley was featured as a dancer for the LifetimeTV Movie “Perfect High” starring actress Bella Thorne, danced on the MMVA Red Carpet for Coleman Hell, shared the stage with Pop Star Kiesza at the Air Canada Centre, and worked with Melissa Molinaro on her latest Music Video.
Aside from performing, Carley is thrilled to be choreographing for multi-award winning “Le PeTiT CiRqUe”, as well as Australian pop group “Aussie Youth”. Carley is now residing in North Hollywood, California continuing her commercial dance career with Go 2 Talent Agency.
DEMO:
HIPHOP LINKS:
https://vimeo.com/179226947
https://vimeo.com/203932655
https://vimeo.com/211612274
Rebekah Asselstine – Guest Teacher / Choreographer
Rebekah was born in New Westminster, British Columbia and raised in beautiful northern life of Terrace, British Columbia. Starting dance at a later age but picked up the natural talent fast, she began success on all levels. Receiving her CDTA Teachers association ticket and Taking over her studio “Sophia’s School of Dance” at age 18 and choreographing for many to further her dream. After a year of operation, she did her first audition and got accepted into a professional training group “Modus Operandi” located in Vancouver, B.C.
Being with this group opened many doors dancing with Tiffany Tregarthen, David Raymond, Wen Wei, Amber Funk Barton, Justine Chambers, Claire French and Josh Beamish. She later danced with groups, iNDUSTRY, the response, The Lovers Cabaret, and ARMY of SASS.
She then was given opportunities to dance on music videos and commercials which then lead her to getting her representation at The Characters Talent Agency. She is known for her roles in “Restless Virgins”, “The Unseen”, “Last Night in Suburbia”, “The Perfect Pick Up”, and “Tributum”, She also is well known for her Voice Over work, playing and representing the role of “Bella” in Universal Motion picture “Barbie Video Game Hero”.
Aside from performing and acting, Rebekah works heavily as a Choreographer and teacher across BC and in the US. She has worked for actor Kevin James and Adam Sandler on set of “Grown Ups 2” teaching their children ballet and jazz. Has coached and trained dancers for Team Canada and has been a part of many workshops across BC.
Her passion is to inspire and help students, to mentor and help them achieve greatness. Being a part of faculty at Cameron Dance Academy for Jazz, Jazz Technique, Musical Theatre, and Contemporary, Just For Kicks School of Dance for Stage, Conditioning and Technique, Lyrical, and Contemporary, Defy Gravity for Vocal Training and Musical Theatre, and Vancouver Academy of Dance for Contemporary and Jazz.
Rebekah is currently teaching and doing choreography in Vancouver, B.C and is continuing her Acting career with The Character Talent Agency.
IMDB PROFILE:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6152882/?ref_=nv_sr_6
DANCE ON FILM PROJECT: