Meet Our Instructors

  • Owner | Artistic Director

    A graduate of the professional training program at DancEast Dance Centre de Danse, a featured artist of DancEast & Friends’ “The Nutcracker”, and a soloist with the DancEast Young Company, Kashena Collins is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and instructor. She was also an essential contributor to the DancEast Young Company for ten years. Kashena joined the faculty of DancEast in 2001 and studied at the University of Moncton in Leisure, Sports, and Tourism. She received her diploma from the University of Moncton in May of 2009 while continuing to be a part of DancEast’s ongoing development. Her tremendous passion for dance has led her to perform extensively in Canada and to have appeared to rave reviews at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

    She has also trained with noted dance authorities such as Debra Brown (choreographer at Cirque du Soleil), Margie Gillis (choreographer and independent soloist), André Lucas (Les Grands Ballets Canadiens), Trish Armstrong (Danny Grossman Dance Company), Dina Leitsch (ballet mistress), Charmaine Headley and BaKari E. Lindsay (founders of COBA, Collective Of Black Artists), Annie Wood (founder of DanceFuzion), along with several others throughout the past thirty plus years. She has taught dance to thousands of dancers as well as to numerous gymnasts, synchronized swimmers, baton twirlers, and various other athletes. In 2001 she competed in the finals of the dance category of Les Jeux de la Francophonie in Ottawa. She has been invited to participate in such opportunities as guest teacher for the dance program at the University of Moncton.

    Kashena worked in collaboration with vocalist Kathy Hayden-Maillet for Hospice Greater Moncton. In April of 2009 she choreographed a piece which was performed during the 2009 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship. During the summer of 2009 she felt privileged to be assistant choreographer for the 2009 Canada Games. In the fall of 2009 she opened a new dance school on Prince Edward Island, Dance Virtuosa, and has been the sole owner and operator ever since. Furthermore, she has organized an intensive summer dance program since the school has been founded, which has brought in instructors from across Canada and the United States, as well as students from both countries. Also, she performed as a featured soloist at the Atlantic Dance Festival in Moncton in 2011. During the summer of 2011, she choreographed and performed an opening number for a Neverest concert in Summerside, followed by choreographing a piece which was showcased during a Victoria Duffield concert in Charlottetown in 2013. Ms. Collins was lead the choreographer for the Island Storm pro basketball team’s dance team, the Storm Chasers. In recent years, she has developed two performance based companies who have performed extensively on and off Prince Edward Island, as well as having represented the island on an international scale. Her passion and devotion to her art has also translated into her volunteer work with Hospice PEI’s Dancing With The Stars.

    Her truly innovative skills, which have driven her to multiple creative successes, provide her with a genuinely imaginative new light on dance.

  • She now calls Charlottetown PEI home after relocating from Moncton NB in 2013. Ashlyn has been dancing for over 15 years. During her journey she has loved spending her time demonstrating and assisting classes and instructing several styles and levels of dance. She has performed as a member of the DancEast Young Company, and has graduated from the Dance Virtuosa Young Company Program. Ashlyn has performed in the Nutcracker production for several years and also as a performance highlight,  she performed at the “Dance The World” Showcase at Walt Disney. Ashlyn looks forward to sharing her love and passion for dance through both instruction and performance.

  • Susan is an Honours graduate of George Brown School of Dance, and Applied Arts and Technology (dance program); she was born and raised in Ontario. She began dance training at the age of three after watching the National Ballet of Canada’s performance of “Giselle” and being awed by the experience. She received her classical dance training at many of the top dance schools in Canada including: the National Ballet School of Canada, Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, and the Banff School of Fine Arts, studying R.A.D.,  Cecchetti, Vaganova, and Bournoville methods. She studied with leading dance teachers: Betty Oliphant, Lois Smith, Gladys Forrester, Peggy Baker, David Adams, & Earl Kraul.  Susan is a former performing member and choreographer with The Dance Company of Ontario, Ottawa Dance Theatre, and Gladys Forrester’s Dancers.

    In 1983, after retiring due to a back injury, Susan moved to the Island where she met her husband, settled in the eastern end of the Island, and began teaching dance in Charlottetown and Souris. She opened Hammond-Bruce Studios, later becoming the Artistic Director of the former ‘Les Souris Qui Dansent’, a children’s dance company in Souris, P.E.I.  Susan retired from teaching to raise her children but continued directing, co-directing, and choreographing theatre productions for many of the local schools, communities, and churches. She often uses her basic art and sewing training to design and make costumes, backdrops, sets, props, and posters for her productions. In recent years, Susan has added playwright to her list of titles; writing and directing a number of works for the former Eastern Kings Consolidated School, and more recently, successfully writing and directing play productions for Don’t Ye Know Theatre. Susan is the Artistic Advisor and Director of DYKT. She is also working with the Kings Playhouse, Georgetown, staging productions.

    Although Susan enjoys the many forms and aspects of the performing arts, dance is her love and forte. She is very happy to be returning to the role of dance teacher. Over the years Susan has performed, choreographed, and taught Classical/Lyrical Ballet, Point, Jazz, Modern, Pas de Deux, and Stage Presence.

  • Hailing from Saint John, New Brunswick, Megan grew up in the competitive dance circuit, providing many travel opportunities and fueling her passion to continue her dance education. She moved to the island in 2012 where she became part of the first graduating class of the Dance Performance Program at Holland College. Megan promptly sought out a place to share her knowledge and love of dance. After an immediate connection with studio owner, Kashena Collins, Megan began teaching several classes and a broad range of styles at her new found home, Dance Virtuosa. Whilst continuing to pursue a performance career, Megan's goal as an instructor is to share the joy of performing to live audiences with her students.  In addition to her college training, Megan has completed the Professional Training Program at Decidedly Jazz Danceworks where she was immersed in the roots of jazz dance and music. She says it has transformed the way she approaches not only jazz dance, but all styles as the roots of dance are historically linked- knowledge she enjoys sharing with her students. Some of her favourite performance avenues have included becoming a member of Charlottetown Contemporary Dancers(2017), Charlottetown Burlesque(2019), and the Charlottetown Festival's Young Company (2013 & 2022). She's been a featured performer in productions by Oshun Dance, under the direction of Reequal Smith, as well as performances by Craig Fair Productions, under the direction of Craig, and featured choreographer Ryan Wilson. Other performance highlights include local charity event "Hospice PEI's Dancing with the Stars." She was partnered with her fiance, Lawrence Maxwell in 2022, and with her long time dance student and friend Cameron Gordon in 2021. Her and Cameron's performance became a viral video with over 70 million views worldwide. This acclaim led Megan and Cameron to the performance memory of their lifetime on season 3 of Canada's Got Talent. Her and Cameron's audition continues to have global reach, inspiring many to follow their hearts. In the fall of 2024, Megan will celebrate her 10th year with Dance Virtuosa. Sharing a national stage with one of her first dance students, and now very dear friend, has been the perfect way to celebrate her 10 years of teaching and performing professionally. 

  • Born and raised on PEI, Cloe has been trained in multiple dance styles such as contemporary, ballet, jazz, and hip hop while also participating in competitive gymnastics since the age of three. She has since switched studios multiply times before falling in love with Dance Virtuosa, where she now specializes in contemporary and demonstrates for numerous introduction and junior classes. After five years of teaching and spotting gymnastics at camps and gyms across PEI, Cloe is excited to combine her two loves by bringing acrobatic classes to Dance Virtuosa!