Welcome to Dance Aberdeen
A small town club with BIG possibilities
Festival Adjudicators 2022
WELCOME MISS LESLIE KUNY
Leslie Kuny is a Director/Owner of Ignite Dance Center in Surrey British Columbia and a certified adjudicator through Canadian Dance Leadership.
Leslie found the joy of dance as a child, studying at Juliette’s Dance Center in Saskatoon. After her studio training in almost every genre, Leslie attended the post-secondary dance programs at Grant MacEwan College and Simon Fraser University. She graduated on the Dean’s List with a Dance Diploma (GMCC) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts Dance Major (SFU).
During her training, Leslie was afforded the opportunity to work with some of Canada’s contemporary dance leaders including Wen Wei Wang (Wen Wei Dance Vancouver), Barbara Bourget (kokoro dance Vancouver), Gerry Morita (Mile Zero Edmonton), Brian Webb (Brian Webb Dance Company Edmonton), Judith Garay (Dancer’s Dancing Vancouver), and Day Helesic (MovEnt Vancouver).
Working with these industry leaders shaped her outlook as a dancer and a teacher, and Leslie uses this insightful professional knowledge when coaching her students.
Over the past 20 years, Leslie has devoted herself to teaching dance and choreographing incompetitive and recreation studios, schools, and pre-professional training programs. Her choreography has been recognized for its use of space, the balanced approach of technique and performance, as well as its humour. Leslie’s passion for dance and love for performing shines
through in all she does. She believes every student deserves quality training in an inclusive environment while motivating students to work to their full, individual, potential.
In 2019 Leslie co-founded Ignite Dance Center with partner Rosie Punzo. The studio’s grand opening in March of 2020 was postponed, but despite the obvious challenges over the last two
years, IDC is growing and thriving, exploding from a handful of dancers online in May 2020 to over 150 students and three competitive company teams.
Leslie is excited to come back to Saskatchewan and offer encouragement and feedback to the dancers at the festival.
WELCOME MR. PATRICK MCGRATTEN
Patrick’s foray into the world of dance, began at the young age of 3 in Saskatoon Saskatchewan, where he trained under the direction of Juliette Perry-Perez, and Meagan McGratten at Juliette’s Dance Center in the heart of downtown Saskatoon. As a students Patricks dancing took him to many different competitions and conventions through Canada and the United States allowing him the privilege to train with many internationally known teachers and choreographers including; Sean Cheesman, Sherrie Scherger, Mia Micheals, and Laurie Ann Gibson.
After graduating Patrick’s passion for teaching became evident, when he began teaching for Rhythm Works Dance Studio in Shellbrook Saskatchewan, where is taught for numerous season with exceptional results, while teaching in Shellbrook his students won numerous top marks, and their passion for dance bloomed. Patrick also taught in many other Saskatchewan communities including Humboldt, Lanigan, and Rosetown. In the fall of 2012, Patrick Moved to Red Deer Alberta to begin teaching at Make Your Mark Dance. Over the last 10 seasons Patrick has had great success with his students winning overall top marks, many awards for his Choreography, as well as having his work selected to perform in New York City at the prestigious Minskoff Theatre.
Patrick has had many former students make professional careers out of dance, working in stage and theatre, as well as professional dance companies throughout Canada. Patrick is a certified dance instructor with the ADAPT Syllabus in Jazz, and Tap. Having been mentored by Faye, and Brian Foley, receiving his certification in the Summer of 2009.