Originally from Edmonton, Laurie’s career in dance has taken her around the world as a performer, adjudicator, award-winning choreographer, convention teacher, and instructor. She has been adjudicating events across Canada and the USA for 25 years. She has taught and trained in many genres of dance. Laurie is educated in RAD (Royal Academy of Dance), Alixa Flexibility, TDLI (The Dance Leadership Institute for Dance Adjudicator certification) and is also Acrobatic Arts certified.
Laurie holds her Advanced II certificate with the Royal Academy of Dance and performed professionally with Ballet North. Performances with Ballet North included a tour of Mainland China as a Principal dancer. Laurie also worked at length as a lead singer and dancer in Japan at Tokyo Disneyland, playing such fun-loving characters as Belle, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. She has also enjoyed working in the Cruise-ship industry.
Industrial credits include Calvin Klein, Lancome, Tommy Hilfiger, the grand opening of Casino Niagara, and Club Firestone. Live performances and TV credits include Berenstain Bears Christmas Show with Paramount Pictures, Legends Alive, Chiropractic Association of Alberta, and Cool FM radio. Laurie has appeared as a guest singer on Day By Day and was co-choreographer of Dean Gunnarson’s Halloween Special. She has enjoyed a range of artistic endeavors from voice over work, to singer, dancer, actor, and choreographer. Recently she had the pleasure of being choreographer and dancer in a commercial and advertisement for the Physiotherapy Association of Alberta, called "Born to Move" and “Laurie’s Story” by Joe Media. A great honor was being invited to audition for Cirque du Soleil and be added to their bank of potential performers.
Laurie is currently teaching at the Edmonton School of Ballet in the daytime professional program and juggling being a mom of 3. Many of Laurie’s past students are enjoying careers in dance and she couldn’t be happier to see them share their love of the arts. She truly enjoys meeting and teaching young artists who continue to inspire her with their determination. Best of luck to all the inspiring performers at this event!
Angela Siemens
Dance Adjudicators
Heather McQuire
Speech, Vocal and Musical Theatre
Laurie Cahoon-Alston
Piano, Violin and Guitar
RAD RTS, ISTD Nat., TTP Dip. (NBS), Acrobatic Arts Certified, Alixa Flexibility
Tianna Stephen began her dance training at the age of 3, developing her skills in a wide range of styles including ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, modern, musical theatre, contemporary, and hip hop. She completed her Advanced II and Grade 8 exams from the Royal Academy of Dance, alongside certifications in Cecchetti Intermediate and Advanced I, and ISTD National Dance (Folk) at the Advanced I level.
As a graduate of Canada’s National Ballet School’s Teacher Training Program, Tianna was awarded the prestigious Carole Chadwick Award and scholarship in recognition of her exceptional potential as an educator. Upon completing the program, she attained her Royal Academy of Dance Registered Teacher Status and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing qualifications in National Dance.
Tianna's expertise extends beyond her formal training. She holds teaching certifications in the Acrobatic Arts syllabus and Alixa Flexibility. She has choreographed award-winning pieces and has taught across Canada and internationally, continually expanding her knowledge and abilities.
Her competitive team have won high honors in ballet, contemporary, and jazz at prestigious events, including Dance Excellence in Los Angeles in 2011 and 2014.
With a deep passion for choreography, teaching, and adjudicating, Tianna is committed to inspiring the next generation of dancers and sharing the art form on a global scale.
Tianna Stephen
Angela Siemens holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Bachelor of Music from Augustana University College. She continued her studies at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, where she played leading roles in Opera Studio’s productions of Brother XII and Romeo and Juliet. She also holds a Voice Teacher’s ARCT from the Royal Conservatory of Music and earned her Student Certificate in Yodelology. Recently, she was delighted to play the role of Coco’s sister in the world premiere of It’s Coco!—a musical fusion opera written by Cheryl Cooney and Anna Maria Kaufmann. This year, she has loved being the vocal director for the production of Into the Woods, presented by Hunting Hills High School.
Mrs. Siemens enjoys performing, adjudicating, and teaching. She has a thirst for knowledge and a keen interest in the science of vocal pedagogy and its applications. Her students have earned numerous scholarships and awards, but more importantly, have cultivated a deep appreciation for music and a love of singing. She believes that music is an important part of life and strives to share her joy of music with everyone she works with. She currently teaches from her private studio in Red Deer and loves working with her choir, The Inglewood Sunshine Choir.
Heather McGuire runs a private music studio in Edmonton, Alberta where she teaches all levels of piano, theory, harmony, and music history. Heather also works as an examiner for Conservatory Canada and festival adjudicator. As a pianist, she continues to perform solo and collaborative repertoire with a special interest in 20th-century music. Heather graduated from her Master of Music degree at the University of Alberta in May 2020 where she studied under Dr. Jacques Després. She focused her graduate studies on contemporary piano music, performing many 20th and 21st century works and completing the research portion of her degree on the benefits of teaching contemporary pieces at beginner and intermediate levels. Previously, Heather received her Artist Certificate and Bachelor of Music from Lakehead University where she studied with Dr. Evgeny Chugunov. Heather has also had the privilege of briefly studying with other prominent pianists including Jacques Rouvier, Gwendolyn Mok, Eve Egoyan, and
Richard Raymond. Heather has received many accolades for her academic and performative work,
including the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship for her focus
on contemporary Canadian works and the Johann Strauss Award which allowed her to study at the Mozarteum University in Austria. Heather also received the Steinway Top Teacher Award for 2022 and 2023. In her spare time, Heather volunteers on the ARMTA Edmonton Branch Executive and with her local church. She also enjoys many hobbies including gardening, cooking, reading mystery novels, and hiking in the Canadian Rockies.