Director of Community Programs
Taryn Samson received her early training under Gillian Howatt. She began her professional training at Canada's National Ballet School and then at the Alberta Ballet School under the direction of Murray and Nancy Kilgour. Ms. Klassen performed with Alberta Ballet in performances including Mikko Nissinen’s “The Nutcracker” and Christopher Wheeldon’s “A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream”.
Ms. Samson joined the Alberta Ballet School’s Professional Division as a full-time faculty member in 2011 and has worked to refine her skills under the mentorship of esteemed teachers such as Murray and Nancy Kilgour, Joyce Shietze, Ashley McNeil and Diane van Schoor. Ms. Samson was promoted to Head of Junior School in 2013.
Ms. Samson holds her Licentiate with Cecchetti Canada and was the 2013 recipient of the Margaret Saul Scholarship Award for Professional Development. She is also one of few that holds the prestigious Enrico Cecchetti Final Diploma, the highest qualification in the method, and achieved this honor through the mentorship of Nancy Kilgour. She currently sits on the Administrative Council and Alberta Provincial Committee of Cecchetti Canada.
In 2022 Ms. Samson attended The Royal Ballet School to train in their new Affiliate Training and Assessment Program (ATAP). She received her certification in 2023 becoming the first Canadian Affiliate Teacher of the Royal Ballet School.
Ms. Samson is also a certified teacher of the Fitness Table TCP method specializing in postural and core strengthening. She has also attained a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Mount Royal University.
Head of Alberta Ballet Classes, Calgary
Julie Coleman is a Calgarian with over 25 years of experience in dance education. A graduate of Alberta Ballet School under the direction of Alain Pauzé, Ms. Coleman has also trained at prestigious summer intensives including the National Ballet School of Canada, Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Quinte Ballet School, the Banff Centre for the Arts, and the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) in London.
Following her university studies, she continued her training internationally at the Bruckner Conservatory in Linz, Austria, the Theatre Academy Helsinki, and with Gdanski Teatre Tanca in Poland.
Julie has performed professionally across Canada, the United States, and Poland. Notably, she toured with the Alberta Ballet Company in their acclaimed production of The Nutcracker. She was also the co-founder, choreographer, and dancer with Groundworks Integrated Arts Collective, an interdisciplinary performance group active from 2003 to 2007.
Ms. Coleman holds a Bachelor of Arts in Modern Dance with Distinction from the University of Calgary. She is a registered teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance, the Cecchetti Society of Canada, Rambert Grades, and Progressing Ballet Technique.
Known for her meticulous attention to technical detail and commitment to fostering artistic expression, Julie strives to develop well-rounded dancers. She brings warmth and mentorship to her teaching, guiding her students not only in dance but also in personal growth and confidence.
On July 7, Ms. Gagnier will join the Alberta Ballet Classes team as Head of Classes in Edmonton.
Heather Gagnier received her early dance training in her hometown of Hinton, Alberta, spending summers at Alberta Ballet School in Calgary and Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre in Toronto. She later went on to train in the professional division of the Ailey School (the official school of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre) in New York City.
In 2006 Ms. Gagnier moved to London, England to attend the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Ballet Education degree program at the Royal Academy of Dance Faculty of Education. During her three years in London, she undertook an in-depth study of ballet pedagogy and related subjects such as dance history, choreography, anatomy/kinesiology, education theory, movement notation, and music.
Ms. Gagnier returned to New York City in 2012, where she attained her Master of Arts (MA) degree in Teaching Dance in the Professions: ABT Ballet Pedagogy, graduating at the top of her class from a partnership program between New York University and American Ballet Theatre. While at ABT/NYU, Ms. Gagnier was able to delve into advanced studies in ballet pedagogy and education theory, deepening her knowledge and refining her skills as an educator. She was privileged to study with many leading dance educators in New York City during this time, including Raymond Lukens, co-author of the ABT National Training Curriculum. In addition to her MA and BA degrees in the field of dance education, Ms. Gagnier also holds the prestigious Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Dance (LRAD), a high-level teaching qualification awarded to only a handful of teachers worldwide each year, and the Associate of the Royal Academy of Dance (ARAD), which she was awarded upon completion of her RAD Advanced 2 examination. Ms. Gagnier is an ABT Certified Teacher in Pre-Primary through Level 7 of the ABT National Training Curriculum, as well as a certified Pilates mat work instructor through Body Works Pilates.
Ms. Gagnier has taught ballet across England, Canada, and the USA and has prepared hundreds of students for examinations at all levels, up to and including the RAD Solo Seal Award. She takes great pride in her ability to nurture each student’s technical and artistic growth, while fostering a genuine love of the art form and retaining a primary emphasis on the joy of movement.