Kathryn Long

Ms. Long has been involved in broad dance & theatre education for 15 years. She has choreographed, coached, adjudicated, and overseen classical and multi-disciplinary curriculums for Ontario & lower mainland BC schools since 1999, and has resided as founder and artistic director of Vancouver Junior Professional Division since 2005. She received her foundational training in Toronto, Ontario, under Sean Boutilier, Sheona Bell-Williston, Catherine Glasser and Glenn Gilmour. Upon receiving Honours on the Advanced Cecchetti exam at the age of 16, she continued her studies abroad in the US, France, Switzerland, Chile, and finally through York University's BFA Dance Program. Ms. Long was also extensively involved in Toronto's entertainment industry and is a two-time GEMINI® nominee for her work in Canadian film and television, which includes leading roles in feature films/television series' for Paramount Pictures, Alliance Atlantis, Disney Channel, CBC, FOX, ABC, and HBO. Ms. Long moved to the west coast to accept an apprenticeship with Ballet BC and went onto perform extensively as a soloist for four years with the Vancouver Goh Ballet Ensemble. She also had the privilege of performing on tour with Colorado Ballet Company and American Ballet Theatre before retiring in 2005 to pursue her long-time goal of founding a specialized junior training institute. As chief co-ordinator and founder of VJPD's eight levels and five disciplines of curriculum, Ms. Long is passionate about early dance education and traveling annually to international teaching seminars to bring new & progressive resources into the forefront of VJPD's full-spectrum junior syllabi. Under her direction, VJPD has developed into an extensive training environment, where technical & artistic sensibilities can be instilled at the most foundational levels of training, resulting in the pure sense of technique & style seen in VJPD classrooms today.