Meet Our Team
Jennifer Thorogood-McLeod
Director / Owner
She discovered a love of dance at age 11 after she finished her journey as a competitive gymnast. Jennifer enjoyed 8 years in the Professional Division at Alberta Ballet and trained in many other dance disciplines such as jazz, lyrical, contemporary and hip-hop all over the world.
As co-founder of the group "Dance Attack", she traveled to the United Arab Emirates and Greece with country singer Lisa Brokop and other professional artists in 2002.
Jennifer has been teaching dance for over 20 years. She has her certification in the Acrobatic Arts Syllabus, Progressing Ballet Technique and has won many awards for her choreography over the years. She has also had the opportunity to adjudicate, examine as well as sit on the selection panel for Vancouver’s Harbour Dance Centre ITP program.
Jennifer enjoys teaching and connecting with the beautiful Alive community and is thrilled to be in year 20 sharing her love of dance with children of every age.
Brittany Welgan
Office Manager / Teacher
Miss Brittany trained and competed in gymnastics starting at the age of 3 and transitioned into dance later where she trained and competed in all styles with a special love for acro. Along with competing, Brittany has trained with The Young Canadians of the Calgary Stampede where she performed for over 20,000 people in the Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show. Some of Brittany’s other performance highlights include The ONE LOVE Hip-Hop Music Festival Headlining A$AP Ferg, Tyler the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt, The Young Canadians Christmas Spectacular, Disneyland California Adventure Park and being a member of the Calgary Roughnecks Drill Crew for 3 years.
Academically, Miss Brittany graduated in 2022 with a Bachelor of Health and Physical Education with a major in Physical Literacy, as well as a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer Diploma from Mount Royal University. She is currently certified in Acrobatic Arts, Alixa Flexibility, and International Dance Teaching Standards. She is passionate about teaching safe dance practice and continuing to learn and educate herself as a teacher. She strives to instil a strong technical foundation in her students as well as responsibility, confidence, perseverance and teamwork skills. Miss Brittany is extremely excited to be apart of the Alive Danceworks teaching team and share her knowledge and passion for dance with her students!
Kristine Toews
Administrative Specialist / Teacher
Kristine first started dancing at age four in Calgary, Alberta. She trained at the Alberta Ballet School of Dance in the professional division. She also trained at the RWB professional division summer programs and Banff Dance Centre for the Arts. Kristine has also trained with the Young Canadians, performing in the Grandstand show. She is a graduated from the Canadian College of Performing Arts Year 2 Enriched Studies program. From there she has worked for The Spirit of a Nation Company, under the Direction of Jacques Lemay, Jesters Corner, Gotta Getta Gimmick, Abracadabra Productions, and many more. She has also had the opportunity to work with the Story Theatre Company, where she toured all over North America and was invited to Singapore to perform at the Act One International Children's Festival. Kristine is certified in Acrobatic Arts syllabus and Progressive Ballet technique. Kristine has been a teacher all over Canada and is happy to call Alive her second home!
Christa Sorenson
Administrative Specialist / Teacher
Ontario-born, Christa Sorensen began dancing at the young age of 3 and found a love for ballet and acro that grew into a passion for teaching. Christa is the co-creator of the Alive Danceworks ballet syllabus and she created the curriculum that is currently used in our acro program. Christa shares her outgoing personality combined with her desire to teach proper and safe technique to inspire passion in her dancers allowing them to excel and grow. Christa has completed her I.S.T.D. (Cecchetti) Advanced One ballet certificate, is fully certified with Progressing Ballet Techniques (PBT), and has received her Early Childhood Education certificate from Capilano University in Vancouver, BC. Along with her level one gymnastic coaching certificate, she is Acrobatic Arts certified in both level one & level two and has achieved her Module 1 certificate with Alixa Sutton flexibility. One of Christa’s teaching highlights includes being asked to choreograph an acro/contortion number for the International Olympic Committee for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, BC. Many of Christa’s dancers have gone on to have very successful careers in the industry as both ballet and acro professionals. Christa is very excited to be a part of the Alive Danceworks team. With her upbeat personality, technical background, and genuine love for dance, she hopes to help all the students become the best dancers they can be.
Megan McManus
Receptionist / Teacher
Megan began her dance journey at 4 years old in Calgary, Alberta. She competitively trained in all styles for 13 years right here at Alive Danceworks! Specifically, Megan has a strong passion for Jazz. She loves the fun music and the technique that comes along with it. Megan has traveled to New York and Disney Land and has won many awards and achievements with her Alive family. After graduating in 2020, Megan moved to Vancouver to continue her dance career at Harbour Dance Centre in their ITP program. In ITP Megan worked closely with choreographers such as Moe Brody, Carlo Atienza, and Julio Fuentes. While in Vancouver she trained in gymnastics, acting, and began choreographing.
Academically, Megan is in her second year of post-secondary studying at Mount Royal University. She is majoring in Elementary Education with a double minor in General Science and Marketing. Megan loves to dance and perform and is so excited to share her love with everyone at Alive.
Ashley Pehar
Receptionist/Teacher
Ashley is a competitively trained mover in all-styles. She is Alive alumni and graduated from the studio in 2021 after completing 10 years with the amazing Alive team. With a special love for Hip Hop and Contemporary, she is always looking for new ways to explore movement and visualize sound. Ashley has been awarded many achievements with the Alive team and now wishes to bring her passion to instruction in the community.
Academically, Ashley is in her second year of Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary as a full-time student. She has been awarded with many scholarships including President’s Admission to the University of Calgary, showcasing her dedication to her passions.
She is thrilled to be on the teaching side of the Alive team and can’t wait for an incredible season!
Emma Lund
Teacher
Emma is a dance artist, choreographer, and teacher, currently based in Calgary, Alberta. She grew up training extensively and competing in ballet, jazz, contemporary, modern, tap and hip hop, winning multiple titles across North America. Emma has completed all her ADAPT syllabus Jazz and Tap exams, as well as completing her Advanced 1 RAD ballet exam with Distinction. Early in her professional career, Emma worked closely with Sarah Dolan as a company member of the O2 Dance Company in Calgary, developing a deeper appreciation for contemporary dance. Emma furthered her professional contemporary dance training in Toronto, receiving her post-secondary diploma at The Conteur Academy under the direction of Eryn Waltman. After graduating from The Conteur Academy in 2018, she has had the opportunity to work with and perform under renowned dance artists and choreographers, such as Ryan Lee, Kelly Shaw, Eryn Waltman, Roberto Campanella (ProArteDanza), and Robert Glumbek. Other credits include The Capezio A.C.E. Awards (Los Angeles), The JUNO Awards (Alessia Cara), Locke and Key (Netflix), Legends of Horror (Casa Loma - Toronto). Aside from performing, Emma has developed a passion as a dance educator, and loves to inspire and challenge the minds of the upcoming generation of young artists. She currently choreographs and teaches for multiple dance studios in Alberta, and thrives off the opportunity to create with a variety of gifted young artists. Emma is thrilled to be joining the Alive family for a full season, and cannot wait to share her knowledge with all the students!
Goldie Wong
Teacher
Meet Goldie Wong, an entrepreneur, dancer, educator, and choreographer born in Hong Kong and residing in Calgary. In 2009, she founded UniverseSoul Dance Inc., blossoming into a beloved studio by 2016. With her unwavering passion for dance and commitment to the community, Goldie enriches lives through dance.
Her journey as a dancer has taken her to illustrious stages, from sharing the spotlight with the legendary Janet Jackson on the "Unbreakable" Tour to captivating audiences at the Jabbawockeez Calgary Tour and the prestigious Carnival Choreographers Ball in Los Angeles. Goldie's creative prowess shines through her award-winning choreography, guiding her teams to triumph at esteemed competitions like World of Dance, Monsters, Artists Emerge, Represent Street Dance and Release Dance Competition. Fueling her artistic spirit, Goldie has honed her craft at esteemed dance studios including Millennium Dance Complex LA, KM Dance Complex Seattle, the former Debbie Reynolds LA, and the iconic Movement Lifestyle LA.
Currently, Goldie focuses on nurturing talent at her studio. Her goal is simple: to inspire lifelong learning and bring out the best in her students, one graceful step at a time.
Apple Sulit
Teacher
Apple Sulit is a director and choreographer based out of Calgary, AB Canada. She discovered her love for music and movement at the age of 15 taking after school dance classes. Her career took off co-directing UniverseSoul Dance and Finesse along with teaching at multiple studios and schools across the city. Both teams have accomplished titles at recognized competitions such as Release Vancouver, Hip Hop International, Artists Emerge, and Represent.
Other achievements include back up dancing for Janet Jackson’s “Unbreakable Tour”, Opening “Jabbawockeez” Tour, World of Dance Showcase, BLOC LA Scholarship, Harbour Dance Center Scholarship, and choreographing for local artists.
Training new movement and creation is where Apple continues to evolve as an artist. As someone who has pursued her journey for 15 years, the practice of “always being a student” along with music and movement are her main drivers. Currently, she is directing for UV and choreographing for studios in Western Canada.
Amy Brightwell
Receptionist/Teacher
Raised in Calgary, Amy Brightwell is a choreographer and instructor who has spent most of her life in the dance studio! Amy was a competitive dancer for 15 years and trained in numerous styles at her home studio, as well as Central Memorial High School in the Performing and Visual Arts program, instilling a strong love for all forms of dance. She has completed her Advanced 1 RAD ballet examination as well as her Pre-Advanced ADAPT Jazz and Tap exams to great success. After high school, Amy pursued a BSc in Cellular Biology at the University of Calgary where she was a member of the U’Calgary Dance Company, even becoming President in her final year of study. She has also spent time choreographing for MOD Contemporary Movement at the University of Alberta. Amy is thrilled to be joining the Alive Danceworks team this year as their tap instructor!
Kalie Morberg
Teacher
Miss Kalie is originally from northern Manitoba and began her dance training at just three years old. She has trained extensively in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Musical Theatre, and more. She became a member of the Alive Danceworks family in September 2022, but has been dancing and competing within the Calgary community for over 17 years. For the past 14 years, she has also been instructing and choreographing in Calgary.
Her professional dance experience includes seven seasons as a Calgary Stampeders Outrider and eight seasons with the Calgary Roughnecks Drill Crew. She now proudly serves as the head coach and choreographer for both teams. Through these roles, Miss Kalie has had the opportunity to train and perform across North America. While Hip Hop remains her favourite style, she has successfully completed her ADAPT certification in both Tap and Jazz and enjoys teaching those styles as well.
Outside of the studio, Miss Kalie works as a marketing manager for a Calgary-based holistic wellness collective called Soulaia. She holds a Bachelor of Communications degree from the University of Calgary (2016) and a Public Relations certificate from Mount Royal University (2017). A passionate lifelong learner, Miss Kalie regularly attends classes, workshops, events, and conventions to continue growing her expertise in dance, choreography, instruction, and marketing.