Olivia Boudreau
It seems that Olivia has spent most of her life in a dance studio. As a small child Olivia was introduced to dance the day she learned to walk as owning a dance studio has been in the family. Going to work with her mom became a daily occurrence.
As a result Olivia danced as much as she possibly could from the moment she started to walk. Olivia studied at many studios throughout B.C. including Jacqueline’s School of Dance, Pacific Dance Centre, Parksville School of Ballet, Stages, and the Okanagan School of Ballet.
Throughout her career in dance Olivia performed with many local groups such as the Cowichan Musical Society, Sweet Adalines of Victoria, and Brentwood College as a guest performer. Olivia held several lead roles in performances such as Pinocchio, 42nd Street & Cinderella.
Olivia participated in island wide music festivals and consistently placed at the top of her category. She was awarded the Cowichan Valley’s Most Promising Dance Award several years in a row. As a child Olivia was also selected to dance with the Alberta Ballet for several years. Olivia worked her way through her R.A.D examinations while consistently achieving top marks.
Olivia began teaching dance in 1992 and continued teaching while she studied at the University of Victoria. While at the University of Victoria she joined the U.Vic Vikes Dance Team and eventually co-coached the team. During her university career Olivia studied human anatomy to ensure she understood the inner workings of the human body which provided her with an understanding of how to ensure safety while teaching children to dance. She also spent a lot of time studying child and developmental psychology which has proved to be a great asset.
Dance is everchanging and Olivia believes that the main way to educate our children safely is to continue training. New studies arise and new research ensures that the best possible approach is being taken with every class. This belief of continued training has resulted in it being a studio policy that all instructors need to continue their training and the studio supports this endeavor in any way they can. Each summer Olivia travels to major dance centres such as New York, Los Angelos & Las Vegas to continue to her training.
Throughout her life, dance has provided her with the confidence and discipline to chase her dreams while always being creative in searching for new opportunities. Olivia wants to share these experiences with her students.
Sample of Olivia’s Training:
- R.A.D Exams – Grade 1 – Intermediate
- Floor Barre – Camille Rommentt
- Envisioning: The Future of Technique – Debrorah Vogel
- Dynamic Stretching – Deborah Vogel
- Body Placement – Denise Wall
- Turns & Transitions – Denise Wall
- Broadway Workshops with Andy Blankenbuehler (choreographer of Annie Broadway)
- Turns, Jumps & More – Finish Jhung
- Ballet, Pointe & Technique – Judy Rice
- Jazz Technique – Mandy Moore
- Dancing on Broadway – Sue Hamilton & Cast of Aladdin Broadway