Faculty
Artistic Directors/Owners
Miss Danielle Bremner
Born and raised in Abbotsford and Vancouver’s Dance community. She is a graduate from Yale Secondary and has been an instructor for Dance in Motion for the past several years. Danielle’s training began at a young age in Abbotsford, B.C with ballet, modern and jazz. She then moved to train with Dance in Motion where she gained knowledge in every style of dance; Jazz, Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Tap, Modern, Acro, Musical theatre & Salsa. She has completed grade 1-8 of the R.A.D ballet exams with distinction. Danielle is also experienced with years of cheerleading. She continues to intensify her training in Vancouver, Seattle, and Los Angeles. Combining her technical training, versatility and unique style, Danielle has gone on to dance professionally. Her credits include, Principal Dancer in Big Time Rushes’ Music Video, ‘Music sounds better with you,’ Gina Starbucks Music Video, ‘Meets the I’ and Emily Harder’s Music Video, ‘The party is over.’ Danielle has attended various auditions, master classes and conventions; all being taught by well-known choreographers throughout Canada and the United States. She has won many scholarships / awards and has trained with Famous Choreographers and adjudicators. Those credits include, So you think you can dance Canada Finals in Toronto, The Hollywood Summer tour, Monsters dance Convention, Triple threat dance convention, The pulse dance convention, Harbour dance centre, Debbie Reynolds, Coastal dance rage/Fashion show, Co Dance Convention, Millennium dance complex and Elevate dance crew. Danielle has recently started up her own crew, ‘Money Made me do it’ where they perform as often as they can for their community. Danielle also took place in the movie, ‘The five people you meet in heaven.’ She also has several years of training under modeling and acting. Each chance she has had to perform and learn with amazing choreographers and dancers, her love and appreciation for this art form intensifies. Danielle is grateful for all the amazing experiences she has had thus far and all the incredible artists she has worked with along the way and hopes to teach and train her students to be able to get these experiences. She is excited to continue growing as a professional dancer and creator and hopes this inspires her students to do the same. Certifications: Acrobatic Arts Module 1, Alixa Flexibility Module 1 & 2.
Miss Rebecca Goritsas
Rebecca Goritsas’ whole mission as a dance teacher is to impart the beauty and love of dance to her students. Teaching for over 25 years, with students ranging from babies to adult, Rebecca has discovered that teaching is not just imparting your knowledge to another, but imparting joy to each one you teach. Starting dance at the age of 4, Rebecca studied various dance types such as Tap, Jazz, Stage, Spanish, Ballet and Pointe. She graduated as a drama major from Langley Fine Arts School. Rebecca completed her comprehensive education in the performing arts with studies in singing, piano and music theory under the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM). In her early teens she discovered the world of Spanish Dance. She fully immersed herself into the Spanish world, learning and then eventually teaching Flamenco, Castanets, Folkloric and Classical Spanish dance. Studying under flamenco greats in Vancouver and Bellingham, she continued her education in Washington, D.C. and eventually Granada, Spain. Rebecca went on to create a Dance troupe, Rebecca Reyes Dance Company, which performed all over Greater Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. During this time, Rebecca also delved deeper into intensive study of ballet. In 2002 Rebecca became a registered dance teacher under Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), where she completed her diploma in Ballet Teaching under the mentorship of Deborah Cameron. Rebecca has put many children through exams in the Lower Mainland and Southern Ontario regions, and continues to see great results from their work. Rebecca is married and has four beautiful children, who have in turn taught her a deeper meaning of what a teacher should be. Certifications: Royal Academy of Dance Teaching Diploma (RAD Ballet), Progressing Ballet Technique, Acrobatic Arts Module 1, Alixa Flexibility Module 1 & 2, Intellidance Babies.
Miss Krista Tingley
Krista was born and raised in Abbotsford B.C and has grown up dancing in the lower mainland area. She began her dance training at the age of 8 in ballet and went on to learn many different styles of dance including modern, jazz, lyrical hip hop, tap and contemporary. During her early years she participated and performed in many different community events. Krista has attended various auditions, master classes and conventions, all taught by well-known choreographers through out Canada and the United States. She was a part of the dance team and captain of the cheerleading team at Yale Secondary School from 2004-2006. She has also been examined in R.A.D ballet and I.S.T.D ballet. Krista started teaching dance when she graduated from high school and taught at various dance studios between Chilliwack and Vancouver B.C. She relocated to Edmonton in 2012 where she taught at various Dance studios for three years and expanded her training. Now that Krista is back at home here in beautiful British Columbia, she is ready to share her experience with her students. After graduating from high school, Krista studied Psychology and Kinesiology at the University of the Fraser Valley. She has become a successful choreographer and dance instructor over her years of teaching. Krista has completed her CBTS (Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies) with the Royal Academy of Dance and is a certified RAD Registered Ballet Teacher. As well, she is a certified Progressive Ballet Technique instructor after taking the course in Spring 2017. Krista has completed the Acrobatics Arts Teacher’s Certification Program for both Module 1 and Module 2 and is a certified Acrobatics Arts teacher. She can put students through their Acrobatic Arts Exams from level Primary-Pre-Proffesional 3. She continues to train and take workshops all over Canada and the United States to further her education for her students. Krista has had over 10 years of teaching experience in many different styles, ages and levels of dance. She has a passion for teaching and hopes she will inspire her students to have a love for dance. Certifications: Royal Academy of Dance Teaching Certificate (RAD Ballet), Progressing Ballet Technique, Acrobatic Arts Module 1 & 2, Alixa Flexibility Module 1 & 2.
2025/26 Teaching Staff
Miss Mckenna Gerrits
Miss Emma Lee
Miss Sofia Neumann
Miss Sophie Rego
Mckenna has just moved home from Los Angeles, California, after completing a pre-professional dance training program. While she was there, she had the opportunity to dance in a JoJo Siwa music video and train under top dance industry instructors. Mckenna has been a trained dancer since the age of 4, practicing in a variety of styles, including Jazz, Lyrical, Acro, Ballet, Musical Theatre, Contemporary, Hip Hop, and Tap. Although she loves to perform, she has found such a deep passion for serving other young dancers in the dance community. Mckenna is also an actress who's signed to a talent agency in Vancouver, where she auditions for film and TV productions. She has worked with multiple dance conventions, including View Dance Convention, Groove Street Dance Convention, and SOL Dance Convention, where she gets to be on stage with the choreographer and assist their classes. She has also performed in the Disneyland Theme parks. Mckenna received numerous scholarships, high placements, and opportunities in her competitive years. Now that she has graduated, she plans to continue growing her connections and working in the dance/film, and TV industry. Mckenna was trained in the Royal Academy of Dance for Ballet and Acrobatic Arts for acro, where she went on to examine for both multiple times with Distinction gradings. Mckenna is the face behind our Little Gems Instagram account. She enjoys capturing the small and big moments of your young dancers, sharing their fun with a bigger audience. Teaching brings her immense joy and puts a massive smile on her face. Her favourite thing is to watch the improvement and mental strength grow within her dancers week after week! Her goal is to create a warm, welcoming environment that allows dancers to develop their love for dance, improve in their training, and, most importantly, have fun!
Emma’s passion for dance started at the age of two and has only grown stronger ever since. Over the years, she has trained in many different styles and has earned top awards at regional, national, and international competitions, as well as through the Royal Academy of Dance. She has also performed professionally as Clara in Ballet Victoria’s The Nutcracker and young Aurora in Ballet Jörgen’s Sleeping Beauty. While Emma is proud of her accomplishments as a dancer, her true passion lies in teaching and mentoring the younger generation. She is experienced in teaching a wide range of styles to dancers of all ages. In addition, Emma has worked in elementary schools to further her experience working with children. She has also received her Tap Roots teaching certification, which emphasizes building proper foundations to support confident and successful dancers. Emma is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Psychology, and plans to become an elementary school teacher. This inspires her creativity and helps her better understand her students as learners. Emma’s passion for dance and mentoring youth make her a dedicated and successful dance teacher. She is thrilled to share her love of dance here at Little Gems, where she strives to create a positive, encouraging environment for every dancer to shine as the little gems they are! Certifications: Tap Roots
Sofia fell in love with dance at the age of 11 and hasn’t looked back since. Starting her journey in 2013 with the competitive program at Dance in Motion, Sofia explored a wide range of styles, including jazz, lyrical, ballet, hip-hop, musical theatre, and acro. She has attended numerous conventions, workshops, and programs to refine her skills and deepen her passion for dance. Her dedication to ballet was recognized with high marks and distinctions from the Royal Academy of Dance (R.A.D) in grades 5 to 8 examinations. After graduating high school, Sofia continued her dance journey and taught classes at Capella Dance Academy for a season. While she took a few years to focus on her studies to become an elementary school teacher, her love for dance remained strong. This year, Sofia is excited to return, sharing her joy for dance by teaching at Little Gems!
Sophie has been dancing since the age of three and began competing at the age of eight. Over the years she has trained in ballet, acro, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, and hip hop, and has developed a strong passion for both performing and teaching. After graduating high school, she began teaching and sharing her love of dance with younger students. Sophie is currently studying at the University of the Fraser Valley, working toward her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. After completing her degree, she plans to continue on to her Bachelor of Education to become an elementary and middle school teacher. Sophie has completed the Royal Academy of Dance Graded Examinations from Grade 3 through Grade 8, as well as Vocational Examinations up to Advanced 1, and has also completed her Acrobatic Arts Level 8 Exam. She loves working with kids and enjoys seeing the joy they bring into the studio. She is passionate about encouraging students to grow not only in their dance skills but also in their confidence and creativity. Her goal is to create a positive and supportive environment where every dancer can feel proud of their progress and inspired to keep learning.