Our Team

Artistic Director & Senior Ballet Instructor

Galina Chapovalova

Galina Chapovalova is a distinguished ballet instructor and choreographer with decades of experience in classical and character dance. Originally trained in Russia, Galina’s foundation is rooted in the rigorous Vaganova method, which she mastered during her formative years. Her early career was spent performing with several regional ballet companies, where she developed a deep appreciation for the expressive potential of traditional character dance, an element she would later bring to her teaching practice with passion and precision.

After an extensive performance career, Galina turned her focus to pedagogy, becoming a highly respected educator known for her disciplined yet nurturing approach. She has taught at numerous ballet academies across Europe and North America, eventually making her home at Bayview School of Ballet. There, she has become a cornerstone of the school’s training program, particularly revered for her work in character dance.

Galina’s classes blend historical authenticity with expressive artistry, offering students a unique opportunity to develop their technical versatility and cultural understanding of ballet's global roots.

Galina is also a choreographer whose works have been featured in school productions, competitions, and community performances. Her choreography reflects a deep respect for tradition while embracing the individuality of each dancer. Committed to mentoring the next generation of artists, Galina continues to inspire students with her knowledge, elegance, and deep love for the art form. Her influence can be seen in the confident, expressive dancers who emerge from her classes, carrying forward her legacy of excellence.

Elena Lobsanova

Senior Ballet Instructor

Elena Lobsanova

Elena Lobsanova is our Senior Ballet Instructor, bringing an extraordinary professional ballet career, exceptional artistic depth, and world-class expertise to Bayview School of Ballet. A former Principal Dancer with The National Ballet of Canada and Miami City Ballet, Elena has performed many of the most celebrated roles in the classical repertoire, including Sugar Plum Fairy, Juliet, Giselle, Alice, Princess Aurora, and Ophelia. Her distinguished repertoire also includes leading works by renowned choreographers such as Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon, Rudolf Nureyev, Sir Frederick Ashton, William Forsythe, Jerome Robbins, and James Kudelka.

In addition to her distinguished stage career, Elena is a highly experienced ballet educator, coach, repetiteur, mentor, and choreographer. She has taught Vaganova, RAD, and ABT-based ballet classes to children, pre-professional students, adults, and senior-level dancers. She has also prepared students for competitions, RAD examinations, YAGP Junior competition, WBAC, and IBCABC, bringing a refined and comprehensive understanding of classical ballet training to every student she teaches.

Elena is recognized for her refined artistry, technical precision, and deep understanding of classical ballet at the highest level. Her exceptional career includes the Rolex Dancers First Award, First Prize Female Dancer at The Erik Bruhn Prize, and recognition in numerous major publications for her work as one of Canada’s leading ballerinas. As our Senior Ballet Instructor, Elena brings discipline, elegance, mentorship, and inspiration to her students, guiding dancers with the knowledge, professionalism, and artistry of a truly accomplished international ballet artist.

Senior Ballet Instructor

Caroline Betancourt

Caroline Betancourt is a Senior Ballet Instructor at Bayview School of Ballet, bringing extensive professional performance experience, refined classical technique, and a deep understanding of ballet artistry to her teaching. A former soloist with Le Ballet du Capitole and former dancer with Louisville Ballet and The Royal Danish Ballet, Caroline has also previously joined Bayview School of Ballet as a guest teacher, making her a familiar and valued member of the school community.

Caroline’s extensive repertoire includes Swan Lake, Giselle, La Bayadère, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, Coppélia, Le Corsaire, Paquita, Romeo and Juliet, La Sylphide, Napoli, and Lady of the Camellias. Notable contemporary and neoclassical works in her repertoire include Liam Scarlett’s Spar Dame, David Dawson’s A Million Kisses to My Skin, Jiří Kylián’s Falling Angels, and Akram Khan’s Vertical Road.

Drawing upon her extensive international stage experience, she helps dancers develop strong classical foundations while refining their placement, coordination, musicality, precision, artistry, and performance quality. Her classes combine disciplined technical training with thoughtful artistic guidance, encouraging students to understand not only how movements are performed, but also how they can be expressed with confidence and purpose. Through clear corrections, individualized attention, and an encouraging approach, Caroline supports each dancer’s growth and inspires students to approach classical ballet with dedication, curiosity, and a lasting appreciation for the art form.

Ballet Instructor

Natalie Chochian

Natalie Chochian is a Ballet Instructor at Bayview School of Ballet, bringing extensive experience as a professional dancer, educator, and award-winning choreographer. Specializing in classical ballet and the Vaganova method, Natalie brings exceptional technical knowledge, refined artistry, discipline, musicality, and professional performance experience to each of her classes. She teaches ballet technique, pointe, repertoire, variations, conditioning, and performance preparation while inspiring her students to develop confidence and a genuine love for dance.

Natalie received her classical training under distinguished artists whose professional backgrounds include the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Vaganova Ballet Academy, National Opera of Ukraine, Vienna State Opera, and National Ballet of Canada. Her education included intensive study of the Vaganova syllabus, pointe, repertoire, pas de deux, character dance, contemporary dance, and classical variations. She has also studied with prominent dancers and teachers, including Heather Ogden, Megan LeCrone, Ekaterina Tikanova, Mercedes Carret, and Tatyana Markovska.

Natalie’s professional performance experience includes full-length classical productions, soloist roles, and variations from renowned ballets including Coppélia, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, and Giselle. An accomplished, award-winning choreographer, she has prepared dancers of varying ages and levels for competitions, productions, and professional performance opportunities. Natalie’s refined artistry, technical expertise, attentive teaching approach, and passion for dance make her a valuable member of the Bayview School of Ballet faculty and an inspiring mentor to her students.

Children's Ballet Instructor

Julia Chin

Julia Chin serves as a ballet instructor at Bayview School of Ballet, where she brings dedication, discipline, and a strong performance background to nurturing young dancers. Beginning her dance training at the age of five, Julia has developed proficiency across ballet, pointe, jazz, contemporary, and character dance. Her commitment to excellence is reflected in her distinguished competition history, artistic versatility, and continued growth as both a dancer and educator.

Julia has earned numerous awards and recognitions, including first place overall at the Candance 2024 Competition for her ballet solo, where she also received the Special Award for Pointe Perfection. She is recognized as the Top Ottawa Nationals Novice Champion and proudly represented Bayview School of Ballet and the local community at the Mayor’s Evening for the Arts. Most recently, Julia received outstanding recognition at the Elite Dance Challenge, earning multiple top honours across ballet, contemporary, group, and character divisions, including the Special Award for Power + Poise, Platinum and Diamond awards, first-place division placements, Overall Senior Soloist First Place, Overall Novice Group First Place, and additional special awards including WOWZA.

In 2021, Julia was the recipient of the prestigious Bella Kovarsky Scholarship, awarded in recognition of her artistic promise, technical skill, and dedication to classical ballet. A graduate of Bayview School of Ballet’s Teacher’s Training Program, Julia has refined her teaching skills and deepened her understanding of ballet instruction, classroom leadership, and student development. Her strong performance experience, thoughtful teaching approach, professionalism, and passion for dance make her a valuable member of the Bayview School of Ballet faculty and an inspiring role model for young dancers.

Eleanor Van Veen

Children's Ballet Instructor

Maisie Nedza

Maisie Nedza serves as a ballet instructor at Bayview School of Ballet, bringing discipline, artistry, and an accomplished performance background to nurturing young dancers. Beginning ballet at the age of four, Maisie later trained at The Harid Conservatory in Miami. Her dedication to classical ballet is reflected in her distinguished training, performance achievements, and continued growth as both a dancer and educator.

In 2024, Maisie performed the principal role of Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty. During the summer of 2025, she attended The Rock School for Dance Education, recognized as the highest-ranked Youth America Grand Prix ballet school in the United States. She has also received acceptances from the Vaganova Ballet Academy, City Ballet San Francisco, Boston Ballet, and the Joffrey Ballet Trainee Company. Her competition accomplishments include first place in the Pas de Deux category and a Top 15 classical placement at the 2025 American Dance Competition International Ballet Competition, followed by Top 25 and Top 15 recognition at YAGP Boston in 2026. With two years of choreography experience, Maisie also created a solo that achieved a Top 15 placement at YAGP.

A graduate of Bayview School of Ballet’s Teacher’s Training Program, Maisie has developed a strong understanding of ballet instruction, classroom leadership, and student development. She provides attentive technical guidance, thoughtful corrections, and encouraging mentorship in a disciplined and supportive environment. Her refined training, professionalism, and passion for teaching make her a valued member of the Bayview School of Ballet faculty and an inspiring role model for young dancers.

Jazz & Contemporary Instructor

Eleanor Van Veen

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Eleanor van Veen is a Toronto-based contemporary dance artist and educator known for her expressive and dynamic style. Trained at The Conteur Academy under Eryn Waltman, she has worked with choreographers and companies such as Alysa Pires, Hanna Kiel’s Human Body Expression, The Chimera Project, ProArteDanza, and Nostos Collectives. Her performances have appeared at major events including the Capezio ACE Awards, Toronto Fringe Festival, and Dance Ontario DanceWeekend, with a 2020 Dora Mavor Moore Award nomination recognizing her ensemble work.

In addition to performing, Eleanor is a dedicated dance educator. She teaches contemporary, jazz, ballet, lyrical, modern, acro, and Pilates. Her inclusive teaching approach supports diverse learning styles and body types, fostering a supportive environment for all dancers.

Eleanor strives to cultivate a supportive environment where students feel empowered to explore their individuality, artistry, and creativity, reflecting her philosophy that movement is both personal and universal.

As an artistic collaborator, Eleanor actively engages in creation processes alongside choreographers and collectives. Notably, she is involved in new works with Hanna Kiel for Human Body Expression and performed in Nostos Collectives’ “let’s get physical” and “Sycamore” productions. Film and theatre archives list her most recent roles, including participation in the 2023 ballet The Royal We, choreographed by Jake Poloz. Recognized as a board member of CADA/East (the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists – East), Eleanor contributes to the broader dance community in Toronto. Her vibrant career as performer, teacher, and collaborator underscores her dedication to advancing contemporary dance in Canada.

Children's Ballet & Dance Fusion Instructor

Natacha Aaron

Natacha Aaron is our Children’s Ballet and Dance Fusion Instructor, bringing an international background in performance, choreography, and dance education to Bayview School of Ballet. A Toronto-based choreographer, performer, and educator, Natacha holds a Master’s Degree in Performance Dance from the University of Chichester in the United Kingdom and a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from York University, where she graduated as a Dean’s Honour Roll recipient.

Natacha toured across England with Mapdance, performing a diverse contemporary repertoire while further developing her artistic practice through professional training, performance, and creative collaboration. Her experience working with leading contemporary choreographers and exploring a wide range of movement styles and choreographic processes has shaped her thoughtful and versatile approach as both an artist and educator.

In the studio, Natacha brings professionalism, creativity, and a refined artistic perspective. Her teaching supports the development of technique, alignment, coordination, musicality, strength, flexibility, performance quality, and expressive movement. Through ballet and dance fusion, students build strong foundations, explore rhythm and dynamics, expand their movement vocabulary, and develop confidence in both technical execution and artistic presentation. Her classes encourage young dancers to strengthen body awareness, refine their use of space and energy, and approach each lesson with focus, discipline, and creative engagement.

Children's Ballet Instructor & Administrative Assistant

Lexi Pace

Lexi Pace is a passionate instructor specializing in Children's Ballet within our Recreational Division at Bayview School of Ballet. She brings fresh energy, kindness, and enthusiasm to every class, helping young dancers discover the joy of movement and the discipline of classical technique. Lexi began her own dance journey at the age of three, training primarily in ballet, and later expanding her repertoire to include jazz and contemporary dance. Her diverse background gives her a dynamic and expressive teaching style that resonates with children of all ages.

Lexi is a proud graduate of Bayview School of Ballet’s esteemed Teacher’s Training Program, where she received in-depth instruction in ballet pedagogy, classroom management, and the Vaganova method. Her training instilled in her a strong foundation in classical technique, which she now passes on to her students with care and precision.

In addition to her dance education at Bayview School of Ballet, Lexi also graduated from Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts’ renowned dance program, where she refined her skills in performance, choreography, and creative expression.

With her combined academic and artistic training, Lexi is uniquely equipped to inspire and guide the next generation of dancers. Her classes are joyful, structured, and thoughtfully designed to support each child’s development. Lexi’s love for teaching is matched by her commitment to sharing the art of dance in a way that builds confidence, discipline, and creativity in every student she teaches.

Administrative Manager

Niusha Zamanipour

Niusha Zamanipour began her ballet journey at the young age of six and has since developed a strong foundation in classical dance. She is a proud graduate of Bayview School of Ballet’s Teacher’s Training Program, where she honed both her technical skills and her understanding of ballet instruction. Today, Niusha applies her discipline and passion for the arts in her role as Administrative Manager at Bayview School of Ballet, supporting the school’s operations and helping to create a positive environment for dancers and staff alike.

In addition to her dance background, Niusha recently graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University with a Bachelor of Design, Fashion, earning a double concentration in Fashion Communication and Design Leadership. This unique combination of creative and managerial expertise allows her to contribute innovative ideas and effective leadership to the Bayview School of Ballet community.

Niusha’s blend of artistic training, academic achievement, and organizational skills make her an invaluable member of the Bayview School of Ballet team. She is committed to supporting the school’s mission and fostering a thriving environment where dancers and instructors can excel.