About Ballet Intensives

Our Ballet Intensives at CCPAC offer dancers a focused and enriching experience led by inspiring guest instructors. This intensive is designed to refine technique, build strength and artistry, and deepen each dancer’s connection to classical and contemporary ballet. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your skills or push your training to the next level, our welcoming and professional environment is the ideal place to grow as a dancer.

Ballet Intensives Guest Artists

It’s finally here! Our amazing lineup of artists who are here to teach at our Ballet Intensives!

Irene Leung

Irene is a classically trained dancer and educator, with a focus on the Royal Academy of Dance ballet syllabus, Progessive Ballet Technique, contemporary dance, and conditioning. She trained at City Contemporary Dance Company’s youth program and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (as a scholarship recipient) before earning her BFA in Dance (honours) from York University, specialising in Performance and Choreography.

At York, she collaborated with renowned artists and professors like Susan Lee, Tracey Norman, and Patrick Parson, and trained under mentors including Roberto Campanella (ProArteDanza) and Megan Nadain (Dance Arts Institute). As a member of the York Dance Ensemble (2024/25), she worked under Artistic Director Syreeta Hector, alongside Jane-Alison McKinney and Emily Duckett.

Now an active performer and educator, Irene dances with Toronto’s post-modern company The Parahumans while teaching ballet and contemporary across Ontario — bridging rigorous technique with experimental artistry.

Mackenzie Barbeau

Mackenzie Barbeau is a French Canadian actress, dancer, and certified Pilates instructor with a lifelong passion for performance and movement. Orginally from Ottawa, Ontario, she began performing at a young age and has since built a growing career in Toronto’s film and television industry.

A graduate of Intrepid Dance Company’s post-secondary program, Mackenzie now stars as Pascale on the hit series The Next Step and hosts one of Canada’s leading dance competitions, View Dance Challenge.

In addition to her work in the arts, Mackenzie is preparing to study Kinesiology and Fitness Assessment at York University, where she plans to combine her love of science and movement to bring an empowering approach to her teaching.

Chantal Drolet

Chantal Drolet is a graduate of the National Ballet School’s Teacher Training Program and holds Associate levels from the Imperial Society of Teacherse of Dancing (ISTD) in the Cechetti method and in National Dance (Honours) and a Full Membership in Ballet of Performing Arts Educators of Canada (PAEC)

Beginning her dance training in Quebec City, her passion for dance took her through successful performances and examinations. Leveraging 30 years of training experience, an enthusiastic and detailed approach to teaching, she focuses on creating a positive and rewarding learning environment for her students. With her passionate love of dance, she inspires numerous students to continuously grow as dancers. Chantal also believes that dance, as a fitness activity for adults, provides increased health and an ability to cope with the stresses of everyday life.

Maddison Hilton

Maddison Hilton, originally from Edmonton, AB, has been training since the young age of 3. She graduated from Edmonton School of Ballet with full completion of RAD ballet and Al Gilbert tap syllabuses. She started her professional career with a scholarship at the prestigious Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. Following that she received scholarships to train at the Broadway Dance Centre (NYC) and Steps’ on Broadway (NYC) where she expanded her training into the commercial world. Since moving to Toronto she has many credentials including appearing in a Sephora commercial, dancing for the Toronto Raptors, being cast by TRL (MTV) for an episode with artist Cardi B, and dancing in LA at Club Jete, a production run by award winning Tiffany Billings and Paula Abdul. She has also choreographed many of her own works, and has taught at multiple professional drop-in studios in Toronto, ON. Looking ahead she is in the process of producing and directing her own showcase for professional choreographers and dancers in the GTA.

Jazmine Thomas

Jazmine is a Toronto raised, professional dancer known for her strong contemporary background with great versatility in ballet, jazz, aerial silks, tap, musical theatre, and hip hop.

Jazmine has trained extensively throughout her whole life obtaining experience in competitive dancing, ballet examinations, professional auditions and performances, and as a teacher and choreographer.

She started her pre-professional training at Taylor Dance Centres and continued on with Liberty Dance while attending and graduating from Cardinal Carter Academy of the Arts. During this time she obtained a variety of scholarships to conventions like Radix, Jump, VIP, and NUVO in Toronto, Los Angeles, New York, and Paris. Jazmine has also obtained successful ballet examinations with the Royal Academy of Dance at the advanced levels.

She further pursued her preofessional training at Contour Dance Academy where she primarily focused on her love for contemporary and ballet dancing. During this time, she also attended York University focusing on a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.

Jazmine is now a professional dancer with the Royal Caribbean International Cruise Line for the past four years. Within that time she has worked closely with independent artists like Sharlan Cuffy, Chris Clarke, Kevin Howe, Shawn Bracke, Cora Korazis, and Eryn Waltman.

Jazmine loves to share her joy, passiona, and expertise through teaching while continues to expand her knowledge and repertoire as a professional dancer, teacher, and performance artist.