INSTRUCTORS

Jessica Kelly has been an arts educator for over 15 years and brings thousands of hours of teaching experience as well as her fun, energetic, and supportive personality to all her camps and classes.

From a young age, Jessica trained in  Musical Theatre, Jazz and R.A.D Ballet at the Douglas Ballet Academy (now Dance Collective). There she was blessed with many opportunities to travel the world sharing dance in her youth, and won many awards for her performances.  Commitment, teamwork, dedication, inclusion, friendliness and a love of self  were ingrained in Jessica during the countless hours she spent in the studio training each week; core principals which she stands by and brings to each one of her classes.

Jessica went on to study Musical Theatre at Capilano University and work as a professional performer in and around Vancouver.

At the age of 21, she suddenly and unexpectedly lost her father which resulted in depression and anxiety. It was those feelings that pushed her to try her first yoga class , which allowed her start to feel like herself again. Jessica became a yoga teacher in 2014 and carries a designation of ERYT-550 with the Canadian Yoga Alliance.

Learning to channel her emotions through voice and movement has been a huge asset to Jessica and she is passionate about sharing her love of the arts with young performers.

James’ professional training includes Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Modern, Contemporary, Hip Hop/Commercial, Musical Theatre, Singing and Acting at the world renowned Bird College - Conservatoire for dance and musical theatre in London, England.

At Bird he received a 1st Class (Hons) degree in Professional Dance and Musical Theatre. During his training he performed in 9 to 5, Sister Act and 1984 and has performed on live television as a backing dancer and soloist for different artists and programs.

James moved to Vancouver in 2019 and found his love for teaching dance. James is excited to share his passion for musical theatre with our students.

Check out James Page - Dance with James!

Hannah lives for the magic behind the curtain, working as a stage manager, and a very proud instructor with Group 3 and the Ensemble. She is also the Operations & Communications Manager for Act Alive.

Over the years, she’s gained a wealth of experience, having served as President and Director of a Performing Arts Society, where she produced and managed biannual productions, as well as stage managing and supporting production on previous Act Alive shows.

When she’s not calling cues or making copious amounts of spreadsheets, you’ll find her onstage with Act Alive’s adult musical theatre program, Troupe, recently as Heather Duke in Heathers and previously as Margot in Legally Blonde, and Julia Guglia in The Wedding Singer. Other previous roles include Booth in Assassins, General Matilda Cartwright in Guys & Dolls, Éponine in Les Misérables, and Jenna in Waitress. Hannah looks forward to continuing her journey in helping others discover the magic of theatre.

Jenna is so excited to be joining the Act Alive team for the fall season! Jenna is graduate of Capilano University's Musical Theatre program, and has been taking voice lessons herself for over a decade now. She is very passionate about cultivating passion for singing and performing in young creatives, just as her teachers did for her when she was a kid. Jenna believes the voice is a gateway to confidence, and confidence in turn is the building block to every aspect of performing!

"I can't wait to work with you all!"

In case you are curious here are a few shows Jenna has been in around Vancouver:

The Jabberwocky - Alice by Heart (CapU Theatre); Blanket Person/Ensemble - RENT (Metro Theatre); Sp:ath - Th'owxiya the Hungry Feast Dish (Axis Theatre); and Pearl Krabs/Vocal Captain - The Spongebob Musical (FVGSS).

She will also be playing Ruth 2 Bears in an upcoming production of "Dogfight" with JBM Theatre from October 2nd-28th.

Ella Faye is a passionate performer, singer and theatre educator with over a decade of experience performing across the UK and internationally.

Her love of musical theatre began at a young age, leading her to perform at some of the UK’s most recognised theatres and venues, including Her Majesty’s Theatre and the Adelphi Theatre in London, Manchester Arena and Rhyl Pavilion, as well as performing at Disneyland Paris. Her performance experience spans musical theatre, dance, singing and live touring, with professional credits including ABBA Mania, The Ultimate Classic Rock Show, DreamCoat Stars and Adam & Richard.

Throughout her performing journey, Ella has taken on a variety of leading roles across musical theatre and pantomime, alongside ensemble, dance and choir work. These experiences have given her a real appreciation for the confidence, creativity, teamwork and joy that come from performing.

Now based in Squamish, Ella is excited to share her passion for the stage with the next generation of performers. She loves creating an environment where young people can feel confident to express themselves, try new things and, most importantly, have fun while discovering their own love of performing.

For Ella, there is nothing quite like the magic of being on stage — and she can’t wait to help her students experience it too!🎭✨