Faculty

Our faculty consists of highly qualified individuals with a passion for dance. We are proud of our staff and look forward to providing you with the best dance education we possibly can.  

Brittany Brooks

Studio Director, DMA, Member of DMC Chapter #38, Acrobatic Arts Certified
Tap, Jazz, Acro, Lyrical, Contemporary, Turns & Jumps, Stretch & Strength, Tumbling

Competitive Choreographer

Brittany’s love for dance was evident at a young age. Trained in many forms growing up, it wasn’t long until she entered the Competitive dance world. Her successful Competitive career allowed Brittany to train with top choreographers and take Master Classes from highly recognized individuals in the dance industry.

When her Competitive career came to an end, Brittany decided that her passion in life was dance and that she wanted to provide children the same opportunity she was lucky enough to have growing up. This is when Brooks Academy of Dance was born. In 2010, the doors opened with a firm belief that students deserve to have fun, make friends and be active with quality dance education. Brittany then pursued education with Dance Masters of America successfully passing exams in Tap, Jazz & Modern and became a member of DMC Chapter #38 in 2017. She is also currently working on becoming a member of the Professional Adjudicator’s Alliance and plans to begin education with Acrobatic Arts.

Brittany's students have been extremely successful in the Competitive dance world. Her students have competed at a National level and have earned awards with their technical training. Her choreography has also been recognized at multiple competitions by dance professionals, even winning Best Choreography of the Competition.

She firmly believes that dance is more than just dance. The studio is a place where every student should feel safe, a place where they are free from judgment to express themselves. Watching her students not only become technically trained, beautiful dancers but also upstanding citizens in society who are compassionate and independent young adults, makes her feel a powerful sense of pride. 

Jamie Stuyt

Ballet Instructor & Competitive Choreographer- RAD, RTS, PBT

Jamie has been a dance educator for more than 20 years. She is a fully qualified teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance, entering students into exams at all grades and levels, with excellent results. She also has her Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) certification. Jamie has had the pleasure of working with Theatre Woodstock on several productions and she has also worked with the CAST youth theatre company. Throughout the years, she has also worked with several local schools, bringing dance to classrooms throughout Oxford County. Jamie is committed to continuing her dance education through various courses and workshops, and she loves improving her knowledge and teaching skills.

Jamie’s dance journey began over 35 years ago. As a student, she had a well-rounded dance education, studying ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical and hip hop. She worked on many theatre productions, including Job and the Snake and Guys & Dolls. In university, she was a member of the Waterloo Dance Pak. After university, she pursued her registered teaching status with the RAD, while teaching at several studios in the Woodstock area.

In 2007, Jamie founded Diamond Dance Centre. She spent sixteen years as a successful studio owner and artistic director. Her studio was known for its strong RAD ballet program and Jamie became a sought-after ballet and tap teacher. She teaches ballet, tap, jazz, musical theatre and lyrical. Jamie has won many awards over the years for her choreography and her students have won scholarships and awards. Many of her students have gone on to dance or teach in their post-secondary careers or been accepted to programs such as the Quinte Ballet School.

Jamie is so excited for this new chapter in her dance journey, and she can’t wait to join the Brooks team this summer!

Emily Stickl (Brooks)

Studio Director, DMA
Tap, Jazz, Acro, Lyrical, Contemporary Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, Turns & Jumps, Stretch & Strength, Tumbling

Competitive Choreographer

Emily has been engaged and active in the dance industry for two decades now. Whether it be competing in multiple competitions or cultivating her keen knowledge and skill in various dance disciplines within her students, Emily has never lost her passion for dance. In fact, she's furthered her knowledge by becoming DMA certified. Internationally, she has completed master classes in Hip Hop in both Baltimore, Maryland as well as Buffalo, New York. 

Emily uses dance as an outlet to feel free and creative. Not only does she take an extreme amount of pride in watching her students develop into well trained technical dancers, but Emily also feels a powerful sense of gratitude as they grow into unique and confident individuals through dance.

Sydnie Thibodeau

Ballet & Acrobatic Instructor

Ms. Sydnie is a dedicated and passionate dance instructor. Starting dance at the age of two, over the years she honed her skills and expertise in dance through extensive training and commitment. Sydnie achieved her RAD Advanced 2 certification and successfully completed her Level 6 Acrobatic Arts exam. Throughout her career, she has participated in numerous courses and workshops, learning from a diverse array of examiners and professional coaches to continually enhance her knowledge. Today, Sydnie proudly serves as a fully registered Acrobatic Arts instructor, where she inspires and motives the next generation of dancers, sharing her love for movement and performance!

Emma Peixoto

Ballet Instructor, RAD
Competitive & Recreational Choreographer

Over the course of 19 years of dance training, 7 of those years being competitive training and pre-professional training, Miss Emma earned numerous awards and judges’ accolades for work individually as well as with her teammates. Miss Emma has successfully completed her R.A.D. Ballet exams from Grade 2 to Grade 8 as well as the vocational levels from Intermediate Foundations to Advanced 1, while continuing to work on the completion of her Advanced 2. She also completed her I.S.T.D. exams from Intermediate Foundations up to Advanced 1 in Modern Theatre – Jazz as well as levels of Jazz Awards (Gold, Silver and Bronze) through the I.S.T.D.

Miss Emma attended several summer ballet intensive programs including Canada’s Ballet Jorgen, and Quinte Ballet School. Expanding her dance education, Miss Emma also attended regular ballet private coaching classes at the National Ballet School under the tutelage of Gerard McIsaac, as well as private coaching with Mercedes Bernardez and Sarah Koekkoek at the National Ballet Of Canada.

Miss Emma had been cast as part of Canada’s Ballet Jorgen’s Local Participants Program in their productions of The Nutcracker: A Canadian Tradition in 2015 and 2017; Sleeping Beauty in 2016; and Coppelia in 2019. Miss Emma also auditioned for, and was cast for a number of roles, in Hamilton City Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker in 2016, under the artistic direction of Max Ratevosian and Melania Pawliw.
Miss Emma auditioned for, and was successfully placed on, World Performers Canada’s national team for the international Dance World Cup, 2020, in the genre of Ballet.

As a pre-professional dancer, Miss Emma relocated to Toronto, temporarily, for school at George Brown College for the full-time Performance Program which was a joint program that included full-time dance at Canada’s Ballet Jorgen. She is in her final year in the joint Bachelor of Arts Dance Education program with the Royal Academy of Dance and University of Bath to continue her educational journey with dance and aid her in becoming a fully certified instructor with the R.A.D.

Miss Emma continues to train regularly, taking technique classes in the genres of Ballet and Pointe, Jazz, Lyrical and Contemporary.

Paige Matthews

Instructor & Competitive Choreographer

Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Stretch & Strength, Turns & Jumps, Acro

Paige has been dancing since the age of 2 and starting competing at age 5. She has trained in Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Hip Hop and Lyrical. Paige has competed all over Canada and the United States and worked with many world renowned choreographers like Mia Michaels , Blake McGrath and Travis Wall. 

Paige has obtained her R.A.D exam certificates up to the Pre L level. She continually finds ways to improve and update her dance and teaching credentials through certifications and workshops. She loves sharing her passion of dance and movement with her students. Paige is excited to join the BAD family. 

When not in the studio , you can find Paige with her Springer Spaniel, Oscar on the trails or curled up with a strong cup of coffee and a good book. 

Keira Raffay

Instructor- Recreational Choreographer
Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Pre-Dance, Acro, KinderAcro

Kelly Cober

Office Administrator

Miss Kelly will be leading the administrative side of things here at Brooks Academy of Dance this year! She brings with her years of experience in administration, organization and professional development. Originally from Hamilton, Kelly completed her post secondary education becoming a massage therapist and esthetician. After successfully working in and running her own business in this field for 10+ years, Kelly made the difficult decision to close her business and relocate with her husband and daughter to Langton in 2015 in order to be closer to her family. Now in her daily life, Kelly works as an HR professional for Marwood International here in Tillsonburg.

Miss Kelly has been part of the BAD family for the past 6 years along with her daughter Danica. Danica joined our recreational force when she was 4 years old and was invited to join our BAD competitive team at the age of 5. The rest as they say, is history!

Sophia VanTroost

Instructor- Recreational Choreographer

KinderAcro, Pre-Dance, Acrobatics, Lyrical, Contemporary