OUR TEAM:
WHERE PASSION MEETS PERFORMANCE
Marcel Tassie: Owner, Director. RAD RTS, (Hons) BADE. ADAPT Cert.
M. Marcel is a bilingual certified A.D.A.P.T and RAD teacher, Marcel began dancing when he was four in Rockland, Ontario. His core training was taught by Hélène Tassie, Lucy Lemay, Carolyn Madge and Jean Neveu. Marcel presents a solid understanding of the dance industry and its demands as he has been an R.A.D and A.D.A.P.T student for 20 years. At the age of 16, he began contemporary dance training with professional dancer Lana Morton.
At age 18, he entered the prestigious Ryerson University Theatre School, where he continued his extensive training in Ballet, Modern and Jazz, and was taught by Nadia Potts, Karen Duplisea, and Vicky St-Denys. The Ryerson University Theatre School offered him many opportunities such as; performing in pieces by Pamela Rasbach, Julia Aplin and Vicky St-Denis, as well as, dancing professionally for The Dance Company and The Uxbridge Dance Academy, where he was able to learn repertoire works such as The Nutcracker and modern choreography like Endangered Species by Danny Grossman. After finishing his Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies with the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), Marcel completed his Honors Bachelors of Arts in Dance Education ((Hons) BADE) through the RAD’s Faculty of Education which is accredited by the University of Bath in the UK. Having been taught by various faces in the Dance Industry, such as Maureen Consolati, Louis Laberge-Côté and Tanya Evidente, Marcel has acquired great experience in the performing arts, and is excited to pass on his knowledge and passion to his students.
Hélène Tassie: Co-Director. RAD RTS. ADAPT Cert.
Mrs. Hélène Tassie, is a well established dance teacher, choreographer. Hélène’s passion for dance started at the age of three and continues today. She graduated with Highly Commended in her Royal Academy of Dance teacher’s diploma and has been teaching in Rockland since 1981. Enjoying her role as Teaching supervisor and mentor for the Royal Academy of Dances’ Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies (CBTS), Hélène has established a professional, enriching, and successful reputation in the community. Some of her most successes include having students accepted with the Grand Ballet Canadien’s “École Supérieure” and to the prestigious Ryerson and York Universities, in the Faculty of Arts.
Hélène’s choreographies have won many overall awards in dance competitions. Artistry, imagination, proper skills and making learning the discipline of dance fun are her main focus. Working with a motivated, inspiring faculty of teachers, her goal is to strive to make each student feel important and successful.
Kamay Jones: RAD RTS, ADAPT Cert. ADTA Cert.
Kamay’s dance career began in Rockland, Ontario at the age of 3 under the teaching of Helene Tassie, Carolyn Madge, Lucy Cellucci and Jean Neveu. Her enthusiasm and confidence have enabled her to attain her Royal Academy of Dance Advanced 1 ballet certification, and her ADAPT Intermediate Jazz and Tap certificates; graded “Highly Commended Plus” in tap.
While completing 3 years of studies at the University of Ottawa for Health Sciences, Kamay began her teaching career and attended Teacher’s Training School with ADAPT. Becoming a bilingual certified ADAPT teacher was only the first step as she continued her education with the Royal Academy of Dance and Acrobatique becoming a certified teacher in 4 disciplines. She regularly attends conventions, workshops and classes to maintain and continue her dance teacher training. Ms Kamay’s energetic personality and positive approach to teaching motivate and engage all of her students as they grow and learn through a lifetime of dance. Kamay’s bubbly personality and positive approach to teaching both motivate and engage her students.
Jean Neveu; ADAPT Cert.
Born and raised in Ottawa, Jean began his training here in 1991 and pursued it further in Toronto at Ryerson University, where he performed for choreographers such as Timothy Spain and Danny Grossman. After leaving Toronto, he returned home and continued his education with Le Groupe Dance Lab. During this period, he danced as a soloist at the N.A.C. for “Dance Advance” as well as other venues within Canada.
Jean is an accredited dance educator with A.D.A.P.T. (Associated Dance Arts for Pofessional Teachers) in both Tap and Jazz and a full member of B.A.T.D. (British Association of Teachers of Dancing) in Jazz. He continues to adjudicate, choreograph and teach.
Audrey Desjardins-Arturi: ADAPT Cert.
Audrey has trained for 13 years with Extrava Danse Academy (EDA) as an Association of Dance Arts for Professional Teachers (ADAPT) and Roya Academy of Dance (RAD) student coached by Hélène Tassie, Marcel Tassie, Kamay Jones, Jean Neveu. Having completed her intermediate examination in Ballet and Jazz, Audrey still represents EDA as a competitive dancer in various regional and national dance competitions. Her passion for dance taught her self-determination, discipline, and goal setting. Audrey continues to further her knowledge of dance by sharing this passion with her young students. For Audrey, dance is a fun way to express oneself while being surrounded by family and friends!
Geneviève D’Amour: ADAPT Cert.
Geneviève’s love for dance started when she began dancing at the age of 3 in Hawkesbury, Ontario. At the age of 10, she joined Extrava Danse Academy (EDA) and continued her training under the coaching of Mme Helene Tassie, M. Marcel Tassie, Mme Kamay Jones, M. Jean Neveu and many more. her training is based ballet, jazz, contemporary, lyrical and Acrobatic Dance. Genevieve continues to train and is part of the competitive team with EDA performing in various styles.
This strong passion for dance later inspired her to share her love of performing and training with younger dancers. Genevieve’s focus is teaching Acrobatic Dance to dancers of all ages and levels. Her future goals include becoming a certified Acrobatic dance instructor. Genevieve is a dedicated and energetic dancer who wants to share her passion and love for dance to young dancers by teaching in a positive environment.
Alyssa Prud’homme: ADAPT Cert.
Alyssa began her training at age 8 where she trained under the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) in ballet, and the Association of Dance Arts for Professional Teaching (ADAPT) in Jazz and Tap; having completed her intermediate examinations in all three disciplines. Alyssa continues to train in all disciplines and brings a fun and charismatic energy to all her dance classes. Alyssa continues to perform on the EDA competitive team in jazz, contemporary, lyrical, and ballet while excelling and refining her skills in Tap. This love for dance has inspired Alyssa to pursue teaching. Alyssa Looks forward to seeing her students share in her passion!
Daria Kruszel: Ballet and Contemporary Instructor
Daria Kruszel began her ballet education in the West Island, and later perfected her training studying under Daniel Seillier (formerly of Marquis de Cuevas and Paris Opera ballets, former Ballet Master of NBoC and LGBC) for ten years. She joined Ballet Ouest de Montreal as a corps de ballet member and was promoted to First Soloist, as well as a Principal dancer for Les Ballets Contemporains de Montreal (defunct). She also danced in films, such as The Audrey Hepburn Story, The Greatest Game Ever Played, and The Reagans and was honoured to dance as The Ballerina at Québécois celebrity Rachid Badouri’s wedding ceremony. She began her teaching career almost 20 years ago, and has taught every level of ballet at several Montreal-area schools and has choreographed neo-classical pieces for competitive students. She has also had the pleasure of teaching specialized ballet classes for figure skaters for the past 15 years, and had the privilege of teaching such renowned skaters as Canadian, World, and Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, as well as French, European, World and Olympic Champions Gabriella Papdakis and Guillaume Cizeron, among others. PBT certified, Daria continues to teach skaters, young dancers and mature students alike, and is very happy to be joining the incredible team of instructors at Ballet Montreal.
Rebecca Lalonde
Rebecca has been dancing since the age of 7 and was trained in hip hop at former dance school, Le Dance Lab, in Plantagenet, ON. As a competitive hip hop student for more than 10 years, Rebecca competed against the top hip hop groups in Ontario and Québec and has learned how much detail and precision is important in the dance industry. With all the experience she has acquired over the years, Rebecca has a lot of creativity for choreography. She has learned from the best choreographers in the dance industry including Janick Arseneau, Mélissa Charlot, Kim Gingras, Lorena Liebman, Mark Samuels and many more. Rebecca started teaching at the competitive and recreational level in Prince Edward Island where she lived for three years before moving back to Ontario. She is currently working towards completing a second Bachelor’s degree while engaging with families in the community as a Social Worker. Rebecca is very excited to share her passion for hip hop with children and youth in Hawkesbury!
Anay Cabrera Suárez: Classical Ballet & Salsa Instructor
Originally from Cuba, Anay Cabrera Suárez began her classical ballet training at a young age in her hometown. At just 10 years old, she was accepted into the prestigious Fernando Alonso National Ballet School in Santiago de Cuba, where she pursued intensive studies in both dance performance and pedagogy. She later earned her Bachelor of Arts in Classical Ballet.
Anay went on to dance professionally with the Ballet Company of Santiago de Cuba, performing a wide range of works from the classical, neoclassical, and contemporary repertoire. Alongside her performance career, she developed a strong passion for teaching and choreography, working with students of all ages and levels. Her teaching experience includes positions at the Fernando Alonso National Ballet School (2007–2012), and more recently at L’Académie de danse de l’Outaouais and Studio Danse Acad’Amy. Now based in Gatineau, Québec, Anay brings her deep-rooted love for ballet and Cuban culture into every class—also offering vibrant salsa instruction for both children and adults.
Anay is known for her strong pedagogical foundation, knowledge of injury prevention and anatomy, and her ability to inspire students through thoughtful lesson planning and artistic leadership.