Franca Neil began her dance journey at Dance Dynamics Studio at the age of 3 years old. She is trained in all genres of dance including jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop, lyrical, musical theatre, and acro. Franca has also completed exams in Ballet, Acro and ADAPT Pre Advance-Jazz and Tap.

Since the age of 6, Franca has participated in numerous local and out-of-town competitions, earning several awards such as the Gillian Watters Memorial Award at Dancefest 2019, and multiple scholarships for her musical theatre solos from Music Festival.

Before transitioning into a teaching role, Franca dedicated many years as a teacher’s assistant, interacting with children of various ages and passing on her love for dance to each one. Her dedication to creating a nurturing and motivating atmosphere has empowered students to gain confidence, mirroring the impact dance had on her during her own childhood. Franca became a part of the Dance Dynamics teaching team in 2019, where she has relished discovering innovative methods to infuse joy into the learning environment.

Franca remains active in her professional development by participating in various workshops locally and out of town. She has previously attended The Rhythm Lab and ECTC Tap classes in Mississauga where she has taken many combinations and passed down to her students.

Franca, as a Dance Dynamics staff member, has fulfilled the mandatory annual training in CLI Studios to stay current with the latest teaching methods and new dance trends. This includes learning fun and interactive tap combinations from Chloe Arnold, along with classroom strategies and advice from Julie Kay Stallcup.

Academically, Franca was on the honour roll all four years of high school along with numerous other school awards. She also received an entrance scholarship to Lakehead University for Academic Excellence and has maintained it for the past three years, along with other scholarships from local clubs in town. Franca is going into her fourth year of university at Lakehead in the Political Science/Pre-law program with a minor in criminology.

Franca’s teaching philosophy focuses on making dance fun and expressive. She believes that every student can discover their own unique style through movement and strives to create a welcoming and encouraging environment. She loves seeing her students grow and gain confidence through their dance journey.

Franca is thrilled to share her passion for dance with her students and is looking forward to another fantastic dance season with Dance Dynamics Studio!