ABOUT US
Breakthru Dance Challenge has been designed specifically around feedback gathered from studio owners and teachers. Through much research acquired from various surveys and interviews, your advice, concerns, and suggestions have helped to shape Breakthru Dance Challenge into the most well-rounded dance competition today!
We are Breakthru Dance Challenge strive to bring together the best and strongest aspects of dance competition for everyone: An exciting, supportive, and educational environment for the competitors with exposure to professionals working in the industry, a stress-free, well-organized, and on time event for studio owners and teachers, and a comfortable and entertaining atmosphere for family and friends.
We understand the dedication and hard work of the dancer, teacher, studio and family. Our goal is to provide an environment rich in family values and team spirit, to promote healthy competition, and to ensure fair opportunities for each performer to grow and achieve personal success beyond their expectations.
Nash Gibson (Director)
Nash Gibson has close to 30+ years of experience as a teacher and choreographer for both the competitive studio industry and the professional world.
She has had the opportunity to work closely with such people as the late Gregory Hines, Whoopi Goldberg, Liberty Silver, Glass Tiger, Ian Thomas, Tony Vagg, Roxanne Butterfly, and Savion Glover to name a few. Her teaching, performance, choreography and adjudication skills have placed her in high demand all over the U.S, as far east as Bosnia, and as far north as the arctic circle.
Nash's 16 years of experience as an adjudicator has also given her the advantage of closely observing and understanding the best working aspects of dance competitions.
Together, Nash Gibson and her incredible team of talented people combine their broad experience in both the professional and competitive studio world to bring forth a competition that offers all the best aspects of a truly well rounded dance challenge!
Sarah Grange (Emcee)
Sarah Grange is a Toronto based actor and stand-up comedian who developed a love for entertaining people at the ripe age of three and a half, when she enrolled in her first ballet class. There were two Sarah's in that class, so to differentiate the other children called her Silly Sarah".
No one is surprised that she went on the become a comedian. She also cried that year when she didn't get to wear a tutu in the recital. But that wasn't enough to keep her down!
Sarah began taking improv classes at Second City which quickly developed into doing stand comedy.
She has been nominated for a Tim Sims Encouragement Fund Award, and has also been featured on SiriuXM's "Laugh Attack".
Sarah has also opened for stand-up comedian Dawn Whitwell as part of the 2015 Just for Laughs Festival in Toronto, and her acting work has been feature on the The Discovery Channel, MTV Canada, and various film festivals across North America.
Agatha Choy (Tabulator / Director of Operations)
2023 will be Agatha’s seventh season with Breakthru Dance Challenge! Growing up, she trained in tap, contemporary, jazz, and hip hop, but now focuses on heels training. She graduated from George Brown with an Early Childhood Education diploma and has had a lot of abroad opportunities, such as teaching in Jamaica and Spain.
She currently lives in British Columbia, but comes back to Ontario just for dance competition season because it's one of her favourite times of the year!