Our Studios
Maple Leaf School of Russian Ballet’s studios are located in the old Parish Hall at the back of St. Saviour’s Historic Church. Built in 1888, this hall started out as the community's school house, but in 1891, it became the parish hall for The Church of the Holy Saviour. This heritage property offers wonderful examples of Gothic Revival architecture throughout the building's interior and has served many purposes throughout its history and today, is home to our wonderful ballet school.
The School has renovated the hall by painstakingly restoring the old wood interior and upgrading the lighting, adding 10′ mirrors, bringing in en-pointe portabarres™, and laying down genuine red Harlequin Cascade flooring to create an environment and ambience of tradition and history.
The School's second studio is inside St. Saviour's Church in what was once the choir room and part of the addition made by the Royal Army Engineers in 1896. The studio is 20'x25' with 10' mirrors, en-pointe portabarres™, and original hardwood flooring and is surrounded by stained glass windows and high vaulted ceilings.
A new 150 seat stage studio with En-pointe dance subflooring and Rosco dance floor also gives us the opportunity for intimate performances, demonstrations, and on-stage rehearsals
LOCATION
Maple Leaf School of Russian Ballet is located at 310 Henry Street at the corner of Henry Street and Catherine Street in Victoria, B.C. The School is a short 5-minute drive, or 20-minute walk from downtown Victoria, over the Johnson Street or Bay Street bridges. The School is also a 5-minute walk from the Westside Village Shopping Centre in Vic-West, the Songhees walkway, the Galloping Goose Trail, and Spinnakers BrewPub.
Our Team
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Clare Gillese, Artistic Director
Society of Classical Ballet Vaganova method S.T.T., Open World Dance Foundation Vaganova’s Teacher Certificate, P.B.T. Level 1
Clare graduated from the Comprehensive Professional Development Program at Maple Leaf School of Russian Ballet in 2018 after studying extensively in Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Choreography and Character dance. Clare has had the opportunity to study under luminaries such as Irina Kolpkova (student of A.Vaganova, ABT ballet mistress), Evgenia Obratzova (Prima Ballerina Bolshoi, Mariinsky), and Daria Klimentova (English National Ballet) amongst many others.
She received her first formal teacher training through the Open World Dance Foundation in Riga, Latvia in 2017 but continues to expand her teaching knowledge. Additionally, she is a member of The Society of Classical Ballet Vaganova Method and certified in Level 1 of Progressing Ballet Technique. She has performed internationally, most recently dancing with Ballet De Catalunya in Spain for the 2022-2023 season.
Clare has performed principal and soloist roles in productions such as: The Nutcracker, Don Quioxte, Coppelia, and Pas De Quatre. In addition to her live performance work, Clare can be found in numerous films including the series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies.
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Taisaii Baranova
Taisiia attended the Serge Lifar Kyiv Municipal Academy of Dance obtaining her Master’s diploma in choreography.
Upon graduation, she was offered a job with Kyiv Municipal Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet where she toured more than sixteen different countries. Her most notable role was performing the principal role of ‘Kitri’ in Don Quixote.
She is delighted to be a part of the Maple Leaf Dance Community and bring her wealth of knowledge to share with students of all ages.
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Helena Tyson
Helena has been dancing most of her life. She trained in the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) achieving distinction on her Intermediate exam before discovering the Russian methods. She continues to dance and she loves to be challenged by the art form.
Helena has had the opportunity to attend workshops with Pina Bausch Modern Tanz Theater in Wuppertal Germany as well as the Artistic Director of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet.
She is excited to join the faculty at Maple Leaf and share her love of dance with her students of all ages.
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Niamh Perrins
Niamh Perrins is a Canadian-born dancer and choreographer originally from Nova Scotia, and currently a Company Artist with Ballet Victoria. At age 13, she was accepted into the Joffrey Ballet School’s Jazz Trainee Program in New York City, where she also starred as a lead in the Joffrey Elite TV series. She later began her pre-professional ballet training at the Colburn Dance Academy under the mentorship of Jenifer Ringer, James Fayette, and Silas Farley. Niamh went on to perform with Ballet Tucson, where she was a company member for three years, as well as with the Chautauqua Institution. Her extensive stage repertoire includes principal and soloist roles in Giselle (Frankenstein), Nutcracker, Paquita, and Sum Stravisky, among others. In addition to her live performance work, she has appeared in several film and media projects, including a lead role in an Apple AirPods commercial and soloist roles in multiple Colburn-produced dance films.
Beyond performance, Niamh has cultivated a strong presence as a teacher and choreographer. She held instructional roles at DansWest, the Colburn School, and Tanya’s Dance Studio. A passionate and dedicated educator, she deeply loves sharing her knowledge and helping young dancers grow both technically and artistically. Her early promise was recognized with honors such as the Nova Scotia Talent Trust Foundation Scholarships and the Robert George Jackson Award. With a professional background that spans classical ballet, contemporary work, and commercial dance, she brings versatility, artistry, and leadership to every role she undertakes.
OUR STUDENTS HAVE ACHIEVED GREAT DISTINCTION IN THE SHORT TIME THAT OUR SCHOOL HAS BEEN IN OPERATION. THROUGH HARD WORK AND DETERMINATION FROM BOTH STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS, OUR STUDENTS HAVE FOUND PLACEMENT IN SOME VERY WELL-KNOWN INTERNATIONAL DANCE PROGRAMS.
2024 Ballet Level 1 Merited Participant at B.C. provincials
2022-23 Ballet De Catalunya Dancer
2022 Acceptance into George Brown College Dance Program
2021-2023 Goh Ballet Academy Youth Ballet Ensemble
2021 Choreography program in Kyiv
SFU BFA Contemporary program
2019 Offered Trainee position at Charlottesville Ballet
2019 The Open World Dance Foundation’s Summer Intensive in St. Petersburg, Russia
2019 Technical Merit Award in the Ethnic Dance session of Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival
2019 Nomination to the New York Dance Prix, Contemporary Dance Track
2019 Winter Open World Intensive in NYC
2018 Offered Trainee position at the Central Illinois Ballet
2018 Best Group in the Ethnic Dance Session of Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival
2018 Gold Medal winner of the California Dance Classics Competition in the National Character Ensemble category
2018 Bronze Medal winner of the California Dance Classics Competition in the Classical Repertoire Ensemble, Age 13 – 15, category
2018 Ballet Heritage Summer Intensive (St. Petersburg, Russia)
2018 Arts Umbrella Summer Intensive
2017 Formation Superieure du Danseur in Geneva, Switzerland, with scholarship
2017 Budapest Dance Theatre International Elite Program in Hungary
2017 International Ballet Masterclasses in Prague, at the Czech National Ballet in Prague, where Bolshoi Ballet’s prima ballerina, Evgenia Obraztsova, was one of the instructors
2017 The Open World Dance Foundation’s summer intensive in Riga, Latvia, where luminary instructors and dancers from the Vaganova Ballet Academy and the Bolshoi were coaching
2017 Bolshoi Ballet Academy Summer Intensive in NYC
2017 Randolph Academy of Performing Arts, Diploma Program (Toronto)
2017 Winter Open World Intensive in NYC where the legendary Irina Kolpakova was one of the instructors
2017 Gelsey Kirkland Academy Summer Ballet Intensive in NYC
2016 C.P.D.P. dancers were guests in the Richter Academy of Classical Dance’s premiere production of The Nutcracker in Los Angeles, California,
2015 Summer Open World Intensive in NYC
2015 Bolshoi Ballet Academy Summer Intensive in NYC