About Us
The Morée School of Dance has been training Kitchener-Waterloo’s dancers since 1980!
Our Story
The studio was founded by Cora Black and her sister Eva Dombrowsky in 1980. Both sisters trained at Ewalds Academy of Dance in Kitchener. There was a passion for dance in the family as their mother, Maria Kraushaar, was a ballroom competitor and teacher. After arriving in Canada, Maria chose to perform as “Marie Morée”. When choosing a suitable name for their dance school it seemed only fitting to call it “Morée School of Dance”.
In 1981 Miss Cora graduated from the University of Waterloo with an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Dance and performed in the Music Man at Huron County Playhouse under the direction of Alan Lund a legendary Canadian Director.
Moree School of Dance first opened its doors on King Street in Kitchener where the Kitchener City Hall currently stands. Later that year the musical Cats had its Broadway premier and went to be the longest running show in history. After three years Morée relocated down the street into an old bank and used the bank Vaults as music stations which was ideal for ensuring the records wouldn’t skip!
In 1985, the billboard number one album “Footloose” was released and Morée “kicked off their Sunday shoes” on 44 Queen Street where we served our clients for over 20 years. Our new location was on the third floor with huge New York style studios, hardwood sprung floors and a fire escape just like the one in “West Side Story.”
In 2004 we opened our doors at a new home in Waterloo at 139 Union Street. Previously a Scotia Bank, this new building brought it’s own charm, great parking and of course another vault!
In 2005 Miss Michelle followed in her mothers’ footsteps and graduated from the Ryerson University Dance program with honours and began a professional dance career. In 2008 after completing her time in the Mirvish show Dirty Dancing at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, Miss Michelle joined Miss Cora as assistant director.
Since 2010, the same year both of our men and women’s hockey team won gold at the Olympics, Morée has had the most exciting part of the studio’s journey so far. We currently serve our families at the newest, largest and most well equipped facility we have ever provided at 105 Randall Drive, Waterloo!
Now with over 38 years of experience Miss Cora, Miss Michelle and our excellent faculty continue growing and developing the studio. Morée offers award winning tasteful choreography, while maintaining strong family values. As always, we are dedicated to provide our students with strong technical training while inspiring a true appreciation of the arts.
Come join us as we train exceptional dancers and mold the future of dance at Morée School of Dance, “Our home away from home”.
At Morée, you’ll find a family atmosphere built on support, encouragement and respect for one another. We encourage our students to develop their dance style and technique to their full potential, no matter their age or dance experience. A high standard of excellence is demonstrated through our professional teaching, low student to teacher class ratios and a strong focus on proper technique. Classes are specifically designed to increase technical skill, stamina, and discipline appropriate for the student’s age and level. Our aim is to develop an appreciation for the performing arts in a positive atmosphere where students learn valuable life skills, build happy memories and lifelong friendships.
FACULTY
Cora Black – Artistic Director
Cora has been the proud owner and director of Morée School of Dance since she established the school in 1980. Having trained at the Ewald Academy of Dance in Kitchener, Cora went on to perform professionally and receive an Honours Bachelor of Science Dance degree from the University of Waterloo. Cora is a certified teacher of the Royal Academy of Dance and the Canadian Dance Teachers Association. A professional highlight was dancing for President Reagan as an original company member of the Black Walnut Ballet. In 2025 Cora was nominated for the K-W Oktoberfest Woman of the Year award in both the Arts & Culture and Lifetime Achievement categories. Cora has mentored, trained and nurtured thousands of students sharing with them technical training, a love of the arts and award-winning choreography while creating a family atmosphere for students to grow and flourish. Many of her students have moved on to the National Ballet, become professional dancers, teachers and studio owners. Her primary passion is to not only train technically sound dancers but to aid in the overall personal development of her students.met in the studio teaching, choreographing and building relationships with her students!
Michelle Tracz – Assistant Director
Michelle is a professional dancer and teacher. Originally from Waterloo, Michelle trained at Morée School of Dance completing both her RAD grade 8 award and Advanced 1 exams. She then went on to graduate with honours from the Toronto Metropolitan University Theatre Dance Program and earned the Dean’s Award for her graduating class. In 2005 Michelle was chosen by the Toronto Star as “One of the top graduating dancers to watch.” Recent stage credits include: Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage (Mirvish) at the Royal Alex Theatre in Toronto where she understudied the Lead Role of Baby, Mrs. Schumacher and was a female swing! Spamalot (Huron County Playhouse), Sweet Charity (Huron County Playhouse), Robin Hood (St. Jacobs Country Playhouse), Jane Ashton in Brigadoon (Drayton Festival Theatre), Ensemble/Dance Captain in Highschool Musical (St. Jacobs Country Playhouse), Gertie in Oklahoma (Capitol Theatre), Aladdin (St. Jacob’s Country Playhouse), The Mikado and Oklahoma! (Huron Country Playhouse). Michelle is also an accomplished choreographer and director. Recent projects include: Sounds of Christmas choreographer, High School Musical PEP Squad Director (Drayton Entertainment), Organ and Dance Fusion Concert (First United Church), The Departure (McMaster University), 3 Days (Moe-tion Picture Productions) and Best of Broadway (K-W Musical Productions). She can also be seen playing “Pipa” on the children’s television show 4 Square which airs on Treehouse Television. Michelle has completed her teaching certification for the ADAPT syllabus. She has won numerous choreography, judge’s choice and overall awards. Although Michelle adores the stage, her passion is equally met in the studio teaching, choreographing and building relationships with her students!
Mike Tracz
Mike is a professional dancer and teacher, and has performed on stages throughout the world. He specializes in teaching Tap, Hip Hop, Acro, Jazz, and Musical Theatre. He has adjudicated dance competitions all across Canada from Alberta to Nova Scotia, while also teaching many workshops and master classes. Most recently he was the choreographer for Season 3 of Detention Adventure, which is streaming on CBC Gem.
Performance credits include 6 seasons at the Stratford Festival of Canada (Crazy For You, Hello Dolly, The Tempest, Guys & Dolls, Anything Goes, West Side Story, My Fair Lady, The King & I, The Beaux’ Stratagem, The Threepenny Opera), the North American Tour of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Theatre Aquarius (Peter Pan, The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!), 2015 Pan Am Games, The Canadian Opera (War and Peace), Stage West, Tokyo Disneyland, Celebrity Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (Dance Captain), and Canada’s Wonderland. Locally, he performed with Drayton Entertainment (Dance Legends, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Guys & Dolls, Sweet Charity, Peter Pan, Brigadoon, Evita, Me & My Girl, Crazy For You, Cats, Miss Saigon, Aladdin, The Mikado, Oklahoma!, Robin Hood). Film & Television credits include Eloise at the Plaza (Disney), In the Tall Grass (Netflix), Star Trek Discovery, Murdoch Mysteries, Poe (ABC), Hollywood Bollywood, Superstar, Prisoner of Love, Billy Madison, The Gemini Awards, Rick Mercer Report (CBC), BravoFact!, Food Network, Morenaga (Japan). He loves the Morée School of Dance family, and strives to help each dancer reach their full potential.
Mistyna Woodhouse
Mistyna is a professional dancer, teacher and choreographer. Originally from Waterloo, Mistyna trained at Morée School of Dance completing her RAD Advanced 1 exam. She then went on to graduate with an honours BA in dance from San Francisco State University, where she also earned the top performance award for her graduating class. While in San Francisco, Mistyna was a part of University Dance Theatre, where she was selected to perform as a soloist at the American College Dance Festival. She was also chosen to apprentice along side Oberlin Dance Company in performing Brenda Way’s repertoire piece ‘Investigating Grace’. Mistyna has danced with Call it Art under the direction of Kyle Limin, and worked with other distinguished choreographers such as Brenda Way, Cathleen McCarthy, Mark Foreigner, Susan Whipp, and Wendy Diamond. She has performed in many industry events and has been in a Tim Hortons commercial. Mistyna has won numerous judge’s choice, choreography and overall awards for her choreographic pieces through the years. She has loved returning to Morée and is committed to inspiring her students and honoring their achievements.
Lexi Wong
Lexi grew up dancing at Morée training in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical/Contemporary and Acro. She’s completed numerous RAD ballet exams; highlights include achieving Distinction in Advanced 2 and dancing for the Solo Seal award. After graduating High School, Lexi trained for one year in the professional ballet training program at the Oakville School of Classical Ballet. There she performed soloist roles in Giselle and The Nutcracker and was a member of the corps in performances of Serenade and La Fille Mal Gardée. Lexi graduated from the University of Waterloo studying Mechanical Engineering where she was a member of the UW Dance Company on the Jazz/Lyrical, Acro, Ballet, and Hip Hop teams. Lexi has always loved the supportive and hardworking environment the teachers at Morée provide and is excited to now be on the other side helping to shape and grow the next generation of Morée dancers.
Tigger Wong
Tigger grew up dancing at Morée, trained by the same inspiring teachers she now gets to teach alongside. She completed numerous RAD ballet exams, earning Distinction on her Advanced 2, which allowed her to perform for the Solo Seal award. After high school, Tigger continued her training at the Oakville School of Classical Ballet, where she performed in productions of La Bayadère, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, La Fille Mal Gardée, and Serenade. Tigger graduated on the Dean’s List from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Biomedical Engineering. While studying, she returned to Morée to assist classes and danced on the university’s competitive dance team. Now working full time at an engineering day job, Tigger is thrilled to spend her evenings teaching. She loves sharing her passion for all styles of dance, especially ballet and acro. She feels truly grateful to be part of each dancer’s journey. Supporting them as they work toward their goals and celebrating with them as their hard work pays off.
Kelly Ann Aarts
Kelly Ann Aarts began her dance career over 30 years ago. As a child, she trained in multiple styles and completed her high school years at Morée, where she discovered that dance was her true passion – one she hoped to share with others. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and Theatre from Toronto Metropolitan University, followed by a full teaching certificate from the Royal Academy of Dance, a graded syllabus certification from the Canadian Dance Teachers Association, and training in the Russian Conservatory Vaganova Method while teaching for Morée. Committed to continued growth, Kelly became a fully certified member of the British Association of Teachers of Dance in ballet, tap, jazz, and modern, all while opening her own studio, Dance Aarts Academy. She later expanded her versatility through full certification with the Acro Dance Teachers Association and obtained membership with the International Dance Adjudicators, giving her the chance to watch young dancers develop as performers. Beyond the studio, Kelly has a long-standing love of community theatre and spent seven seasons as choreographer for the Stratford Community Players. After 20 years of studio ownership, she completed her Bachelor of Education with honours and accepted a permanent teaching role with the Huron Catholic District School Board, leading to the difficult decision to close her studio. Today, Kelly teaches Intermediate students full-time while staying closely connected to the dance world through ongoing conventions and seminars. She was thrilled to return to Morée School of Dance and to support students as they grow in skill, confidence, and passion.
Ashley Black
Miss Ashley is a graduate of Sheridan College’s prestigious Music Theatre program, where she performed the lead role of Charity in Sweet Charity during her final year.
Growing up in Regina, Saskatchewan, she was a competitive dancer, performed in various productions with the musical theatre company Do It With Class and spent two summers travelling around the prairies performing with the iconic production company Saskatchewan Express. She also achieved her Grade 8 Royal Conservatory of Music piano exam. Miss Ashley’s professional performance credits include Les Feux Follets with the Charlottetown Confederation Centre of the Arts, Drayton Entertainment productions Beauty and the Beast (one year tour), The Mikado, and Nunsense. In television, she was the lead in YTV’s movie musical King of the Camp. Miss Ashley taught vocal and piano lessons for many years, while going back
to school to achieve a Business Degree from the University of Regina and then her Chartered Accountant Designation (CPA,CA). She is passionate about the arts and continues to fill her bucket through singing with her church choir, Praise Singers, performing as an adult member of Pop Nation each fall, attending as many theatre shows as she can, and most notably performing in Morée’s musical theatre production each year. Miss Ashley still dreams of performing on Broadway one day.
Fiorella Calipa
Fiorella began dancing at the age of two, first in Toronto and later in Mississauga before moving to Waterloo, where she joined Morée in 2015. She has trained in Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, Tap, Acro, Musical Theatre, Lyrical, and Contemporary, and has completed both her RAD Intermediate Foundation and Advanced 1 ballet exams,
showcasing her strong technical commitment to the art. Fiorella also danced with
the Laurier Recreational Dance Program and later graduated from the University of
Waterloo with a degree in Sports Business, minoring in Event Planning. Her passion for teaching began early as she started assisting classes at just 12 years old and has been teaching since graduating high school. She has always loved the supportive and energetic environment at Morée. One of her greatest joys is seeing the excitement on kids’ faces as they learn new moves and grow in confidence. Fiorella is dedicated to creating a positive, inspiring space for her students and is thrilled to continue helping shape the next generation of Morée dancers.
Caterina Calipa
Caterina has been connected to dance for as long as she can remember, starting classes at just three years old in Oakville. She trained in Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, Tap, Acro, Production, Lyrical, and Contemporary, developing a strong blend of creativity and technique. She joined Morée in 2015, and it quickly became an important part of her life. By age 14, she was assisting classes and helping with dance camps,
discovering how much she loved supporting younger dancers and watching their confidence grow. Now 21, Cat continues to bring her enthusiasm into the studio. She is currently studying at Wilfrid Laurier University to become a teacher — an aspiration that fits naturally with her passion for guiding kids. The most rewarding part of teaching for her is seeing students surprise themselves and grow through dance. She is grateful to be part of Morée’s warm, encouraging environment and loves contributing to a studio that truly feels like a family.
Sofia Rose
Sofia grew up dancing competitively at Elite Dance Corps, a studio in Bradford,
Ontario where she trained in hip hop, tap, jazz, musical theatre, contemporary, lyrical, acro, and ballet. At Elite, Sofia was the youngest competitive soloist at the studio where she completed ballet exams in Russian, then trained the rest of her dance career in RAD. Through Sofia’s dance career, she performed in many showdown award winning dances including “Goodfellas”, “Man Vs. Machine”, and “Curse of the Black Pearl” where she had the opportunity to work with the accomplished World Performers choreographer, Samantha Ippolito. Sofia has had the privilege of working with and being trained by Samantha for her entire dance career. Further, Sofia has received numerous acro scholarships with Matricks Acro and had the opportunity to work with the owner, Monica Sorbara to perform an award winning solo “ne me quitte pas”. She also had the privilege of being trained specifically in acro through her career by Xtreme Dance Champions owner and choreographer, Jordana Cohen. Sofia has also taught gymnastics, acro, hip hop and contemporary with Gymalaya, SoDance Studios, and Dance Ability where she choreographed, taught, and mentored students aged 3-18. Post graduation, Sofia is currently a student at Wilfrid Laurier University in the Business program with the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics where she is completing an honours degree. Sofia is motivated to challenge and support her students as they progress and has always loved watching hardworking students thrive. She is excited to be part of the family at Morée, and to shape top performers of tomorrow.
Tilly Pagett
Chantelle, better known as Tilly, began her dance journey at just 2.5 years old locally, where she trained in Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Lyrical, and Hip Hop. By age 5, she joined the competitive team and spent 13 years competing internationally, earning numerous titles, scholarships, and overall awards.
Her passion for dance led her to teach both recreational and competitive students locally. She then established Technique Dance Centre in Elmira, where she successfully managed the studio for over a decade before the pandemic prompted her to close and explore new opportunities.
Now, Tilly shares her expertise at various studios throughout the Waterloo region while also working for Dance Canada as Backstage Manager, where her positive energy and vibrant personality help keep things running smoothly. Tilly is super excited about joining the Moree Family this coming season!
FACILITY
- Over 5000 square feet
- Excellent parking and door to door drop off for parents
- Three large studio’s with sprung floors, Rosco rubber finish, 19 foot ceilings, supported/free standing barres, 5 foot mirrors throughout and tumbling mats
- Well ventilated rooms with full roll up door in the largest studio
- Ample viewing areas for each studio
- Lunch and Homework Room
- Spacious Lounge for Parents
- Main floor dressing rooms for both girls and boys
- Beautiful Waterloo location close to the St. Jacob’s Market, Conestoga Mall and other amenities
- Quick access off the expressway from anywhere in the Tri-Cities
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