2026 Adjudicators
Cathryn Croft
Cathryn Croft was born in Edmonton, Alberta but has called Montreal, Quebec her home for the past 30 years. She has an extensive background in Jazz, Tap and Ballet. Cathryn has taught and choreographed at various dance schools and companies across Canada for the past 25yrs. Over the many years of teaching and choreographing she has developed the tools to effectively critique dancers and deliver it in a way that is fun, exciting and inspiring. Cathryn is currently teaching at Studio J Danse located in St.Julie, Quebec. Furthermore, her dance career has led Cathryn in other directions such as Artistic Coordination, Stage Management, Director, Casting, Artistic Coach for Cirque du Soleil and is a Registered Massage Therapist (C2nrg.ca). She has had the privilege to work on the following Cirque du Soleil shows Kooza, La Nuba, Zarkana, and Saltimbanco. Cathryn has assisted Debrah Brown (Academy award winner) for her show Line 1 and presented a dance musical with Debrah called Yes! A Flying Dance Experience. Cathryn has choreographed for The Collin Hunter Show and was Artistic Director and Choreographer for Dansez Pour la Vie. For over 14 years Cathryn is the mediator for the competition at Festival Encore and was the Artistic coordinator for Festival International de Danse Encore held in Trois Rivieres, Quebec. Through the festival she had the honor to have met with such talents as Rex Harrington, Karen Kain, Evelyn Hart, Complexions, Desmond Richardson, Cecilia Marta, Jason Samuel Smith and so many other talented artists. Cathryn has adjudicated and judged many festivals and competitions across North America for over 25 years. She believes her knowledge and experience provides her the skills necessary to guide and inspire the next generation of dancers. Cathryn deems it a privilege and an honor to participate in the development of young artists and to share her love and passion for dance.
Breanne Wilson · Johnathan Morin · Sherrie Scherger · Andrew Prashad · Suzanne Ouellette · Shawn Byfield · Shawn Hounsell · Rhea Bowman · Senyo Akakpo · Stephana Arnold · Sheri Drewitz-Kanten · Tony Loupe · Eliana Girard · Andrea Palmer · Leslie Drewitz · Chris Hale · Lisa La Touche · Calen Kurka · Makaila Wallace · Caroline Gruber · Scott Fowler · Cartier Williams · Maud Arnold · Curtis Foley · Tara Nicole Hughes · Sean Cheesman · Ronda Nychka-Cunningham · Tiffany Knight · Vic DiMonda · Michelle Kittrell · Lisa Stevens · Courtney Tilford · Stephanie Saland · Alejandra Valiente Sánchez · Josh Nitkin · Jamie Holmes · Lara Kelly · Kareem Byfield · Nancy C. King · Stephen Reed · David Keener · Heather Ferri · Bethany Hook · Jason Lacayo · Lauren Beth Kassinger · Leslie Clifford · Dennis Lue · Jimmy Locust · Jeannine Trinka · Alex Hasbany · Andrea L. Hammond · Frank Augustyn · Stephen Reed · Anthony Locascio · Lorraine Graves · Scott Jovovich · Beth Woods · Winthrop Corey · Gerald Hardy · Maurice Curry · Jamie M. “Catt” Pisano · Patti Caplette · Kim Greco · Malcolm Gaile · Wendy Green · Ted Banfalvi · Paul Del Vecchio · Rodney Gustafson · Brenda Bufalino · Shirley Black-Brown · Molly Vasterling · Cindy Kerr · Betty Caplette · Doug Jacks · Mercedes Ellington · Wendy Green · Johanne Gingras · Jon Engstrom · Pam Killinger · Ken Green · Darlene Ceglia · Elizabeth Beddard · Sam Fiorella · Donald Emmons · David Adams · Lois Smith · Patsy Swayze · Gregg Bayaa · Paula Rose Peshewis · Florentina Lajekova · Robb Card · Belinda Sobie · Myrna Lecky · Cornelius Fisher-Credo · Sherry Gold · Keith Dittor · Cheryle MacDonald · Jacques Lemay · Janice Dunning · Nancy Haggarty Gibbons · Faye Foley · Maureen Webster Consolati · Donna Cove · Vincent Warren · Judy Edwards · Richard D’Isarno · Betty Farrally · Allan Cozzubo · Dr. Taras Babick · Lusia Pavlychenko · Jacque Foesier · Dianne Miller · Natalie Dobrolige · Brian Foley · Earl Kraul · Frank Bourman · Gloria Gaudry · Rene Russell · Trixie Hardy · Arlene Bain-Pederson · Sonia Chamberlain · Judy Schey · Jean McKenzie · Loree Martin Vellner · Sandra Caverly · Dennis Moore · Irene Baird · Dorothy Carter · Tommy Sutton · Jean Simpson · Viola Robertson · Bob Land · Racell Browne · Gwen Ashton · Sam McConnell · Ted Patterson · Arnold Spohr · Muriel Jolliffe · Sonia Taverner · David Shields · Jim Clouser
Past Adjudicators
Lisa La Touche
As a proud Canadian and New Yorker, Lisa’s credits are world renowned. She was an original cast member in Broadway’s Shuffle Along, choreographed by Savion Glover and Directed by George C. Wolfe, where she received both the Fred Astaire Award and the Actor’s Equity Award for Outstanding Broadway Chorus. Her TV credits include the 70th Annual Tony Awards and Amazon’s Original “Z, The beginning of everything”. Previous highlights have also included touring with the Savion Glover production, Stepz, and also performing with both New York’s Off-Broadway and the North American touring casts of STOMP. Since 2010 she has run her own performance company Tap Phonics and has been commissioned to present for such organizations such as The Brooklyn Museum, 92Y, Gibney Dance and Fall For Dance North. As an educator and Professor she has taught for PACE University, NYU, The School of Jacob’s Pillow, University of Calgary, Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, Rosie’s Theater Kids and member of the creative council for the American Tap Dance Foundation. Her most recent endeavor has been writing and directing her debut film TRAX encompassing her journey back to Alberta while discovering important local black history. Above all, her proudest achievement greatest inspiration, is the gift of being a mom.
Curtis Foley
Canadian born, Curtis Foley, is an international Ballet Master. After graduating from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, he went on to perform on the major stages around the world.
Since retirement, he has frequently been teaching and coaching for The National Ballet of Canada, Stuttgart Ballet, Ballet Zurich, The National Ballet of Portugal, Finnish National Ballet, The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, The Hungarian National Ballet, The New Zealand School of Dance, Alberta Ballet, Ballet Jorgen Canada, Poznan Opera House, Gauthier Dance, and Codarts University.
In the summer of 2011, he was the Rehearsal Director for the creation of The Clifford E. Lee Choreographic Commission at The Banff Centre, followed by 5 years as Ballet BC’s Resident Teacher. From 2016-2019 he was based in Warsaw as Ballet Master and Pedagogue for The Polish National Ballet where he worked personally with and staged the ballets of Wayne McGregor, John Neumeier, Toer van Shayck, Natalia Makarova and assisted in the creation of world premieres by Krzysztof Pastor, Anna Hop and The Royal Ballet’s Liam Scarlett.
Currently he is Ballet Master for The National Moravian-Silesian Theatre in the Czech Republic and Les Grands Ballets Canadien whilst continuing to guest teach internationally. He sits on the jury for The British Columbia Arts Council, adjudicating the Senior Ballet Division of Performing Arts British Columbia’s Provincial Championships and Youth America Grand Prix. He conducts master classes for The Canadian Dance Teacher’s Association and Simon Fraser University.
From 2021-2023 he was the Artistic Director of The Royal Ballet School of Antwerp in Belgium.