Instructor Listings
Katie Crompton
Katie (she/they) is an actor, singer, dancer, and educator originally from Coquitlam, BC. They are a graduate of Sheridan College with an Honours Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance and have performed on stages across the Greater Vancouver area and the GTA. She has a passion for sharing her love of theatre and the arts with young people and has been a part of the Teaching Artist team at Bard on the Beach in Vancouver for almost three years. Aside from their love of all things performing arts, Katie is a hobby collector with a love of crafting. She loves crocheting, embroidery, clay jewelry making, and countless other creative projects. Katie is thrilled for the opportunity to share their love of creating with so many lovely young people through Explore It!
Sona Park
Sona (she/her) is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto majoring in Nutritional Science and Physiology. She has always enjoyed working with kids, from tutoring during high school to volunteering at a children’s hospice in university. In her free time, she loves doing arts and crafts (she even had her work displayed in an exhibition), cooking, and traveling. She also volunteers as an Emergency Medical Responder at festivals, where she enjoys the music, the energy, and the lively atmosphere. Sona is excited to bring her creativity, curiosity, and energy to the Explore It! community.
Vivien Shepherd
Vivien has had a love for musical theatre from a young age and has trained in high school and college, working professionally with theatre companies around the city as a performer, choreographer and vocal director. She has a passion for the abstract, and pushing her co-creators and students to stay raw, and true to their authentic weirdness.
Angelica Duran
Angelica (she/her) is a concurrent Education student at York University, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. Her passion for teaching began at an early age and has grown through years of diverse experiences working with children. Most recently, she has worked as a camp counsellor and STEAM enrichment leader, where she led engaging activities ranging from hands-on science experiments to arts and crafts, engineering challenges, and technology-based projects. Aside from teaching and academics, Angelica enjoys listening to music, watching funny cat videos, and playing silly games on her laptop. Through ExploreIt!, Angelica hopes to continue building her skills and confidence as an educator while gaining valuable experience that will support her future career in the field of education.
Aaron Alviano
Aaron is a visual artist with a B.A.,Hons. in Studio Arts from the University of Guelph. He currently resides in Toronto, where he produces art and teaches fine art (and many other) programs with Explore It! to children of all ages at schools throughout the GTA. Aaron is a veteran member of the Explore It! team and is highly appreciated for his positive attitude and ability to teach most any program. He's also a valuable asset in mentoring new instructors as they join the Explore It! team.
Makenzie Hay
Makenzie (she/her) is a performer, writer, costume designer and arts educator from Toronto. She recently graduated from the Second City Conservatory program where she was part of an ensemble that wrote, produced, and performed the original sketch show End of an Error. She attended Etobicoke School of the Arts where she majored in Drama, and Musical Theatre, all the while taking dance at her mom’s studio. This dance studio was where her passion for teaching sparked, and her very first job was assisting dance classes with kids ages 2+. Makenzie is an avid crafter, aspiring cat lady, and passionate movie watcher. She is thrilled to be working with the amazing Explore It team!
Almira Joyce Dungo
A child at heart, Almira is an undergraduate student at Toronto Metropolitan University pursuing a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology and a double minor in Child and Youth Care as well as Disability Studies. She aspires to continue pursuing studies in programs relating to child and youth care and education after completing her undergraduate degree. Almira has a large passion for working with children, with extensive work and volunteer experience stemming all the way back from her early high school days. She hopes to advance her knowledge in the sectors of children and youth in education through the qualified position as an Explore It! Instructor.
Kaela From
Kaela is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto with a HBSc in Neuroscience and Psychology. While they have always had a passion for studying the sciences, particularly biology, they absolutely love the arts and have plenty of experience in visual art and theatre. In their spare time, they delight in working on photography and textiles projects, dabbling in digital drawing, and exercising their creative muscles in a multitude of ways. While in school, they specialized in the topics of human biology, especially relating to the brain, mental health, and intersectionality in science. You can find their published scientific work in UofT’s Arbor Journal of Undergraduate Research and their artwork displayed in their parents’ dining room.
Mackenzie Hall
Mackenzie Hall (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist who recently graduated from the Acting Conservatory (BFA) at York University. After growing up in Muskoka, she moved to Toronto to pursue her love of acting and the arts. With a passion for art and youth education, she is very excited to join the Explore it! team! Previously, she has worked at HUB Productions as the Camp Director and had the pleasure of directing multiple musical theatre productions. Mackenzie believes in fostering community through creativity and cannot wait to share her love of all things arts, science, math, and technology with everyone!
Thomas Sayers
Meet Thomas! He's a maker of neat things like audio walks, podcasts, zines, buttons, and lots more. He's studied at Western and York University in media and performance studies, and usually has an ever-growing stack of books on the go. Community musical theatre is his jam - he got his start performing with Original Kids Theatre Company and has since performed in companies across London, ON. He has worked and volunteered for the London Fringe Festival, contributed articles and videos to LondonFuse, and has written walking tours for London's Woodland Cemetery.
Victoria Griffiths
Hi! My name is Victoria. I’m currently in my third year at Toronto Metropolitan University, where I study History and Philosophy. I have a passion for working with kids and hope to become a teacher in the future. Outside of school and work, I love baking and sharing what I make with friends and family.
Arissa Malig
Arissa (she/her) is a dancer, choreographer, and arts educator based in Toronto. She is currently completing her degree at Toronto Metropolitan University, specializing in Events & Live Entertainment and Professional Communication striving for a career in Talent Acquisition and Event Management. Outside of school, she is a competitive dancer and former cheerleader from Vancouver always trying to find new ways to blend artistry with community. With years of experience teaching and choreographing dance and cheer for children ages 4–17, Arissa is passionate about creating fun, supportive, and empowering environments for kids to grow and express themselves. Arissa is so excited to bring her love of crafts, culinary, and performative arts to the Explore It! team this year!
Angelique Dancel
Angelique (Angel) Dancel (she/her) is a passionate singer, dancer, and choreographer based in Toronto. A proud member of the Explore It! Team for over a year, Angel brings her creativity and energy into every space she enters. She is currently completing her degree at Toronto Metropolitan University, specializing in the music and fashion industry. With over a decade of experience as a competitive dancer and a thriving career as a recording and performing artist, Angel is deeply committed to the arts. She loves working with children and believes in the power of creative expression to make a meaningful impact at a young age. Angel is driven by a mission to blend her passions– music, dance, fashion, and community to inspire, uplift, and give back through her work.
Sarah Gallacher
Hi everyone! My name is Sarah, I'm a cat mom and love doing art and working out. I'm super excited to join the team and build connections!
Bianca Heuvelmans
So this is Bianca- She's a passionate bilingual musical theatre performer and thrilled to be an instructor with the Explore It! team. She is a Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts graduate and has many years of experience in education/working with kids both in french and in english, which she hopes to continue for many years to come. Bianca believes in focus, discipline, learning from each other, having a laugh, and as Mrs. Frizzle would say; taking chances, making mistakes, and gettin' messy!
Matt Campbell
Hello my name is Matt and a soon to be graduate at TMU's Professional Music Bachelor of Fine Arts program. My passion stems from many forms of arts like music, martial arts, and cooking. Ever since I was 12, I've been teaching children with martial arts all the way to being a camp counsellor specializing in outdoor activities, science and music. I like to explore different forms of activities and stepping out of my comfort zone to try something new. Such as trying to learn improv or going on stage performing music. Fun Fact, I hate Rollercoasters yet I always go on the biggest rides to get over my fears. I'm still scared of them. At ExploreIt, I will teach outdoor physical activity, cooking programs as well as fun science experiments. I look forward to meeting everyone!
Maggie Koabel
Maggie Koabel is a dancer, choreographer and dance historian. She is a graduate of York University where she completed an Honours Double Major with a BFA in Dance and a BA in Religious Studies. Prior to attending York University, Maggie liked to think of herself as a ballerina, achieving her Advanced One in Cecchetti examinations and spending five seasons with the Greater Niagara Ballet Company in Niagara Falls, New York. Here she performed both as a soloist and a member of the company’s corps de ballet, expanding her repertoire to include a wide variety of both classical and contemporary ballets. In more recent years Maggie has become interested in interdisciplinary and collaborative art performances. As a student she took every opportunity to choreograph and perform in extracurricular creations including All You Can Eat which premiered at the Winchester Street Theatre in collaboration with rock ’n’ roll band Our History of Cowboys. Maggie believes in pushing the boundaries of dance and making movement more accessible to wider audiences and participants. Maggie is very excited to be an active part of the Explore It! community!
Mackenzie Emptage
Mackenzie is a graduate of St Clair College’s Music Theatre Performance Program, and has a BA (Hons) in Performing Arts (Acting) from Atlantic Technological University in Sligo, Ireland. She has been dancing for almost 20 years, training in jazz, ballet, tap, musical theatre, contemporary, and lyrical, and has extensive experience in dance captaining, teaching, and choreographing as well. Previously, she worked as the Entertainment Coordinator at Storybook Gardens theme park, and as a choreographer with Original Kids Theatre Company in London, ON. She is incredibly passionate about performing arts education and working with kids, and is so excited to be part of the Explore It! team!
Alexandra Bianco-Ivan
Working towards her Bachelor of Arts in Marketing with a minor in Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University, Alexandra’s second passion lies within working with children. With years of experience working in daycares and camps as a counsellor, Alexandra is excited to share the skills she learned through the Explore!It position. You can catch her being crafty with her crochet or active with her biking during her free time. Let’s welcome the age of exploring!
Elizabeth Lawrence
This is Elizabeth! A dancer and overall creative. I’m currently enrolled in a Bachelor's degree for Biomedical Sciences at York university. My dreams are to be a doctor, professional dancer, and a teacher of many subjects. Basically Barbie. I have a large background in working with children and it’s a major passion of mine. I look forward to a fun and great learning and teaching experience!