Shawna Halikas

Starting at the age of 3 in Ottawa, Shawna’s repertoire includes tap, lyrical/contemporary, jazz, ballet & modern and has been teaching students of all ages for over 10 years. Dancing competitively, she was awarded scholarships & titles throughout Canada and the U.S. and had the opportunity to train with Canada’s National Ballet School. She attended a top high school for the arts, studying modern & ballet curriculums.

Shawna went on to attend Toronto Metropolitan University’s Graphic Communications Management program, where she held a leadership role on the school’s dance team and coached the team post-graduation. She joined The Studio faculty in 2014 and quickly found it to be her second home. Shawna loves creating for her students, and has received several awards recognizing her choreography at competitions.

From 2017-2021, she was a member of the all female professional tap company “What’s On? Tap!” under the artistic direction of Kim Chalovich. Credits as a performer include “Tap!” in the Eastern Canadian Tap Conference, “Tap’s In the Port” of Tapperfest, and the opportunity to be cast by Dianne Montgomery as a guest artist for Toronto Rhythm Initiative and featured in Fall for Dance North’s segment entitled “Night Shift”.

She is currently a member of the Ottawa Rhythm Initiative Ensemble, and continues to educate herself in the nuanced roots of tap dance and extending her comprehension of musicality, rhythm, and history of dance. Shawna loves to explore and share her passion with dancers of all ages, and aims to inspire her students to reach their ultimate potential.