Mandy grew up at Martin School of Dancing, a multi disciplinary studio in Saskatchewan, Canada. She was a member of the celebrated competition team at Martin, a member of the pre-professional dance troupe 'The Martinettes', and represented Canada at the World Baton Twirling Championships in 1994 and 1995 with her team SOBG. She loved everything about the studio, and apprenticed under her mentor, Maureen Johnson, as an assistant teacher during her years in high school.
In 1998 Mandy opened SBDC dance studio in Alberta, Canada, and quickly grew it from 7 dancers in the first year to over 500 in just three years. Year after year, the studio continued to grow the entire time Mandy owned it. The studio excelled in all styles, but was especially successful in AcroDance, a genre that was fairly obscure in her province at the time. During her time as studio owner, Mandy managed a staff of ten, created the SBDC competition team, managed travel groups, and created exam experiences for her students. 10 years later, and after the brith of her 2 boys, she made the difficult decision to sell her studio, and stay home to raise her children.
As the past owner of a highly successful dance studio, she understood the demands for an exceptional product and a well trained dance teaching staff in the studio. Mandy saw a need in the industry for a well thought out syllabus for AcroDance to promote safe practice and reduce injuries, and Acrobatic Arts was born. Seeking advice and recommendations from the best of the best, Mandy consulted with industry experts in physiotherapy, artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, bio-mechanics, Pilates, inversion, anatomy of movement, ballet, contortion, circus arts, and more to create the most comprehensive, researched syllabus and training program possible.
As the founder and CEO of Acrobatic Arts Inc, Mandy manages the staff and delivery of all training programs, and the Acrobatic Arts syllabus in over 7500 dance studios in 47 countries. Over 400,000 dancers participate in Acrobatic Arts classes on a weekly basis. Mandy created the Acrobatic Arts training and certification program, and the Acrobatic Arts Curriculum, producing the most comprehensive, researched program available for AcroDance in the world.
A lifelong learner, Mandy has achieved certification in countless courses, including contortion, hand balancing, inclusive learning, tap, jazz, gymnastics, and safe coaching, to name a few. Mandy sits on the advisory board for IACDP and YPAD, and assists with the mission of keeping kids safe in dance through these organizations. Highly sought for workshops, Mandy has taught thousands of dance teachers, and provided expert classes around the world. Mandy is known for bringing passion, technique and in-depth practical knowledge to engaging classes.
