Deanna has been dancing since the age of 3, which lead to a wide range of teachers and choreographers from across Canada and the United States. Trained in both Royal Academy of Dance and Society of Russian Ballet (Vaganova) she has been able to use that foundation in her passion for contemporary, modern, jazz, lyrical, tap, and musical theatre. Deanna was a member of the Canadian National Tap Team in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013 to compete in the International Dance Organization’s World Tap Dance Competition in Reisa, Germany. With the choreographic minds of Matthew Clark, Everett Smith, Christie McKay-Hoffland and Terrie Turai, the team garnered several medal placements with highlights over the years such as winning 3rd for Junior formation in 2010 (Smith), 2nd in the world for adult formation in 2013 (Clark). As a senior company member with Bringing Tap Back, led by Everett Smith, at the Tap Dance Centre, she was fortunate enough to work with industry professionals such as Kim Chalovich, Andrew Prashad, Ryan Foley, and David Cox – to name a few – and perform in shows like Lights & Sound, Tap Love Connection, and Tap Water. After a break from performing while she was in school and teaching, in 2021 Deanna performed with the Votive Youth Company Compound Effect by Stephanie Mitro in the show Synced Systems.

Since her graduation with a Bachelor of Commerce at Dalhousie University, Deanna has continued to teach and choreograph. She began working with East Coast Dance Academy during the 2014/15 season and has loved every second since! Her goal is always to share her passion and knowledge to help each student reach their creative potential – so they can walk with confidence, no matter where life takes them.