

Meet our Team.
The staff and instructors at Ambition Dance Company are committed to helping each and every student to see their full potential and have fun along the way.

Melinda Garvie
CEO, Artistic Director
Dance Instructor
Melinda was born in Toronto, Ontario where she started dancing at the young age of 3. Beginning her classes in ballet and tap, she later expanded into all styles of dance and was asked to join the competitive program at 6 years old.
As a competitor, Melinda won numerous overall and top mark awards including the prestigious Sr. Miss Vaughan award. She was invited to the summer intensive program in L.A. as well as to compete alongside the top dancers in Spain. She performed hip-hop and jazz with the Dance Company in Toronto and was a member of the Bringing Tap Back Company for many years. Melinda considers her greatest achievement completing her RAD Advanced Foundation Ballet Exam with Honours.
Melinda continued her knowledge and passion by studying under artists including Sean Byfield, Shanna Cipressi, Shannon Mather and Everett Smith. Melinda has received her Teacher certification through the Acrobatic Arts program and is recognized as a qualified Module One acrobatic dance teacher. She also attended the Dance Teacher Summit in New York City in 2014 to further her knowledge and ability as a teacher.
As an award winning choreographer Melinda attends many workshops throughout the year to continue her education through all styles of dance. Melinda’s choreography has received overalls and special awards for groups, duets and solos. Melinda has spent the last few years sharing her love and passion for dance with students across the GTA and is excited to bring her unique style and philosophy of dance to her new home at Ambition Performing Arts Centre.
As a professional in the arts, Melinda understands the hard work and dedication it takes to achieve your dreams but believes that the root of success is based in the enjoyment and love for the art. Melinda instills confidence, focus, pride and perseverance in her students and helps them realize their individual goals. Dance is a part of who she is, not just something she does and she cannot wait to help harvest and mold the minds of the next generation of dancers.

Sherri Chaffey
RAD RTS, CDTA (Tap, Jazz, Ballet & Acro), DMA (Tap & Jazz)
Dance Instructor
Sherri, began her professional training at Ryerson University Dance Program in Toronto with her prime focus on professional dance teacher training and studied with names such as, Nadia Potts, National Ballet Prima, Audrey Looker, Duel examiner RAD, Stelio Caligias, Metro Movement, Vicky St Denys Ryerson Dance Director, Deborah Lundmark, CCDT, Bengt Jorgën, Ballet Jorgën, Flora Lyojekova, Kiev National Ballet, of course many more… As a teacher, she had great success with examination results, received numerous awards for choreography, & her dance students have been awarded overalls, and scholarships from all over Canada & United States. Her alumni students have been employable both in the dance world, Broadway, cruise lines, dance company founders, university dance degrees in dance, and so much more throughout her career due to the disciplined training, and the expectation and morality she brings to her thoughtfulness in teaching. She is so proud to know her alumni of dancer’s have found a genre of exemplary careers, university and college acceptance, scholarships and training through her years of service as dance teacher to them. By playing a part in their lives, through time and expertise, they have both physically strengthened but also mentally through the morals, ethics, and expectations Miss Sherri has brought in teaching over the past 35 years. She is a Registered Teacher with the Royal Academy Of Dance, RAD RTS ( Adv T Dip) with an Advanced Teaching Certificate, with psychology, anatomy, and history of dance training, she is also certified by Canadian Dance Teacher’s Association (CDTA) Tap, Jazz, Ballet , & Acrobatics , along with Dance Masters Of America (DMA )Tap & Jazz Certification. Most recently she has become certified in the exciting new ball technique, strength & ballet training called Progressing Ballet Technique where she holds a Level 2. She continues her growth in training with numerous workshops, conventions, and Professional Development Courses through the RAD. Miss Sherri, as she is known respectfully, works extremely hard at building details, discipline, and character into each and every child that walks into her class. With technique orientated thinking, positive reinforcement, and a performance building repertoire, as a dance teacher she holds high expectation of your training in mind. She continues to adore the studio by bringing those amazing attributes to your child each and every day ! She can’t wait to continue her journey with Ambition!

Kelly Phan
Acrobatic Arts, Alixa Flexibility, YPAD
Dance Instructor
Kelly started training at the age of 9 and was quickly scouted as a member of a successful competitive dance and figure skating team. A former gymnastics coach, Ms. Kelly has also become fully certified in the Acrobatic Arts and Alixa Flexibility programs. She has choreographed dance pieces that have won numerous judges choice awards and first place overalls at many dance competitions. Along with teaching, Ms. Kelly is very involved in the Toronto commercial dance industry and has worked at multiple professional dance competitions such as Luv2Dance, the Ultimate Dance Connection, Dare2Dance and more. She is a member of the Youth Protection Advocates in Dance and cares with her whole heart about the students she teaches. Ms. Kelly's passion in life is dance and with her experience, contagious smile and winning personality she is able to create a fun and creative atmosphere for all.

Samantha Dowson
RTS-RAD, CBTS, PBT, ADAPT (Jazz & Tap)
Dance Instructor
Samantha is a Registered Royal Academy of Dance teacher (R.A.D) and a graduate of the Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies (C.B.T.S) program, a certified teaching member of Jazz and Tap from the Associated Dance Arts for Professional Teachers (A.D.A.P.T) and a certified Progressing Ballet Technique (P.B.T) instructor. Samantha trained and studied at Canada’s National Ballet School in the Professional Development Program. She has taught students at all levels of development and has trained candidates to successfully complete their R.A.D Examinations over the past 10 years. Samantha competed in many styles of dance including Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Lyrical and Tap and continues her creative passion as a choreographer for the competitive team at Ambition. Her work has received numerous awards over the years and continues to inspire her students. Samantha is passionate about continuously developing her skills as a dance educator, making sure her practices are current, safe and beneficial to her students. She believes in instilling a joy of dance with each of her students and a love for the art of Ballet.

Elizabeth Reader
Ambition Graduate
Dance Instructor
Lizzie is a graduate member of the Ambition Performing Arts Competitive Dance Team, and has been dancing with the studio since she was 11 years old. Lizzie is extensively trained in various styles of dance including Acrobatics, Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Tap and Hip Hop. Prior to taking up dance she was a competitive gymnast, whose love and passion for dance grew under the support and nurture of her Ambition family. Lizzie has completed multiple RAD Ballet Examinations, most recently receiving a Merit award in her Intermediate level. She continues to train for the next level under the guidance of Miss Samantha and Miss Sherri at Ambition Performing Arts Centre. In 2024, Lizzie completed her Discover Dance Foundations certification course where she worked both through theory and in classroom practice to enhance her ability to train our younger generation of dancers in all styles of dance. Lizzie has also been an assistant teacher for the past 3 years as well as our summer camp coordinator and instructor, spending her time working and learning under multiple Ambition instructors, as well as building week long curriculum that stands beyond dance into our acting and musical theatre streams as well. Lizzie is very excited to be joining the Ambition faculty and using her love and passion to help inspire our young dancers and helping them reach their full potential.
