Stéphanie (Steph/Merle) Chiasson, Youth and Adult Highland Teacher

Born in Cape Breton, Steph grew up stepdancing as part of the performance company “La Swing du Suête.” She was a dancer in the largest musical production in the Atlantic provinces, "Le Grand Cercle,” originally produced for Le Congrès Mondial des Acadiens, as well as dancing in the Celtic Colours Festival.

She has been dancing with Dance Fusion Studios since 2011. She also joined Caithream Celtic Dance Fusion as a full member in 2017, where she performed roles in “Passages,” “A Christmas Carol,” “Swan Loch,” and “Deconstructing Highland.”

Steph began teaching in 2013, and finds joy in helping dancers discover that there is no such thing as a "perfect dancer's body" - no matter your size or height or how wobbly your ankles or how angry your hips! She loves sharing her own path to overcoming what would traditionally be seen as limitations in the dance world, and how to learn to not only work with your body, but celebrate its uniqueness.

Outside of the studio, Steph works in healthcare, as a medical radiation technologist. She also continues her teaching work in the MRT program at Algonquin College. Besides dancing, she finds peace in hiking, camping, and playing with puppies.