Leica Hardy
Hon. D.F.A., SCBVM Adv., SCBVM Examiner
Leica is a nationally respected dance educator with over 45 years of professional teaching experience in both ballet and modern techniques. She holds the Advanced Teacher’s Certificate from the Society of Classical Ballet—Vaganova Method, and has served as a syllabus examiner since 1997. In 2023, she co‑authored the Society’s comprehensive 14‑level curriculum, an achievement that conferred upon her honorary lifetime membership.
Her formal training encompasses the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, the School of American Ballet, The Banff Centre, and York University, augmented by intensive mentorships under Linda Rabin, David Earle, and Carol Anderson. Leica’s performance career spanned two decades, and she has created more than 40 original works since 1982.
Leica’s former students have been admitted to leading national and international dance programs and have performed with esteemed companies such as Canada’s Ballet Jörgen, the National Ballet of Canada, Toronto Dance Theatre, Mocean Dance, O Vertigo Danse, Peggy Baker Dance Projects, Parsons Dance, Zimmerdans and the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company. She was honoured in 2000 with an induction into the Encyclopedia of Canadian Dance and, in May 2011, received an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from St. Mary’s University (Halifax).
Since 1993, Leica has directed and choreographed The Nutcracker for Symphony Nova Scotia, marking her 34th consecutive season in December 2026. Her pedagogical approach emphasizes rigorous classical technique, artistic integrity, and the cultivation of enduring passion for the art of dance.
A desire to share her theories and practices with others led her to the creation of Words To Dance By. On the blog, she explores the principles of dance technique, pedagogy, and artistic development. Leica is available for guest teaching, workshops, and professional development.
Michelle Lehman
SCBVM Assoc.
Michelle Lehman is a dance teacher, choreographer, and occupational therapist based in Dartmouth. She has been passionate about dance since the age of three and has trained at some of Canada’s most respected dance institutions, including the Leica Hardy School of Dance, Halifax Dance, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, and the London Studio Centre in England.
Michelle was a founding member of KiDanCo and performed in Symphony Nova Scotia’s The Nutcracker for six seasons. In 2011, she received the Taking Steps to Fly Young Choreographers Award for her original work Hello Goodbye. The piece premiered during KiDanCo’s inaugural season and was revived for the company’s 2026 season.
Committed to excellence in dance education, Michelle earned her Advanced Dancer Certification with the Society of Classical Ballet – Vaganova Method in 2015 and her Associate Teacher Certification in 2016. She has also served as a guest lecturer at the Society’s annual teacher training seminar, presenting on developmentally appropriate methods for teaching preschool and school-aged dancers.
As a choreographer, Michelle has created works for community and school theatre productions, including the Whitby Courthouse Theatre’s record-breaking production of Little Women: The Musical, as well as Halifax Regional Arts productions of High School Musical JR. and Junie B. Jones The Musical JR.
Beyond the dance studio, Michelle is a practicing occupational therapist with Shoreline Therapy and serves as CEO of the digital health company Think Self-Management. Her combined expertise in movement science, child development, and performing arts brings a thoughtful, evidence-informed approach to dance instruction, helping students build strong technical foundations while developing confidence, artistry, and a lifelong love of dance.
Anastasia Wiebe
Anastasia Wiebe is a Halifax-based movement artist whose work spans contemporary dance and arts administration. Wiebe began her training in Halifax at Dartmouth Dance Academy and Leica Hardy School of Dance. She graduated from the Peridance Capezio Centre’s Certificate Program in New York in 2015 and, since then, has performed in numerous works, including The Bones We Live In (Meredith Kalaman), Cardiac Arrest (Jessica Lowe), and Devil’s Intervals (Lydia Zimmer). Wiebe has collaborated with artists such as Leah Skerry, Naishi Wang, Marie-Josée Chartier, and Vanessa Goodman, and was an acrobatic intern with Breaking Circus in 2022. In addition to her performance career, Wiebe has extensive experience in arts administration, producing for organizations such as Live Art Dance and Nostos Collectives. She was the Production Manager for Symphony Nova Scotia’s The Nutcracker in 2022 and 2023. Wiebe’s creations include Parallel Paths, an evening-length work with Nostos, and The Third Mountain, a dance-theatre exploration of climate anxiety. Anastasia has also choreographed works for Leica Hardy School of Dance’s performance company, KiDanCo, including a collaborative piece with Nostos Collectives titled Down The Line. She holds a BA in Psychology from Saint Mary’s University and integrates psychology principles into her teaching and creative practices. Wiebe regularly adjudicates festivals, teaches workshops, and leads seminars on mental health resilience in dance.
