Photos by @biancanaimphoto
Silhouettes Dance Company’s 2023-2024 Exec Team
Artistic Director Heather Gadalla
Hi everyone! My name is Heather and I’m so thrilled to be one of Silhouettes’ Artistic Directors this year. I’m in my fourth year at UofT and this is my third year in Silhouettes. I have been dancing for most of my life and have tried a lot of styles over the years, with ballet and contemporary being my favourites. I am so grateful to Silhouettes for the opportunities it has given me to continue dancing at university and meet so many amazing fellow dancers. I am so excited to be one of your ADs this year and hope to make this a wonderful year for everyone!
Artistic Director Henry Lewis
My name is Henry Lewis and I’m one of the Artistic Directors for Silhouettes this season. This is my fourth year in Silhouettes and at the University of toronto. I’m studying Jazz Piano, Psychology, and Music technology. I’ve been dancing since I was three years old. Although I’ve spent most of my life focussing on ballet, I’ve enjoyed pushing the boundaries of my technique with more modern, contemporary, and jazz in recent years. I love the community that Silhouettes offers for dancers at UofT as well as the opportunity to explore new aspects of dancing. It’s been incredible making friends and art for the last three years and I’m incredibly excited for the year to come!
Show Producer Rina Salsberg
Hey! I'm Rina, and this is my second year both in UofT and Silhouettes, double majoring in Urban Studies and Human Geography! Silhouettes has been a really important part of my university experience; it's given me opportunities to experiment with new things like choreographing for groups, and I seriously can't imagine what last year would have been like without my friends here. I was a ballet girl through and through until I was 15, but I slowly switched gears towards more contemporary-type styles from around 3 years ago (I say "type" because the classes I went to were technically labelled "Jazz", but when I show people in Toronto my old dance videos they all say it's contemp). I'm so excited to have another amazing year of dance and community with everybody, and so incredibly grateful to have the chance to be part of the team that makes it happen!!
Financial Administrator Jaimee Yu
My name is Jaimee and I am this year’s Financial Administrator! I am a third-year double majoring in Psychology and Criminology. This will be my third year in Silhouettes and my second year as the Financial Administrator. I have been dancing for the past 17 years now and have tried several styles of dance, my favourites being Jazz funk and Chinese Dance. I have joined performances and competitions for Chinese Dance in Hong Kong, while Jazz Funk has become my recent favourite. I am also very into K-pop cover dancing as well! Dancing has given me various experiences and opportunities to meet people who love dancing as I do. I have met so many great individuals in Silhouettes and have found a home here. I am really looking forward to the coming year as we work together to prepare for our Final Show!
Company Administrator Divina Sum
Events Coordinator Delainey Harmer
My name is Delainey Harmer and I’m the Events Coordinator for Silhouettes 2023-24 season! I am a second year at UofT studying Political Science and Literature and Critical Theory. This is my second year with Silhouettes and I’m so excited to be more involved in this amazing company as a part of the executive team! Growing up my mother owned a dance studio and I began dancing essentially as soon as I could walk. I began my training in ballet and jazz but quickly started lyrical, contemporary, tap, hip hop, modern, pointe and musical theater. I was a competitive dancer for over 12 years and I couldn’t be more appreciative to Silhouettes for allowing me to continue doing what I love. I cannot wait to see what the coming year brings!
My name is Divina! And I'm Silhouettes '23-'24 Company Administrator. This is my third year in both Silhouettes and UofT, and I'm doing a double major in History and Psychology. I started dancing at the age of eight, primarily learning ballet through the RAD graded and vocational syllabus. Over the years, I've branched out doing other styles such as contemporary, and have attended summer intensives where I've been exposed to other styles such as modern and jazz. However, only at Silhouettes have I really been allowed to branch out into different styles and learn from so many talented choreographers. Being a part of the Silhouettes community has been such a highlight of my University life and I know this year will be no different. I'm eternally grateful to be able to give back to this community as an executive member this year, and I hope to be able to make many more wonderful memories with everyone here!
Media Coordinator Alison Tam
My name is Alison Tam and I am Silhouettes' Media Coordinator for the 23-24 Season. I am a third-year at UofT pursuing a double major in Political Science and German Studies. This is my second year at Silhouettes and am very excited to be more involved as part of the exec team. As a former competitive dancer, I started my dance journey with ballet at 3 years old, and have since come to also train in contemporary, modern, and jazz, as well as begun exploring the styles of hip hop and locking in recent years. I am so thrilled to spend another year working with such an amazing community of dancers and am ever grateful for the many friendships I’ve been able to build during my time at Silhouettes. Here’s to many more wonderful memories! Hope to see you at our end-of-year showcase!