Gillian began ballet at the age of 6, and started training professionally at the age of 8. In Vancouver, she trained under Kathryn Long, Amy Tao, Larissa Rog, and Tracy Bloch, and is a long-time member of Harbour Dance. Outside of Vancouver, Gillian has trained with American Ballet Theatre's Summer School, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, the Northwest Dance Intensive, and was most notably a student at the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet in New York City, where she performed in the company's debut run of The Nutcracker. She has worked with Gelsey Kirkland, Michael Chernov, Karina Elson, Stephanie Saland, Jehrin Alexandria, Evelyn Hart, Heather Laura Gray, Peter Quanz, Kabby Mitchell III, and Julie Tomaino, among others. From 2010-onwards, Gillian was coached by ballet master Philip Beamish.
In 2014, she travelled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where she received her Teacher Certification in Beamish BodyMind Balancing, a mindfulness and floor barre technique for both dancers and non-dancers, created by her mentor Philip Beamish and Monica Canducci.
Because of her diverse training background, Gillian takes a multi-faceted approach to ballet styles. She is trained in Horton Modern Technique, but has experience with Graham, Limon, and Cunningham techniques. Gillian has choreographed on dancers and non-dancers alike. Her notable works include her contemporary ballet Symphony of Moss for which she was awarded the 2nd Overall prize at the Dance Power Championships in British Columbia. |