Tanja Rosner is a highly respected Canadian dance educator, choreographer, and artistic director with over three decades of experience in the dance industry. She is the founder and visionary behind YYC Dance Project in Calgary, Alberta - an elite performance company developed in partnership with Alberta Ballet School. Known for her exceptional ability to mentor young artists, Tanja combines technical rigor with expressive performance training, helping dancers succeed on both national and international stages.

After earning her Bachelor of Education in Dance from the University of Saskatchewan in 1992, Tanja’s career has spanned continents - choreographing, teaching, and directing programs internationally. She co-founded Absolute Dance in 1998, growing it into one of Calgary’s leading studios before launching YYC Dance Project in 2014.

Under her leadership, YYCDP has produced dancers who have gone on to perform on major platforms such as So You Think You Can Dance, World of Dance, Canada’s Got Talent, and in prestigious institutions like Juilliard, USC Kaufman, and Rambert. Her students have performed with Ballet BC, Gallim Dance, and appeared in major TV productions and Broadway shows.

A passionate mentor and creative force, Tanja is also the proud mother of international pop artist Tate McRae and Division I hockey player Tucker McRae. Through her work, she continues to shape the future of dance - empowering the next generation with discipline, artistry, and vision.

Directive Mentorship
Artistic Direction for Studios & Dancers
Consulting for Nationals
Prep / Best Dancer Prep Training for Teachers
Brand Mentorship | Parent Mentorship
Studio Creative Direction

As a teacher, Lara is currently with the Alberta Ballet School Professional Division and was with YYC Dance Project since its inception. She has won choreographic achievement awards, adjudicated numerous competitions, and taught convention/master class workshops across Canada and the US. Her students have placed in the Top 20 in 8 different years at The Dance Awards and have won Junior and Teen Best Dancer Titles, as well as placements at YAGP. She has had multiple students go on to attend Juilliard, USC Kaufman, Rambert (UK), University of Arizona, Cal Arts, the School of Contemporary Ballet (Amsterdam), Arts Umbrella, and SUNY Purchase. Her students have appeared on “So You Think You Can Dance’ Season 13 and 17, “World of Dance” Season 3, and “Canada’s Got Talent” Season 1, as well as students who have performed with Ballet BC, Gallim, on Broadway and in music videos. She was honoured to be a part of the Sarah Dolan/Joel Varjassy short film “Vivaldi” as it was selected for numerous film festivals including the San Francisco Dance Film Festival. Lara holds her Bachelor of Fine Arts – Theatre Performance along with her Advanced RAD, CDTA, and ADAPT certificates. She is a certified teacher in PBT. As a student of her family’s studio Myers Dance Centre, she received the YTV Youth Achievement Award with a presentation to the Governor General of Canada and scholarships to Debbie Reynolds Studio F, Steps on Broadway, the University of Regina and is a grant recipient from the Saskatchewan Arts Board. Her professional career includes being an original cast member of the “Festival of the Lion King” in WDW Florida with her twin brother, performing the aerial adage, and as a Kid of The Kingdom. She is grateful to have been a guest artist of R&B Company Los Angeles and the Regina Symphony Orchestra. She has danced in numerous live shows and industrials (Lincoln Mercury, Hudson’s Bay, Disney). She has appeared in projects for Nickelodeon, ABC and Bravo. She has worked as an actor in commercials, television series/movies, and on stage.

Technical Mentorship
Teaching Workshop
Post Secondary Consulting
Curriculum Development

Sarah Dolan is a celebrated choreographer, director, mentor, and adjudicator who has been supporting the dance world with her creativity and leadership for over two decades. She served as the Artistic Director of O2 the Dance Company since its inception in 2010 and also led the YYC Dance Project during its final years. Her diverse and dynamic career spans commercials, music videos, film, television, and live performance.

Sarah has had the privilege of working as an assistant choreographer on major productions including CTV’s So You Think You Can Dance Canada, FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance (U.S.), BBC’s So You Think You Can Dance UK, and CBC’s Over the Rainbow. She has also contributed to Art on Ice as both a dancer and Assistant Choreographer/Creative Director, with global music artists such as Jessie J, The Jacksons, Nelly Furtado, Tom Odell, and HURTS, as well as Olympic and World Champion skaters including Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir, Meryl Davis & Charlie White, Kurt Browning, Joannie Rochette, and Aljona Savchenko & Bruno Massot.

Her choreography credits include standout performances for the Juno Awards with Alessia Cara, along with projects for Paul Brandt, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, Shawn Hook, and Hockey Canada.

Beyond her own creative work, Sarah is a passionate mentor. Many of the dancers she has worked with have gone on to remarkable careers, performing with Cirque du Soleil, on Broadway, in film and television, on international tours, and alongside global icons such as Beyoncé and Celine Dion. Others have trained at prestigious institutions including Juilliard, USC and Arts Umbrella, and have earned accolades such as winning So You Think You Can Dance Canada.

Currently, Sarah serves as an Associate Director with a creative team developing shows for Celebrity Cruises and as a Producer at Only Child, where she has recently been involved in building new productions for MSC Cruises.

Together with her talented husband, Joel Varjassy, Sarah created the short film Spring Vivaldi, which was selected for eight film festivals featuring the artistry of the dancers from YYC Dance Project.

Artistic, Creative & Visual Direction
Creation / Choreographic Work
Creativity Training / Exploration / Play
Project Development
Photo / Video Works