ARTIST BIOS

Francine, Talia, and Liza met and connected through their love and passion for tap dance and have been working together as a collective since the Spring of 2025. The trio trained together in the Tri-Tone Rhythm Ensemble under the direction of Tasha Lawson and has since remained creative collaborators on individual projects. In April 2025, they participated in Dancers’ Studio West’s (DSW) Mini Research Lab, where they began the development of their piece Soundscrape. The work originated as a dance film and was adapted to be presented on stage. This piece received an Honorable Mention in the WildDogs’ Screendance Film Festival 2025. Soundscrape was presented at the Plaza Theatre in Calgary as part of the weekend-long festival. The trio had the pleasure of being creative residents for DSW’s Quick + Dirty 2025. In the three-month residency, they created a fourteen-minute piece that explored themes of childlike wonder which was presented at cSpace in Calgary. They look forward to continuing to create and work together as a tap dance collective. 

Francine (she/her) is a professional tap dancer, choreographer, and teacher. For the past three years, she has worked closely with students of all ages from the Intermediate Tri-Tone Rhythm Ensemble and Dance Spectrum Inc., setting choreography and teaching technique classes. She has been training with the Advanced Division of the Tri-Tone Rhythm Ensemble (Dir. Tasha Lawson) since 2022, and is entering her fifth season in the ensemble. Francine is a third-year student at the University of Calgary, pursuing a BA in Communications and Media Studies. In the past two years, Francine has travelled to Austin, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; and Orange County, California; to attend various tap dance festivals. She had the privilege to attend Rhythm World 34 with a scholarship from Dianne Montgomery, and received a scholarship to Sarah Reich’s Tap Music Project while in OC. In May of 2025, she received the Changing Times Tap Scholarship from Jane Goldberg, as well as the Grace Inglis memorial scholarship, facilitated by West Coast Tap. Francine has enjoyed working with Talia and Liza, and is excited to continue their journey as a collective.

Talia (she/her) is an artist in both the performing and visual worlds. She is pursuing a BFA at Alberta University of the Arts and enjoys exploring her artistic expression through both visual and performative mediums. Talia received her foundational dance training from Fun ‘n’ Dance, completed the Performing and Visual Arts Program at Central Memorial High School and later followed her love for jazz to Decidedly Jazz Danceworks where she was trained in the Youth Training Program. Talia was a member of the Tri-Tone Rhythm Ensemble for two seasons and has had opportunities to train with masters such as Dianne Walker, Lisa La Touche, and many more. Talia travelled with the ensemble to Austin, Texas to participate in the ArtBeat Tap Festival in 2024, learning and working alongside faculty. Since moving on from the ensemble, Talia has had the opportunity to participate in independent projects under the direction of Catherine Hayward. She has greatly enjoyed creating alongside Francine and Liza in the opportunities they have been able to share together and she looks forward to continuing her journey in the arts. 

Liza (she/her) is a professional dancer, choreographer, and teacher. She received her BFA in Dance from Ball State University in 2022. While in school, she had the pleasure of presenting her own work at festivals around the United States. After graduation, she joined Resilience Dance Company, performing and developing works as a collaborator. She then followed her passion to Canada, where she trained with Decidedly Jazz Danceworks for two seasons as part of the Professional Training Program. She collaborated with fellow PTP dancer Emily Williams to present a duet at Footprints, 2025. In addition to her education, she has prioritized sharing within the Calgary arts scene. She performed as part of the Arts Commons Incubator, now Werklund Center, participated in independent film projects directed by Catherine Hayward, and has greatly enjoyed creating and presenting work with Francine and Talia.