Biography

Josette Halpert uses her unique background, a blend of dance, film and television to inspire a new generation of dancers to experience story through dance.

Josette danced competitively for 15 years, in all styles, and has held titles in ballet, lyrical and tap across North America. She is well known for representing the city of Toronto, performing as a soloist at Maplefest, Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, and at Nathan Phillips Square for National Tap Day. She has studied under such names as tap legend Mike Minery, La La Land’s Mandy Moore, and Mia Michaels (So You Think You Can Dance).

She transitioned from performance onstage to dancing onscreen at the age of 12. From there, she went on to include elements of dance into many of her onscreen performances, gaining a small following from her parts on Disney and Nickelodeon.

While working toward her degree at York University, she taught at All That Dance for Pre-Dance, Youth and Teen Precompetitive classes. She specializes in a unique blend of performative storytelling that encourages dancers to practice technique alongside developing their artistic scope.

As a graduate, she received the Undergraduate Research Award for her exploration of Video Dance, a blending of creative movement through a cinematic lens. Later, she transitioned these interests into a career as a film reviewer, specializing in dance on film, a stepping stone to joining the Emerging Art Critics Programme, reviewing the entire 2017/18 season for the Toronto Symphony and National Ballet of Canada.

As an educator, she has used her background in the entertainment industry to provide a face of inspiration to young students who dare to dream big.