Shawn Byfield

Dora Mavor Moore Award winning choreographer Shawn Byfield is a veteran of TV & film, and an internationally renowned tap dance & hip hop dance instructor. He's a 2007 Gemini Award Nominee, Co-Director of Thrive! Entertainment, and Director of Funk Factory, Canada's National Tap Dance Ensemble. Born in Toronto, Canada, Shawn Byfield has taught master classes in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, as well as Israel and the United Kingdom. Having taught thousands of students of all ages over the past 15 years, Shawn offers a wide range of inspiring and challenging dance classes and workshops for beginner adults to professional dancers in Toronto. His film and television credits include: Hairspray, Blues Brothers 2000, Taal, Bojangles, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, The Music Man, The Ladies Man, The Juno Awards, Slings & Arrows, Royal Canadian Air Farce, Instant Star; including a few commercials for The Bay, Got Milk, Rogers Video, Zellers, Much Vibe, Rogers On Demand, McDonalds, Honda, Molson Canadian, and Joe Fresh. Media has featured him in the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, National Post, Now Magazine, Eye Weekly, Toronto Sun, Canadian Living Magazine, CBC Radio, CFRB 1010, Much Music, CBC Television and Breakfast Television. He travels often as a teacher and choreographer across Canada, as well as in the United Kingdom. Past students of Shawn have gone on to work with such artists as Britney Spears, Aaron Carter and Janet Jackson. Many have become respected dance professionals in film, television, cruise ships and music theatre.