Meet and Vote for Your Favourite Dancers!

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Colette Harnett is a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer with over 18 years of experience supporting families in Prince Albert and beyond. She is the Assistant Manager for Arbor Memorial in Prince Albert, working out of River Park Funeral Home. Deeply committed to community involvement, Colette serves on the Boreal Healthcare Foundation Board, the Mont St. Joseph Home Board, and the Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce Board, and volunteers her time and resources to support many other local initiatives.

Colette is thrilled to join Swinging with the Stars for Hope’s Home and embrace a challenge far outside her comfort zone. She hopes to show her daughters that stepping into something unfamiliar, learning new skills, and putting in the work can lead to incredible things. Colette is honoured to support Hope’s Home and excited to prove that you’re never too busy — or too uncoordinated — to try something new.

Kara Thorpe grew up in a proud dancing family, with her mother, aunt, and grandmother all working at the Martin School of Dance in Regina. She began classes as soon as she could, training in jazz, tap, ballet, modern, acro, and baton twirling. Kara spent countless hours in the studio as an assistant, helping with costumes and perfecting her craft. She went on to specialize in baton, competing internationally and proudly representing Canada at World competitions.

After retiring from dance, Kara began teaching baton and earned her gymnastics coaching certification, which led to a full-time career coaching athletes at the national and international levels.

Kara is a proud mom of three graduates of Hope’s Home. She credits the compassionate team there for supporting her children’s diverse needs in her own journey as a parent. To her family, Hope’s Home has been far more than child care—it has been a true community and extended family.

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Devon grew up in Prince Albert, where he met his wife, Amber and raised their two children together. He’s an avid cyclist and lifelong car enthusiast, having worked in the industry since his youth, with nearly the last two decades spent managing Prince Albert Autobody. His daughter, Ella, Irish danced under Sara for many years and is encouraging him to step outside his comfort zone. With the support of family and friends, he is looking forward to raising funds for a great local cause.

Sara Stahl is thrilled to be part of this fantastic event! She works full-time as the wound and ostomy nurse for the health region and teaches Irish dance in the evenings. Working in healthcare means I am familiar with the challenges associated with different medical conditions and the commitment needed to support these individuals. Sara believes that Hope’s Home offers a truly remarkable service and serves as an invaluable resource for local families.

She is pumped to have Irish dance included in the show this year and appreciates the coordinators for continually seeking new adventures to keep the event fresh. Sara has been Irish dancing for 25 years, including competing at the World Championships in Dublin in 2011. This is Sara’s second year participating in Swinging with the Stars, and she is honoured to return to the stage for such a worthy cause. She wishes the best of luck to everyone performing and extends her gratitude to all those who are making this event possible!

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Dr. Ashley Toporowski is a local dentist, born and raised in Prince Albert. She graduated with a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 2017 and is proud to serve the community in which she grew up.

Ashley is married to her husband, Jeremy, and together they have two young children who keep life busy, joyful, and full of laughter. Outside of work, she enjoys staying active, spending time at Candle Lake, and travelling with her family. She also creates content on Instagram, which fuels her creative side.

She’s honoured (and a bit nervous) to take part in Swinging with the Stars, supporting the vital care Hope’s Home provides for children with complex medical needs. Stepping out of her comfort zone, she hopes to have fun, make her kids proud, and help raise meaningful support for families who rely on this incredible local resource.

Bethany Leachman is the owner and director of Prince Albert Dance Company, proudly celebrating five years of turning tiny humans into full-blown artists—one pointed toe and dramatic hair flip at a time. She believes dance should be more than steps; it should be art, expression, and just the right amount of glitter. Her studio is known for creativity, community, and the occasional burst of spontaneous hallway choreography.

When she’s not running the studio, Bethany is a full-time mom to two wild, wonderful boys who are involved in every sport ever invented. Between dance recitals, hockey rinks, and basketball sidelines, she has mastered the art of coffee-fueled multitasking. With equal parts passion, humour, and determination, she brings joy to her dancers, her studio, and her very busy, very sports-filled life.

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LJ Tyson is a Folk/Pop artist from Prince Albert. Blending themes of identity and social movement, LJ has put his own unique stamp on the music scene. LJ Tyson is an Indigenous person who identifies as part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Identity has become a significant part of LJ’s work because he feels representation is important in music for minority groups. LJ has shared his songwriting and performance across Canadian radio and venues.

Tailyn Childress is a French Immersion teacher and dance instructor with the Prince Albert Dance Company. She enjoys creating an environment where people feel comfortable, supported, and able to be themselves; something she believes makes teaching and dancing meaningful.

Joining Swinging with the Stars is a new and welcome challenge for her, offering a chance to step into a different role while still staying connected to the things that are important to her. She’s grateful to be part of an event that brings people together for a great cause. Supporting Hope’s Home feels like a natural fit, as their commitment to providing inclusive, child-focused care aligns with the values that guide her work every day.

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Taryn has been working as a Speech-Language Pathologist for the past three and a half years and has had the privilege of supporting many of the children who live at Hope’s Home or attend Child Care. Her passion for advocacy inspired her to recently launch her own practice, Northern Prairie Therapies, where she continues to support children with disabilities and developmental differences.

With a lifelong love for dancing, Taryn grew up competing with her hometown studio in Shellbrook and later trained with two dance companies in Saskatoon from 2014 to 2016. Although she no longer dances competitively, she believes dance is a meaningful avenue for health, wellness, and healing — a form of medicine that offers expression and connection for people of all ages and abilities. She is honoured to combine her professional work and dance background in support of Hope’s Home.

Heather Mackie is the Associate Director of Ballet N’ All That Jazz Dance Studio in Prince Albert. When she’s not teaching dance, she can be found in the classroom working with Grade 7/8 students, leading spin classes at the S2dio, or relaxing at home with her dog, Tucker. This will be her fifth year participating in Swinging with the Stars, and she can’t wait for her partner and her to take the stage!

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Noelle was first introduced to Hope’s Home while studying education at the University of Regina and was truly inspired by the inclusiveness and vision behind their model. She couldn’t be prouder to support Hope’s Home and help strengthen the community that continues to hold her heart.

She is a teacher by profession, though her most important role today is being a stay-at-home mom to three busy boys. Growing up, her parents, Gord and Barb Broda, taught her and her brothers that giving back builds strong communities. Those values shaped who she is and is a major reason she chose to return to Prince Albert with her husband to raise their family. She is proud to call this community home and to serve as President of the Board for L’Ecole des Petits Preschool, as well as on the Capital Campaign Cabinet for Ronald McDonald House.

Kim has been dancing since the age of three, and she can’t imagine her life without it! She has performed in Winnipeg for Disney Canada and was a company member for several years with Dance Saskatchewan’s Dare to Dance. She was honoured to dance before the Queen at the Lieutenant Governor’s Saskatchewan Centennial Gala. Additionally, she had the opportunity to travel to Europe to represent Dance Saskatchewan and Canada with performances in London, the Hague, Netherlands, and Wales. She danced with the National Modern Dance Theatre and performed at the Ffida Festival in Toronto. She has also attended Teacher Conferences in both Boston and New York City. She is the proud owner of Bold Dance Productions and is excited to be a part of Swinging with the Stars again this year!