New instructors bring global flair to Brandon dance

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/07/2025 (249 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon School of Dance has added international flair and expertise to its faculty with the arrival of Vitaliy and Beth Fedorov, a husband-and-wife duo whose passion for dance has taken them across continents — and now, to the Wheat City.

After spending the past four years teaching in Dubai, Vitaliy and Beth arrived in Brandon earlier this month, eager to bring new styles, teaching methods, and a deep commitment to student development. Their journey to Brandon has been anything but linear, with stops in New York, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and even Antarctica as part of their globe-trotting careers in dance.

“We were looking for a place to call home,” Beth said. “Brandon felt like the kind of place where we could settle down, invest in a community, and grow something meaningful. The dance school, the people, even the greenery, we felt an immediate connection.”

Beth’s love for dance is hereditary.

“Dance is in my family because my mum, her brother and others dance,” she told the Sun.

Her early training in ballet, tap, and modern began as a child in the U.K. and eventually led to professional work and teaching credentials with two globally recognized dance organizations: the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD).

Vitaliy’s story is one of unexpected transformation. “I was on track to become a marine engineer,” he recalled of his teenage years in Ukraine. “But when I tried dancing at 17, everything changed. I found something I was good at and loved.” He went on to study dance formally, joining a professional dance company while earning a degree in choreography and dance education.

The couple eventually found each other in New York and reunited in Dubai, where they spent the last four years teaching a variety of styles to a transient student base. While Dubai provided valuable experience, they longed for continuity.

“In Dubai, everything moves fast. The students come and go, and you don’t always get to see them grow,” Vitaliy said. “Here in Brandon, we hope to be part of students’ long-term journeys — to help shape dancers from their first steps through to advanced performance.”

At Brandon School of Dance, the Fedorovs are introducing structured, globally recognized syllabi and techniques not previously offered in the area. Beth plans to implement the ISTD program in tap and jazz, a comprehensive system used worldwide but rare in this region.

“I believe in the ethos of ISTD,” she said. “It gives dancers a solid technical foundation while encouraging expression and creativity. I’m excited to raise the profile of jazz and tap in the school and bring something fresh to the curriculum.”

Vitaliy, meanwhile, is championing a European-based contemporary dance style derived from the Rambert Dance Company. Unlike the often free-form and variable nature of contemporary classes, his approach offers structured progression and technique.

“The thing with contemporary dance is that people often get confused by it, and sometimes it takes a slightly different direction depending on the teacher’s training. It’s usually more like free work,” he told the Sun.

“And usually, when you come to a contemporary class, you don’t know what you’re going to get. But here, it’s basically a system with built-up progressions and specific exercises that were created by the dance theatre. And that’s what makes this training very interesting — it’s structured.”

Despite only being in Brandon for just over a week, the couple says they already feel the “buzz” from the local dance community. “We’ve heard from Brent [Campbell, the school’s owner] and others that there’s real excitement,” Beth said. “We’re just as excited — maybe more!”

The couple will officially begin teaching in August through a series of camps and intensive courses. Full-term instruction begins in the fall.

Beth and Vitaliy are also embracing the lifestyle that Brandon offers: green space, less traffic, and a close-knit community — qualities they say were missing in their previous city life.

“There’s no traffic in Brandon,” Beth said with a laugh. “That alone was a huge selling point after years of gridlock in Dubai. But more importantly, we were looking for a place that felt like home, and we feel we’ve found it here.”

While their passports may be full of stamps, the Fedorovs see Brandon as more than just another stop. The move, they said, was meant to be long-term.

“We’ve been married two years and have travelled all over,” Beth said. “But this is the first time we’ve felt like we can truly settle, start a family, and build something lasting.”

» aodutola@brandonsun.com

» X: @AbiolaOdutola