Jacqueline Chin-Loy has had the marvelous opportunity to have so many children to be a part of her life for the past 36 years.

Her introduction to dance began as young child being taught and mentored under the wings of Barbara Mattalon, her first dance teacher. One word to describe this lasting impression – magical! The studio setting was one of those places out of a movie. Classes were held on a plantation in Jamaica. The exercises at the barre were on the balcony which stretched around the perimeter of the second floor, whilst the accompanist was placed in the middle of a grand room. Afterword, all the dancers would gather for centre work in this room. There were many times in between classes, she and Mrs. Mattalon’s children would play and imagine themselves as fairies as they danced around the large willow trees, feeling the cool afternoon breeze blowing through their hair. It is these impressions that she has captivated and kept with her throughout her teaching career.

In Canada, she continued her studies under Kathleen Binns (Royal Academy of Dance Teacher), Floratina Lojekova (Prima Ballerina of Czechoslovakia and RAD examiner), Bella Kavorsky (Mikhail Baryshnikov’s first dance teacher), Marta Horvath (Prima Ballerina of Romania), Hilda Halliwell, Audrey Looker and Sonia Chamberlain (RAD examiners). It is with their foresight and encouragement that Jacqueline attained her Registered Teacher’s Certificate specializing in children. Throughout the years, she has taught at Allenby P.S. and John Fisher P.S., the Danforth area, Campbellford, Ontario, and Ryerson.

She has performed at Canada’s Wonderful, Ontario Place, Expo ’86 and Drummondville, Quebec. A few companies that she has also performed with are Folk Ballet Theatre, Xing Bang Fu Company and industrial shows.

After retiring from performing, Jacqueline became part of the Seaton Village Community at St. Alban’s Boys and Girls Club. Her love of community feeling is the same that is brought forward into her teaching environment. The families here are much a part of her life as her teaching life. The joy of dancing and life blended harmoniously as a whole.