Pacific Interior Dance and Pilates celebrating 25 years

Deborah Ward began teaching Kelowna highland dancers in 1981, first alongside Studio One’s Lori Larson, and then out of her own basement studio and at St. David’s Church on Sutherland Avenue.

In 1989 Deborah Ward Highland Dance opened its first commercial space on Tutt Street in the Mission. In 1995 the Pacific Interior School of Dance – offering Highland, Ballet and Jazz, and presenting its first Showcase – was born under the direction of Deborah Ward and Kelowna Dance Academy’s Loretta Beamish.
To accommodate growing numbers and production training, the school moved to Industrial Avenue in 1999, and added Tap and Hip Hop to the list of classes offered.

The Pilates department opened shortly thereafter, initially as an extension of the school’s dance training, but quickly expanded to focus on adult health and fitness. 2005 saw the addition of our specialized Pilates personal training studio and the name changed to Pacific Interior Dance and Pilates

The Pilates department quickly outgrew the personal training studio and in July 2007 moved to its present location at 546 Leon Avenue. August of 2007 the name changed to Pacific Interior Pilates Inc.