About | Prairie Diva

Who We Are

Prairie Diva offers sassy dance classes aiming to empower adults of all ages, shapes and sizes, inspiring confidence while breaking a sweat.

Prairie Diva offers both PERFORMANCE & NON-PERFORMANCE group dance classes in the styles of Burlesque Fusion, Contemporary Jazz, Costume Making Showgirls Jazz, Ballet for Burlesque & Dance Fitness.

Private Lessons are also offered for Bachelorette Parties/Ladies Nights and 1 on 1 private lessons for solo performances or non-performance private lessons just for fun

Why Choose Us

Prairie Diva is a dance school like none other, that offers a strong sense of community, empowerment and is good for the soul!

Community

Prairie Diva has created a strong sense of community and inclusivity through its unique & lively classes. We welcome adults of all ages, levels, personalities and body types. These dance classes provide an outlet to experience joy & companionship while learning something, building supportive and meaningful friendships along the way.

Empowerment

Prairie Diva students gain confidence in themselves and develop a sense of empowerment in these classes that focus on self-love and encourage individuals to be their authentic selves with no judgment. We create a safe space where you can strut your stuff and feel beautiful inside and out just as you are.

Physical & Mental Health

Dancing is proven to have beneficial effects on both our bodies and minds. Improvements to self-esteems, increased mood, reduced anxiety, increased energy and new friendships are all benefits of dancing in group classes. We welcome you to our classes with open arms and can’t wait to meet you!

Meagan

Prairie Diva Owner/Dance Instructor

Meagan Funk started dancing when she was 4 years old. She took lessons in jazz, ballet, hip-hop and lyrical/contemporary styles in Winnipeg, MB, before eventually moving on to dance college in Toronto, ON at George Brown College. After completing college with her commercial dance certificate, Meagan landed her first professional dance role on Carnival Cruise Lines, stationed out of Texas, where she would perform nightly for sold out audiences.

Before starting M. Funk Dance Productions, Meagan worked as a professional dancer throughout Toronto: in various small dance companies, where she performed at weddings, corporate events, galas, and fundraisers; and at the Greg Frewin Theatre in Niagara Falls as a dancer/magician’s assistant. In the latter role, Meagan performed nightly in an extravagant show featuring live animals such as lions, tigers, and exotic birds and grand levitation and sawing illusions. With the magic show, she seized the opportunity to perform as the headliner at the World Magic Conference in Blackpool, England.

Meagan moved back to Winnipeg in 2014 with the plan of starting her own dance business. She began teaching women upbeat Burlesque Fusion dance classes that aimed to inspire confidence and positivity, and with that, Prairie Diva was born. Soon after she started a professional dance company of local dancers that could be hired for performances at special events in Winnipeg and surrounding areas. Both companies have grown tremendously over the years. M. Funk Dance Productions currently has 11 professional dancers on their roster. Prairie Diva has expanded to multiple classes and different levels, with showcases out of both the Park Theatre and Basement Speakeasy in Winnipeg!

Chelsea

Prairie Diva Dance Instructor

Chelsea began taking ballet, tap and jazz classes at the age of 3, and found a lifelong love of dance that goes hand-in-hand with her love of music. She dipped her toes into lyrical and ballet as she got older, but found her groove in hip-hop as a young adult. She began teaching with Royal Dance at 17, and has experience working with all ages and skill levels. She later branched out to teach for the City of Winnipeg for many years, as well as volunteer her time instructing inner city youth in after school programs. She took a step back from teaching at 29, leaving behind her much beloved adult tap, jazz and hip-hop classes.

She signed up for her first Prairie Diva session in 2016, and it was love at first class. She has performed in eight Prairie Diva showcases to date and debuted her first solo performance earlier this year. During the pandemic Meagan even taught a virtual routine to celebrate her birthday!

Chelsea loves the diversity and positivity that Prairie Diva embodies so well and has made so many close friends through classes. She is so excited to tap into her creativity and join the amazing and inspiring Prairie Diva faculty!

Lavender

Prairie Diva Dane Instructor

Lavender is a passionate and encouraging instructor, who joined Prairie Diva in 2021. She teaches burlesque fusion dance classes for all levels of students and also teaches private lessons for students who want choreography or coaching. She has a special soft spot for beginner students trying out dance for the first time and wants to share the freedom that can be found in sensual movement. Lavender began her dance training focusing on ballet and has travelled across North America for her professional training in various dance styles, both classic and commercial, which she uses to create works of all styles and genres, ranging from hip-hop to classic burlesque and almost everything in between!

Also a company member of M Funk Dance Productions, you can find her performing and choreographing regularly for Prairie Diva showcases, doing burlesque, musical theatre works, and other dance routines with her fellow company members. Her classes encourage students to grow not only their technical abilities at their own pace, but also explore musicality, stage presence, and developing an artistic voice.

Lee Dawn (Eh-Tease)

Prairie Diva Showcase Production Assistant

Lee started her dance journey in 2018, after she saw a poster for Burlesque Fusion style dance, at the age of 43. She was very shy at first and started out to try something new, maybe meet some people and then it quickly became cathartic. After just one class she realized her passion for performing and dancing.

From the ages of 4 and 5 she played Ringette, Softball and Soccer in High School. In grade 12 she was awarded The Governor General’s award for the Order of Sports Excellence. Over the years Lee has coached/assisted coaching children, (including her own), ages 4 – 17 in both ringette and soccer.

In the 5 years that she’s been with Prairie Diva she has performed in group and solo numbers, participated in the Pride Parade, Winnipeg Burlesque Festival, concept videos and photoshoots. When she was given an opportunity to become a Showcase Production Assistant, she took it. She has since then tried to give back to the community that helped her by co-creating new and exciting opportunities such as, the yearly charity pin-up calendar, the swingers club (a program where students can be an swing/understudy in performance classes), Prairie Diva After Hours and managing stage kittens.

Lee now encourages others to try something new, like dancing or performing a solo number. Backstage she is your biggest cheerleader and dance mom. She is living proof that you don’t need any experience to dance, just the heart and love of music. Afterall, dance is music made visible.

Rosé

Prairie Diva Costume Class Instructor

Victoria has been a dancer since the age of four, practicing and performing styles including ballet, jazz, heels, salsa, bachata and burlesque! She has been an M. Funk Dance Productions company member and professional dancer since 2014. She choreographed and performed her first burlesque solo under her stage persona “Rosé” in 2017. She has been bringing her beautiful and creative concepts to the stage ever since. She is known in the burlesque community for her classic vintage elegance and sparkling hand-crafted costumes.

It’s no secret that Victoria is crafty and creative. She designs and creates all of her own costumes as well as frequently repairs and pins the costumes of her fellow company members backstage! Victoria is a self-taught seamstress and talented burlesque costumer. She shares her passion for sewing and costuming with Prairie Diva students in her “Become a Showgirl” and Costume-Making classes. She teaches Prairie Diva students how to make their own well-made and elaborate costumes with simple techniques and accessible materials. Giving them confidence to design and create their own burlesque costumes well after the class costume is complete.