Trained as a ballet dancer in Poland, Vitek Wincza’s journey began when he defected to Hamilton while on a North American tour with his dance troupe in 1982. Despite his limited English, he began teaching dance and discovered that he loved it: “After a few classes I said maybe this could be my art. I love kids, I love working in a growing environment and I have always been a giver, so I thought ‘maybe I have something to offer through teaching’.” After 15 years as a dance instructor, Vitek founded the Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts in 1997. He poured everything he owned into the Conservatory with the dream of creating a space where the practice of dance, music, drama and visual arts could grow together and shape one another.