Meet The Owner

Briana Starr Phillips 

Briana Starr Phillips is an accomplished professional dancer, certified fitness trainer, advocate, and the owner of Starrz Dance and Fitness. 

Following her journey in life as a first-generation Canadian-Jamaican, 

Briana has dedicated this studio to mental health. She is often known for her performances and appearances in music videos. At a young age, Briana became an advocate and role model for all individuals by teaching various age groups about dance, mental health, and history. She remains credible, with experience working in elementary school boards. Inspired by her fitness and injury recovery from a car accident, Briana became an instructor and licensed fitness trainer. Briana is passionate about helping others and loves performing on stage. 

The Inspiration Behind It All

Briana first began her fitness journey at 200LBS/89KGS. Through rediscovering her passion for dance, she found a love for fitness. She started by creating dance mixed with fitness routines, leading to her goal of losing 60LBS alone in just 6 months (January 2023 to June 2023). She then began to teach her "Afro-Fit" class. She is a licensed fitness instructor specializing in body transformation and injury recovery—picture taken September 2022. 

Working with Youth

One of Briana's focuses is on the next generation. She enjoys working with kids and being a role model to them. She has led many groups, including training kids aged 4-18 for the Etobicoke Olympium: Artistic Swim Camp. She has also hosted dance classes within studios and elementary schools, focusing on empowerment and youth mental health, leading to further opportunities to continuously instruct children and perform for family-friendly communities at different events. Photo taken at the "Black2school" event in September 2024. 

The Stage is No Stranger 

From a young age, Briana has been performing on stage for Caribbean music festivals and hosted dance and history workshops for many events, including partnered events with the Kitchener Public Library. She has led studio youth groups for on-stage performances. With confidence, she is committed to entertaining others and sharing stories through performance.                                                                                                                               Photo taken at Kitchener-Waterloo's first Carribana Ignite Festival. 

Her Journey Continues

With devotion, she is dedicated to making SDF a studio that is a welcoming environment. With a mindset to grow with others and continue to be a figure for youth, mental health, and afro-Caribbean community