Tré Armstrong – Biography

Tracey ‘Tré’ Armstrong, a dancer, choreographer and actress, was born in Toronto and raised in Mississauga, Ontario. From the age of five she studied ballet, tap and jazz dance, and later fell in love with Latin, hip hop and urban forms of dance. She was featured in the 2005 NFB documentary Breakin’ In: The Making of a Hip Hop Dancer written and directed by Elizabeth St. Philip, which highlighted Armstrong as one of Canada’s top rising stars. Her breakoutmoment occurred after seeking out Missy Elliot. The hip-hop queen gave her a place on an international tour, and since then Armstrong has travelled the world sharing her experience through workshops, seminars and classes in hip hop, urban and freestyle dance.

Armstrong was one of the judges on So You Think You Can Dance Canada (2007–11), and has appeared on shows such as Canadian Idol, Saturday Night Live, the MTV Video Music Awards and various other award shows. She was hired as a choreographer on A Raisin in the Sun, a 2008 ABC movie of the week starring Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, which was nominated for a Golden Globe and three Primetime Emmy Awards; the urban dance television drama Turn the Beat Around and the horror-rock opera musical Repo! The Genetic Opera. As an actress, she has appeared in the Richard Gere/Jennifer Lopez version of Shall We Dance, Ian Iqbal Rashid’s How She Move and the series ‘Da Kink in My Hair.

In February of 2012 she was given the prestigious Success, Engagement and Empowerment Award at the 3rd Annual Black History Month Gala, which recognizes those who reach out and make a difference in communities around the world and at home. Armstrong is actively involved in giving back to the community, supporting local and international charities, encouraging youth to get active. She created D-Tour, a division of The Tré Armstrong Give Back Foundation. D-Tour is a nurturing 12-week program focusing on using urban dance to promote life-skill building in young girls and boys aged 14–20 in underserved communities across Canada. The Tré Armstrong Give Back Foundation, a non-profit organization, is focused on encouraging creative and artistic expression through dance, in hopes of increasing self-esteem and self-confidence while building essential life skills.

Also see: Tré Armstrong’s filmography.