In this workshop, we will work with dance tools, both improvisational and structured, that will give you insight to the theatrical, movement languages explored in my work Ojalá… We will explore our lower core as a point of reference for movement initiation and end. From small, gestural phrases, to big, expansive ones, we aim to find rapid moments of release and arrival back into our center. We will also implement these tools moving on and off the floor. We will finish the workshop with a choreographic composition/repertoire work to enhance these tools with performance and music.

The root of this dance workshop is Lucy’s curiosity about embodiment of scientific ideas and theories, and in particular cosmological phenomena. This workshop will research the ways, we can and can’t tackle these ideas through dance, the things we see and feel in the attempts to try, all with the focus of expanding our individual movement potentials, our imaginations, and our abilities to connect dots between distant ideas.

Sessions will start with a warmup using Lucy’s “Metaphors” training technique, which draws on Lucy’s extensive training in butoh and improvisation with Fujiwara Dance Inventions, in physical theatre with Theatre Rusticle and her own exploration of philosophy and dance.

Following the warmup, we will use the scientific thought experiment as a model to explore our personal, improvised movement responses to different aspects and images from the study of the universe. We will pose a question, pick a theory to begin with, and set the theory in motion through the imagination. We will explore our ideas individually and in small groups, playing with our capacities to improvise together and learn from each other.

Participants will learn some of task-based score for Lucy’s solo “heat death” interpreting the ideas in their individual ways, layering ideas and insights from earlier in the workshop.

We’ll end with a chance for reflection through a group chat about our discoveries and what we noticed working together.

The workshop is open to movers of all kinds of experience -- all you need is an open mind and the desire to move.

Experience the timeless beauty and captivating story of Swan Lake in this ballet workshop. Based on a folk tale, Swan Lake tells the story of the beautiful princess Odette and her companions, cursed by the evil magician Von Rothbart to live their days as swans and their nights as maidens. Learn about the enchanting story and dance selections based on the original choreography by Marius Petipa

This workshop will include a warm-up ballet class, choreography and context within the dance history. The workshop is open to all levels*. Gentlemen are welcome. Pointe shoes are optional.

Dani & Judy are back in Toronto for another tag team workshop! Hand to hand Hand in hand Hand over hand Hand under hand Hand around hand Hand through hand Hand for hand Hand with hand This workshop focuses on the hands as a point of entry for partnering and spatial orientation. Moving from individual to the collective, expect explorations of physical contact and weight distribution with the self and other participants. If you have someone you've been wanting to explore these themes with, bring them along! We will begin with a warm up and move between improvised and travelling sequences. Task-based explorations will be offered to investigate our individual and collective approaches to "support" and "connection." Hand to hand, towards and away!

This November we are pleased to offer two opportunities to learn from the wonderful Alyssa Martin. One is a choreographic composition workshop designed especially for emerging choreographers, or those interested in making their own work. The second is an opportunity to learn two sections of contrasting choreography from Rock Bottom Movement's latest new work, Big Time Miss!

Hope, heartache and betrayal cast their haze on one of the most breathtaking ballets of the Romantic period in Giselle. Learn about the supernatural beauty of the fascinating scenery, story and score by Adolphe Adam. Dance selections of the original choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot.

This workshop will include a warm-up ballet class, choreography and context within the dance history. The workshop is open to all levels*. Pointe shoes are optional.

Martial arts is a hot ticket in film & tv, dance, and theatre, and is a valued asset to any performer. This workshop will break down fighting stances, punches, and kicks, so you can unleash your inner superhero/shero/queero! Learn the difference between straight, round, uppercut punches, and front, side, and roundhouse kicks, as well as some fancier movements like spinning hook kicks, jump kicks, and sweeps.

Combining the consciousness of Yoga with the playfulness of Circus and Theatre, this workshop will focus on group invention including partner and group acrobatics, with a little juggling thrown in. No experience is necessary.

In the multimedia dance workshop, we will take the first steps into this mixed arts technique, learning how movement and lighting resources have a meeting point on expressing through musicality. Although we part from a solid contemporary dance technique, the workshop emphasizes on the physical expression, different body dynamics and precision in working downbeat, as well as understanding how the integration in the video projections works.

Curating Clarity: an exploration in finding clarity within the choices we make. This workshop is a guided improvisation exploring how one can stay grounded while simultaneously navigating new pathways of moving. This class will focus on external and internal sensations, finding connections to oneself and others, as well as discovering narratives that can keep us present.

Join us for a two-hour workshop to improvise, learn repertoire and explore some of the choreographic tasks we used for the creation of 'The Great Dream', which premiered at the Canadian Opera’s Free Concert Series in March 2024. The workshop will start with a warm-up consisting of both set material and improvisation. Spinal motions, oppositional forces, transitions from floor to standing and exploring a range of coordinative patterns will prepare the body for action.

Learn some of the basics of the classical Indian dance form of Bharatanatyam. We will take a glimpse into concepts of rhythm, footwork, gestural language and storytelling.

Acting for Dancers dives into the world of intention, physical storytelling and text. Created for movers, dancers, actors (and any beginner ready to play), we'll learn useful tools to keep you grounded and present while in your imaginative world. We'll explore acting techniques that support dancers to connect with story, character and emotion in a sustainable way. Focusing on the meeting point between body language and text to convey intention. Let's play together!

Dating back to the late 1960's, Ballroom culture is birthed and created by Black and Latinx Gay and Trans folx as an act of resistance to racism in the New York drag scene. Voguing is a highly stylized form of expression created by Paris Dupree and pioneers of the ballroom community and its name takes from the famous fashion magazine, Vogue.  In this workshop, we will be learning about tapping into our hyper-feminine performance personas, the art of selling, posing, and exploring the elements of vogue - hands, catwalk, duckwalk, floor performance, spins and dips.  Open to all levels and for those just being introduced to ballroom, we will talk about ballroom etiquette, how to prepare to walk a ball, getting your 10's, and battling! 

Get an inside look into Rock Bottom Movement's newest work in development with this preview repertory workshop. Together we'll dive into some fresh bittersweet phrases that force nostalgia through the body in lightning bolts.

A flamenco class for contemporary dancers where you learn the basic elements of the form: arm work, footwork, and turns. We will unpack one of the many flamenco rhythm codes to learn body percussion and a brief choreography. These elements will help you bring intensity, specificity, rhythm and groove to your practice.

Clowning for Dancers is an exploration of personal joy, play and presence designed for dancers, movers & physical artists. In this workshop, we will unlock the ridiculous, embrace the weird and come to terms with the realities of the present moment, flops and all! Clowning as a training tool for dancers can help us get out of our heads and back into the room; it helps us relate to one another while giving us permission to try without worrying. Plus: we’ll be dancing!

In this composition workshop, we will tune our senses to observe the poetic interplay of randomness and choice. We will explore a set of tools for composing a dance, as well as perspectives on composition. Ultimately, we examine ways of being together. All participants will be both performing and observing. We’ll create a number of small pieces of art and then reflect on them.

Romance, comedy, and virtuosic dancing abound in one of the most beloved, renowned ballets of all time: Don Quixote! Filled with vibrant characters, dazzling choreography, and a beautiful Spanish setting, Don Quixote showcases some of the most exciting variations in classical ballet repertoire. See you on the streets of Seville!

These individual 10-minute-long private sessions with Debbie Wilson are meant to help you find a functional solution to achieving your dance and movement goals.

Come celebrate your body as the Temple of the spirit connected to Mother Earth.

Lua Shayenne is based in Toronto, Canada. She is an avid student of traditional Mandé dances and rhythms. Her dance workshops with live percussion are adapted to all levels. Through the grounded movement of dances from Africa, Lua Shayenne invites you to celebrate your body as the Temple of the spirit connected to Mother Earth. We explore Breath, Ground, Inner Rhythm and Current.

Gain a general understanding of how freelance taxes work as a freelance dance and artist so that you can take steps to minimize your tax bill this April! Learn the essential 6 steps that every freelancer can do monthly to stay on top of their numbers. Be sure to submit your questions beforehand and Jami will do her best to incorporate them into this session.

By the end of the 8-week course, you will have gained confidence in your ballet abilities and be prepared to continue your ballet journey in more advanced classes. The course also aims to provide additional information and insights into the art form of ballet, both inside and outside the studio

In this class 6-week long course, you will continue to strengthen your basics of working en pointe. Practice beginner steps and gain ankle and foot strength with targeted exercises.

Taking the artistic impulse and transmuting it into the realm of words, grants, schedules, budgets, marketing, fundraising, audience and community connections. How does the craft of choreography live beyond the studio and theatre? 

Join our 5-week Forró Dance Workshop, the perfect gateway for anyone interested in exploring a new social dance, with no need for prior experience or a partner! Led by our skilled instructors, Cem and Clara, this workshop will allow you to learn a new dance and experience the vibrant and colourful culture of Brazil's northeast.

By the end of the 8-week course, you will have gained confidence in your ballet abilities and be prepared to continue your ballet journey in more advanced classes. The course also aims to provide additional information and insights into the art form of ballet, both inside and outside the studio

Explore the fundamentals of contemporary dance through the ideas of release, opposition, imagery, initiation, embracing gravity, and finding liberation though moving the body in space. This series of classes will deepen your level of body awareness, and understanding of how your body can move safe and harmoniously. Classes will included guided explorations and a series of progressive movement phrases over the span of the 6 weeks.