Motion Dance Centre

About Us

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Click HERE for our 2022/23 calendar

Our Vision: The heart of a dancer lives in many different bodies, and the love of dance is not dependent on the technical ability of the dancer. Our knowledgeable staff will push students to excel – but never at the expense of their joy or self-confidence. We commit to honoring our dancers for who they are, not who they could be.

At Motion Dance Centre, we strive to provide a strong technical foundation, and a safe space for each student to develop their own authentic quality of movement. We will encourage each student to strive for their personal best, while fostering a sense of community and citizenship in the classroom and beyond.

Our Beliefs:

Dancing lessons are life lessons.

Dancing provides an outlet for emotions, and can be a catalyst toward healing.

Whether in class or onstage, the energy and passion put into your dancing should be the same.

The success of each individual dancer is a result of great teamwork between instructor, student, and family and a strong sense of self discipline.

Dance is s something that you can always come back to in different stages of your life; there is no age limit to creativity.

Our Values:

Safety – The physical, mental and emotional safety of our dancers are of utmost importance within Motion.

Authenticity – Each of us has our own authentic voice; we will help each dancer find theirs, and build the confidence to stay true to themselves.

Creativity – Classes at Motion are grounded in strong technique, and each dancer is encouraged to find their own interpretation and movement.

Our Accreditations:

We ground all of our students in a solid technical foundation, utilizing the ADAPT syllabus for Jazz and Tap, the ADTA syllabus for Acro, a variation of the Cechetti syllabus for ballet, and the Intellidance program for toddler and child level classes.

Our Programs:

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Intellidance Babies (ages 3-11 months)

Come and learn how dance, music, and play can nurture early neural development, while strengthening the caregiver-baby bond! Each week will introduce a new development topic to help you understand how to support your baby’s growth. Dance and music concepts will be introduced through circle dances, free exploration, songs and rhymes, and sensory activities that help foster your baby’s cognitive, emotional, and physical health. Caregivers will delight in watching their little ones grow and learn while making friends and socializing with others. **Parent participation is required

Intellidance Tykes (ages 1-2)

Creeping, crawling, walking, bouncing! Your little one is now moving and exploring the world like never before. With busy little ones in mind Intellidance® Tykes will continue to focus on nurturing gross motor, emotional and social development, through movement concepts, circle dances, free exploration, songs and rhymes, and sensory activities. Caregivers will delight in watching their little ones curiosity and joy making friends and socializing with others. **Parent participation is required.

For more information on Intellidance, click here

Intellidance Tots (ages 2-3)

Intellidance® Tots offers a lively environment for independent movers and their caregivers, to experience the joy of dance and movement together. Kids love to figure things out, and this class will provide opportunities to problem solve together. Discover and explore movement concepts, while gaining balance, flexibility, and coordination. Animated storytelling, songs and rhymes, instruments, props, and simple choreography will add fun and excitement! **Parent participation is required

Creative Movement (ages 3-4)

A mixture of movement, music and traditional dance steps, this class is an introduction to the study of dance. Children will be encouraged to use their creativity through improvisation, and will be taught fundamental steps in ballet and jazz. Through the use of specific creative movement activities, children learn the basics of dance while improving their coordination, strength, spatial awareness and motor skills. Concepts taught will include stretching, skipping, galloping, hopping, balancing as well as the basic positions of the feet and arms in ballet and jazz. This class will participate in both the Christmas and Year End recitals.

Preschool Intro to Dance (ages 3-4)

In this year long class, each of the three terms will be devoted to a different style. Term one will be our traditional Creative Movement format, term two will give students the opportunity to try out the Tumble Tots style class, and term three will finish with a Hip Hop Tots class. Throughout all styles, learning will be play based, using sensory tools, songs, dancing and games will be used to develop self-expression musicality and a love for dance.

Tumble Tots (ages 3-4)

If your little one is more interested in trying to do a somersault than a tendu, then this is the class for them! Tumble Tots is a mixture of dance and gymnastics, with students working on their somersaults, bridges, balances, and handstand prep. The class starts with dance based improvisation games to get the creativity flowing, and then moves into a circuit format where the students can take their time learning each individual skill with one-on-one instructor attention. If a student is ready to progress beyond their classmates, the instructor is able to accommodate that, making sure that every child is equally challenged and able to grow. This class will participate in both the Christmas and Year End recitals.

Tutu Tots (ages 3-4)

Ballet is an important base in every form of dance, and we believe it is an important part of dance education. Dancers will learn basic ballet technique including barre work, center work and across the floor progressions, in a play based learning environment. Dancers will participate in the December and Year End recitals.

Tappin Tots (ages 3-4)

Tappin Tots classes focus on bringing out the creativity in your child while they learn the fundamental skills of tap dance including concepts such as stomps, stamps, brushes, toe/heel taps, toe/heel digs, and shuffles.In this class, we explore fundamental tap skills and technique following the ADAPT syllabus. Dancers in this class will focus on improving musicality and rhythm, and will focus on working their fine motor skills to help move the feet to make the proper tap sounds. This class will participate in the December and Year End recitals.

Contemporary Kids (ages 4-6)

Contemporary classes include opportunities for free dance, centre exercises, barre exercises , combinations and strength and flexibility training.

Competitive Program - Dance & Acro - ages 4+

Beginning at age 4, competitive classes are offered for students with some past dance experience, and require teacher approval when registering. We offer competitive dance classes as well as a competitive acro team.

Competitive dance classes participate in a variety of styles, with jazz, tap and ballet being the foundation of our programs. As students continue in our program, hip hop, musical theatre, and contemporary are added in. Students will work on building a strong foundation of technical and artistic skills while creating pieces to take to various local competitions in the spring and local community performances. Our Competitive Program also offers travel opportunity to take our dancers onto stages around North America. We feel that what defines our competitive program is the desire to help each student reach their full artistic potential in a supportive and caring environment.

Our Acro Collective is a competitive class designed for students who wish to advance their acro dance training. Students will work on building a strong foundation of acro skills, dance technique and artistic skills while creating pieces to take to various local competitions in the spring and local community performances. This class is by teacher placement only.

Please contact us for more information on registration and pricing, or to schedule a placement audition.

Comprehensive Training Program (CTP) - ages 5+

The Comprehensive Training Program is our top tier training program for students who wish to pursue their passion for dance in a highly technical structured environment. The Comprehensive Training Program is designed by ADAPT certified teachers and will prepare students for their ADAPT exams. CTP students will have the option to take their dance exams in February, and will be putting on their own showcase in June.

Students in the comprehensive training program will work through the levels of the ADAPT syllabus which range from Pre-Junior to Intermediate. Information on the ADAPT syllabus can be found here.

The Comprehensive Training Program will cover ballet, tap and jazz beginning at age 5. At the age of 8, CTP students will have the opportunity to add in an additional dance style such as hip hop or contemporary and at the age of 10 students may add in another style such as musical theatre or modern. For more information please contact the Artistic Director at sara@motiondancecentre.ca.

Ballet (ages 5+)

The focus of this class is on building the foundations of dance. We follow the our own ballet syllabus which is a hybrid of the Cechetti and ADAPT syllabi, and we offer exams to those who wish to take them.

Ballet is the base of every form of dance, and we believe it is an important part of dance education. Dancers will learn basic to advanced ballet technique including barre work, center work and across the floor progressions. As dancers grow stronger in their ballet, they may be invited to join our pre-pointe program to help strengthen them and prepare them to dance en pointe.

No experience is necessary to start!
**mandatory for all competitive dancers

Tap (ages 5+)

Tap classes focus on developing the dancers in one of the traditional styles, following the ADAPT syllabus. We offer the option to take part in yearly exams, however they are not mandatory.

Tap classes focus on the fundamental skills of tap dance including musicality , rhythm and concepts such as stomps, stamps, brushes, toe/heel taps, toe/heel digs,shuffles. As dancers grow, these skills will be built upon, and a greater importance will be placed on musicality and choreography, and finding individual style and performance!

Jazz (ages 5+)

Jazz classes focus on developing the dancers in one of the traditional styles, following the ADAPT syllabus. We offer the option to take part in yearly exams, however they are not mandatory.

In class, the fundamentals of jazz are taught through barre work, terminology, centre work, and combinations. Expect the music to be upbeat, and the energy to be high! Students will learn the proper positioning of the feet and arms, and will practice jumps, leaps and turns while also learning barre exercises and centre work appropriate for their skill level.

Acro/Acro Performance (ages 5+)

Our fastest growing dance program, acro is a blend of dance technique with acrobatic tricks such as handstands, aerials, cartwheels, rolls and tumbling following the ADTA syllabus. In this class, students learn the techniques needed to perform their acro tricks safely and properly and build strength and flexibility. Students of any level can take this class, because the moves progress at the pace of each individual student.

Acro Performance:

The acro performance class is a class for students enrolled in an acro class who wish to learn choreography to perform at recitals and other performance opportunities. Stuents MUST be enrolled in an acro class at Motion Dance Centre to participate in this class.

It is highly recommended that acro dancers take a ballet or a jazz technique class.

Hip Hop (ages 5+)

Hip Hop is an upbeat and energetic class suitable for all ages! In Junior Hip Hop students will learn the fundamentals of hip hop dance such as grooves, stalls, rocks, isolations and more while blending the elements of traditional hip hop dance with street jazz and break-dancing. Students will work on improving rhythm and musicality while participating in center and across the floor work.

In teen hip hop, the fundamentals will be taught, and students will be encouraged to learn the different styles of hip hop, and to work to build their own style through freestyle movement, collective choreography, and style exploration!

Contemporary (ages 7+)

A contemporary class is the perfect place for someone to explore self expression in a safe and supportive environment. This style of dance incorporates fundamental techniques from ballet, jazz and modern dance while allowing dancers to use their bodies to tell a story or to express various emotions. Contemporary classes are less rigid than jazz and ballet technique classes, allowing for students to explore their creativity through movement. Contemporary classes include opportunities for free dance, centre exercises, barre exercises , combinations and strength and flexibility training.

It is highly recommended that contemporary dancers take an additional dance class.