At Dance Education Canada, we care about providing our dance educators with access to the most current and relevant topics in dance education. This includes providing them with insight into specific dance injuries, their symptoms, contributors and prevention techniques, which is why we are excited to welcome Dr. Jenna Loewer to our program today.

GUEST: Dr. Loewer graduated from Nazareth college in Rochester, NY with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. After graduation, she spent time specializing her practice by focusing on the field of dance medicine. Dr Loewer has worked with The Rochester City Ballet, Garth Fagan Dance Company and Eastman School of Music. In 2016 Dr. Loewer opened On Pointe Wellness and Rehab with the goal to help others through personalized Physical Therapy in Virginia State fulfilling a lifelong passion for providing quality dance medicine practice in the state. She has served as adjunct faculty member at Nazareth College and George Mason University and is an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), Orthopedic Section of the APTA, Performing Arts Special Interest Group, and the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science.

Disclaimer: Any and all ideas and information presented in the following podcast are those of the presenter. The presenter is not an employee or representative of Dance Education Canada (DEC), and is participating in this podcast on a voluntary basis. The ideas and information they express do not necessarily represent the views of the DEC or its partners, employees or affiliates. The ideas and information expressed herein are for general educational purposes only. They should not necessarily be applied to specific individual situations. DEC recommends consulting an expert or professional regarding specific medical, legal or business concerns. DEC makes no representations about the accuracy or suitability of this content. Please note that Canada's National Academy of Dance Education is now operating as Dance Education Canada.

At Dance Education Canada, we know that it can sometimes feel lonely at the top. Leadership, especially that of a dance studio owner, can be challenging yet rewarding, frustrating yet fulfilling. Today we approach leadership from the perspective of one of the Senior Administrators and leaders at Canada’s largest fitness company, Ms Tammy Brazier.

GUEST: Tammy Brazier is the Senior Director of Corporate & Business Development at GoodLife Fitness. She has over 20 years of experience focusing on the business of optimizing health and well-being, Tammy’s true passion has been centered on inspiring and coaching others to realize and experience the best versions of themselves. As a leader, influencer and champion at GoodLife Fitness, her personal journey and leadership track has inspired her to share her story and insights with professionals in a range of sectors including corporate, non-profit and government. Drawing on her experience in developing a team from the ground up that now works with over 3000 Canadian organizations from coast to coast, Tammy has demonstrated a true appreciation of the challenges, demands and responsibilities that leaders face, and the skills required to succeed.  

Disclaimer: Any and all ideas and information presented in the following podcast are those of the presenter. The presenter is not an employee or representative of Dance Education Canada (DEC), and is participating in this podcast on a voluntary basis. The ideas and information they express do not necessarily represent the views of the DEC or its partners, employees or affiliates. The ideas and information expressed herein are for general educational purposes only. They should not necessarily be applied to specific individual situations. DEC recommends consulting an expert or professional regarding specific medical, legal or business concerns. DEC makes no representations about the accuracy or suitability of this content. Please note that Canada's National Academy of Dance Education is now operating as Dance Education Canada.

As we all navigate this new world, amidst studio closures, stages of reopening and a worldwide pandemic, we need to come together to share ideas, suggestions and considerations more than ever. 

At Dance Education Canada, we believe in the power of “team”. Our team includes researchers, scholars, doctors, professionals and experts in the related fields of dance education, science, medicine and business. We also know that you, our dance community are a part of our team. You play an essential role in helping us navigate the needs of 21-st century dancers, dance educators and studio owners. As a collective, we can combine our efforts, share our ideas and inspire and encourage one another in our practice as studio owners and dance educators to help dance in Canada flourish.

Dance Education Canada recently held a 3-week free webinar series in June 2020 for dance educators and dance studio owners. Over the course of these 3 weeks, we met many many dance educators, who shared ideas, suggestions and strategies for reopening in September 2020. During these past 3 weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know many great studio owners, 2 of whom I’ve invited to be guests on our podcast today, to share their experience, knowledge, and expertise both in their 40th year of dance studio leadership/ownership.

Disclaimer: Any and all ideas and information presented in the following podcast are those of the presenter. The presenter is not an employee or representative of Dance Education Canada (DEC), and is participating in this podcast on a voluntary basis. The ideas and information they express do not necessarily represent the views of the DEC or its partners, employees or affiliates. The ideas and information expressed herein are for general educational purposes only. They should not necessarily be applied to specific individual situations. DEC recommends consulting an expert or professional regarding specific medical, legal or business concerns. DEC makes no representations about the accuracy or suitability of this content. Please note that Canada's National Academy of Dance Education is now operating as Dance Education Canada.

At Dance Education Canada we know that dance teacher training, is so much more than learning steps. It is an understanding of various components of a dancer's training and technique, some of which include anatomy, dance injuries, dance history and music. To better support dancers’ “whole dance education” dance educators should be able to use music as a tool, as inspiration and method through which students can learn about their execution, performance and art form as a whole. Today we will focus on one exercise in ballet, “the adagio” to learn how time signatures can affect its execution. 

GUEST: Ms. Leal holds a BFA in Performing Arts from Providence College in Manitoba.  She has worked as a piano accompanist for over 19 years with some of Canada’s most prestigious schools and companies including the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Alberta Ballet Company and Albert Ballet School. In addition to her work as a piano accompanist for ballet exams and Ms. Leal has also taught music to ballet teachers throughout various programs.

INSTA/FB: @thebarrepianist

LINKEDIN: Lorel (Plett) Leal

WEBSITE: thebarrepianist.com

Disclaimer: Any and all ideas and information presented in the following podcast are those of the presenter. The presenter is not an employee or representative of Dance Education Canada (DEC), and is participating in this podcast on a voluntary basis. The ideas and information they express do not necessarily represent the views of the DEC or its partners, employees or affiliates. The ideas and information expressed herein are for general educational purposes only. They should not necessarily be applied to specific individual situations. DEC recommends consulting an expert or professional regarding specific medical, legal or business concerns. DEC makes no representations about the accuracy or suitability of this content. Please note that Canada's National Academy of Dance Education is now operating as Dance Education Canada.

At Dance Education Canada we know that Dance Educators and Studio Owners are busy navigating this new world of online branding and marketing. With the amount of platforms and access to information, it is easy for Dance Educators to become overwhelmed, be misinformed and feel frustrated. We know that providing our dance educators’ with access to experts in the space of business, branding and marketing, they will be better able to spend time and effort on projects and promotions that will make a positive impact on their business. Today we are pleased to welcome one of Inc. Magazine’s Top 100 Leadership Speakers Bobby Umar.  

GUEST: Bobby Umar is a 5x TEDx speaker and one of the top influencers in the world, with over half a million followers. He has been named the 2nd best business coach to follow on Twitter and the 4th best leadership influencer according to Kred. Bobby is an international author of two books, including a #1 best-seller, and is also is a Huffington Post contributor. He hosted a weekly tweetchat called “The Power of Connection” that reached over 65 million impressions weekly. To date, his social media influence has garnered over a billion impressions. Bobby was also named a “2015 Speaker to Watch” and one of the Top 7 Networking gurus to follow. He founded the social enterprise DYPB – Discover Your Personal Brand, which organized the largest conference in North America dedicated solely to personal branding, featuring 60 experts and over 300 delegates. 300,000+ people from across the world have experienced Bobby’s high-energy keynotes, interactive teambuilding activities, and engaging workshops. Bobby helps professionals ramp up their careers or businesses with focus, clarity and mindset and help ‘lost leaders’ transition to find their authentic path of passion and purpose.

INSTA/TWIT/FB: @raehanbobby

LINKEDIN: Bobby Umar

WEBISTE: dypb.ca

Disclaimer: Any and all ideas and information presented in the following podcast are those of the presenter. The presenter is not an employee or representative of Dance Education Canada (DEC), and is participating in this podcast on a voluntary basis. The ideas and information they express do not necessarily represent the views of the DEC or its partners, employees or affiliates. The ideas and information expressed herein are for general educational purposes only. They should not necessarily be applied to specific individual situations. DEC recommends consulting an expert or professional regarding specific medical, legal or business concerns. DEC makes no representations about the accuracy or suitability of this content. Please note that Canada's National Academy of Dance Education is now operating as Dance Education Canada.

At Dance Education Canada we know that in order for dancers to achieve prime performance, their training requires a balance of exercises for both strength and flexibility. However, in today’s world, this message can become distorted with the amount of extreme stretching videos and tools that dancers have access to. At Dance Education Canada, we know that dance educators play an essential role in not only teaching dancers how to safely execute stretch and strength exercises but in helping dancers reach the fullest extent of their talents. This can be achieved through individual physical assessments for the purpose of determining each dancer's personalized training regimen. Often overlooked or sometimes misdiagnosed is “core weakness” in dancers. 

GUEST: Dr. Alexis Sams, is the owner of AZ Dance Medicine Specialists based in Phoenix, Arizona a mobile service for local dancers. She holds a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Long Island University, Brooklyn and is well known for her holistic approach to maximizing performance and injury management. Over the last six years, her business has grown, adding coaching, education, professional development and consulting dance professionals and related fields. Alexis combines over 20 years of dance training, teaching, and choreography with over 10 years of practice as a physical therapist to treat and educate dancers, instructors, and clinicians all over the world.

INSTA: @azdancemed

FB: AZ Dance Medicine Special

WEBSITE: azdancemed.com

Disclaimer: Any and all ideas and information presented in the following podcast are those of the presenter. The presenter is not an employee or representative of Dance Education Canada (DEC), and is participating in this podcast on a voluntary basis. The ideas and information they express do not necessarily represent the views of the DEC or its partners, employees or affiliates. The ideas and information expressed herein are for general educational purposes only. They should not necessarily be applied to specific individual situations. DEC recommends consulting an expert or professional regarding specific medical, legal or business concerns. DEC makes no representations about the accuracy or suitability of this content. Please note that Canada's National Academy of Dance Education is now operating as Dance Education Canada.

At Dance Education Canada, we know that dancers can realize the fullest extent of their talents in a nurturing, positive and safe physical and cognitive environment. Part of a “whole dance education experience” includes allowing dancers to explore their own creative process. Allowing dancers to express their own thoughts and ideas through movement, while giving them opportunities to communicate through creation, will help dancers form a deeper understanding of movement and its connection to storytelling. Is there a specific recipe that includes ideal conditions required for dancers/performers to truly immerse themselves in a focused, engaged explorative experience?  We will take a look at answering this question today. Helping us understand how important creative expression is for our performers, and how to create ideal conditions for successful performances is the recipient of the 2013 Queen’s Diamond Jubliee Medal and Founder and Director of Burlington Student Theatre is Mr. Rainer Noack. 

GUEST: Rainer Noack is a graduate of Sheridan College, McMaster University, and the University of Toronto. His experiences have influenced his decisions to develop, coordinate, implement, and encourage countless theatre programs in the Burlington area including founding the 40 year running Burlington student theatre program. He has taught Drama in both the Public and Catholic School Boards all while inspiring hundreds of students to pursue careers in the Arts. Rainer is the recipient of many notable awards, including the Burlington Arts Person of the Year and Burlington Performing Arts Centre Hall of Fame inductee. Rainer believes that a future of peace for humankind will come from artists, because that is what they do. Strength, confidence, and great work ethic are core values that Rainer applies to his career as an Arts Educator, and instills in his students as a sure path to success. The work

Disclaimer: Any and all ideas and information presented in the following podcast are those of the presenter. The presenter is not an employee or representative of Dance Education Canada (DEC), and is participating in this podcast on a voluntary basis. The ideas and information they express do not necessarily represent the views of the DEC or its partners, employees or affiliates. The ideas and information expressed herein are for general educational purposes only. They should not necessarily be applied to specific individual situations. DEC recommends consulting an expert or professional regarding specific medical, legal or business concerns. DEC makes no representations about the accuracy or suitability of this content. Please note that Canada's National Academy of Dance Education is now operating as Dance Education Canada.

At Dance Education Canada we know that an understanding of how specific dance styles developed and what specific styles influence one another is essential in being able to truly understand movement. Knowing these details will help you teach movement based on its fundamentals and stylistic qualities. Even some of the most contemporary syllabi were not created of out thin air, they were influenced by pioneering founders of dance and movement techniques. Why is this important? Being a dance educator calls to question how you incorporate your own style influences in class.  Teaching dance is not simply sticking to a syllabus and exam work, it is your constantly evolving stylistic qualities and incorporation of all your experiences that influence your own creation of movement. Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Ballet and Luigi Technique teacher on faculty at the Joffrey ballet Mr. William Waldinger

GUEST: William Waldinger is a regular faculty member at The Joffrey Ballet School. In addition to his position at Joffrey, he also teaches at Broadway Dance Center and the New York Film Academy among other notable schools and colleges.  He has taught and directed several dance programs, including his role as Director of Jazz at The Manhattan Ballet School. Certified by Luigi to teach the Luigi Jazz Technique, Bill has recently been filmed and interviewed for the recently released feature film Uprooted which chronicles the history of Jazz Dance. As a performer, Bill has appeared in various industries including musical theatre, concert dance, commercials, music videos, television and industrials.

INSTA: @williamwaldinger411

TWIT: @bwaldingerjazz

LINKEDIN: Bill Waldinger

WEBSITE: classicalballetandallthatjazz.com

Disclaimer: Any and all ideas and information presented in the following podcast are those of the presenter. The presenter is not an employee or representative of Dance Education Canada (DEC), and is participating in this podcast on a voluntary basis. The ideas and information they express do not necessarily represent the views of the DEC or its partners, employees or affiliates. The ideas and information expressed herein are for general educational purposes only. They should not necessarily be applied to specific individual situations. DEC recommends consulting an expert or professional regarding specific medical, legal or business concerns. DEC makes no representations about the accuracy or suitability of this content. Please note that Canada's National Academy of Dance Education is now operating as Dance Education Canada.

At Dance Education Canada we know that it is likely your own dance training lacked the inclusion and incorporation of the creative process, which would have allowed you you to create, explore and express movement that was your own. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Elements of creative movement were not often a part of commercial studio dance training. However things are changing, the more dance teacher education is becoming prevalent, the better understanding dance educators have of the creative process and the importance of incorporating it into their own dance classes.  But who do we learn best from? Fellow dance educators, professors, researchers and dance scholars? What if instead we look to our artistic community? What if to gain an enriched understanding of the creative process we looked beyond the dance community and explore the creative process of other artists? Today we will do just that… today we have the honour of speaking with Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music and world-renown conductor Ms. Genvieve Leclair.

GUEST: Geneviève holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Orchestral Conducting from Boston University, with a Bachelor's and Master's degrees in flute performance from the Université de Montréal. She was appointed Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music in 2016. Equally at home in the symphony, ballet and opera worlds, she was a recurring guest conductor with The National Ballet of Canada and Northern Ballet in the UK, as well as Assistant Conductor and Guest Conductor for Boston Ballet. Geneviève was awarded the 2017 American Prize in Conducting, college/university division and in 2010, received the Sir Ernest MacMillan Memorial Foundation Award in Orchestral Conducting. In addition to her expertise and experience as a conductor, Geneviève has published several music literature and theory exercise books.

LINKEDIN: Genvieve Leclair

WEBISTE: genvieveleclair.com

Disclaimer: Any and all ideas and information presented in the following podcast are those of the presenter. The presenter is not an employee or representative of Dance Education Canada (DEC), and is participating in this podcast on a voluntary basis. The ideas and information they express do not necessarily represent the views of the DEC or its partners, employees or affiliates. The ideas and information expressed herein are for general educational purposes only. They should not necessarily be applied to specific individual situations. DEC recommends consulting an expert or professional regarding specific medical, legal or business concerns. DEC makes no representations about the accuracy or suitability of this content. Please note that Canada's National Academy of Dance Education is now operating as Dance Education Canada.

At Dance Education Canada we know that dance teacher training is so much more than just learning steps. It includes integration of various components of an education in dance, to bridge the gap between dance training and dance education. Focusing on one or the other was and sometimes is common practice, but in today’s world, like we always say at DEC we need to provide our dancers and dance educators with a “whole dance education” experience. Helping us better understand how both approaches can inform and enhance one another is Emeritus and Senior Scholars from the Deptartment of Dance at York University Ms. Claire F. Wootten.

GUEST: Following completion of her studies with the Professional Division at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Claire danced professionally with the Alberta Ballet Company. She is a graduate of the Teacher Training Program at Canada’s National Ballet School and has taught extensively throughout Canada. Claire has been on faculty in the Department of Dance at York University since 1990, joining the full-time roster in 2004 and holding the role of Department Chair from 2010-14. Her area of teaching specialization is contemporary ballet, dance education and community dance. She is a certified instructor of 3-D Workout, an integrated fitness program based on the work of Bartenieff and Laban. Recently retired from full-time teaching at York, Claire has returned to freelance work.

Disclaimer: Any and all ideas and information presented in the following podcast are those of the presenter. The presenter is not an employee or representative of Dance Education Canada (DEC), and is participating in this podcast on a voluntary basis. The ideas and information they express do not necessarily represent the views of the DEC or its partners, employees or affiliates. The ideas and information expressed herein are for general educational purposes only. They should not necessarily be applied to specific individual situations. DEC recommends consulting an expert or professional regarding specific medical, legal or business concerns. DEC makes no representations about the accuracy or suitability of this content. Please note that Canada's National Academy of Dance Education is now operating as Dance Education Canada.