The School was founded in 1983 by Artistic Director, Deborah Lundmark, to provide a creative home for young bodies, minds, and spirits. Ms. Lundmark’s thirty years’ experience guiding young dancers from first steps to stage premières has helped make The School one of Canada’s leading training centres.
The School’s expert faculty seeks to make an art of the natural joy of movement found in every child. Encouraging students from the recreational to the pre-professional level, The School’s objective is to foster not only the “thinking dancer” but also the self-directed and physically confident young person. Our pre-professional program incorporates our resident Company’s vision of strong ballet and modern training, leading to a well-rounded dancer able to perform the work of diverse choreographers, and to succeed in a wide range of post secondary training opportunities.
Alumni have joined select post-secondary schools including Tisch and the Juilliard School and (New York City), PARTS (Brussels) and Rotterdamse Dansacademie (Rotterdam) and LADMMI (Montréal); and perform professionally with the Jose Limón Dance Company and Doug Varone and Dancers (New York City), as well as with Toronto-based companies such as Dancemakers, TILT sound+motion, and Toronto Dance Theatre. Others have gone on to teach dance on faculty at York University, Claude Watson School for the Arts, Cawthra Park Secondary School and School of CCDT, or have used their School dance training to pursue careers in film acting or stage acting with such companies as the Stratford Festival.
The School offers a wide range of programs for all ages, meeting the interests and abilities of the beginner to the professional dancers.
For students 7–19 years of age, The School’s program includes both Royal Academy of Dance Ballet and Limon Modern dance, providing the dancer with the opportunity to pursue a balanced training program similar to that of the Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre performing company. Royal Academy of Dance ballet exams are offered to students enrolled in a minimum of two classes per week starting at Grade I Level.
Students seeking a more recreational dance experience can select from a wide range of dance styles including Jazz & Musical Theatre, Hip Hop & Breakdancing, Tap, Teen Ballet, Ballroom, Grade I and II recreational Ballet and some Modern classes, all of which culminate in our year-end Showcase, an in-house performance presented to family and friends.
Recreational adult dancers will enjoy Tap, Modern and Ballroom classes.
Children 2–3 years of age, accompanied by their parents, will explore the natural joy of movement and musicality in our Music and Movement class. Our Creative Movement program is offered to students 3–7 years of age and continues to nurture the art of movement through a blend of spontaneity and technique.
Classes are offered on a 38-week term, from September through June. New registrations are accepted in July and continue throughout the fall and winter based on class availability.
Are you interested in finding out more about the School of CCDT?
CCDT I SCHOOL I STUDIO I 509 DANCE COLLECTIVE I 509 DANCEWEAR I REGISTER l CONTACT
WHO'S WHO - CCDT I CALENDAR - CCDT I REPERTOIRE - CCDT I AUDITIONS
I LINKS I OUTREACH l GALLERIES I WHAT'S NEW l TILT
