YOU Dance Residency Returns To Regent Park For Third Consecutive Year

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced that YOU dance returns to the Regent Park community in Toronto for a third residency. The residency will include workshops at local schools as well as five free performances at Daniels Spectrum, May 14 - 18, 2018.

"We are thrilled to return to the Regent Park neighborhood for the third consecutive year with the YOU dance residency, reaching students and families in the community," says Barry Hughson, Executive Director. "Cultivating an interest in the arts and promoting a love of dance and physical movement are central parts of The National Ballet of Canada's mandate."

Over 3,000 students and teachers in grades three to eight at Kensington Community School, Lord Dufferin Junior and Senior Public School, Sprucecourt Public School, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, Ryerson Community School and Orde Street Public School will participate in 45 movement workshops. The workshops will be followed by four free afternoon YOU dance performances at Daniels Spectrum performed by the National Ballet's RBC Apprentices.

Leading up to the week-long residency, 30 students in grades seven and eight from Lord Dufferin Junior and Senior School and the Toronto Kiwanis Girls and Boys Club will participate in 15 creative workshops, creating two original works under the guidance of Artist Educator Annemarie Cabri. The students will then perform the new dance pieces, alongside National Ballet Apprentices, on May 17 during a free evening performance of YOU dance for 300 of their family members and neighbours in the community of Regent Park. Also featured in the performance will be students from the Citadel Dance Programme as well as Corps de Ballet Member Siphesihle November who will dance a work created by Charlie Skuy, a student from Canada's National Ballet School.

Since its inception in 2007, YOU dance has introduced more than 167,000 students to the world of dance. Led by Lindsay Fischer, Artistic Director of YOU dance and Principal Ballet Master of the National Ballet, and Education and Outreach Manager Lisa Robinson, YOU dance uses the power of dance to inspire movement, creativity and imagination in students through free interactive workshops, performances and national livestreams.

More information about YOU Dance >