jUNE 8, 10-11, 2026
JUNE 15-19, 2026
FULL WEEK 1: $150
FULL WEEK 2: $325
SINGLE CLASS: $20
SINGLE WORKSHOP: $35
The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance
304 Parliament Street
All prices subject to tax and fee.
JUNE WORKSHOP SERIES
with Julian Nichols, Natasha Poon Woo and Laurence Lemieux
This June, we invite you to join us for a series of workshops with an exciting array of guest teachers.
Tune in and experience your dancing body through a new lens and dive into creative practice through the development of new material and the embodiment of beloved repertoire.
Week 1 will feature the rigorous supportive teachings of guest Julian Nichols, Artistic Director and Founder of Bodies in Action.
Week 2 will host the deeply embodied teachings of Natasha Poon Woo alongside the opportunity to experience a variety of works from Compagnie de la Citadelle’s vast repertoire, including Laurence Lemieux’s Toi et Moi and Alyssa Martin’s Sex Dalmatian’s Hot Holiday Spectacular.
Come explore and refresh your practice while dancing in community. Drop-ins welcome!
Week 1 Schedule: June 8, 10 – 11, 2026*
Guest Teacher: Julian Nichols (Bodies in Action)
*N.B. Due to a recently scheduled Toronto Hydro power outage all classes and workshops on June 9 have been CANCELLED. Registered students have been notified and refunded.
| 12:00 – 1:30PM | Class: Ballet for Contemporary Dancers |
| 1:30 – 2:15PM | Break |
| 2:15 – 4:15PM | Contemporary Dance Workshop: Movement Exploration & Collaborative Creation |
Week 2 Schedule: June 15 – 19, 2026
Guest Teachers: Natasha Poon Woo and Laurence Lemieux
| 10:15 – 11:30AM | Conditioning: C-I Training w/ Natasha Poon Woo* |
| 11:30AM – 12:00PM | Break |
| 12:00 – 1:30PM | Class: Limón-based Contemporary Technique w/ Natasha Poon Woo |
| 1:30 – 2:15PM | Break |
| 2:15 – 4:15PM | Workshop: Compagnie de la Citadelle Repertoire w/ Natasha Poon Woo and Laurence Lemieux |
Repertoire Schedule
Mon Jun 15 – Toi et Moi, choreographed and led by Laurence Lemieux
Tues Jun 16 – Toi et Moi, choreographed and led by Laurence Lemieux
Wed Jun 17 – Hot Holiday, choreographed by Alyssa Martin, led by Natasha Poon Woo
Thurs Jun 18 – Hot Holiday, choreographed by Alyssa Martin, led by Natasha Poon Woo
Fri Jun 19 – Hot Holiday, choreographed by Alyssa Martin, led by Natasha Poon Woo
*Single Class Registration is now available for C-I Training. Due to the progressive nature of this conditioning syllabus, please note the following registration options:
- Class on Monday, June 15 is open to drop-in for all dancers at an intermediate/advanced/professional level, regardless of previous experience with C-I Training.
- For subsequent classes from Tuesday, June 16 through Friday, June 19, drop-ins are permitted only for dancers who have previously completed a C-I Training workshop or course.
- Dancers with no prior experience in C-I Training are strongly encouraged to register for the full workshop (Mon-Fri).
- If you are unsure about which registration option is suitable for you, please contact Natasha at natashapw@gmail.com.
Week 1 Class: Ballet for Contemporary Dancers
Led by Julian Nichols, this class focuses on aligning skeletal structure and breathwork through a contemporary lens. Designed specifically to prepare a contemporary dancer’s body rather than enforcing rigid classical aesthetics, the class fosters an inclusive, trauma-aware, and non-expectational environment.
- Structure: Sessions begin with 15 minutes of dedicated breathwork and body awareness, followed by a barre and center practice that integrates contemporary influences into traditional ballet technique.
- Environment: These classes provide a supportive space to connect with your form without judgment.
Week 1 Contemporary Dance Workshop: Movement Exploration & Collaborative Creation
Open to pre-professionals and professionals, this intensive workshop led by Julian Nichols offers a deep dive into technique, creativity, and collaborative practice. Participants will work in a physical and supportive environment that mirrors the professional ethos of Bodies in Action.
- Phrasework: Learn physically rigorous material that integrates Julian’s unique choreographic style.
- Creative Tasks & Improvisation: Explore original voice and movement through structured tasks and guided improvisation.
- Collaboration: Engage in co-creative processes to develop shared movement narratives.
Week 2 Conditioning: C-I Training
C-I Training™ (conditioning-with-imagery) is a body system designed specifically for dancers. Developed by Dr. Donna Krasnow, Ph.D., C-I Training incorporates both conditioning exercises for muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility, as well as visualization and imagery work for neuromuscular re-patterning (or movement re-education), alignment work, and mind-body integration and connectedness. The applications of C-I Training can assist with injury prevention, improved training practices, and effective warm-up procedures.
Over this five-class workshop, dancers will discuss, learn and embody the fundamental principles of C-I Training while progressing each day to learn new exercises, stretches, imagery, and increasingly challenging variations of the work. Learn more about C-I Training here.
Participants will need to bring their own mat. Due to the progressive nature of these classes, enrollment in all five days of C-I Training during the workshop is strongly recommended.
Week 2 Class: Limón-based Contemporary Technique
Natasha Poon Woo‘s contemporary technique classes are founded strongly on the principles of Limón modern dance, exploring use of weight, suspension, fall and recovery, breath, and musicality with an emphasis on sound anatomical alignment and kinaesthetic efficiency. Dancers will explore these concepts in a progressive class structure, beginning on the floor before moving through more complex, comprehensive phrase work in the centre and travelling throughout the space.
Week 2 Workshop: Compagnie de la Citadelle Repertoire
Toi et Moi
Dive into artistic director Laurence Lemieux’s inner landscape and explore the unique choreographic structure of the duet through her work Toi et Moi. Through her refined specificity and gestural style engage in movement dialogue to the accompaniment of Quebec country music icon Willie Lamothe.
Sex Dalmatian’s Hot Holiday Spectacular
An opportunity to try on choreographer Alyssa Martin’s signature tongue-in-cheek approach to modern/contemporary dance. Indulge in the world of Sex Dalmatian and the epic holiday dance miracle she’s embroiled in. Challenge your technique and theatrical skills as the two combine in this absurdist work of dance theatre.
