Tanbridge Academy offers students a top-rated dance program in one of the best private schools in Calgary, Alberta.

Dance

PROGRAM

Tanbridge Academy offers a comprehensive skill development program for male and female students in Grades 1-9. Students in Grades 1-3 participate in a one-hour session per week. Students in Grades 4-9 participate in 3-hour sessions per week. All students in the Dance program are provided the opportunity to pursue their passion for the arts by studying an array of dance styles throughout the course of the school year, such as Jazz, Tap, Ballet and Hip Hop. The students will also be given several performance opportunities to perform on stage for their peers and community. Students in this program will benefit both physically and mentally-improving their strength, flexibility, balance, rhythm and confidence. Although students will work on their own dance development individually, they will also learn to work as a team with their fellow classmates.

The goal of our dance program is to spark creativity in our students and to develop a love for the arts. Creative movement through dance encourages students to have a more positive attitude and explore their own self-expression. Through engaging songs, barre technique, across-the-floor combinations and choreography, students will explore the connection between music and movement in an engaging space. Dance will help students to improve their focus and concentration while enhancing their balance and coordination skills.

Our Director of Dance, Ms. Lisa Wickwire, is passionate about fostering the love of dance in her students. Having danced since the young age of three, Ms. Lisa has spent her entire life in the world of dance. She grew up in Calgary as a competitive dancer and moved to Toronto at the age of 18 to pursue Theatre, where she graduated as class president from the Randolph College of Performing Arts.

After graduating, Ms. Lisa received her first contract. She travelled to Florida and began training for Costa Cruise Ships. She toured Europe and the Caribbean for one year, dancing in five different shows, including the dance assistant in a magic show in Italy. Following that contract, Ms. Lisa joined the Ritmos Naturales Dance Company in Cancun, Mexico. She eventually returned to Toronto and received a lead role in a workshop production of West Side Story which benefited the Toronto People with Aids Foundation.

Ms. Lisa is a scholarship recipient from the Los Angeles Dance Force and has also danced in two Tap-dance workshops with the late tap legend- Gregory Hines. Throughout her career, Ms. Lisa has always been passionate about sharing her love of dance with her students. She spent three years in California at Off Broadway Studio, Hawkins School of the Arts, Northern California Dance Conservatory and Excelsior Elementary School.

Ms. Lisa's students have gone on to Randolph & AMDA (L.A/NY) and have won competitive dance awards in Sacramento, San Francisco and Nationals in Las Vegas. Ms. Lisa served as Artistic Director for the Calgary Dance Express for three years, taking the troupe to perform in Spain, Portugal, France (Disney Paris), Italy and locally in the Calgary Stampede.

Last summer, she received a Tap intensive workshop diploma from the Dance Life Retreat Centre (Boston, MA.) She has done several residencies at Calgary Schools, Leisure Centres and she teaches and choreographs at local dance Studios. She currently teaches Tap and is the Artistic Director of the Musical Theatre Program at a local dance studio. Ms. Lisa is an example to her students that with dedication and hard work, you can achieve your dreams. She believes that each dancer has a different gift and is dedicated to developing each student’s potential individually.