Regina dance studio starts initiative to help break down barriers

Collective Studios Regina launched an initiative to make dance inclusive for all abilities and income levels. Damian Smith has the story.

A local dance studio has started an initiative to help everyone experience dance for themselves, no matter their ability or financial status.

This winter, Collective Studios Regina started a nonprofit organization called Community Dance Initiative, with the goal of making dance more accessible.

“We kind of realized over time that there needed to be a dedicated space for creating those opportunities for people,” said Madison Chadwick, the executive director of the Community Dance Initiative.

“It’s a physical art form … It also can be like a spiritual experience for people; it can also be a very good way to exercise and have a good time. It’s kind of a very unique activity in that sense where it blends a bunch of things together."

Sydney Hunt, the associate director of Collective Studios and the associate director of Community Dance Initiative, said funding will be needed going forward.

“Those performance sessions and music video sessions are anywhere from 12 to eight weeks, and so those can add up in cost,” she said. “It would be nice to have a bit more flexibility and opportunities to have everybody come and share the love of dance.”

• Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts sent to your device

The initiative looks to remove barriers, create community, and foster artistry in the community.

To start, dance teachers will visit senior homes to teach line dance, and a grant will be created to help subsidize the cost of dance classes for those who couldn’t otherwise afford it.

“We just would love them to leave feeling confident, feeling encouraged, and just leave them with a feeling of love, of dance, maybe a new passion for dance,” Hunt said.

The program can aid those who are just setting foot into dance as well as the more experienced.

“We want to get people out and moving, no matter what their dance experience,” Chadwick said.

A fundraising event will be held at Darke Hall on April 4 to celebrate and support the initiative. April 4 will also be the fourth anniversary of Collective Studios, with a movie premiere held as well.

The public can also donate through the Community Dance Initiative website.