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Ballet Montreal Performing Arts is a non-profit dance academy and performance arts organization
We aim to provide services to the community not only by promoting arts and culture but also by promoting healthy lifestyles and wellbeing through dance.
Dance, a form of art and also a natural human activity, has proved to be enjoyable and beneficial for people of all ages. Following the UK model, our school is committed to promote dance programs that encourage and facilitate healthy life styles through dancing.
To achieve this goal the School in collaboration with other institutions will run a variety of programs, each of them targeting different vulnerable populations and focussing on their particular needs. Specific dance styles and activities will be used as vehicles to promote physical activity, body awareness and ways of self-expression in a pleasurable, safe and professional environment.
Promoting exercise and physical activity through dance:
Following extensive research in the health area, we can say that exercise has been proved to be one of the most effective strategies to keep people healthy. However, most of the population does not reach or follow the necessary recommendations for physical activity. In this context, governments have been challenged to find and promote new ways of promoting and engaging people in having an active life. In this scenario, dance has emerged as a noteworthy approach for fitness and healthy lifestyle due to some of its intrinsic characteristics. Dance, one of the main art forms that uses the body as its form of expression, is inherently enjoyable. The variety of styles and forms dance proposes promotes diversity and inclusion. It is also a fundamental social activity that easily creates bonds between people.
“We chose dance as a vehicle to getting people to move and to encourage a healthy lifestyles. The rationale behind this choice is simple: dance is inclusive, accessible, and positively celebrates diversity. It is also fun. Dance is growing faster than any other form of art in UK. The variety of different forms it offers is unparalleled”. (Extracted from UK Diabetes. Foundation for Community Dance 2010)
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As part of our mission we make innovative approaches in dance available and accessible to individuals who can benefit greatly.
Programs
In this first stage Ballet Montreal Performing arts aims to run two programs. This task could be done in conjunction with health and educational agencies such as CLSCs, schools, universities willing to participate in this venture. Health and educational institutions as well as other charitable organizations will be invited to provide their specific knowledge, infrastructure, human and strategic capacity to achieve the desirable goals in partnership with relevant stakeholders.
- Modified dance classes to improve balance, mobility and flexibility. (Retire-Attitude dance)
- Improving health in the community by increasing awareness of the benefits of dancing. (Addicted to dance)
Retire-Attitude Dance - Modified dance classes for senior people
• This program will make an enormous contribution in helping participants increase their physical activity and improve their general health and wellbeing. Taking under consideration the high levels of people with coronary heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and obesity, it is increasingly important to monitor and address our current level of exercise and physical activity in the community.
• This program aims to provide seniors with the possibility of having physical activity in a fun and enjoyable way. It will consist in a 12 class session with a weekly class.
• Dance classes will aim to improve muscle strength, range of motion, flexibility and balance.
• It will also promote social bonds and connection in a natural environment.
Our program intends to carry out health assessment throughout the community with the help of health institutions. Assessments will involve qualified health professionals helping people to assess crucial health signs and offering advice on how much the individual must exercise and what kind of dance form would be advisable.
Addicted to Dance
• Dance provides exercise for mind and body and this specially design program will bring dance to the community. Our youth dance company will be deployed throughout the community (schools, community centers, daycares, health institutions, shopping centers) to animate and engage people in dance as part of their working days.
• This program will be targeting teens that reveal a sedentary life. The scheme will initially involve providing a 12 week session aim at helping people learn the basics of varies dance styles. The message here will be that anyone can enjoy dancing regardless of their background, social status, shape or size and whether or not they have danced before.
• Our goal is also to create awareness about health risks and to propose dance as a fun and feasible way to exercise. By reducing the amount of people overweight and or with sedentary life we will be reducing the risk of obesity, diabetes and other serious conditions and improve the health of the population.
• The performances will show different styles of dancing therefore teens could choose the styles that suit their needs better. Performances may also include some interactive activities. Small workshops can be done at the end of each performance and a representative from our troupe can be named to prepare a future choreography with a group.
• Our junior company will be given a great opportunity to promote Ballet Montreal, our classes and activities and to encourage people to take up dancing as part of a healthy lifestyle.
• We want to tap into the diverse and exciting world of dance and increase the numbers getting involved in dance, as a way of keeping in shape and thus reducing the risk of developing health conditions.
Based on the fact that dance is growing faster than any other art-form and the fact that the variety of different forms it offers is unparalleled Ballet Montreal will continue developing programs that will target the needs of our local community.