Students with a love of dance will soon enjoy a visit from Tyler Layton-Olson, an accredited dance instructor with Jess Dance based out of B.C. for a one day workshop focused on teaching modern dance later this month.
The Jess Dance program will be coming to Moose Jaw and will hold a presentation at Sunningdale Elementary School on Sept. 19 and at King George Elementary School on Sept. 20.
“The students will be split up into different grades and work (together) in workshops… with up to 60 students per session,” explained Marianne Woods, the media contact for the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils (OSAC) to which Jess Dance belongs.
Each session will include dance instruction and Woods said that Layton-Olson will primarily focus on hip hop as his style of choice.
“If there is time, and depending on the size of the school and the number of students…, they may have a short presentation at the end of the day just to share what they learned,” she added.
The upcoming presentation’s theme will be the development of a sense of accomplishment, confidence building, and helping students connect to their bodies and their minds. The dance instruction also teaches students about coordination, flexibility, developing a sense of rhythm, and creating joy from within — all of which the group describes as some of the physical attributes of dance.
Sunningdale and King George Elementary were chosen after each applied and in acknowledgement for them being longstanding members of OSAC.
Jess Dance was founded in 1998 by Jess Dexter, who started to pursue her passion for dance in Vancouver, B.C. While living in Las Angeles, USA, she trained extensively with two performing dance companies and completed her bachelor of science degree in kinesiology with a focus on secondary physical education.
Today, her company is committed to empowering and inspiring the next generation through dance experiences that develop self-worth, self-expression, and a sense of connection — both to your body and to each other.
Layton-Olson, who will be visiting Moose Jaw for the upcoming Jess Dance tour, was originally born in Nipawin, Sask.
“(Layton-Olson) is pretty excited about returning to his home province and doing this kind of work,” Woods said. “It’s (also) the first time that this particular company has come to Saskatchewan…
“We try to make the programs that we offer as diverse as possible,” she continued. “We have world music; we have Indigenous artists like Kung Jaadee… and Dallas Arcand (among others).”
OSAC celebrated it 50-year anniversary in 2018 and continues to nurture its tradition of “presenting excellence in the performing arts for adults, children, and family audiences in various genres and disciplines,” according to its media release.
For more information about the touring dance studio, visit JessDance.com.
Sunningdale Elementary School is located at 530 Woodlily Drive and King George Elementary School is located at 1150 Fifth Avenue Northwest.
Aaron Walker
Reporter
Moose Jaw Express
