Teacher and Camp Supervisor

Melanie Stewart

Now in her second season teaching at the School of Contemporary Dancers and serving as General Program Administrator, Melanie brings a wealth of experience and passion to everything she does.

A graduate of the Senior Professional Program at the School of Contemporary Dancers, Melanie has also completed her Royal Academy of Dance examinations from Intermediate Foundation through Advanced One, achieving Merit and Distinction throughout.

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Melanie has trained and performed both nationally and internationally, with experience in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and São Paulo, Brazil. She is currently working with NAfro Dance Productions, where she continues to expand and deepen her movement vocabulary. Melanie draws on her background in contemporary, contemporary African, and ballet to bring a holistic approach to movement, one that is applicable across any style or discipline.

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At the heart of Melanie's teaching is a deep commitment to kindness and generosity. She is passionate about using dance as a vehicle to uplift community and is dedicated to passing that value on to the next generation of dancers.

Teacher

Sontje Skabo

Sontje Skabo is a contemporary dance artist based in Winnipeg with a truly international background. Originally from Europe, she trained extensively across Germany, France, Switzerland, and Italy before completing her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Dance through the Senior Professional Program at the School of Contemporary Dancers in partnership with the University of Winnipeg.

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Sontje has performed at prestigious events and venues around the world, including the Multipla Dança Festival in São Paulo, Brazil, Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers' Emerging Artist Initiative, and internationally with ORIANTHEATRE. Her choreography has toured Canadian Fringe Festivals from Vancouver to Kingston, bringing her creative voice to stages across the country.

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With years of experience teaching dancers of all ages and levels, Sontje brings a dynamic, globally informed perspective to every class.

Teacher

Hannah Heidman

Hannah Heidman is a local contemporary dancer, teacher, and graduate of the School of Contemporary Dancers Senior Professional Program. During her training, she had the opportunity to learn from and work with many renowned local and international teachers and choreographers. Since graduating, Hannah has worked primarily as an apprentice dancer with NAfro Dance Productions, toured São Paulo, Brazil in collaboration with Grupo Divinadança, performed the works of Stephanie Ballard in Washington, D.C. under the direction of Kathleen Hiley, and guest performed with the Isadora Duncan International Institute Dancers.

For the past five years, Hannah has been a teacher at The Dance Method studio. She teaches students of all ages 2-adult, in contemporary, jazz, ballet, creative movement, and parent and tot classes. Hannah has loved the opportunity to teach and mentor her recreational dancers while also training students for competitive dance.

Hannah loves teaching students of all ages and enjoys discovering what makes each stage of development unique. Building confidence is a priority in her teaching, and her favorite part of the job is seeing how dance helps students grow both inside and outside the studio. Watching children develop into confident young people and carry the life skills they learn in dance into other areas of their lives is incredibly rewarding to her. Hannah has been proud to watch students grow up and move on to exciting new chapters, and she continues to find joy in welcoming each new dancer who walks into her class.