Welcome Back To Classes!
We hope you all enjoyed a wonderful summer. Our September 2026 DancEmail includes reminders and important dates for the coming month and introduces this year’s Nutcracker performers.
Anastasia, Michelle and I are looking forward to meeting our new students and reconnecting with returning ones as classes begin.
In This Issue:
- Welcome Back!
- Before Classes Begin: A Few Helpful Reminders
- Ballet Exam Certificates
- Celebrating Our Assistants
- Meet Our Nutcracker Performers!
- Words To Dance By – The Dancer And The Dance
- Important Dates
Before Classes Begin: A Few Helpful Reminders
Fall Class Fees
If you haven’t paid your fall term fees in full, this is a friendly reminder that payment is due on or before your first class of the term. Accounts not paid by that date are subject to late fees.
Details about our latest payment policy can be found on the Registration and Fees page of this website in the bottom drop-down section.
Registration Forms
Thank you to everyone who has already completed this year’s registration form.
If you haven’t had a chance to submit yours yet, please do so before your first class whenever possible. Completing the form each year helps us keep your contact information current and ensure we have the most up-to-date medical and emergency information for your dancer.
Celebrating Our Teaching Assistants
We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to our teaching assistants for the important role they play at the studio. Their enthusiasm, leadership, and willingness to help make a real difference in our classrooms by supporting both the instructors and the younger students.
This year’s senior students from our Intensive and Pre-Professional Training Programs will be assisting in the following classes:
- Fiona Foot – Ballet Primary, Ballet 2, Pre-Jazz
- Lauren Foot – Ballet Primary, Ballet 2, Pre-Jazz
- Kiera MacDonald – KiDance & Ballet 1
If you would like to learn more about the Teaching Assistant Program, we’d be happy to tell you more about it. Contact the office for more information.
Meet Our Nutcracker Performers
Rehearsals for the 34th season of The Nutcracker started this August with our new principal dancers, Maggie Oates-Johnson as Clara, and Chris Van Green as The Nutcracker Prince. Rehearsals with the full company start on September 11th.
An LHSD Alumna Performs the Role of Clara
We are especially delighted to welcome Maggie Oates-Johnson back to the production. An LHSD alumna, Maggie began dancing in our KiDance program at the age of five and graduated from the Advanced Level in 2021. She then continued her training in the Professional Division at the School of Alberta Ballet.
Throughout her years at LHSD, Maggie was accepted into several prestigious summer training programs, including the Bolshoi Ballet Summer Intensive, Russian Masters Ballet, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and Canada’s National Ballet School. She is also the recipient of numerous Nova Scotia Talent Trust scholarships and was awarded the Nesta Toumine Award by the Society of Classical Ballet in 2018.
Introducing Chris Van Green as The Nutcracker Prince
Chris Van Green is a dancer, choreographer, and educator who began his dance training at the Truro Dance Academy, where he studied ballet, jazz and modern dance. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre and Dance Performance from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), where he received the prestigious Kenny Pearl Award in recognition of his exceptional artistic growth.
Throughout his career, Chris has collaborated with a number of acclaimed artists and companies, including Connection Dance Works, David Earle, James Kudelka, Darryl Tracy, Fernando Melo, Ballet Jörgen, Hannah Kiel, Robert Glumbeck, and Rooted Dance Projects.
Celebrating Our LHSD Students in This Year’s Production
We are very proud of the LHSD students who will be performing with Symphony Nova Scotia in the production.
Performing dancer roles are: Naomi Chaulk, Delila Clarke, Lauren Foot, Charis Greeley, Alice Gunn, Eva Holmes, Olivia Holmes, and Valeriia Shevchenko. Elyse Crober, Fiona Foot, Ivanka Holmes, and Phoenix Huszagh will be performing children’s roles.
Welcoming Back Rebecca Wolfe
We are also excited to welcome back LHSD alumna and former instructor Rebecca Wolfe, who returns for her fourth season as Lotte Drosselmeyer and Mother Ginger.
For more information about the production, please visit The Nutcracker & Clara’s Gifts page of our website.
Words To Dance By Featured Blog Post
The Dancer And The Dance
A reflection on why we dance–and how to choose the right path for your dance journey.
“O body swayed to music, O brightening glance,
How can we know the dancer from the dance?”
– W. B. Yeats
Why do we dance? Is it for fitness, performance, creativity, community–or something deeper?
Inspired by W. B. Yeats’ timeless question at the top of this newsletter, “How can we know the dancer from the dance?”, this article explores dance as one of humanity’s oldest and most meaningful forms of expression. From ancient rituals to today’s studios and stages, dance continues to shape and reflect who we are, developing not only physical skill but also discipline, confidence, imagination, and lifelong learning.
Whether you’re considering dance classes for yourself or your child, this post also offers practical guidance on choosing the right instructor and studio. Learn what questions to ask, what signs of quality teaching to look for, and why finding the right fit matters far more than convenience.
Dance is more than movement–it’s a journey of self-discovery, growth, and joy.
September Important Dates
- 3: Public school starts
- 7: Labour Day – no scheduled classes
- 8: Fall term starts
- 11: The Nutcracker rehearsals start
- 8-14: Fall term fees due
- 30: Truth & Reconciliation Day – classes running as usual
Photo Credits:
- Header collage photos by Kathy McKelvey of dancers (L-R): Nadia Tonen, Isabel Sarty, Charlotte Salley, Lucie Schmidt and Haley Bone.
- Celebrating Our Teaching Assistants gallery photos by Leica Hardy of dancers (left to right): Lauren Foot, Fiona Foot & Kiera MacDonald
- Meet Our Nutcracker Performers photo of Maggie Oates-Johnson by Anastasia Wiebe.
- Words to Dance By featured photo by Leica Hardy of the Senior Jazz class performing You’ll Find a Way at the 2026 Student Showcase. Choreography by Anastasia Wiebe.
