The founder and Artistic Director of Arts North, Ashley Burton, began dancing at the age of three and continued with it throughout high school and university. "I wanted to come back to the north at some point and start a training centre that offered more than one thing," Burton says. It was important to her for the studio to be collaborative.
Burton has presented dance routines at festivals such as the Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival and the Fringe theatre festival in Toronto. In April 2009, she will be going on tour for a week, bringing a group of Aboriginal youth from Sudbury to the Banff Centre for the Arts.
Classes That Promote Activity
The studio opened on February 2, 2009, with the intention of having all aspects of the arts under one roof; a one stop shop for people on the go, or, Burton says, while parents are waiting for their children who are taking an arts or dance class, they can take a class as well, so they are not just waiting around. They have the opportunity to do something for themselves.
In addition to classes in music, dance and drama, the studio also offers yoga and pilates, as well as other classes that focus on physical activity. This ensures there are opportunities for adults, youth and children. There is also a Family Ties class, which encourages interaction between parents and children. Classes currently run from Monday to Friday, with workshops and seminars being held on weekends,
The facilitiies at the studio include an art room and a very spacious main room, complete with wall-sized mirrors, which are used for observing techniques. There also shower facilities available on-site.
Instructors At Arts North
In addition to Ashley Burton, there are six other instructors:
- Sarah Kallio-dance and drama
- Jenine Saunders-pilates and boot camp
- Steve Ganon-maixed martail arts and yoga
- Tennille Heinonen-sketching and drawing
- Irvin Marshall-visual painting
- Shawn Oakes-musical theatre
A Postive Response To Arts North
The studio has only been open for a month, but Burton says the reception it has received has been very positive. "Everyone who has come through the doors has left feeling great; we've had really good reviews and they're coming back."
Burton also says the demographic has been very diverse; they've had children as young as three or four, women as old as 82, and also young boys and men. This, she says, is because of the diversity of the classes. "My goal is to create an arts hub here in the north where different artists can come collaborate and work together." She also notes that "a lot of artists have been trickling in out of nowhere and talking to me and building a relationship."
March Break Camp
The studio will offer classes for the March Break 2009 in Visual Arts, Dance and Musical Theatre. The classes are for children ages 5 to 16 and will run from Monday March 16 to Friday March 20. It will end with an open performance to be held on March 20 at 3 p.m.
Contact Arts North
To learn more about what Arts North has to offer, visit www.artsnorth.ca.
