TranscenDance: Dance Wellness Education Workshops



Join Canadian Certified Counsellor, Stefanie Tong, and gain an understanding of how mental health issues are impacting today’s youth. As a previous dance choreographer, Stefanie brings her knowledge from working in the dance industry and bridges her clinical specialty of working with children and families to create a mental wellness series specific to dance professionals. This research-informed workshop series explores the links between the neurobiology, physiology, and phenomenology of the emotional world. Stefanie holds a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy and has additional training in play therapy and dance/movement therapy. She believes emotional shifts experienced in the body create healing for generations.

All participants will receive a certificate of attendance at the end of each workshop. These workshops qualify as CPD (continuing professional development) hours required for instructor certification. All workshops must be attended in person. No recordings will be available.

Register by email


TranscenDance Workshops Series Package
Register for all five workshops and receive the Stress Management for Dance Professionals workshop for FREE.
Valued at $655. Your rate is $530 (includes GST).


Neurobiology and Movement in Practice

Discover how movement helps students and educators with emotional regulation and non-verbal communication. Learn to offer kinesthetic empathy by first engaging in the mind-body connection. Exercises in this workshop can be used with groups, individuals, or the self to support the integration of cognitive, emotional, social, and physical wellness. By experiencing interoception, participants will gain self-compassion to facilitate relating and connecting with others.


Date: Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Time: 9:30am – 1:00pm
Location: Vancouver Academy of Dance, 118-12838 Clarke Place, Richmond, BC
Cost: $125 (includes GST)


Rhythms of Regulation: Moving Through Emotional Regulation

Explore the role of nervous system regulation in interpersonal relationships. Learn about the development of emotional regulation in primary attachment relationships and recognize how your nervous system affects the development of children and adolescents in your care. Understand the mechanism of fight, flight, and freeze responses and how emotions sequence through the body. Gain practical skills for supporting regulation in class settings.

Date: Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Time: 9:30am – 1:00pm
Location: Vancouver Academy of Dance, 118-12838 Clarke Place, Richmond, BC
Cost: $125 (includes GST)


Working with Families: Connecting With the Community Using Systemic and Developmental Approaches to Managing Behaviours
An individual grows within the system that holds them. Learn about relational attachment and the developmental tasks of children, adolescents, and families. Understand the importance of chronological and developmental age when working with youth and their guardians. Gain practical skills for having tender conversations with caregivers.

Date: Tuesday, October 8, 2024
Time: 9:30am – 2:00pm
Location: Vancouver Academy of Dance, 118-12838 Clarke Place, Richmond, BC
Cost: $155 (includes GST)


Mental Health Awareness:
Working with Diagnoses and Symptomology in Group Settings

Learn about the clinical presentations of common mental health diagnoses affecting today’s youth and gain the confidence to advocate for mental health awareness. Discover the ethics of being a dance professional while navigating confidentiality, health referrals, and the duty to report.

Date: Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Time: 9:30am – 1:00pm
Location: Vancouver Academy of Dance, 118-12838 Clarke Place, Richmond, BC
Cost: $125 (includes GST)


Stress Management for Dance Professionals: An Embodied Approach to Burnout Prevention
Discover the neurobiology of stress and gain an understanding between acute and chronic stress. Explore stress management techniques that can be used in a variety of dance settings for individuals and groups. This workshop is suitable for all dance professionals including instructors, adjudicators, examiners, studio owners, and more.

Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Time: 9:30am – 1:00pm
Location: Vancouver Academy of Dance, 118-12838 Clarke Place, Richmond, BC
Cost: $125 (includes GST) or FREE with workshop package rate


On the workshop day:

  • Bring a notebook/journal and pens, snacks, water bottle
  • Wear comfortable clothing for movement
  • No outdoor shoes are permitted in the dance studio. Participants are welcome to bring indoor shoes, socks, or be barefoot
  • Any other small items you may need to create comfort for your body (pillow, blanket, etc.)