A series of online professional development workshops, classes and discussions exploring wellbeing and belonging in a dance environment.

Join us for our popular Ideas Exchange for Ballet Teachers—returning this year as a special digital series July 19-20! Ideas Exchange is a unique professional development opportunity, where dance educators from across Canada and beyond gather to share expertise and strengthen community. At this year’s Ideas Exchange, participants will explore how dance teaching continues to evolve to address the needs of both dancers and teachers. Join NBS’ faculty via Zoom for engaging conversations and workshops centered on wellbeing and belonging in the dance environment.

This year’s Ideas Exchange will feature:

• Practical sessions that explore new strategies and resources for training

• Interactive sessions where everyone can contribute and ask questions, with an emphasis on collective learning

• Opportunities to connect and network with local, national, and international teachers

Ideas Exchange is ideal for experienced dance educators and aspiring teachers alike. It is also a great opportunity to contribute to Continuing Professional Development hours! Participants are welcome to join for both sessions, one session, or individual classes, based on their schedule and interests.

Register for the full day or individual classes below!

$55 per day or $20 per individual class (+ HST)

Registration is now closed.

Register for the full day or individual classes below!

$55 per day or $20 per individual class (+ HST)

Registration is now closed.

For those who are not able to join the live sessions, NBS is offering a recording package that will include the lecture/presentation portion of four sessions.

Learn more about the Ideas Exchange 2023 instructors and presenters!

Dr. Rachel Bar

Dr. Rachel Bar is the Director of Research and Health at Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS). She is a graduate of NBS’ Professional Ballet/Academic Program and danced with English National Ballet and the Israel Ballet. After retiring from performing, she completed her PhD in Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University (previously Ryerson University) and her Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Trent University's Trent Centre for Aging & Society. In her role at the school, Rachel manages NBS' Artistic Health Department and Research Institute. Her research focuses on dancers' health and dance for the health and wellness of the community.
 

Keith Morino

Keith Morino is a graduate of Canada's National Ballet School. He began dancing with the Nederlands Dans Theatre II in The Hague, Netherlands, and continued his professional career in contemporary dance in Barcelona, Spain with Catalan choreographer Ramon Oller.
While in Spain Keith combined freelance performing with choreography for dance, theatre and opera, and teaching in different European companies and conservatories. In 2001 he joined the faculty of the Professional Dance Conservatory of Barcelona (EESA/CPD) as a contemporary dance teacher. From 2009 – 2018 he was the Artistic and Academic Director of this Conservatory.
In September of 2018, Keith joined the teacher training program in the movement language method of Gaga, in Tel Aviv, Israel. He became a certified Gaga teacher in June of 2020.

He is currently part of the contemporary dance faculty of the EESA/CPD in Barcelona, and the artistic faculty of Canada’s National Ballet School in Toronto teaching both Contemporary dance classes and Gaga.

Talar Margarosyan

Talar Margarosyan started her ballet training at the Istanbul State Conservatory in Istanbul, Turkey, and then joined the full-time ballet program offered at Istanbul State University. She later went on to complete two years of intensive ballet study at the Istanbul University Ballet Department, where she received a Master's degree. Throughout her education, she had the privilege of working with numerous guest teachers from Russia who, at the time, were introducing the Vaganova technique to the school. Margarosyan performed both classical and contemporary repertoires with the Cagdash Ballet Group until she moved to Canada in 1998.
 
Talar was accepted into the Teacher Training Program for professional dancers at Canada's National Ballet School, where she graduated with Distinction in 2002. She became an artistic staff member at NBS in 2003, and currently teaches ballet in the Professional Ballet Program, and the Teacher Training Program.

Ashleigh Powell

Ashleigh Powell is a teacher in the Professional Ballet Academic Program at Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS). As Head of Community Dance Programs, Ashleigh works with partners across the education, community programming and sport sectors to bring the widespread benefits of dance to all Canadians. A graduate with distinction from NBS’ Teacher Training Program, she is a recipient of the Carole Chadwick and the Betty Oliphant Awards for teaching. In addition, Ashleigh has worked extensively as a theatre choreographer and holds an Honours Degree in History and Sociology from the University of Toronto.

Mahyar Dibaji

Mahyar Dibaji is the Athletic Therapist and Conditioning Coach at NBS. Mahyar is a graduate of the Athletic Therapy program from York University and holds his BSc in Kinesiology. He also is a Registered Massage Therapist. Mahyar utilizes his knowledge of manual therapy and exercise rehab to help NBS students recover or prevent injuries. His inspiration is to help NBS dancers reach their personal goals by providing education to students about their own bodies so that they can be empowered to perform at an optimal level.