Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre (Room 15/16, 2nd Floor – 290 Lisgar)
About these classes
Join us for two evenings of rooted jazz and tap dance workshops and artist talks with Decidedly Jazz Danceworks (DJD*) company artist and former Ottawa Rhythm Initiative Ensemble member, Thys Armstrong. Thys looks forward to returning to the Nation’s Capital to share his love of exploration in vernacular styles, personal expression, musicality, and rhythm with Ottawa’s dance community! (Read more about Thys, below.)
performs at the NAC in 2023
with DJD company members
*DJD is a professional jazz dance company and Calgary’s largest dance school. DJD is dedicated to showing respect for the Africanist roots and aesthetics of jazz dance and prioritizes the foundational elements that were developed in and by Black American communities.
Workshop classes
Wednesday July 16 – Int/Adv Night
6:30-7:30pm – Int/Adv Jazz Dance
7:30-8pm – Artist Talk
8-9pm – Int/Adv Tap Dance
Thursday July 17 – Beginner/Open Night
6:30-7:30pm – Beginner/Open Jazz Dance
7:30-8pm – Artist Talk
8-9pm – Beginner/Open Tap Dance
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS
Int/Adv Jazz Dance – Wed July 16 – 6:30-7:30pm
For participants with 5+ years of jazz/swing dance experience.
This class is for more experienced jazz/swing dancers. Students will be reintroduced to key foundational elements (groove, get-down, relaxation in feet and ankles) as well as how to approach jazz music with rhythmic sophistication, how to find jazz expression and the “jazz mindset” from your head to your toes. Students will also learn some of Thys’ choreography from his own repertoire for DJDs professional training program.
Non-restrictive activewear and jazz/swing shoes are recommended. If jazz shoes are not available to you, wear bare or socked feet, or light sneakers.
Int/Adv Tap Dance – Wed July 16 – 8:00-9:00pm
For participants with 5+ years of tap dance experience.
This class is for more experienced tap dancers. Students can expect to focus on play and rhythmic sophistication in open improvisation sessions, as well as Thys’ choreography.
Non-restrictive activewear and tap shoes are recommended.
Beginner/Open Jazz Dance – Thurs July 17- 6:30-7:30pm
Geared to participants with 0-3+ years of jazz and/or swing dance experience. All levels welcome.
Students will explore the foundational elements of rooted jazz in the DJD style [e.g., “get down” (bending of the knees), movement of the torso, rhythm, West African steps, etc.] This class will introduce coordination, musicality and finding your personal groove in a supportive and community-minded way. Participants can expect to dance to 20/30s era jazz/swing music to new age jazz/funk.
Non-restrictive activewear and jazz/swing shoes are recommended. If jazz shoes are not available to you, wear bare or socked feet or a light sneaker.
Beginner/Open Tap Dance- Thurs July 17 – 8:00-9:00pm
For participants with 0-3+ years of tap dance experience. All levels welcome.
Students will explore tap dance rudiments/fundamentals through rhythm, play and discovery. Expect to have fun, make some noise, and explore your feet and body as creative and powerful musical instruments!
Non-restrictive activewear and tap shoes are recommended. If tap shoes are not available to you – no problem! – wearing a hard-soled shoe or light sneakers are recommended.
Fees*:
Drop In/Any Single Class + Artist Talk – $30
Evening Pass/Any Two Classes + Artist Talk – $45
Full Pass/ All Four Classes + Artist Talks – $60
*If payment is a barrier and you’d still like to attend, please reach us at OttawaRhythmInitiative@gmail.com
Registration: E-transfer OttawaRhythmInitiative@gmail.com with your first and last name and class choices.
About Thys Armstrong
Whether tap dancing on the National Arts Centre stage, performing Family of Jazz at the world-renowned Jacob’s Pillow, or digging into swing-era vernacular jazz at Ottawa’s Lindy hop summer socials, Thys Armstrong is an experienced and joyful rhythm-driven dance artist and educator who brings a deep respect to the living continuum of jazz dance.
Born and raised in North Vancouver, his training began at RNB Dance & Theatre Arts before moving to Ottawa in 2012 where Thys coached the UOttawa Dance Company and performed with the Ottawa Rhythm Initiative Ensemble (ORIE). At ORIE, he worked with tap dance artists including Travis and Tanya Knights and Heather Cornell—an experience that deepened his connection to syncopation, groove, improvisation, and community—all at the heart of jazz dance forms.
While his diverse dance journey has since taken him to ballet at Coastal City Ballet (British Columbia) performing works by Ben Stevenson, Irene Schnieder and Wen Wei Wan, to contemporary work in Amsterdam with the Henny Jurriëns Foundation, and as a featured dancer in film (“Centre Stage: On Pointe”) and TV (“Unreal!”), jazz culture remains his passion.
Since 2021, Thys has been a member of Canada’s only full time professional jazz dance company – Decidedly Jazz Danceworks (DJD) – where as an artist he continues to honour the legacy of Black American jazz culture through works by Lisa LaTouche, Vicki Adams Willis, Brandi Coleman, and Kim Cooper. He is also an educator with DJD’s adult tap and jazz dance programs and a choreographer with DJD’s professional training program.
Thys looks forward to returning to the Nation’s Capital to share his love of exploration in vernacular styles, personal expression, musicality, and rhythm with Ottawa’s dance community!