Dance Alive Studios was created in the summer of 2017 to meet the changing needs of adult dancers in the Saskatoon community. Caelia Gardiner, the owner and Artistic Director of DAS, developed the adult dance program at Juliette’s Dance Centre from 2011 to 2017. This program has become unique in the field – it provides aspiring adult dancers with progressive levels of focused training at their desired level. Recreational dance is the common stream, but other training opportunities are available upon request (Path to Performance, exam training, private lessons, embodiment coaching, etc.).
DAS was started with the intent to formalize this program and provide even more opportunities for adult dancers to discover their love of dance. Our adult dancers have the opportunity to achieve personal growth at an unprecedented level in the Saskatchewan dance community. Multiple levels of Recreational Classes are offered in styles that include Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Lyrical, Street Dance, Theatre, and more! We have a completely unique Embodiment program which serves as cross-training, conditioning, healing, movement therapy, self-exploration, strength and mobility training, and education, all in three simple courses. We hope to grow into providing the same safety-focused classes for children soon, to better serve the needs of the dance community in Saskatoon. Our mission is to provide safe, high-quality dance training for adults designed to strengthen the connection between body and mind.
The People
Caelia Gardiner – Studio Owner, Artistic Director
Caelia is founder, owner, Artistic Director, and head teacher of Dance Alive Studios. She began her journey at Juliette’s Dance Centre when she was 8 years old and since then has been involved in all dance forms and completed multiple dance exams in Jazz and Ballet through the CDTA (Canadian Dance Teacher’s Association) and the RAD (Royal Academy of Dance). She trained most heavily in Ballet, completing her highest level exam in Advanced Foundation, but continuing training until Advanced 2 in both old and new syllabus.
She began assistant teaching with Madame Juliette Perrey-Perez in 2008 where she assisted her first adult ballet class. She began teaching solo in 2011 with two adult ballet classes, and has grown the program ever since.
She has since designed and delivered classes in Jazz, Lyrical, Street, and the one-of-a-kind Embodiment courses. She has also offered RAD Ballet Exam training under the supervision of Madame Juliette, and has entered adult students into levels as high as Advanced Foundation successfully. She has a unique Adult Pointe program which takes entry level dancers as adults and can train up to an Advanced 2 level. More recently, she has done training in more therapeutic modalities such as somatic trauma healing techniques and NeuroKinetic Therapy. These extra certifications allow her to provide more services to her dancers and help to shape Dance Alive’s training to be the most holistic dance training program possible.
Outside of the dance studio, Caelia has a background in Engineering Physics (Bachelor & Master’s degrees) from the University of Saskatchewan, with PhD’s started in both Engineering Physics and Engineering Education Her students are keenly aware of this side of her life as she loves integrating the world of science, physics, and education into dance training and is also happy to offer Physics & Math tutoring services to students in elementary, high school, or university. She has since left the university to pursue the world of theatre, business, and other freelance work, and hasn’t looked back yet!
Regardless of her other interests, dance education has always been a passion. JDC served as an incredible launching pad for Caelia’s new career path as a studio owner, allowing her to learn and grow in her teaching style and philosophy, with mentorship and support. Dance Alive Studios has become the perfect vehicle for developing these passions and supporting them in others. Caelia’s goal is to use her position to promote learning and growth for instructors and students alike through studio fundraising, training opportunities, and community events. So far, Dance Alive Studios has proven to be a positive and successful element of the Saskatoon dance community, and she hopes to see it develop for many years to come!
Lauren Gardiner – Embodied Strength Teacher
Lauren is the lucky sister of studio owner, Caelia. She has been dancing with Caelia since they were young, and as an adult in the Hip Hop class Caelia taught at Juliette’s Dance Centre for many years. When DAS was growing into our new home, it was a great opportunity for Lauren to join the team and bring her strengths on board!
Lauren is the head of our Embodied Strength class at Dance Alive, which is part of our unique Embodiment program. This class is a great way to help dancers (and other movers!) reach their physical fitness goals and relieve stress in a healthy way. She uses her background as a competitive athlete to inform her class structure, along with ongoing professional development through dance cross-training resources like Sugarfoot Therapy and Athletistry.
Since she was 12 years old, Lauren was hooked on competitive racing kayaking at the Saskatoon Racing Canoe Club (SRCC). It was a competitive sport that involved kayaking, canoeing, running, weight lifting, bodyweights, swimming, gymnastics, stretching, and soccer all year round. Even in the “off season” (from September to April), they were still training 16 hours per week. Throughout her kayaking career, she had the opportunity to compete throughout Canada, train as far as Florida, and learn a variety of workouts/techniques from two international coaches (one being an Olympic Silver Medalist). She won two National Medals (1 silver and 1 bronze) and seven Western Canada Summer Games Medals (3 gold and 2 bronze). It was her life for 8 years, and although she no longer aspires to train at that competitive level anymore, she still loves using her physical training as a stress release and wants to use her knowledge, experience and passion to help others feel the same joy and freedom.
Outside of dance, Lauren enjoys camping, cooking, working out, painting, woodworking, and volleyball. She is also a huge animal lover and can never get enough pet cuddles time! She is an excellent aunt to the studio dog, Blue, and loves to spend time caring for and walking other animals whenever possible. She recently got her own furry dependent in 2021 when the kitten Stevie wandered in off the streets. She enjoys playing with Steve, taking her out for walks, and going on camping adventures with her!
Lauren is inspired by the culture at Dance Alive Studios and very excited to develop a unique tailored strength and cardiovascular fitness training program that is designed to meet people where they’re at and help them continue their own training at home with minimal equipment. She looks forward to learning more about conditioning, strength training, lifting, cardio training, and more to incorporate into our Embodiment program at Dance Alive!
Jessie Gardiner – Digital Manager
Jessie is another part of the Gardiner clan, as Caelia’s other sister. For better or worse, this means she has known Caelia for over 30 years, and has still chosen to work with her as the studio’s Digital Manager – handling all things web & tech! Jessie danced at Juliette’s Dance Centre with Caelia when she was younger, and then again when she was older in the Adult Hip Hop program before Caelia created Dance Alive Studios. She continues to enjoy the Street dance class at DAS, and has since enjoyed experiences with Jazz, Tap, and Pilates. Behind the scenes, Jessie handles the studio back-end by editing online videos, producing graphic advertisements, building the online store, and handling administrative tasks. You’ve seen lots of her work on the website and social media, so make sure to tell her how great it looks!
Jessie got involved in computer work by taking summer computer camps when she was a kid and getting a basis for game programming and graphic design, which enhanced her passion. She has been into computers since she was young – back in the days of dial-up internet and Windows 95! She followed her passion by obtaining a diploma in Computer Systems Technology from Saskatchewan Polytechnic in 2009 and began working in the field. Jessie worked as a programmer at the University of Saskatchewan for a few years, creating web applications for the Centre for Continuing Distance Education and helping with development of a lab book web application for the Physics Department. She then started work in the family with her father Gerard Gardiner’s company Veritas Capital as a Client Relations Assistant for four years, where she was part of an office team and worked on streamlining office processes and bringing them online. Right before the pandemic in 2020, Jessie had made the decision to further her education and jump back into Web Development with some online classes. Once the shut-downs hit and everything went online, she was in the perfect position to help out the studio and work with Caelia on providing online options and navigating other technology hurdles since.
Outside of the office, Jessie enjoys video gaming, music, soccer, binge-watching Netflix, learning through online classes, travelling, and being a fantastic aunty to all the furry (and scaley) family members of the Gardiner Clan. She is always ready to lend a helping hand by playing with them, bringing them for walks, or just generally looking after them when they need a babysitter. She enjoys being a part of Dance Alive Studios because she loves being a part of great communities and she appreciates coming to dance and dancing with family members and all the other great people in our studio. Meeting new people through DAS has also been such a great experience, and she hopes to continue bringing passion to an already passionate community. She is excited to provide good technology support and looks forward to streamlining processes to help out fellow dancers and staff to make studio operations a breeze. With her help, the studio has already gone leaps and bounds towards having an intuitive and accessible online interface for our dancers, and we can only dream about what’s to come!
Madame Juliette Perrey-Perez, ARAD – Mentor
Madame Juliette created Juliette’s Dance Centre 30 years ago and became Caelia’s Ballet teacher around 2004. She trained Caelia through four levels of Ballet exams and over 7 years of dance. She created an opportunity for Caelia’s introduction to teaching by requesting her as an assistant in 2008 and encouraged her to spread her wings from there. A major portion of Caelia’s experiences as a dancer and teacher were facilitated and continue to be supported by Madame Juliette. Madame’s mentorship and guidance over the years has been invaluable in the implementation of Dance Alive. This studio literally could not have started without her, and all of us at Dance Alive are deeply grateful for her contribution.
Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Juliette Perrey-Perez spent 19 years in Europe as a professional dancer, teacher, actress, singer, and choreographer, and danced in 17 professional musicals. She was trained in Classical Dance and Jazz, winning numerous awards as a student before pursuing a career as a professional dancer and teacher.
She started dancing with Lucia Pavlychenko in Saskatoon, then studied with Brian MacDonald at the Banff Centre for the Arts and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. While in Manitoba, she taught dance before heading to New York, where she studied modern dance with some of the leading contemporary choreographers of the time. Juliette’s professional debut in musical theatre occurred in Winnipeg at the Rainbow Stage Summer Theatre and continued on to the Royal Alex Theatre in Toronto, Summer Stock in New York, and television in Montreal.
A tour to Europe as a soloist with Canadian national folk dance company Les Feux Follet led Juliette to a contract with the Nice Opera. With her marriage to Yves and the birth of their son David, she settled on the French Riviera performing in a number of national and international dance shows on stage and on television.
Returning to her teaching career, she specialized in Jazz dance at Le Centre de Danse International directed by Rosella Hightower in Cannes, France. Juliette spent nine years creating her own Jazz syllabus. Her next challenge was to open her own dance centre in Cagnes Sur Mer, France, with a staff of 11 teachers. The following five years brought success and expansion to her centre.
After 19 years in France, a family decision brought Juliette back to her home. In 1987 she opened a successful dance centre in Saskatoon – Juliette’s Dance Centre. An offer to guest teach at the University of California, San Diego, studying in Los Angeles was a great inspiration in affirming her goal of maintaining a high standard of education in dance for the province of Saskatchewan.
Juliette formed and directed Nu-West Dance Theatre, and directed the Humboldt School of Dance for 10 years. She was also the Director of Ballet at Annette’s School of Dance in North Battleford for 7 years and she was chosen as facilitator for the Alberta Ballet’s Nutcracker for 9 years. Juliette is also currently active with the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) in Saskatchewan both as a mentor and as a Practical Teaching Supervisor (PTS). The studio she created, Juliette’s Dance Centre, celebrated its 30th anniversary in June 2017, and closed its doors for good in June 2018. What she created left a lasting impact on everyone whose lives she touched, young and old, students, parents and teachers. The absence of JDC as a business and a building will leave a large but beautiful hole in the Saskatoon dance community for years to come.
Caelia is founder, owner, Artistic Director, and head teacher of Dance Alive Studios. She began her journey at Juliette’s Dance Centre when she was 8 years old and since then has been involved in all dance forms and completed multiple dance exams in Jazz and Ballet through the CDTA (Canadian Dance Teacher’s Association) and the RAD (Royal Academy of Dance). She trained most heavily in Ballet, completing her highest level exam in Advanced Foundation, but continuing training until Advanced 2 in both old and new syllabus.
Jessie is another part of the Gardiner clan, as Caelia’s other sister. For better or worse, this means she has known Caelia for over 30 years, and has still chosen to work with her as the studio’s Digital Manager – handling all things web & tech! Jessie danced at Juliette’s Dance Centre with Caelia when she was younger, and then again when she was older in the Adult Hip Hop program before Caelia created Dance Alive Studios. She continues to enjoy the Street dance class at DAS, and has since enjoyed experiences with Jazz, Tap, and Pilates. Behind the scenes, Jessie handles the studio back-end by editing online videos, producing graphic advertisements, building the online store, and handling administrative tasks. You’ve seen lots of her work on the website and social media, so make sure to tell her how great it looks!
Madame Juliette created Juliette’s Dance Centre 30 years ago and became Caelia’s Ballet teacher around 2004. She trained Caelia through four levels of Ballet exams and over 7 years of dance. She created an opportunity for Caelia’s introduction to teaching by requesting her as an assistant in 2008 and encouraged her to spread her wings from there. A major portion of Caelia’s experiences as a dancer and teacher were facilitated and continue to be supported by Madame Juliette. Madame’s mentorship and guidance over the years has been invaluable in the implementation of Dance Alive. This studio literally could not have started without her, and all of us at Dance Alive are deeply grateful for her contribution.