Alison has been studying and practicing Chow Qigong for seven years, training under world-renowned Grandmaster Dr. Effie Poy Yew Chow and certified to teach Intensive Level 1 by the East West Academy of Healing Arts in 2005.

Suffering from migraines, digestive issues and sleep problems for most of her life, Alison found much needed relief in the healing practice of Qigong. After just a few weeks of daily practice she noticed a dramatic difference in her health, energy levels and sense of well-being. She became fascinated with alternative practices and improving her Qigong skills and passionate about passing on these healing practices to others.

Alison has been teaching part-time with Chow Qigong weekly group classes since she moved back to Toronto from Montreal in 2006 as well as working in a health store providing advice on supplements, nutrition and alternative health care and practices.

After studying at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Centre in New York City, Ayesha returned to her hometown of Toronto and co-founded WOMB Dance Co. at the tender age of 20. Incorporating an eclectic mix of modern, Hip Hop and martial arts, WOMB performed and taught classes at various venues across the city. After four years, Ayesha moved back to New York to pursue her solo dance career further. Over her 8-year stint in NYC, she danced with companies such as Dance Anonymous and The Wes Veldink Movement, choreographed and performed her own work and taught Hip Hop dance to teens. Ayesha also expanded her resume by getting into voice and acting, and received her BA in film production from The City University of New York – Brooklyn College. Moving back to Toronto in December 2008, she is currently finishing work on her one-woman show ‘BEFORE: the ramblings of a former dancer’, working as an actor, writing songs and teaching dance.

Aziam is a talented amateur boxer from Toronto as well as a boxing coach certified by the National Coaching Association of Canada. As a competitive boxer he is undefeated since 2003 and has won numerous honours including the 2007 Ontario Golden Gloves Boxing Championship in the Heavyweight division. Aziam has extensive experience coaching athletes ringside and teaching recreational boxing. He takes a traditional approach to coaching, emphasizing discipline and technique, while keeping workouts varied and fun. A passionate boxer, Aziam shares his expertise with clients to help them improve self-confidence, learn self-defense and to achieve their fitness goals.

Elliot came to ashtanga yoga with an extensive background in classical ballet and contemporary dance and after having done Pilates for over 12 years. She was not instantly enamoured with ashtanga yoga; it took about a year to reach that state. But having come to appreciate the joys and benefits of ashtanga yoga (and its pains and sorrows), she is thankful that her first instructor, with his quietly forceful personality and sense of humour, unwittingly pushed her to keep practising.

In Fall 2008, Elliot completed her year long teacher training in ashtanga yoga with Diane Bruni and Ron Reid at Downward Dog Yoga Centre in Toronto. Since then, she has completed teacher training intensives with Chuck Miller and Maty Ezraty and with Eddie Modestini and Nicki Doane.

In Spring 2009, Elliot travelled to the United States to begin teacher training in restorative yoga with Judith Hanson Lasater. Since then, she has been certified by Ms Lasater as a Relax and Renew® Trainer and has been invited to assist Ms Lasater in basic restorative yoga teacher training.

Marcela began dancing as a child in her native Colombia where she trained in various dance styles including ballet, jazz, flamenco, Latin and Colombian folklore. In 2002, she was accepted into the National Folkloric Ballet of Sonia Osorio where she danced until moving to New York City in 2003. In the Big Apple, she trained at Ballet Academy East and accepted an invitation by the International Folkloric Ballet of New York Mestizo to dance for two of their seasons. In 2004, she moved to Toronto where she graduated from the dance programme at George Brown College. Since then, Marcela has been training and performing with Toronto dance companies AfroLatino Dance Co, Blue Sankofa Inc, RSD Entertainment and The Dance Migration, among others.

Marcela looks forward to sharing her knowledge and passion with her students.

Miko Sobreira has been a performer, director and teacher of dance within the Toronto dance and theatre communities since his arrival here from Venezuela in 1994. He has performed with artists from various stylistic backgrounds including Corpus, DaDa Kamera, Denise Fujiwara, Maxine Heppner, Pam Johnson, Allen & Karen Kaeja, Learie McNichols, Claudia Moore, JoAnna Powell, Victor Quijada, Mariko Tanabe and Katherine Tardif.

Since 1996, he has taught popular salsa classes at locations around Toronto including Harbourfront Centre, Lula Lounge, Pulse Ontario Youth Dance Conference and the YMCA. Miko’s teaching embodies the true sense of the word salsa: it is spontaneous, improvisational and draws from his various movement influences.

Reuben Mitchell is a performer and theatre artist from Greenville, North Carolina. He has a B.A. in Theatre from Morehouse College and a M.F.A. in Professional Actor Training from Louisiana State University. He trained in Suzuki’s Actor Training Method with SITI Company founding member Leon Ingulsrud for two years and has made it his physical theatrical practice since 2004. His work has included training and performance with SITI Company, internationally celebrated theatre director Ping Chong, American poet Jessica Care Moore and Linklater voice teacher David Smukler.

Sarah Doucet began her dance training with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. At 19 she moved to Montréal and began a torrent and on going love affair with contemporary dance. After training with L’ADMMNI and Concordia University, she started her professional career in the mid 90’s with Tammy Forsythe/Tusket. In 1999, she joined Lynda Gaudreau/Companie De Brune for four years of creation and international touring. Since then, Sarah has had the privilege of working with many noted choreographers: Jenn Goodwin, Karen KG Gutman, Ame Henderson, Thomas Hauert, Vera Mantero, Noam Gagnon and Noemie Lafrance, Isabelle Van Grimde (Corps Secrets),Corpus, among others.

In 2003, she joined The Holy Body Tattoo for the creation and touring of monumental and to date continues to work with Dana Gingras (the Holy Body Tattoo) and Animals Of Distinction for the creation of Smash Up and Heart as Arena.

Sarah also works as an independent choreographer and rehearsal director and has been presented in Belgium, New York, Vancouver, Montréal and Toronto. Sarah continues to work collaboratively and independently between Toronto, Montréal and Vanc

For the last six years, Sarah has been studying gyrokinesis and gyrotonic and recently completed her level 1 certification in New York City.

Sherry specializes in teaching yoga to children and teens of all ages and abilities in public and private schools, daycares, yoga studios, dance studios and private clubs. She offers private yoga therapy sessions to infants and children with special needs and professional development workshops for adults that qualify as Yoga Alliance CEUs (Continuing Education Units). She is a graduate and Licensed Practitioner of the Yoga for the Special Child® method of Yoga Therapy for children with developmental and learning challenges. She studied with Shakta Kaur Khalsa, completing all three levels of study and with Krishna Kaur, Director of Yoga for Youth, who teaches kundalini yoga to at-risk and incarcerated youth in Los Angeles.

Sherry is a former modern dancer who has been teaching movement awareness and a comprehensive method of strengthening, stretching and aligning the body for thirty years. She has been teaching yoga to adults and children yoga since 1998 and co-founded Yoga 4 Kids in 2000.