Immerse yourself in the dynamic realm of dance with IDA! Our dance classes are tailored to embrace each child’s distinctive rhythm and style. From the enchanting grace of ballet to the pulsating beats of hip-hop, we present a rich array of styles, ensuring every youngster discovers their unique dance expression. At IDA, we champion the belief that dance is a language universally spoken, and our seasoned instructors are committed to fostering the zeal and imagination of each child. Embark on a journey with us, where every step becomes a jubilation of individuality, and a dance style awaits to complement every kid’s personality and preferences.
Don’t see a time that works?
We’ve carefully created our schedule to suit a wide range of dancers—but we know life gets busy! If you don’t see a class time that works for you, feel free to reach out. (contact@
"Dancers are instruments, like a piano the choreographer plays. – George Balanchine"
Take a fantastic journey where creativity has no limits! Our dance classes at the International Dance Academy are made just for kids and teens. It’s all about having fun, learning skills, and expressing yourself freely. Our experienced instructors love teaching and make sure each young dancer gets personal attention and lots of encouragement. Whether it’s the first dance steps or the fancy moves of older teens, our classes are a friendly and inspiring place for all ages to shine.
No matter if your little one is just starting or your teenager is getting better, we have classes for everyone. Each class is made to make you better at dancing and also teaches important stuff like working together, being disciplined, and feeling confident. At Thunder Bay’s International Dance Academy, we believe dancing is not just in the studio—it’s a journey that makes you love being creative forever.
Come join us at the International Dance Academy! Every class is like a stepping stone, helping your child become the best dancer they can be. Enroll today and give your young dancer the awesome gift of dance—a journey full of music, laughter, and the joy of discovering themselves!
Our experienced and passionate instructors are committed to nurturing the unique dance expression within each individual.
Whether you're a toddler twirling for the first time or an adult rediscovering the joy of dance, our classes are tailored for all age groups starting from 18 months and up!
Explore a rich tapestry of dance styles, ensuring there's a perfect match for every personality and preference.
With Dance, your child will commence the exciting and rewarding journey in the performing arts.
Here are just a few examples of the benefits of an extracurricular dance program:
Focus, Fitness, Discipline, Teamwork, Social Skills, Good Posture, Self Confidence,
Leadership Skills, Music Appreciation, Creative Thinking, Listening Skills, Time Management
If you talk to any occupational therapist or educator, they will tell you that a child’s occupation should be to PLAY! Children learn best in a play-based environment, and that’s exactly what we do in our Pre-school classes!
Play is how young children naturally explore and make sense of their world. When children play in a safe, trusting environment, they build relationships, learn to resolve conflict, negotiate, and regulate their behaviour. Our teachers remain flexible in the direction of each class to ensure they are responding to how children are experiencing play.
Each child comes to class with different learning styles and preferences. One way of learning or participating is not more desired or beneficial than another. Just as we value each child as an individual, we are dedicated to supporting diverse learning needs. Our teachers create classroom environments that support multi-sensory learning through visual, auditory, and physical experiences.
Limited spots available ages 18 months and up.
So come join us, and PLAY WITH DANCE!
Join our Parent and Tot dance Class! Perfect for kids 18 months to 3 years; this fun and playful class lets you and your little one explore dance, music & movement together. No experience or special supplies necessary just come ready to move, laugh and bond. Let’s create magical memories through music, dance and movement.
Designed specifically for toddlers ages 2–4, our dance class blends the benefits of multiple dance styles to build poise, grace, timing, coordination, and flexibility while keeping every session fun, safe, and age-appropriate. Guided by upbeat, child-friendly music, toddlers learn early musical timing by moving with the beat, copying simple patterns, and transitioning between playful activities. Just as importantly, the structured group setting helps children develop social skills in a positive environment, practicing turn-taking, following classroom cues, sharing space, and interacting confidently with peers. This is the first step toward a lifelong love of dance and rhythm built on encouragement, comfort, and happy movement.
Continuing from Twinkle Tots, our next adventure is all about building your dancer’s skills in a fun, friendly way!
Designed for ages 3-4, this class uses the best moves and ideas from different styles of dance to help you learn:
You’ll dance along with age-appropriate music that feels like playtime, and because the fun never stops, it’s easy to stay engaged.
Most of all, this class is the first exciting step toward a basic dance background so you start to understand musical timing and feel confident moving to music.
Welcome to Movers & Shakers a fun, fast-moving dance class especially designed for children ages 4 and 5! Using the energy and benefits of ballet, jazz, and tap, kids learn the fundamentals of dance through playful games and kid-friendly activities.
Watch your little dancer build balance, coordination, rhythm, and confidence as they move to age-appropriate, exciting music. Every class is upbeat, interactive, and full of encouragement because learning dance should feel like a celebration.
Get ready to wiggle, stomp, pose, and dance in a safe, joyful, entertaining environment where every child feels like they’re doing something awesome.
Ballet is the secret fuel behind great dancing no matter the style! It builds strong technique from the ground up, helping dancers develop cleaner lines, better control, poise, and balance. More than that, it unlocks the joy of movement and the magic of music.
Our Cecchetti training follows the tradition and standards established by Maestro Enrico Cecchetti recognized professionally around the world. If you’re serious about your craft, ballet isn’t just a foundation—it’s a must.
Taught at the discretion of the Artistic Director to students who have reached a satisfactory level in ballet technique and have the strength to do so. Pas de deux is partnering work, and is essential for the serious student pursuing a professional dance career. Pointe work is a must for the female dancer pursuing a professional ballet career.
Tap is like putting music and rhythm right on your feet!
It helps you learn to hear the beat, feel timing, and understand rhythm—so your dancing (and even other dances) has a strong, amazing foundation.
Every class you’ll get to practice making different sounds with your taps, stepping in time, and building confidence as your feet learn to “talk” to the music.
Get ready to shake, groove, and shine! In this jazz class, kids learn body segregation which just means your body learns how to move different parts together in a fun, coordinated way (like your shoulders can dance while your hips keep the beat!).
You’ll practice to cool music and the latest favorite songs, and you’ll feel proud of how your moves get cleaner and more awesome every week.
Jazz is a dance with big rhythm and big personality, created by African American artists, with style that comes from the 20th century and still feels amazing today. So come on let’s dance, giggle, and make some music with our bodies!
Get ready to move with style this program teaches body segregation (a must for serious dancers), breaking the body into smooth, coordinated parts so each one hits the beat with total control.
Built for kids, youth, and adults alike, you’ll dive into the fun side of jazz while dancing to today’s hottest tracks. Rooted in African American culture and shaped by the energy of the 20th century, jazz is all about rhythm, personality, and swagger so come learn the skills, feel the flow, and let your movement talk back
Taught at the discretion of the Artistic Director to students who have reached a satisfactory stage in ballet technique and have the strength to do so. In terms of the focus of its technique, contemporary dance tends to combine the strong but controlled legwork of ballet with modern that stresses on torso. It also employs contract-release, floor work, fall and recovery, and improvisation characteristics of modern dance.
Lyrical Dance (Taught at Artistic Director’s Discretion)
Ready to take your technique to the next level? This class is for students who have reached a certain level of proficiency and are prepared to dance with intention.
Lyrical dancing brings music to life by interpreting the lyrics and mood of each song turning emotion into movement. Expect expressive legwork, controlled balance, and artful flexibility, all while using facial and body expression to tell a story.
Drawing from ballet, jazz, modern, and contemporary styles, you’ll learn choreography that feels musical, personal, and powerful—because in lyrical, it’s not just about the steps, it’s about the feeling.
A type of performance communicated through song, dance, movement, and drama often bringing characters or a story to life on stage.
Hip Hop This dance style comes straight out of popular urban culture, and it’s connected to pop & rap music. It’s all about expressing yourself through your moves, swagger, and style.
You’ll often hear it described as street-dance with a beat, where dancers use signature moves like popping and locking plus big styles such as funk.
In short: it’s dance that feels like attitude, rhythm, and creative personality all rolled into one!
Acro dance is a fun way to get stronger and more flexible! It helps dancers build balance, strength, and control while learning cool moves safely, step by step.
Our certified Acrobatic Arts instructors use a proven syllabus made by top experts in acro, dance, gymnastics, and physical therapy. That means your training works hand-in-hand with dance.
Each class builds a solid foundation in acrobatic technique and tumbling, so skills grow safely from beginner to advanced.
A must for all fitness enthusiasts and the serious dancer. We offer classes following the teachings of Moira Stott, a contemporary approach to the teachings of Joseph H. Pilates emphasizing neutral spine and neutral pelvic alignment and their relationship to core conditioning. Tone, strengthen, and streamline to achieve deep strength, flexibility, and endurance. Flatten abdominals and restore natural alignment while you tone and elongate without building bulk.
An innovative program designed for dancers to help them feel how ballet training creates real, reliable muscle memory so they can reach their personal best and, in turn, elevate performance across all dance styles.
Adults often know what “right alignment” should look like, but it can be harder to sense exactly which muscles initiate that alignment and how proper technique translates into movement that feels automatic.
PBT was created by Marie Walton-Mahon. It uses exercise balls and resistance bands to train muscle memory, core strength, and spatial awareness. It is widely used worldwide by many professional dance schools and companies.
We’re excited to be the first in Thunder Bay to share this program with our dancers, giving them clearer body awareness, stronger technical foundations, and deeper confidence in their training.
For many of our adult students (18+), adult dance classes are their escape—and not just emotionally.
The technique, the artistry, the music, the movement it brings them back to themselves. And what they’re feeling in the room is backed by science: research in movement and brain health suggests that dance can help sharpen cognition, support memory, and improve social engagement key protective factors often linked with maintaining brain function as we age. Because dancing is more than “exercise,” it’s a whole brain workout: it requires rhythm processing, coordination, learning steps, and staying mentally present all at once. In other words, it trains skills that may help keep dementia at bay or slow its impact.
Vinyasa yoga is a creative form of yoga where poses are linked together with the breath in a flowing sequence. The beauty of Vinyasa yoga is the variety. There is no standard sequence in Vinyasa yoga, so the style, pace and intensity will all vary depending on the teacher.
Dive into the Beat With International Dance Academy
