Last August, a new dance school opened in Laval by a born and raised Italian, Cinzia Caramanica. In Italy, she ran a renowned dance school for over 20 years and we now have the opportunity and pleasure to study dance in her Laval school, Expression Italia. The mission of the school is to promote dance through the teaching of diverse genres by international masters to ensure professional training.

From a very young age, Caramanica always had a passion for movement. Gymnastics introduced her to this world, but she quickly realized her desire to express herself more creatively and so she enrolled into classical dance. “Since I wanted to study dance in order to express myself, I decided that an appropriate name for my school would be Expression,” says Caramanica.

Caramanica studied dance at many prestigious dance schools in Italy and abroad, but also anatomy, psychology, and physical education. She believes all of these to be fundamental areas of knowledge for a dance teacher. “Classical dance has many corrective movements for certain conditions affecting the feet, back, and knees. I have quite a few students who are referred by doctors to improve their condition,” explains Caramanica. For this reason, she believes that dance teachers should be knowledgeable in all areas of the body, including the muscles. Caramanica also explains that in dealing with students of all ages, it’s very helpful to have some knowledge in psychology.

Since she has many young students, Caramanica understands that children might need to experiment with different dance styles before finding one that they enjoy. “There are so many different styles, such as classical ballet, modern jazz, contemporary, pop, and so on. If a student is around 10 years old and is unsure of which to start with, then we allow this student to try a few free classes to help with this decision,” says Caramanica.

Even if you have never studied dance, it’s never too late to learn. “We are now offering classes for adults that involve a mix of ballet, contemporary, and modern jazz,” says Caramanica. Many adults are already enjoying these classes, explains Caramanica.

Many would think that pop would be the most popular class offered by Caramanica’s school; however more students enroll into modern jazz and even more into classical ballet. “Classical ballet is a fundamental style to study before all other genres since dancers are always required to dance classical ballet during professional auditions,” explains Caramanica.

Expression Italia will hold a unique summer camp beginning in July. Throughout the summer, students will partake in activities such as dancing, painting, singing, and even learning an Italian musical to teach students the Italian language. The school also takes registration all year long for dance courses, the next of which run from September 2017 to January 2018.

If you would like to register for courses or summer camp, or to visit the school in person, call (438) 988-5322, or visit www.expressionitalia.ca.