Ground UP Dance Festival

**Context Profile for Ground UP Dance Festival**

1. **Organization Mission & Cause:**
   - **Mission:** Ground UP Dance Festival is dedicated to celebrating and promoting the art of dance by organizing annual festivals that bring together diverse dance communities. Their goal is to provide a platform for both emerging and established dancers to showcase their talents, foster cultural exchange, and engage the community in the joy of dance.
   - **Cause:** The festival aims to enrich the cultural landscape by making dance accessible to all, encouraging participation, and inspiring audiences through dynamic performances and interactive events.

2. **Type of Activities:**
   - **Annual Dance Festival:** The core activity is the annual festival featuring performances, workshops, and dance parties.
   - **Workshops and Classes:** Includes specialized sessions like line dancing, providing learning opportunities for participants of all skill levels.
   - **Community Events:** Events such as karaoke and dance parties to engage the local community and create a festive atmosphere.
   - **Fundraising Campaigns:** Events like "Line Dancing at The Buckle" serve as both community engagement and fundraising opportunities.

3. **Tone of Voice:**
   - **Inspiring and Friendly:** The website and communications use an inviting and enthusiastic tone, encouraging participation and community involvement.
   - **Casual and Inclusive:** Language is approachable and designed to make everyone feel welcome, regardless of their dance experience.

4. **Emoji Usage:**
   - **Moderate Usage:** The organization uses emojis sparingly but effectively to convey excitement and friendliness, such as dance-related emojis and celebratory symbols.

5. **Key Facts:**
   - **Founding Info:** The specific founding date is not listed, but the organization has established itself as a recurring annual event.
   - **Scale and Impact:** The festival attracts a diverse audience and includes multiple forms and email campaigns, indicating a well-organized and active engagement strategy.
   - **Volunteer Info:** While specific details on volunteers are not provided, the scale of events suggests a reliance on community and volunteer support.

6. **Writing Guidelines:**
   - **Style:** Maintain a conversational and engaging style, focusing on inclusivity and excitement about dance.
   - **Content Structure:** Use clear, concise paragraphs with a focus on event details and calls to action.
   - **Personalization:** Incorporate personalized elements in communications, such as using first names in emails to create a more personal connection.
   - **Visuals and Formatting:** Utilize clean and visually appealing layouts in communications, with occasional use of color and formatting to highlight key information.

This context profile should guide AI assistants in generating content that aligns with the Ground UP Dance Festival's mission and style, ensuring communications are engaging and reflective of the organization's vibrant community spirit.

LXCL:Free! Or PWYC by donation.

Grand Poney | June 11 at 10:00AM

LXCL:PWYC

Robert Stephen | July 10 at 10:00AM

Kwasi Obeng | July 11 at 11:00AM

Ground UP Dance Festival offers workshops, masterclasses and morning sessions with Festival Artists: Grand Poney Kwasi ObengRobert Stephen Christopher House *<a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/choreographic-thinking-for-artists-with-christopher-house" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">separate registration page</a> When, Where &amp; About Grany Poney June 11, 2026 at 10:00am-11:30am ETat Kingston School of Dance, 370 King St W, Kingston, ON K7L 2X4 Company members of Grand Poney will lead us through a movement workshop inspired by their work ON/OFF presented at Ground UP. Robert StephenJuly 10, 2026 at 10:00am-11:30am ET at 5678 Dance Studio, 574 Princess St, Kingston, ON K7L 1C9 This Contemporary/Ballet hybrid warm-up class is for intermediate to advanced dancers and movers. Kwasi Obeng July 11, 2026 at 11:00am-12:30pm ET at Lake Ontario Park, GUDF Performance Pad, 920 King St W, Kingston, ON K7M 8H3 This Afrofusion dance class is a fun, energetic experience that will allow participants to learn various forms of West African dance fusing many traditional movements with urban street styles. PricingFree to PWYC About the Artists Grand Poney is an indiscernible, visionary and noble beast. Established in Montreal by founder Jacques Poulin-Denis, the interdisciplinary company devises a hybrid and collaborative process based on choreographic abstraction, musical composition and theatrical dramaturgy. It draws its narrative from the infinite traits of the human existence: its physical and psychic states, its impulses and principles and its relationship to others and to itself. Grand Poney consistently utilizes a measure of unfeasibility to bridge the imaginary to the obvious. Kwasi Obeng-Adjei is a Brampton-based multidisciplinary artist, emerging choreographer, and dance educator whose practice is rooted in traditional African forms and African street dance. With over a decade of experience in the dance community, Kwasi has built an impressive performance and creative resume, including appearances with the Pan Am Games, Giants of Africa Gala, Raptors Halftime Show, Asake Canadian Tour, AfroFest, Luminato Festival, Kultureland Festival, and many more. Kwasi has made a continued commitment to promoting and sharing dance within his community. He recognizes the importance of strengthening the dance ecosystem in Ontario and providing tangible opportunities for youth&mdash;beginning with workshops, programs, and cultural events that celebrate and educate. Kwasi&rsquo;s choreographic journey expanded in 2023 when he presented an original work at Night Shift, produced by Citadel + Compagnie and co-presented with Fall for Dance North. Drawing on a free-form, exploratory approach, his work is driven by connection, cultural lineage, and curiosity.&nbsp; In 2025, Kwasi presented Echoes of the Same Tree in collaboration with Nigerian-based artist Ambrose Tjark as part of Homegrown Signature 2 programming for Fall for Dance North, marking a significant milestone in his artistic development. Robert Stephen&nbsp;is a Canadian choreographer, dancer and teacher. A graduate of Canada&rsquo;s National Ballet School, he danced with the National Ballet of Canada from 2004&ndash;2018, with a promotion to First Soloist in 2011. He has worked with many choreographers including Crystal Pite, Wayne McGregor, Christopher Wheeldon and James Kudelka. In 2011, he won the Clifford E. Lee Choreography Award from the Banff Centre, and the Audience Choice Award for Choreography at the Erik Bruhn Competition. In 2018, he joined Gauthier Dance/Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart for two years, performing works by Ohad Naharin, Hofesh Shechter and William Forsythe. Since his return to Canada in 2020, Robert has been commissioned by Ballet Kelowna three times, to create Celestial Mechanics (2021), In the Light of the Waking Sun (2022), and Mustard (2024). Since 2021, he has been an Artistic Staff member at Canada&rsquo;s National Ballet School, where he teaches and choreographs for the Professional Ballet and Company Life programs. He has choreographed for Toronto Metropolitan University&rsquo;s Performance Dance program, and is a regular guest teacher for the National Ballet of Canada&rsquo;s company class. AccessibilityThe Kingston School of Dance (KSD) is located at the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning and is a wheelchair accessible space. Accessible parking spaces are available in both the lower parking lot and the accessible lot adjacent to the Tett. KSD is on the 3rd floor and can be accessed through the main doors. The school&#39;s studio space is also accessible, featuring sprung dance flooring, adjustable barres, mirrors, and professional sound and lighting. There are two gender neutral washrooms onsite.&nbsp; Lake Ontario Park has accessible parking and pathways to the waterfront performance area. The park has wheelchair accessible, gendered washrooms. This year, Ground UP has the option for seated tickets close to the performance pad and along the paved area at the top of the hill. There is a wheelchair accessible ramped path to the performance pad seating. 5678 Dance Studio is an accessible venue. There is parking out front of the studio. The studio has gender neutral washrooms onsite. About Ground UP Dance FestivalGround UP Dance Festival is focused on building community, giving dance focused performance platform, and supporting artists throughout their journey in creation and development. Launched in Summer of 2022, Ground UP has acted as the first annual festival for professional dance in Kingston, Ontario. This year&#39;s festival is running June 10th &amp; July 11th, 2026. Or learn more about <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.groundupdancefestival.ca/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">our festival</a>...

Hi <span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{firstname}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip" fr-original-style="" style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255); border-radius: 4px; color: rgb(42, 42, 196); padding: 1px 8px; font-size: 11px; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;">First name, Thank you for registering for our workshops!&nbsp;Each workshop has a different location and time as stated below: Grany PoneyJune 11, 2026 at 10:00-11:30AM ETat Kingston School of Dance, 370 King St W, Kingston, ON K7L 2X4 Robert StephenJuly 10, 2026 at 10:00-11:30AM ETat 5678 Dance Studio, 574 Princess St, Kingston, ON K7L 1C9 Kwasi ObengJuly 11, 2026 at 11:00-12:30PM ETat Lake Ontario Park, GUDF Performance Pad 920 King St W, Kingston, ON K7M 8H3 Ground UP is committed to accessibility within our festival events: The Kingston School of Dance (KSD) is located at the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning and is a wheelchair accessible space. Accessible parking spaces are available in both the lower parking lot and the accessible lot adjacent to the Tett. KSD is on the 3rd floor and can be accessed through the main doors. The school&#39;s studio space is also accessible, featuring sprung dance flooring, adjustable barres, mirrors, and professional sound and lighting. There are two gender neutral washrooms onsite.&nbsp; Lake Ontario Park has accessible parking and pathways to the waterfront performance area. The park has wheelchair accessible, gendered washrooms. This year, Ground UP has the option for seated tickets close to the performance pad and along the paved area at the top of the hill. There is a wheelchair accessible ramped path to the performance pad seating. 5678 Dance Studio is an accessible venue. There is parking out front of the studio. The studio has gender neutral washrooms onsite. If you have any questions leading up the sessions, please contact us! Otherwise, we&#39;ll be dancing with you soon... Warm regards, Ground UP Dance Festival Team✉️ groundupdancefestival@outlook.com🌐 groundupdancefestival.ca

Ground UP Dance Festival offers workshops, masterclasses and morning sessions with Festival Artists: Grand Poney Kwasi ObengRobert Stephen Christopher House *<a href="https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/choreographic-thinking-for-artists-with-christopher-house" target="_blank">separate registration page</a> When, Where &amp; About Grany Poney June 11, 2026 at 10:00am-11:30am ETat Kingston School of Dance, 370 King St W, Kingston, ON K7L 2X4 Company members of Grand Poney will lead us through a movement workshop inspired by their work ON/OFF presented at Ground UP. Robert StephenJuly 10, 2026 at 10:00am-11:30am ET at 5678 Dance Studio, 574 Princess St, Kingston, ON K7L 1C9 This Contemporary/Ballet hybrid warm-up class is for intermediate to advanced dancers and movers. Kwasi Obeng July 11, 2026 at 11:00am-12:30pm ET at Lake Ontario Park, GUDF Performance Pad, 920 King St W, Kingston, ON K7M 8H3 This Afrofusion dance class is a fun, energetic experience that will allow participants to learn various forms of West African dance fusing many traditional movements with urban street styles. PricingFree to PWYC About the Artists Grand Poney is an indiscernible, visionary and noble beast. Established in Montreal by founder Jacques Poulin-Denis, the interdisciplinary company devises a hybrid and collaborative process based on choreographic abstraction, musical composition and theatrical dramaturgy. It draws its narrative from the infinite traits of the human existence: its physical and psychic states, its impulses and principles and its relationship to others and to itself. Grand Poney consistently utilizes a measure of unfeasibility to bridge the imaginary to the obvious. Kwasi Obeng-Adjei is a Brampton-based multidisciplinary artist, emerging choreographer, and dance educator whose practice is rooted in traditional African forms and African street dance. With over a decade of experience in the dance community, Kwasi has built an impressive performance and creative resume, including appearances with the Pan Am Games, Giants of Africa Gala, Raptors Halftime Show, Asake Canadian Tour, AfroFest, Luminato Festival, Kultureland Festival, and many more. Kwasi has made a continued commitment to promoting and sharing dance within his community. He recognizes the importance of strengthening the dance ecosystem in Ontario and providing tangible opportunities for youth—beginning with workshops, programs, and cultural events that celebrate and educate. Kwasi’s choreographic journey expanded in 2023 when he presented an original work at Night Shift, produced by Citadel + Compagnie and co-presented with Fall for Dance North. Drawing on a free-form, exploratory approach, his work is driven by connection, cultural lineage, and curiosity.  In 2025, Kwasi presented Echoes of the Same Tree in collaboration with Nigerian-based artist Ambrose Tjark as part of Homegrown Signature 2 programming for Fall for Dance North, marking a significant milestone in his artistic development. Robert Stephen is a Canadian choreographer, dancer and teacher. A graduate of Canada’s National Ballet School, he danced with the National Ballet of Canada from 2004–2018, with a promotion to First Soloist in 2011. He has worked with many choreographers including Crystal Pite, Wayne McGregor, Christopher Wheeldon and James Kudelka. In 2011, he won the Clifford E. Lee Choreography Award from the Banff Centre, and the Audience Choice Award for Choreography at the Erik Bruhn Competition. In 2018, he joined Gauthier Dance/Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart for two years, performing works by Ohad Naharin, Hofesh Shechter and William Forsythe. Since his return to Canada in 2020, Robert has been commissioned by Ballet Kelowna three times, to create Celestial Mechanics (2021), In the Light of the Waking Sun (2022), and Mustard (2024). Since 2021, he has been an Artistic Staff member at Canada’s National Ballet School, where he teaches and choreographs for the Professional Ballet and Company Life programs. He has choreographed for Toronto Metropolitan University’s Performance Dance program, and is a regular guest teacher for the National Ballet of Canada’s company class. AccessibilityThe Kingston School of Dance (KSD) is located at the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning and is a wheelchair accessible space. Accessible parking spaces are available in both the lower parking lot and the accessible lot adjacent to the Tett. KSD is on the 3rd floor and can be accessed through the main doors. The school's studio space is also accessible, featuring sprung dance flooring, adjustable barres, mirrors, and professional sound and lighting. There are two gender neutral washrooms onsite.  Lake Ontario Park has accessible parking and pathways to the waterfront performance area. The park has wheelchair accessible, gendered washrooms. This year, Ground UP has the option for seated tickets close to the performance pad and along the paved area at the top of the hill. There is a wheelchair accessible ramped path to the performance pad seating. 5678 Dance Studio is an accessible venue. There is parking out front of the studio. The studio has gender neutral washrooms onsite. About Ground UP Dance FestivalGround UP Dance Festival is focused on building community, giving dance focused performance platform, and supporting artists throughout their journey in creation and development. Launched in Summer of 2022, Ground UP has acted as the first annual festival for professional dance in Kingston, Ontario. This year's festival is running June 10th &amp; July 11th, 2026. Or learn more about <a href="https://www.groundupdancefestival.ca/" target="_blank">our festival</a>...

Ground UP Dance Festival

Ground UP Dance Festival Workshops

Grand Poney | June 11 at 10:00AM

Robert Stephen | July 10 at 10:00AM

Kwasi Obeng | July 11 at 11:00AM

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