Kirkwood Academy of Performing Arts

Kirkwood Academy of Performing Arts Kirkwood Academy was established in Nanaimo by Dolores Kirkwood in 1976. Lindsay and Carolé Martyn bought the studio from Dolores in 1990.

They renovated the old Fire Hall on Bowen Road and moved the studio there from a small church on Townsite. At Kirkwood we strive to provide excellent training. Every student has the opportunity to perform in our Year End Show at the Port Theatre at the beginning of June. As well, we provide the opportunity to take the Royal Academy of Dance examinations and presentation classes, to participate in

many festivals in groups and solos, to perform in musical theatre and ballet productions, and to join a Youth Company. Our philosophy is to instill a love of dance and music into our student and to provide life skills and confidence that they will use forever.

✨ NEW at Kirkwood Diverse Abilities Dance! ✨We’re excited to introduce our brand-new Diverse Abilities Dance classes, o...
09/02/2026

✨ NEW at Kirkwood Diverse Abilities Dance! ✨
We’re excited to introduce our brand-new Diverse Abilities Dance classes, offered in 10-week sessions!

Sign up here: https://www.cognitoforms.com/Kirkwood3/DanceForEveryoneRegistration

Designed to create a welcoming and supportive space, these classes give dancers the opportunity to experience the joy of movement in a way that works for them. Classes will focus on fun, creativity, confidence, coordination and connection, while recognizing each dancer’s individual strengths and needs.
💙 Ages 5–9: Saturdays, 10:00–11:00 a.m.
💙 Tween/Teen: Saturdays, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
📅 10-week session begins September 19

Parents and caregivers are welcome to stay with their dancer or take some time for themselves during class.

No previous dance experience is needed. Dancers are encouraged to participate in the way that feels comfortable and successful for them.

Registration is now open!
Inclusive • Adaptive • Encouraging💗

✨ Celebrating 50 Years of Kirkwood Academy of Performing Arts ✨This season marks a very special milestone, 50 years of K...
09/02/2026

✨ Celebrating 50 Years of Kirkwood Academy of Performing Arts ✨
This season marks a very special milestone, 50 years of Kirkwood Academy of Performing Arts in Nanaimo. Throughout our anniversary season, on the 1st and 15th of each month we’ll be sharing pieces of Kirkwood’s story and celebrating some of the people whose love of dance has helped make Kirkwood what it is today and who have helped shape its incredible legacy.

And there is no better place to begin than where it all started. 💙

Dolores Kirkwood
In September 1976, Dolores Kirkwood opened Kirkwood Academy in a small studio on Morpeth Road in Nanaimo. Her passion for dance and music, commitment to excellence, and genuine care for her students created something that would continue for generations.

Over the years, Ms. Kirkwood inspired countless young dancers and helped create the strong sense of community and belonging that remains at the heart of Kirkwood today. Her contributions to dance and the arts were recognized with many honours, including being awarded the Order of British Columbia in 2010.
Fifty years later, the legacy she began continues.

Here’s to celebrating 50 years of dance, memories, community and the people who made it all possible. 💙✨

Ready to make some noise? 👞✨Our Boys Tap with Tosh 10-week session is all about movement, rhythm, confidence and FUN!Des...
08/31/2026

Ready to make some noise? 👞✨
Our Boys Tap with Tosh 10-week session is all about movement, rhythm, confidence and FUN!

Designed especially for boys approximately ages 6–11, dancers will build their tap technique, musicality and coordination while learning cool new steps and developing their own individual style. No experience required!

Whether they’re brand new to tap or looking to sharpen their skills, this is a welcoming space to move, groove and discover how much fun tap can be. 💙

Sign up here: https://www.cognitoforms.com/Kirkwood3/DanceForEveryoneRegistration

📅 Saturdays | Sept 19 – Nov 21
⏰ 12:00–12:45 PM
🚫 No class Oct 10
👞 10-week session
Come tap with Tosh! Registration is now open.

Congratulations, Owen! 🎉🩰We are so excited to celebrate Owen as he heads to Philadelphia to train at The Rock School for...
08/31/2026

Congratulations, Owen! 🎉🩰

We are so excited to celebrate Owen as he heads to Philadelphia to train at The Rock School for Dance Education! This is such an incredible opportunity and a reflection of the dedication, discipline, and hard work he has poured into his training.

Owen, we are so proud of everything you have accomplished and can’t wait to see all that you learn and experience during this next chapter. Keep working hard, dreaming big, and enjoying every moment. 💙✨

Looking for the perfect place to start dancing as a teen? 🩰✨Our Teen Ballet & Lyrical 10-Week Session is designed especi...
08/29/2026

Looking for the perfect place to start dancing as a teen? 🩰✨
Our Teen Ballet & Lyrical 10-Week Session is designed especially for teens who are new to dance. Dancers will build confidence, learn foundational ballet technique, and explore the expressive movement of lyrical dance in a welcoming and supportive environment.
No previous dance experience is required!

Sign up here: https://www.cognitoforms.com/Kirkwood3/DanceForEveryoneRegistration

📅 Mondays, Sept. 14–Nov. 23
⏰ 5:45–6:45 PM
✨ 10-week session
No class Oct. 12
Whether you’ve always wanted to try dance or you’re looking for something new this fall, this is your chance to step into the studio and give it a try. 💙
Come dance with us at Kirkwood Academy!

✨ Ready to flip, stretch, strengthen and grow? ✨Our Acro classes help dancers build strength, flexibility, coordination ...
08/28/2026

✨ Ready to flip, stretch, strengthen and grow? ✨
Our Acro classes help dancers build strength, flexibility, coordination and confidence while learning age-appropriate acrobatic skills they can bring into choreography or just have fun showing off!
With classes for both beginner and experienced dancers, there’s an option for a range of ages and skill levels. Classes are taught by experienced Acro instructors Jessica and India, both certified with Acrobatic Arts.
Sign up here: https://www.cognitoforms.com/Kirkwood3/DanceForEveryoneRegistration

Classes begin September 9
Only $68/month
Come build skills, confidence and strength with us this season. 💙

As we head into another exciting season at Kirkwood Academy, we want to take a moment to recognize the incredible local ...
08/28/2026

As we head into another exciting season at Kirkwood Academy, we want to take a moment to recognize the incredible local businesses and community partners who supported our 2025–2026 dance season. 🩰✨
Your generosity helped create meaningful opportunities, memorable experiences, and lasting memories for our dancers.
A heartfelt thank you to:
🌳 Children's Treehouse ☀️
Beyond Beauty Bar
Pumpkin Pie Kids
Mambo Pizza
milk jam
Rise Medical Aesthetics
Mizu Real Fruit Ice Cream Ltd.
CountryClubDairyQueen
Original Joe's
Landmark Cinemas Canada

MHM -Dance- Project
Literacy Central Vancouver Island
Quintessential - Women’s Fashion Boutique
Starbucks Canada
Country Club Centre
SHYLA STEVENSON PHOTOGRAPHY
Alicia Dewar Photography
We are so grateful for your support of our dancers and our dance community! 💕

There’s a place for you at Kirkwood🩰Whether your dancer is taking their very first steps, building strong ballet foundat...
08/23/2026

There’s a place for you at Kirkwood🩰

Whether your dancer is taking their very first steps, building strong ballet foundations, discovering the energy of jazz and tap, expressing themselves through lyrical, modern or contemporary, stepping into character in musical theatre, or developing strength and flexibility in acro, each class offers something meaningful.

At Kirkwood, students gain more than dance skills. They build confidence, creativity, discipline, friendships and a lasting love of movement.

For dancers looking for more intensive training, KAPP provides a pre-professional pathway focused on greater technical, artistic and performance development. And dance isn’t only for children our adult classes welcome those who are beginning, returning or continuing their dance journey.

This year is especially meaningful as we celebrate Kirkwood’s 50th anniversary: five decades of dance, community, strong foundations and generations of dancers who have called Kirkwood home.

Swipe through to discover where you or your dancer might belong, and join us for our 50th season.

Registration is open for programs with remaining availability. Visit kirkwoodacademy.ca to learn more.

⭐ FACULTY ANNOUNCEMENT ⭐Please join us in welcoming back Tosh Sutherland to the Kirkwood Academy faculty for the 2026-27...
08/21/2026

⭐ FACULTY ANNOUNCEMENT ⭐

Please join us in welcoming back Tosh Sutherland to the Kirkwood Academy faculty for the 2026-27 season!

Tosh Sutherland is a dancer, performer, and educator based out of British Columbia, Canada. He began his training with Bonnie-Jean Anderson in a local studio in the Lower Mainland and his passion for the dance only grew. He has trained with various instructors from all over North America, most notably attending the prestigious School at Jacob’s Pillow under the direction of Dianne Walker. At 16, Tosh was awarded the bronze medal for male soloists at the World Tap Dance Championships in Riesa, Germany.

Immediately following graduation, Tosh moved to Toronto and within the year, he was performing in the all-tap dance production ‘i Think i Can’ with the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People (now known as Young People’s Theatre). Since then, he has had the privilege of taking his career all over the world. After several contracts at sea as a principal dancer with Princess Cruises, he landed back in British Columbia to begin making waves of his own.

Tosh has worked with many companies in Vancouver and in a variety of art forms. From a lead in a Tap Dance and Flamenco adaptation production of ‘West Side Story’ and ‘Grease’ with Karen Flamenco to the likeable ruffian Tommy in Gateway Theatre’s musical ‘The Music Man’. He also developed and directed a program in Vancouver aimed at helping students transition from their dance studio career to a career as a professional tap dancer and artist focusing on both the art form as well as the administrative side of a life in the Arts.

When not teaching or performing, you can find Tosh in the wildness of British Columbia; most likely with a fishing rod in hand.

⭐ FACULTY ANNOUNCEMENT ⭐Please join us in welcoming back Jessica Langelier to the Kirkwood Academy faculty for the 2026-...
08/20/2026

⭐ FACULTY ANNOUNCEMENT ⭐

Please join us in welcoming back Jessica Langelier to the Kirkwood Academy faculty for the 2026-27 season!

Jessica began dancing at Kirkwood Academy at age 5 and quickly developed a passion for all styles of dance, including ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, and tap. In 2020, she became the first graduating dancer from KAPP, Kirkwood Academy’s pre-professional training program. Alongside her extensive training at Kirkwood, Jessica also trained with Helix Dance Theatre (Sarah Devito), Nanaimo Contemporary Ballet (Chantelle Ristine), and Prism Dance Connections (Samantha Mason and Katie Deelman).

Jessica completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) in Dance at Simon Fraser University (SFU), where she received an Entrance Scholarship with Distinction. During her time at SFU, she performed in and contributed to a variety of collaborative and original works while continuing to develop her own choreographic voice. Her choreography and performance credits include SFU Live Acts: Förvandla (2024), choreographed by Jessica herself, Clock/Work and Joy with NCB, lead choreographer for the “All is Beauty” commercial campaign for La Maison Simons, and, most recently, one of the choreographers for the opening ceremonies of the BC 55+ Games.

Committed to ongoing growth as both an artist and educator, Jessica has trained extensively across North America at renowned summer programs including School of Alberta Ballet, Joffrey (LA, NY, and SF), Hubbard Street, Brea Space, Complexions (LA), Modus Operandi, Inverso, Martha Graham, and Godfrey Method.

Jessica holds certifications in Progressive Ballet Technique (PBT), Progressing Contemporary Technique (PCT), Acrobatic Arts, ADAPT Teacher Training, and Rambert Grades Contemporary.

She is passionate about creating supportive, challenging, and inspiring environments for young dancers and is thrilled to continue sharing her love of dance with the next generation.

Address

2138 Bowen Road
Nanaimo, BC
V9S1H7

Opening Hours

Monday 8:45am - 8pm
Tuesday 8:45am - 8pm
Wednesday 8:45am - 8pm
Thursday 8:45am - 8pm
Friday 8:45am - 8pm

Telephone

+12507139184

Website

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