Children and youth will soon be taking Contemporary Dance classes at the Owen Sound Academy of Performing Arts from an internationally recognized dance professional.

Academy Director Ann Milne stated, "We are honoured by having Ms. Helen Jones join the faculty in September. She has performed with companies and choreographers in Europe, the USA, and in Canada, and has appeared in film and television, as well as on Broadway."

Helen Jones is an internationally recognized dancer artist with a long career as a professional dancer and teacher. She is a graduate of Britain's Royal Ballet School and trained in Contemporary Dance at The London Contemporary Dance Theatre, and with the legendary Martha Graham in New York. Her other credits include a Bachelor of Science in Psychology (UT), Diploma in Training and Development (OISE), and courses in ballet pedagogy and creative dance for children at the National Ballet School of Canada's Teacher Training Programme.

Helen is currently faculty at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre, as well as the Department of Dance at York University. More locally, for twelve years she ran a recreational dance programme for children and adults in the municipality of Grey Highlands where she lives.

"Our Contemporary Dance classes are creative, expressive, athletic, and technically appropriate for the age and level(s) of the young dancers. We will develop physical skill, explore story-telling through movement, and learn different rhythms and musical co-ordinations through dance. Valuable abilities that transfer to many other activities in life including sports, music, acting, and even mathematics," said Milne.

Not to be confused with urban dance forms and styles, Contemporary Dance is based in the great 20th century "rebel" Modern Dance traditions that evolved into the dance technique(s) that are now the foundations of dance studios in Universities and Professional Training Dance Programmes around the world.