George Brown Dance is a partnership between Canada’s Ballet Jörgen and George Brown College.
The George Brown College Dance programs offer exceptional professional technical training in the heart of downtown Toronto. With hundreds of theatre, dance and production companies, Toronto offers extraordinary opportunities to aspiring performers. The unique leadership of Canada’s Ballet Jörgen’s expert instructors graduates students with the skills, confidence and connections necessary for employment in a wide range of dance performance settings. Students and faculty have built a strong community that offers continuous support and encouragement at school and beyond. At George Brown Dance, expect to be empowered and challenged to fulfill your dance potential.
George Brown Dance Programs
Dance Performance Preparation (P101)
High-standard technical and performance training
A one-year certificate program offering high-standard technical and performance training, which will prepare graduates to pursue further dance studies and careers in dance
Dance Performance (P105)
Classical ballet stream or contemporary stream
A rigorous and high-standard two-year diploma program that prepares ballet and contemporary dancers to launch a performance career in professional dance
Commercial Dance (P106)
Jazz, hip hop and ballet combined with in-depth acting, vocals and chorus repertoire
A 12-month certificate program graduating professional triple-threat dancers ready for a career in commercial dance
Canada’s Ballet Jörgen Mentorship Program
Exclusive to George Brown Dance Students
A one-year intensive and professional graduate training program designed to bridge the gap between a GBD graduate’s training to working professionally as a dancer.
HBE Contemporary Mentorship Program
A Distinctive and Comprehensive Contemporary Mentorship Program
This opportunity for emerging artists includes technique classes, composition classes, along with the opportunity to choreograph for the GBD Ensemble, and a personally designed program plan.
Audition Information
Under normal circumstances auditions are held across major cities in Canada throughout the year. For this special time we are accepting video auditions for all of our programs.
Please follow our video requirements to audition for George Brown Dance and send all requirements in one email to auditions@balletjorgen.ca
Each audition costs $60 CAD in advance, or $65 on the day in person (payable with exact change, or cheque made out to Canada’s Ballet Jörgen)
We look forward to when in person auditions return across Canada.
Under normal circumstances auditions are dance classes – students do not need to prepare their own audition material. All programs are professional training programs; students auditioning must have previous training
In person auditions are ideal, but if you are unable to attend a scheduled audition you can audition by video.
Please follow our video requirements to audition for George Brown Dance and send all requirements in one email to auditions@balletjorgen.ca
George Brown College invites you to join us for our Dance Program Auditions:
George Brown College School of Media & Performing Arts
George Brown College provides the ideal training ground to transform your need to dance into a profession.
Dance training at George Brown prepares you for an exciting career on stage or in front of the camera. Our diploma and certificate programs hone skills and techniques in various styles of dance, including ballet, jazz and hip hop. Real-world experience plays a big role in your training as well, with students performing for the public on professional Toronto stages.
Our Alumni
Esie Mensah
Dancer / Choreographer / Teacher / Model
Hamilton, ON
“Dance was the one thing that I loved, so I decided to pursue it and here I am.”
P101, 2007 George Brown Dance Graduate
Esie Mensah was the 2014 Black Canadian Award Winner for Best Contemporary Dancer and the 2015 recipient of the Cultural Promotion award from the Ghanaian-Canadian Association. Esie has worked with some of the industry’s biggest icons such as Rihanna, Drake, Janelle Monae, Nelly Furtado, Flo Rida, as well as Coca Cola, Luminato, TIFF, Estée Lauder, FIFA, WE DAY and more. Aside from her accolades, Esie is committed to bringing a new fresh genre of dance into the industry. Afrofusion is her own unique style of dance that includes movements from Traditional and Contemporary African, Commercial, Urban and Contemporary styles.
Testimonials + Q&A
My program was one year, and I felt it was the perfect time span for someone like myself. I have a hard time staying in one place for a long time and I am always on the move. I felt that my program gave me the opportunity to fast track the learning and really [got] me into the shape and mindset I needed to be in to start my career. I feel like the length of my program was almost the push I needed to take the first steps into my career, and really figure out what I wanted to do in this industry, as I knew graduation was fast approaching.
P101 Graduate
Q: What do you hope for the future? Has GBC given you the resources to obtain those goals?
A: My goals are to sustain a career in dance, whether in performance, choreography or arts administration. GBC has given me the proper tools to have a successful, full career in the dance community.
P105 Graduate
Q: What was the most beneficial aspect of your program?
A: It’s hard to choose just one since everyone at George Brown helped impact my career. If I had to choose, it would have to be the vocal and acting classes. I came to the college as a dancer, and left as a dancer, singer and actor.
Q: Was there a particular teacher/choreographer/person who inspired your choice of career path and how did they do this?
A: Someone who had always inspired me since day one would have to be Derek Sangster. He’s tough on students, but it’s because he cares about his students’ futures. He helped open my eyes to the commercial program, which is the path I have chosen for the most part. He said my personality would fit right in.
P106 Graduate
George Brown College Dance provided me with the skills to land a professional career with Canada’s Ballet Jörgen. I was taught a wide array of dance forms, acting, and vocals lessons within the George Brown Dance program. The diverse studies created a much more enriching environment as opposed to solely studying ballet. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone and studying subjects I hadn’t before was exciting, resulting in a versatile sense of self expression through my dancing. Developing this sense of self expression proved to be valuable in the professional world of performing arts.
The programs excellent caliber of classical ballet training provided me with the technique and confidence that was necessary to jump start a career. I was lucky to work with wonderful teachers and coaches that had also worked closely with Ballet Jörgen company members. Studying in the same location as the company dancers proved to inspire me on a day to day basis, watching rehearsals in my spare time. All these components pushed me to set goals for myself; graduating from George Brown College, completing the mentorship program, and receiving an apprenticeship contract, which has brought me where am today working as a full member of Canada’s Ballet Jörgen.
Ayva Rossouw-Holland – 2010 Summer Intensive IV student, 2011 P105 Graduate, 2011-12 Mentorship student, 2012 Junior Company member, 2012-13 CBJ Apprentice, Current full contract CBJ Company member
Learning Environment
George Brown Dance offers exceptional professional dance instruction in state-of-the-art facilities
Performances
Our dancers are given the opportunity to showcase their work, along with the works of both faculty and guest choreographers, as part of an annual performance season.
Information for International Students
Whether you are already a student at George Brown College looking to go abroad or are looking to join us here in Toronto from somewhere around the world, we are here to help you.
George Brown Dance Faculty
At George Brown Dance, students receive unparalleled dance training from our distinguished faculty of leading professionals in dance and the performing arts. With extensive teaching backgrounds and reputable industry careers, our faculty promotes excellence in technical skill and artistic performance through exceptional dance education.