Beginner Adult Summer Workshops
A weekend of dance filled with Ballet Repertoire, Pas de Deux & Improvisation workshops.
Intermediate Adult Summer Workshops run July 17th to July 19th, 2026, featuring workshops lead by industry professional in Ballet Repertoire, Pas de Deux and Improvisation.
Lean into your interests, challenge yourself and discover new facets of dance.
Experience our exciting two and a half hour workshops:
Don Quixote Repertoire with Sarahi Cardenas
6:00PM to 8:30PM on Friday, July 17th, 2026
Pas de Deux with Sarahi Cardenas & Daniel Da Silva
2:00PM to 4:30PM on Saturday, July 18th, 2026
Improvisation with Maya Santos O’Keefe
2:00PM to 4:30PM on Sunday, July 19th, 2026
Join a single workshop or all three!
Learn more about each workshop and faculty member below!
Questions about our Adult Summer Workshops? Find the answers here:
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Save more and dance more when you join us for the full weekend of our Intermediate Adult Summer Workshops.
Single workshops are $45 +HST.
A full weekend of workshops is $110 +HST.
Purchasing a full weekend of workshops is easy by clicking on the button above & adding the code into the registration for each workshop!
Need assistance? Connect with us info@thefifthdance.com.
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Choosing the right level ensures that you have a positive and enriching experience. Each workshop description outlines the ideal level of its participants. See below for more details.
Beginner Workshops are designed for dancers who have completed an Absolute Beginner Series or minimum 3 months of Absolute Beginner drop-in classes are welcome.
Suitable levels for join Beginner Workshops include Absolute Beginner/Beginner, Beginner and Beginner/Intermediate.
Intermediate Workshops are designed for those with a foundational understanding of ballet technique, who have completed a Beginner Series II, Prix du Canada Variation Series, and/or regularly attended Beginner/Intermediate drop-in classes. Dancers in intermediate ballet workshops are welcome to attend this workshop in pointe shoes if desired.
Suitable levels for joining Intermediate Workshops include Beginner, Beginner/Intermediate, Intermediate and Intermediate/Advanced.
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We understand that life happens and plans change.
Cancellations inquiries can be made up until a week prior to the start of the workshop. Registrants may be refunded in money credits to their Momence account, that can be used for any future bookings.
Cancellations made within a week before the start of the workshop will not be eligible for refunds. Registrants will not receive money credits or the option to transfer their booking to equal valued future bookings.
All transactions are final. No refunds are made to the original form of payments. Refunds will only be received in the form of money credits to the registrant’s Momence account.
Inquiries for cancellations or further queries about our policies can be sent to info@thefifthdance.com.
Adult Summer Workshop
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July 17 - 19, 2026
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Repertoire, Pas de Deux & Improvisation
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Adult Summer Workshop ☀︎ July 17 - 19, 2026 ☀︎ Repertoire, Pas de Deux & Improvisation ☀︎
Beginner Don Quixote Repertoire with Sarahi Cardenas
Dive into the world of ballet with our Beginner Repertoire Workshop to learn a Don Quixote variation adapted for beginner dancers. This playful ballet is known for its flamboyant repertoire filled with color, expression and energy!
Designed in two parts, this workshop begins with a ballet class warm-up of barre and centre, that leads into step-by-step instruction of Don Quixote repertoire. More than just steps, learn insights about how character arc, plot and Don Quixote’s history inform each gesture and refine style.
Open to all beginners seeking to explore the grace, elegance and expression of ballet. Dancers who have completed an Absolute Beginner Series or minimum 3 months of Absolute Beginner drop-in classes are welcome. Suitable levels for this workshop include Absolute Beginner/Beginner, Beginner and Beginner/Intermediate.
Deepen your connection to technique, musicality and artistry during an evening of dancing with our Beginner Don Quixote Repertoire Workshop.
This Beginner Repertoire Workshop kicks off our Beginner-level weekend of Adult Summer Workshops including Repertoire, Pas de Deux and Improvisation.
The Adult Summer Workshops allows you to lean into your interests, challenge yourself and discover new facets of dance. Join a single workshop or all three!
Beginner Pas de Deux with Sarahi Cardenas & Daniel Da Silva
Discover the magic behind the iconic ballet pas de deux, with our Beginner Pas de Deux Workshop. Designed as an introduction, this workshop invites ballet-lovers to a unique experience that combines artistry and partnership.
This workshop focuses on essential aspects of successful partnering such as body awareness, weight placement and communication. Learn the specific coordination needed for pas de deux steps including balances, promenades and basic lifts. Entirely focused on partner work, this workshop does not offer a ballet barre warm-up and dives right into centre work for partnering. Grasp the foundational elements crucial for renowned pas de deux sequences, as seen in famous ballets such as Swan Lake, Romeo & Juliet and Sleeping Beauty.
Often considered to be the climax of any full length ballet, the pas de deux captives audiences with technical athleticism and emotional storytelling. Pas de deux, a French term for "dance for two," refers to two dancers performing together. Ballets usually include a variety of Pas de Deux sections:
An entrée — a brief introductory section where the pair meet for the first time of the ballet.
An adagio — a slow section where the pair support each other through sustained movements, emphasizing grace, control, and emotional depth.
And last but not least, a coda — the finale, focusing on more complex and spirited technical elements, such as lifts, grand jumps, and turns.
Open to everyone interested in learning ballet pas de deux, this workshop offers accessible and inclusive approaches to partnering, by encouraging non-traditional partnerships, welcoming all genders and embracing all bodies. All beginner level movers, including those who’ve completed Absolute Beginner Series, or training with other movement-based practices other than ballet or dance, are welcome to join.
Our Beginner Pas de Deux Workshop provides you with a unique opportunity to learn from inspiring and insightful professional dancers and receive insight on the mystifying art of ballet partnering.
This Beginner Pas de Deux Workshop is the halfway mark in our Beginner-level weekend of Adult Summer Workshops including Repertoire, Pas de Deux and Improvisation.
The Adult Summer Workshops allow you to lean into your interests, challenge yourself and discover new facets of dance. Join a single workshop or all three!
Beginner Improvisation with Maya Santos O’Keefe
Discover the freedom of movement with our Beginner Improvisation Workshop. Designed as an exploration, this workshop invites you to build confidence generating your own movement in a fun and approachable environment.
Through a variety of movement tasks driven by imagery and physical prompts, you’re invited to explore working on improvisation solo, with a partner, and as part of a group. More than just exercises, you will accumulate practical tools to gain confidence when improvising, empowering you to move with greater spontaneity and self-assurance.
Open to all beginners seeking to explore creativity and self-expression through movement. Dancers who have never taken a dance class before, are newer to contemporary improvisation, or simply want to feel more confident within their improv practice are welcome. Suitable levels for this workshop include Absolute Beginner/Beginner, Beginner and Beginner/Intermediate.
Come prepared to move and get sweaty! Be sure to bring water, a notebook and something to write with.
This Beginner Contemporary Workshop is the final stop in our Beginner-level weekend of Adult Summer Workshops including Repertoire, Pas de Deux and Improvisation.
The Adult Summer Workshops allow you to lean into your interests, challenge yourself and discover new facets of dance. Join a single workshop or all three!
Meet our faculty for Adult Summer Workshops
Sarahi Cardenas
Originally from Saltillo, México, Sarahí began her dance journey at the age of eleven, at the Escuela Superior de Música y Danza de Monterrey. Her dedication to the art led her to further her training at The Rock School of Dance Education in Philadelphia, PA (USA), before graduating from high school. Sarahí's professional career blossomed in 2007 when both the Ballet Metropolitano de Monterrey and Ballet de Monterrey welcomed her into their corps de ballet.
Throughout her career, Sarahí has graced the stage in a myriad of classical ballets, including iconic performances in Swan Lake, Giselle, La Bayadere, Don Quixote, and The Nutcracker. She has also lent her talent to neoclassical works such as Yuri Possokhov's Diving into the Lilacs, Clark Tippet's Bruch Violin Concerto, and George Balanchine's Symphony in C and Western Symphony. Notably, she has portrayed Desdemona in José Limon’s The Moors Pavane, showcasing her versatility in modern dance.
Sarahí's international journey continued as she joined Canada’s Ballet Jörgen for the 2015-2016 season, further enriching her artistic repertoire and learning firsthand the importance of outreach and accessibility in dance. In September 2019, Sarahi had the opportunity to first join The Canadian Opera Company’s ensemble as a dancer in their production of Rusalka, La Traviata in 2022 and most recently Don Giovanni in 2024.
Sarahi completed her 200hr yoga teacher training in 2020 and Progressing Ballet Technique Certificate in 2021. Sarahí is currently a part of the Faculty at George Brown College, York University and InStudio.
In 2019, Sarahí co-founded The Fifth Dance, a dynamic drop-in dance studio in Toronto, where she continues to inspire and nurture aspiring dancers. After founding The Fifth, she took on the responsibility of organizing and producing the summer intensive and its respective showings for the last 3 years. Notably, she orchestrated and managed all logistics for TISI, a summer intensive program that brings together over 30 youth dancers from Monterrey, Mexico, fostering cross-cultural exchange and artistic growth.
Daniel Da Silva
Daniel began his ballet training in 2005 in Santa Barbara D’Oeste with Ana Rita Da Silva and in 2007, Daniel received a full scholarship to train at Pacific Dance Arts in Vancouver with Li Yaming. In 2009, Danel competed at the Youth America Grand Prix in NYC, finishing in the top twelve. He was offered a full scholarship to participate in the summer program at Jacob’s Pillow. Daniel was also a guest dancer for two seasons with Ballet BC, performing a premiere piece by James Kudelka and the classical ballets Carmen and Peter Pan. Daniel has also performed variations from Flames of Paris, Swan Lake, Raymonda, Don Quixote and Coppélia.
Daniel’s repertoire as a company member with Canada’s Ballet Jörgen includes the leading role of Florimund in Sleeping Beauty, Prince and Suitor in Cinderella, Romeo and Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet; Siegfried, Pas de Trois & Spanish Dancer in Swan Lake, Dimitri in Anastasia, and Lord Birch in The Nutcracker: A Canadian Tradition. Daniel also starred in the short film The Marvelous Girl which was produced by Ballet Jörgen and debuted at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.
Maya Santos O’Keefe
Maya Santos O’Keefe (she/her) is a dance artist, teacher and choreographer based in Tkaronto/Toronto. Growing up in Calgary, Alberta, Maya trained in multiple disciplines, including ballet, breaking, contemporary, hip hop, jazz and modern, which informs her current teaching practice. She is a graduate of Dance Arts Institute (formerly known as The School of Toronto Dance Theatre) and Central Memorial’s Performing and Visual Arts Program, receiving the Dance Innovator Award, multiple bursaries and scholarships. Throughout her training, she performed works by choreographers such as Kate Alton, Peggy Baker, Tilman O’Donnell, Pulga Muchochoma, Julia Sasso, Sharon Moore, and Karen Kaeja.
Following graduation, she performed works by Ben King, Christina Litt Belch, Sadie Cahill and Xuan Ye. Her work has been supported by Canada Council for the Arts, The National Ballet’s Open Space Programme, Toronto Dance Theatre’s Plug-N-Play, The Garage and Woodland Farm Artist Residency.
As a teacher, Maya is passionate about continuously challenging dancers to reach their full potential. She strives to cultivate a positive and approachable environment in each class.