Dance Jam is a one-day educational workshop designed to inspire dancers, teachers, and studios through high-quality training in a positive, non-competitive environment.

One of the things that makes Dance Jam unique is our commitment to showcasing faculty with strong Saskatchewan and Western Canadian roots. Many of our guest teachers grew up training in local studios before going on to successful careers as professional dancers, teachers, choreographers, and industry leaders.

We believe it is important for young dancers to see that incredible opportunities can start right here. Whether you come from a large city or a small town, there is a place for you in the dance world.

Dance Jam is open to all dancers, teachers, and studios. You do not need to be a member of CDTA or attend a CDTA-affiliated studio to participate. Regardless of age, experience level, dance background, or studio affiliation, we welcome everyone to join us in Saskatoon for a day of learning, growth, and inspiration.

Faculty for Dance Jam 2026 will be announced soon, and we are excited to continue bringing inspiring educators back to Saskatchewan to share their experiences, knowledge, and passion with the next generation of dancers.

Registration is first-come, first-served.

Faculty

Danny Nielsen – TAP

Danny Nielsen has emerged as one of the leaders of tap dance in Canada. Originally from Calgary, he began to further his knowledge of tap studying at various festivals throughout Canada and the U.S. around the age of 14. His prolific technical skill and musical sensibility launched him on to the international stage at the age of 23. Danny has taught and performed at many national and international tap festivals including Zurich Tap Fest, Tap Ahead in Germany, North Carolina Rhythm Tap Festival, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Taptastic Festival in Germany, and Portland Tap Fest.

Danny was an integral part of  Vancouver based dance company Radical System Art’s (Shay Kuebler) production Telemetry. The show was a hit and toured for over 3 years at notable venues such as the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Place Des Arts in Montreal, the White Bird Dance Series in Portland, the Suzanne Dellal Centre in Tel Aviv, and Schritmacher Festival in Germany.

In 2012, Danny was the recipient of the Santa Aloi Award from the Scotiabank Dance Centre. He used the grant to create and direct his first full-length production Love Be Best Free, which toured BC for a month in February of 2017 (the first tap show to tour in BC in over 35 years). He also co created Night Cap with Joel Hanna which featured American tap icons Martin ‘Tre’ Dumas III and Jason Samuels Smith. He later created his second full length production entitled ‘On Foot’ which premiered in both Vancouver and Calgary in the fall of 2019. Danny just completed a sold out run of his newest creation ‘In Conversation’ at the Dance Centre in Vancouver in collaboration with Bulgarian pianist/percussionist Kristian Alexandrov, directed by Houston’s Matt Shields. The show was recently presented in Calgary in January 2025 by DJD/One Yellow Rabbit Theatre.

After years away and most recently in Vancouver, he has re-located to Calgary to build more touring shows and further collaborate with musicians.

Austin Lam – BALLET

Hailing from Regina, Canada, Austin trained in a variety of different dance genres, including ballet, tap, jazz, musical theatre, hip hop, and acrobatics.  Austin has trained at the National Ballet School of Canada, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Arts Umbrella, and more.

Most notably, Austin graduated from The Juilliard School, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts.  Austin has performed new works by Joshua Beamish, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Larry Keigwin, and Andy Blankenbueller, among others; alongside these, he performed repertoire choreographed by José Limón, Eliot Feld, and Merce Cunningham.  He has also performed with LeeSaar The Company in APAP 2015.

Austin spent many years with James Sewell Ballet (JSB), working with a multitude of choreographers, including Sharon Eyal, Christine Maginnis, Belinda McGuire, and Loni Landon.  During his time with JSB, Austin had the opportunity to work with the legendary filmmaker, Frederick Wiseman, in the company’s collaborative adaptation of Wiseman’s film, “Titicut Follies”.

Austin has won gold medals in both the Contemporary and the Choreography competitions of Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition (VKIBC) 2015.  Austin’s choreography has been chosen to be in Choreographic Honors at The Juilliard School multiple times; he has also been commissioned to create for the Ballet competition of VKIBC, and The Washington Ballet’s theNEWmovement.

Cole Neumeier – Hip Hop

“Cole Neumeier was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and began dancing at the age of nine at his mother’s dance studio. Throughout his training years, he won multiple regional titles at competitions across Saskatchewan and Alberta, making his mark as a promising young professional.

After high school, Cole moved to Vancouver to fully immerse himself in the entertainment industry. During his first year, he was accepted into the Intensive Training Program at Harbour Dance Centre, led by director Moe Brody. He also began training with the hip hop company TwoFourSeven and remained with the group for six years (choreographing for two), training and performing at competitions across Canada and the United States.

Cole was fortunate to book two films in his first year of auditioning in Vancouver—Freaky Friday and Descendants 3—both for Disney, as a dancer and stunt performer. His favorite credits include Descendants: Wicked Wonderland (Netflix) and Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (Paramount+), where he played the recurring role of Bill, showcasing his triple-threat talents.

Cole teaches dance across Canada and continues to train as an actor in Vancouver, BC. He remains passionate about exploring all kinds of creative ventures and looks forward to many more exciting years in film, television, and dance!”