30 Years of Leeming DanceWorks

It is hard to believe that 30 years ago we opened what was then called “Leeming Danceworks East”.

To give you a little background, my mother Greta Leeming Robinson opened her school, the Greta Leeming Studio of Dance (GLS) in 1962. I was one of her first students of 40 in the basement of our home!

She then found studio space in an office building, and later expanded to the present location on Merivale Road. The school kept growing and growing, with branches all over the city and even in Gatineau. After I graduated from the dance program at Ryerson, I started teaching for my mum at both the studio and many of the branches for about 10 years. The Orleans Branch of GLS was really growing fast as the new community flourished. My mother asked me to take over this branch and run it myself.  This is when I found the present space and opened my own studio in 1989. We started with one small studio downstairs only!

After a few years we built the studio on the 2nd floor, and in 2004, we took over the adjacent unit and added another studio, a kitchen, and larger changing facilities.

I owe so much to my wonderful mother and mentor. Her years of experience and wisdom have been invaluable to me!

As we celebrate our 30th year of business, I wish to thank my team of teachers for their dedication, inspiration and hard work training our students to be the best dancers and people they can be.

Thank you to our amazing students for pushing yourselves to grow and learn. We are honoured to be a part of your lives and to have the opportunity to watch you flourish.

Dance gives you life long tools: self discipline, time management, work ethics, passion and drive.

To our dance parents: your support of the studio is greatly appreciated! Many adults look back on their dance years as some of the best. Thank you for helping your child to create these beautiful memories.

– Sharon Leeming Mann, Director