Nature Walk: Outdoor Play – February 9

Saturday February 9 @ 2:30-3:30pm
Outdoor Play – St. Julien Park

Reach, bend, squat, lunge and balance while exploring the Thames Valley Trail in St. Julien Park. A fun outdoor workout and walk that will revive your child-like sense of wonder as we move in response to the natural landscape. Certified Naturalist Nina Sampson will guide the walk through the woods and Bizz Varty will lead the workout. Discover new and unique ways to build exercise into your daily life, no equipment needed!

Meet at South end of St. Julien Street at 2:30 pm. This walk will be approximately 60 minutes.

Dress for the weather – see Nina’s tutorial on ‘How to Dress for a Winter Walk’

Accessibility: This walk will use unpaved trails and will not be easily accessible for mobility devices, including strollers.

Nature Walk – Saturday January 12

Saturday January 12
@ 2:30-3:30pm

Nature Walk at St. Julien Park

Take deep breaths of fresh air as we move and stretch our bodies and tune into the natural world. This gentle walk will explore how we can use nature to move more, how we can become more comfortable moving in nature, and why we might want to. Movement specialist Bizz Varty will talk about the mechanics of walking while nature expert Nina Sampson shares information about the natural landscape around us. All bodies welcome.

Meet at South end of St. Julien Street at 2:30 pm. This walk will be approximately 60 minutes.

Dress for the weather – see Nina’s tutorial on ‘How to Dress for a Winter Walk’

Accessibility: This walk will remain on paved & gravel trails and will be accessible for mobility devices, including strollers.

Dance Walk – Saturday December 8 @ 2:30-3:30pm

Saturday December 8 @ 2:30-3:30pm

Dance Walk – Killaly Meadows

There’s no right or wrong way to dance walk, just get outside and groove, strut, shimmy and shake! With live music, including holiday tunes, for inspiration, on this winter walk through Kilally Meadows we’ll add a little extra movement to keep us warm. Bizz Varty will offer dance moves for you to try and outdoor enthusiast Nina Sampson will share information about the natural world around us. Join us and jingle all the way!

Meet at Windermere and Adelaide entrance at 2:30 pm. This walk will be approximately 60 minutes.

Dress for the weather, this walk will happen rain, snow or shine. See Nina’s tutorial on layering up for a winter walk, below!

Accessibility: This walk may happen on snow-covered trails, so may not be suitable for mobility devices, including strollers. Please check for weather-related accessibility updates during the first weeks of December.

Join the 2018 LDF Dance Mob

Join our Dance Mob!
The Dance Mob (formerly known as the Flash Mob) is a fun and easy dance created by local artists and performed by the community. No dance experience is required and all ages and abilities are welcome. You can learn the moves from the instructional video (embedded below), or at one of our workshops (listed below). Then come down to our Community Showcase in Ivey Park on June 30 at 6pm and dance with us!

2018 Dance Mob Workshop Tour
The Dance Mob choreographers Samantha Sendas & Katharine McCormack will be touring the city in June teaching the dance to Londoners of all ages. Want them to stop at your school, business, or organization?
Email us at LondonDanceFestival@gmail.com to book a FREE workshop. No experience required, all welcome.

More dates will be added to the schedule as they are confirmed

June 16, 12-1pm Sound in Motion (1444 Glenora Drive) OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
June 26, 6:15-7pm North London Dance Centre (1055 Sarnia Road) OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
June 30, 4:45pm Ivey Park (331 Thames St) OPEN TO THE PUBLIC – and your LAST CHANCE!
PERFORMANCE: June 30, 6pm Ivey Park

Learn the moves, then come dance with us in Ivey Park at 6pm on June 30!

Watch the 2017 Flash Mob, created by Greg Thane and Ken Pham. The rain didn’t dampen our enthusiasm!

Nature Walk Series begins May 26

Nature Walks with Nina

Explore London’s many walking tails while learning about the physical and mental health benefits of walking as a regular movement practice in this walk & talk series hosted by Nina Sampson and Bizz Varty. Walks will include a warm-up and cool-down.

All Together Now: May 26th at 3 pm
Join the Centre of Movement Arts to explore movement in nature! This gentle walk will take us through Springbank Park and explore how we can use nature to move more. We will focus on how to move at a pace that keeps the whole group together and strategies you can use when walking with people who have different movement needs. You’ll also learn more about nature in the city. All bodies welcome.

Location: Meet at Springbank Gardens, 205 Wonderland Road South
Time: 3-4:30 pm
Parking: Available and FREE, but limited. Please take transit/carpool where possible
Terrain: paved paths, human powered wheels welcome! Flat to gentle uphill/downhill
Trail stats:  Approximately 2 km  (approx 30 mins of walking)
Dogs: Well-behaved, low-stress dogs welcome. All pets must be on leash at all times
Kids: All ages welcome, at your own discretion
Moved by Nature: June 12 at 7:00 pm
Join the Centre of Movement Arts to explore movement where the cityscape and nature meet. This gentle walk will take us through Gibbons Park and along the Thames Valley Parkway. We will explore how we can use nature to move more, how we can become more comfortable moving in nature, and why we might want to. All bodies welcome.
Location: Meet at Gibbons Park parking lot (2A Grosvenor St), east of pool/splashpad
Time: 7-8:30 pm
Parking: FREE! Please take transit/carpool where possible
Terrain: Paved paths and grassed fields. Flat to gentle uphill/downhill
Trail stats: Approximately 2 km (approx 30 mins of walking)
Dogs: Well-behaved, low-stress dogs welcome. All pets must be on a leash at all times
Kids: all ages welcome, at your own discretion