MomentumLabLogoHeader

Ready for the next level?

Momentum Lab offers a way forward for ambitious, committed dancers.  Through this program you’ll gain the skills and confidence to audition for the post-secondary school outside of Kelowna that you have your eye on. 

Momentum Lab is a way to keep dancing after you’ve graduated from high school. Momentum Lab will offer you a window into Contact Improvisation and release techniques, as well as give you the opportunity to be a part of a new creation process that will culminate in a studio showing of a new piece.   

JennPortrait

ABOUT MOMENTUM LAB

Momentum Lab is a five day workshop intensive for dancers ages 18-30 who are looking for a career in dance OR for professional dancers already working in the industry who would like to broaden their skill set, by learning Contact Improvisation and to be a part of new creation.  


Dancers who have trained in Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Acro, Hip-Hop or any other form of dance in a rigorous, committed way throughout grade school and high school who live in the Okanagan Valley (Kelowna or surrounding area) who are ready to challenge themselves in new and exciting directions.  

Program Details

ABOUT THE FOUNDER

Jennifer McLeish-Lewis (she/her) 

Jennifer McLeish-Lewis is a dance artist currently working in the field in Vancouver BC. Her choreography has been presented in a professional context since 2002 the year she graduated from MainDance Training Institute. She has studied Contact Improvisation since 2002 under master teacher and choreographer Peter Bingham and has taught Contact since 2006 now for twenty years. She has been supported by The Canada Council for the Arts and The BC Arts Council for her work for stage and screen. Her immediate family lives in Peachland and her desire to spend more time with her five-year-old niece is the inspiration behind starting Momentum Lab in Kelowna.

"I felt especially supported because she consistently recognized and affirmed my technical skills while offering practical exercises that helped me continue to grow.

Dancing with the other men was a refreshing opportunity to explore a more rambunctious physical energy while always feeling the group’s mutual care and supportive intent. Jen creates an environment where challenge, playfulness, and genuine encouragement come together."

Michael Dagenais he/him
Contact Dancer

"Jennifer McLeish-Lewis works with dancers holistically, honing their full skill set to create interdisciplinary pieces, and fostering autonomy within set and improvised scores. Through encouragement, curiosity, and collaboration, she helps artists feel confident in their ideas and abilities, and creates wonderful opportunities for people to come together to train, research, and perform." 

Samantha Krystal, Modus Operandi Alumni

“Jen has a gift for weaving together the unique essence of everyone’s practice. She creates a space where every offering is welcomed and every idea is gently nurtured into being. She creates an environment that reflects a collective spirit of everyone who has touched it along the way.”


Modus Operandi Alumni 



"Jen has an incredible talent for offering cues and feedback which unlock different ways of thinking and moving. Her approach to teaching is technically rigorous, yet intuitive. She is warm and approachable while staying uncompromising in her vision. It has been wonderful to work with her and my dancing has been transformed!"

Samuel Miao he/him
Contact Dancer

"During a short but sweet creative process with Jen, I felt her encouragement to explore my own movement and expression. She is a strong leader who clearly articulates her vision and cares for everyone in the room. Jen has a strong backbone, while remaining open to what arises in the present moment - a unique combination that also appears in the way she moves."

Kaya Tsurumi 

Arts Umbrella Alumni 
Modus Operandi Alumni




"Working with Jen is a freeing and grounding process. It has been wonderful to experience her ways of creation when I worked with her as an intern in her production "LiKEWiSE." I applied my inspirations from her creative process in my own choreographic work, and have created a piece that is very dear to my heart. I believe Jen is a wonderful, strong, and talented artist and teacher, I strongly recommend working with her!"

Naz Ozlu

Simon Fraser University School for the Contemporary Arts - Alumni 




Ambitious2
DanceAmbitious

 Momentum Lab will take place quarterly- four times a year -  Fall Intensive, WInter Intensive, Spring Intensive, Summer Intensive. 

 

Bridging the gap between high school dance and post-secondary training, Momentum Lab is the first program of its type in Kelowna. 

 

Many dance companies have professional training programs, mentorships, or apprenticeships.  Think of Momentum Labs as a short, affordable, and locally accessible apprenticeship that allows you to try a new technique and creation process. 

 



Next Weeklong Intensive

Dates: Monday September 28- Friday October 2, 2026

Location: The Village Dance Academy 

1868 Spall Road, Kelowna BC 

Price: $425 including taxes 

LEARN MORE & APPLY

Welcome to Momentum Lab Fall 2026

This Intensive is For You If You...

— Are 18-30 (some exceptions can be made) 

— Have completed high school and are either taking a gap year, working a day job, are in university, or plan to go on to a professional training program in the coming years.  

— Have already had a professional career or professional training and are looking for a way to keep dancing in Kelowna 

— Are interested in the post-modern partnering dance form ~ Contact Improvisation

— Are interested in working with a teacher with over twenty years of experience 

What You'll experience...

 

~ Contact Improvisation - skills and exercises 

~ Contemporary Release Techniques 

~ Creative process - 2.5 hours every afternoon 

~ Studio sharing on the final day 

~Professional mentorship 

 

Each student is invited to a sixty minute meeting with the director to discuss next steps in your professional dance career.  Parents are encouraged to attend this meeting where program recommendations are discussed with the whole family.  Students may request an email introduction to the program or school the student has their sights set on.  Or a letter of recommendation, given upon completion of the week-long intensive, and only as determined by the director.    

Are you..

An Okanagan Valley resident looking to pursue a professional dance career?

A high school grad in search of the next step in your dance journey?

Someone who has worked in dance professionally, taken a break, and are now ready to jump back in?

Between the ages of 18-30 and want to be challenged in a professional environment? 

Full of desire to work in dance but aren’t ready to leave your home in the Okanagan? 

Looking into a school in Vancouver, Toronto, or Montreal, but aren’t quite ready to leave home?

A ballet dancer looking for a new way to dance that is both healing and strengthening, in a holistic way? 

A male dancer looking for an environment where you’ll meet other male dancers?



Then... this program is for you.

DETAILS

Are you..

An Okanagan Valley resident looking to pursue a professional dance career?

A high school grad in search of the next step in your dance journey?

Someone who has worked in dance professionally, taken a break, and are now ready to jump back in?

Between the ages of 18-30 and want to be challenged in a professional environment? 

Full of desire to work in dance but aren’t ready to leave your home in the Okanagan? 

Looking into a school in Vancouver, Toronto, or Montreal, but aren’t quite ready to leave home?

A ballet dancer looking for a new way to dance that is both healing and strengthening, in a holistic way? 

A male dancer looking for an environment where you’ll meet other male dancers?



Then... this program is for you.

DETAILS
committed
DETAILS

Momentum Lab is different for an important few reasons

Momentum Lab is designed for young dancers who have the talent, dedication, and ambition to pursue a professional career in dance. The program fosters an environment of experimentation, improvisation, creative risk-taking, and permission to fail, recognizing that artistic growth happens through curiosity and exploration. Rather than focusing solely on technical achievement, we prioritize confidence, stage presence, authenticity, and performance quality.

 

Students receive mentorship on navigating the transition into the professional dance world, including guidance on next steps, introductions to industry professionals, and potential future performance opportunities in Kelowna and beyond. The program also emphasizes unlearning unhealthy habits and competitive mindsets, replacing them with sustainable practices that support both artistic and personal development.

 

Through nervous system regulation, somatic practices, and creative exploration, dancers develop greater self-awareness and self-reliance. Our creative process celebrates individuality, encouraging each participant to discover and express what only they can bring as an artist.

 

Momentum Lab is built on a growth mindset and an adult learning environment. Participants are encouraged to use their voices, advocate for their needs, establish healthy boundaries, care for their physical and mental well-being, and recognize that saying no is an important professional skill. Just as important as what happens in the studio is how students conduct themselves outside of it. Clear, courteous, and professional communication is an expectation, including responding promptly, writing professional emails, staying on top of schedules, and demonstrating respect for instructors and peers. Momentum Lab is intended for young adults who are disciplined, self-reliant, and committed to the standards of the professional dance industry.

 

We are committed to creating a welcoming, respectful, and fully inclusive environment for all participants, including members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

I'm In