bea benian

Bea Benian trained professionally at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre (Dance Arts Institute) predominately in the Graham technique as well as Limon technique, Ballet for Modern dancers, Improvisation, Pedagogy and Anatomy.  Bea continued her studies with Dancetheatre David Earle at Temple Studios under the direction of David Earle and Suzette Sherman.  As a company member of DtDE, Bea has performed new and classic works by David Earle, the most memorable being ‘Une danse sur 4 cordes’ in collaboration with the Penderecki String Quartet performed in Dalhousie New Brunswick at the Baie des Chaleurs international chamber music festival. ‘Tango for String Quartet’ and ‘Maelstrom’ at the Du Maurier Theatre in Toronto and the River Run Centre in Guelph, ‘Water’ in Toronto for the Ontario Society of Artists ‘Slipping Image’ at the Humanities Theatre in Waterloo and ‘Dreamsend’ performed with The Danny Grossman Dance Company at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in Toronto.  Bea continued her performance studies through different movement intensives including The Martha Graham School of Dance in New York, NY.  As an independent dance artist she has had the pleasure of working with Newton Moraes Dance Theatre, Hamilton Dance Company, Bill James, Janet Johnson and Company TILT sound+motion LAB in their performance debut of ‘kvere’ choreographed by Lesandra Dodson at the Canada Dance Festival in Ottawa.  Bea also apprenticed for Alan and Karen Kaeja’s Company Kd’D2 in their work ‘Resistance’.  For over two decades she has been teaching modern dance in several locations including The University of Waterloo as a guest artist teaching elective courses, Cambridge Dance Theatre School, Cambridge Centre for the Arts and Carousel Dance Centre. She has choreographed numerous dance pieces for Carousel Dance Centre’s Youth and Touring Companies that have been performed in a variety of venues such as Picton, Guelph Dance Festival, daCi (dance and the Child international), Australia 2018, daCi Canada 2022 (virtually) and daCi Slovenia 2024 where she had the amazing opportunity of attending the conference showcasing her choreography ‘Illuminations of Identity’ and ‘Everyday Life’.  For a short period of time Bea founded and directed The Cambridge Dance Theatre Youth Company ‘Perpetual Motion’ where she introduced the Martha Graham technique to senior level modern dancers.  Bea is a certified Hatha Yoga teacher for children and youth through Young Yoga Masters in Toronto and for adults through Blue Heron Body and Soul Yoga in Guelph.  She has had the opportunity to implement an adapted Yoga program for adults with disabilities at a centre that supports adults with physical differences. Along with teaching in the dance arts and studying yoga, Bea works and supports multi language learners in the Waterloo Regional District School Board as an Educational Assistant.