Spooky season is around the corner and I can’t wait to give kids a hand in bringing their costumes to life.

Last year, my Halloween mask decorating sessions filled up quickly, so I wanted to get ready now by planning a session in the High Park - Bloor West area.

The fee includes 1 paper card mask, a range of supplies, and lots of hands-on help from tracing to cutting and pasting. I put a cap on this session so that I can give all of the participants hands on help.

Ages 6 - 11 suggested | 10 spots | 60-minutes long | parents are welcome to wait outside of the room in the common area or will be asked to assist if their child has special needs.

For the schedule / to register, click here

Hi friends,

Kids ages 6 to 12 yrs-old can get crafty with me this Fall at the Toronto Public Libraries. We will be making paper candles (diyas) to celebrate Diwali (the Indian Festival at Lights) and crafting up spooky paper masks in time for Halloween night.

If your child has a theme or design in mind, they are more than welcome to bring a printout of it so that they can try to make something similar.

All supplies are provided by the branches and me | 1 craft per participant | Ages 6 to 12 yrs only.

Halloween Crafts

Oct. 4 - Warden Branch (must call to register)

Diwali Crafts

Oct. 10 - Runnymede Branch (tickets given out, first come first serve)

Kindly note: more dates and locations may be added.

To register your child or more info, please visit the TPL website for telephone numbers and location addresses, here »

Young crafters ages 10 to 13 yrs-old can join our 6-week creative sessions and celebrate the holidays by making bright diyas for Diwali, dark haunted houses for Halloween, festive Christmas ornaments, and more!

My curriculum is designed to support all skill levels, from beginners to experienced artists.

Dates: Every Thursday, October 16 – November 20 

Age: 10 – 13 years old

Time: 3:45pm – 5:15pm

Location: Thistletown Community Centre, 925 Albion Rd.

All supplies included. 

Priority registration will be given to North Etobicoke residents and will be on a first come first served basis. 

For more info, visit: https://www.artsetobicoke.com/events/after-school-arts-in-rexdale-ages-10-13-fall-2025-with-sumera-garcia-quadri/

To register, email their program manager Alek, alek@artsetobicoke.com

Hello members,

Our winter term Hula program was a success and we’re happy to run a longer 8-week program to keep you moving from home during the cooler days.

The Hula Dance Fitness program is a full-body dance workout that pairs Hula dances from Samoa, Hawaii, and Tahiti with rhythms from the Pacific Islands. To connect to a broader audience, Cheryl includes Reggae, 90s HipHop, and Disney’s Moana songs in her classes. This is a beginner-friendly program that can be done wearing indoor shoes or barefoot on a mat.

This style of dance is not commonly offered in Toronto and we wanted to give our members and more Canadians a chance to experience a new workout experience.

Classes are beginner and drop-in friendly.

For the schedule, click here.

This year, I’m VERY lucky to be back to get youth moving and feeling safe as they walk around their hoods.

The end-of-school-year teen series will be hosted by 3 FANTASTIC community organizations.

1.Etobicoke North

June 5 - at the Rexdale Hub, 21 Panorama Ct, from 5 PM to 7 PM (ages 12 to 19)

To join us, call or text Taniya at AlbionBGC: (647) 393-6792

2.Central Scarborough

June 21 - at McGregor Park Community Centre, 2231 Lawrence Ave. E, from 11 AM to 12 PM (ages 13 to 18)

To join us, call or text Malvern Youth Liason Eileen at: (416) 771-3475

Waivers required. Youth under 18 years old must have a parent sign their forms in order to participate.

For the Fall kids Trick or Treat series, keep an eye out for dates and locations.

Sumera

Happy Asian Heritage Month

Our team is very lucky to support the City of Toronto’s Asian Heritage Month events with fun Bollywood-inspired workouts and dance classes across Toronto.

These are FREE after-school events for youth living in: North Etobicoke, Central Scarborough, Flemingdon Park, and Regent Park/East York.

To register for our sessions and/or the other workshops, scan the QR code or contact Mariz via

Email: rheemariz.fabico-pe@toronto.ca

Phone: 416-906-4967

We brought back our Adult Classical Indian Dance Fusion program with Mithila after 3 years, online, so that we could get as many members moving as possible.

Through our online program, participants get to learn new weekly choreography that includes steps and gestures from the Indian dance form, Bharatanatyam. Our instructor play a mixture of Tamil, South Indian, and Bollywood songs.

Our instructor Mithila is from Tamil Nadu, India, where she trained in Bharatanatyam for over 20 years. When she came to Canada in 2019, she joined our team as a group dance fitness instructor and supported our Bollywood fitness and dance programs.

Classes are beginner-friendly and drop-in friendly.

To join us from home, click here.

Hi friends,

This winter break, kids can join me at various Toronto Public Libraries to make their very own Christmas crafts from wood ornaments to paper candles.

Me and the branches will provide art supplies. 1 craft per participant. Ages 6 to 12 yrs-old only.

Dates below:

December 14 - Bridlewood

December 21 - Goldhawk Park

December 28 - Goldhawk Park

To register your child, please visit the TPL website for telephone numbers and location addresses, here »

Happy August parents and little Yogis,

This Fall and Winter, we’re bringing back kid’s Yoga program to our High Park location.

Through our group fitness class, kids ages 6 to 11 get to travel through different Safari themes while developing strength, flexibility, and calming breathing techniques. We hope to have kids leaving the class feeling less stressed out and anxious, stronger ad more confident, and with at least 1 new friend.

No experience is needed. This class is beginner-friendly and for those new to fitness/Yoga.

For the 2023 fall and 2025 winter schedule / , click here.

Welcome back fitness-goers and dancers,

In case you aren't yet subscribed to our e-newsletter, this is a reminder that our Fall registration is now open.

If you'd like to check out what classes are returning online or in-person and the fees, please click on class schedules under the menu bar and select a location.

Programs that reach their registration requirements proceed. Our awesome instructors will be allocated based on our registration targets ;).

To see what other community events and centres we’re supporting this Summer and Fall, please check out our home page monthly.

If you have any questions, please send me a message here and I am happy to give you a call at a time that works best for you.

We hope to see new and familiar faces movin' and groovin' with us this Fall.

Sumera

Hello all,

This summer, we were invited for the first-time to instruct an evening of dance classes at Bloomfield Town Hall as part of Baxter Art Center's Fun Fridays.

The classes are for all ages and anyone looking to have fun on a Friday night.

If you’re visiting the county or live in the area and want to join in, please register with Baxter Arts, here.

Happy South Asian Month,

I’m Sumera and I elated to instruct out 1st Bollywood Dance Workout for the awesome students at Lambton College’s Toronto location for South Asian Month/.

This physical activity is exclusive to their students.

To register for our session, scan the QR code.

Thank you to Cassandra for thinking of me for their students.

Sumera will support Arts Etobicoke’s Senior Movement classes in the Spring and Fall.

Art’s Etobicoke is running free drop-in programs at Albion Mall and the Rexdale Hub with various facilitators.

Sumera's movement classes will include dance, functional exercises, and brain health games. She will choose songs to celebrate different festivals in Toronto.

If you live in Rexdale/ North Etobicoke and are over 55 yrs+ want to join us, do email program manager John at john@artsetobicoke.com.

Men's Bollywood Dance Fusion with Deepak

Deepak will be facilitating the 1st men's dance program at Swansea Town Hall. This class will fuse both moderate to fast-paced dance movements and energetic South Indian folk and Bollywood songs.

This program is designed for men ages 18+ and from all fitness levels. Just as we have done for women and kids, we hope to provide a positive program for the community and a space for men to socialize.

To join the Friday class list, click here.

Hello there,

If you’re new to our community-based dance and fitness programming, WELCOME!

Since April 2014, we’ve been running seasonal fitness programs. We’ve made a few changes since then, from going from 1 class per term to at least 9 to having one of Toronto’s only women’s Bollywood Fitness and Kid’s Fitness Circuit programs across 3 locations to having over 6 instructors help me per year.

If you’re looking for a fun weekly dance workout program for you or your kids online or in person, you’ll have a blast. Our programming is low to moderate intensity, full of fantastic professionals who want a space to move, and provides an opportunity to clear your mind and release some stress.

To see if we’ve got a program for you, do check out the online, High Park, and Annex schedules.

Keep on moving for your mood,

Sumera

Like so many I know, I (Sumera) was mesmerized by the Egyptian folk and belly dance performances at the annual Toronto Caravan in the 90s. As a kid, my grandfather would get our Caravan passports and take us to the few restaurants hosting the performances. Little did I know how much technique and body strength and control were needed to practice this style of dance until I took my first class in my 20s!

I began formal Belly Dance training between 2014 to 2018 under Souhaer Zarik, A Palestinian dancer and owner of HipKik. My goal was to elevate our Bollywood dance and fitness programs while having fun staying fit. Through her instruction, I slowly learned to move my body in a way I had never done and in doing so, improved my upper body form and isolations, learned beautiful and romantic gestures, and developed a love of scarf and veil work.

After the pandemic-related lockdowns, I realized that Toronto had lost some iconic dance studios and dance programs. Belly Dance is one of them. With no courses in West Toronto, I decided it was time re-launch a program after 5 years.

Whether you’re joining us to elevate your Bollywood dance styling or just to move your body in a new and fun way, this program is beginner-friendly, intimate, and women’s only.

To take a class, click here

With the generosity of particiPACTION, we’re back for a 4th year to get more Toronto youth having fun and feeling safe with awesome Free street-style self-defense classes.

This year, we’ve got Six Krav Maga helping us create healthy and safe communities for the #communitychallenge. All classes are beginner-friendly and will include group exercises and discussions on how to feel safer on the streets and on the TTC.

To see if you’re eligible to join one of our sessions, please contact one of the centers listed in the flyer.

If you’re an organization looking to bring a session like this to your community/event this year, please contact us below and include information on your ideas and budget.

With warmer weather and travel on the rise, we’re offering a 4-week spring series with longer class times to improve your endurance, energy level, and heart and lungs!

I’m excited to announce that we’re introducing Brazilian Samba and Latin Workouts while also bringing back our much-adored women and co-ed Bollywood dance and fitness programs and Caribbean Dance Fitness program.

To see our online and in-person schedules, please scroll down the class schedules bar at the top of the page.

Wishing you a spring and summer full of outdoor activities and sunshine.

Sumera

After 2 years of running a fun Kid’s Yoga program for a great group of kids on zoom, we felt it was time to bring the experience in person!

Our beginner fitness program combines Yoga poses and world safari themes and rhythms to create a fun and exotic exercise experience.

We will be running this program in the High Park / Bloor West area which is where our outdoor kid’s fitness program was well received in 2021 and 2022.

For more information on our kid’s fitness programs, click here

For the Kid’s Yoga schedule and pricing, click here

Happy winter,

Sumera

Hello,

We're still supporting community events & summer camps, just taking more time off for ourselves!

If you have any collaboration or program inquiries, please contact me here.

Happy summer,

Sumera

We’re making Friday nights at home FUN with family-friendly online dance fitness classes at Autism Ontario.

Our monthly events are for kids and youth living with autism and their families and caregivers.

If you would like to join us there, please visit or contact Jason:

W: https://www.autismontario.com/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=7141

T: 416-246-9592 

E: Jason@autismontario.com 

Happy Friday Followers,

I heard the news!

The provincial government has permitted Toronto gyms and group fitness to resume at 50% capacity as of January 31, 2021.

We are only resuming with our main program: Women's Bollywood Dance Fitness. Our second busiest program, Mom and Baby Latin Dance Fitness and Circuits, will not resume at the moment.

If you feel ready to join us in person and have not already registered, please check out a location under the CLASS SCHEDULE AND INFO menu.

Our team is much recovered from Covid and is excited to get back to fantastic health by moving with you in person.

Thank you for hanging in there with us,
Sumera Garcia-Quadri