Contemporary Kids: Duet for Children and Parents
March 22
1-2:30 PM
Heather Edwards Theatre
Join us for a special CCKids workshop with W&M Physical Theatre. In this 90-minute experience, families will share movement, laughter, and a little creative adventure together while learning a contemporary dance duet created especially for a parent and child — playful in spirit, yet filled with quiet moments of trust and connection.
Facilitated by Melissa Monteros and Wojciech Mochniej, with guest artist Nicole Charlton Goodbrand and her young student, the workshop gently guides participants through partnering, shared balance, and simple lifts. The duet is set to the luminous “Peace Piece” by Bill Evans.
No dance experience is necessary.
Please note: One parent or guardian per child is required for this workshop. Parents should feel comfortable lifting their child at moments during the dance; however, adaptations will be offered so everyone can participate.
Our Free onsite Contemporary Kids programs invite children to learn about modern and contemporary art through unique and engaging art activities.
For children ages 5-12. Maximum group of 20 children, with one guardian per child.
Questions? Please visit our FAQ page.
Contemporary Calgary Educational Programs are often photographed. This photography includes the participants, parents or guardians and their creations. If you wish not to be photographed, please let Contemporary Calgary education staff know upon arrival, and they will assist you.
About W&M Physical Theatre Residency:
During a two-week residency at Contemporary Calgary, W&M Physical Theatre invites the public into the creative life of the company. Rehearsals, special guest artists, artist talks, dance-film screenings, and community workshops lead up to the premiere of a new work for WM2 on March 27 and March 29.
Led by Melissa Monteros and Wojciech Mochniej with Associate Nicole Charlton Goodbrand, and with some special events by M-Body’s Davida Monk, the residency offers audiences a chance to see how contemporary dance is made—from the first explorations in the studio to the moment the work meets an audience.
About the Artists:
Melissa Monteros
Melissa Monteros is a performer, choreographer, dance filmmaker, and Professor Emerita (University of Calgary) whose international career spans performance, creation, and the shaping of complex contemporary works.
Monteros holds a Master of Arts in Dance from UCLA and a BFA in Dance from the University of Utah. Her formative training includes study with Kai Ganado, Bill T. Jones, Kei Takei, Ronald Brown, Angelina Leung, and extensive work in New York with Risa Steinberg, Leni Williams, Armgard von Bardeleben, Milton Myers, Lynn Simonson, and Christine Wright. This lineage informs a practice grounded in physical clarity, compositional intelligence, and embodied inquiry.
Her choreographic and performance work has been presented internationally, with invitations across Europe, Canada, and the United States, including Austria, Finland, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Sweden, and Lithuania. She has created work for independent artists and companies such as Risa Steinberg, JoJo Oulu Dance, Silesian Dance Theatre, Springboard Dance Collective, and theatre director Michael Hackett, and has performed in works by Avi Kaiser, Davida Monk,Darcy McGehee, and Alpo Aaltokoski, among others.
Monteros is co-founder of W&M Physical Theatre with Wojciech Mochniej. Their long-term collaboration has generated a substantial body of stage, screen, and international festival work, including Dance Explosions Poland, the International Festival of Improvisation in Poland, and the Wilddogs International Screendance Festival.
A Fulbright Scholar, Monteros has received honorary awards in Gdańsk and Lublin for her contributions to contemporary dance. As Artistic Director to W&M, her work reflects her long-standing commitment to shaping performance from the inside—where structure, risk, and meaning are forged through practice.
Wojciech Mochniej
Wojciech Mochniej is a Polish-Canadian choreographer, performer, dance filmmaker, and teacher, and the Artistic Director of W&M Physical Theatre. As Artistic Director, he brings decades of international creative leadership, a rigorous physical practice, and a deep commitment to risk-driven contemporary performance.
Mochniej began his professional career as an original member of Silesian Dance Theatre (1991–1994), widely recognized as Poland"s first contemporary dance company. During this formative period, he met Melissa Monteros, launching a creative partnership that led to the founding of Gdanski Teatr Tania (Dance Theatre of Gdansk) in 1995 and a sustained body of work presented across Europe and Canada. Their collaboration has generated stage works, screendance projects, and major international initiatives, including the Wilddogs International Screendance Festival, Dance Explosions Poland, and the International Festival of Improvisation in Poland.
As a performer, Mochniej has worked with influential choreographers such as Anna Sokolow, Talley Beatty, Mark Haim, Stephanie Skura, Alpo Aaltokoski, Avi Kaiser, Davida Monk, and Darcy McGehee. His improvisational practice has been shaped by study and performance with Ray Chung, David Dorfman, Chris Aiken, and Martin Keough, alongside theatre training with leading Polish artists Jan Peszek, Grzegorz Bral, and Jacek Ozimek—an influence evident in his physically charged, dramaturgically grounded choreographic voice.
Mochniej's solo and ensemble works have been presented at major festivals and venues throughout Poland, Finland, Germany, France, Italy, and Canada. His solo Just Po Prostu was named “Best Performance by a Male Dancer” by Dance in Europe, and his choreography Weselle became the most toured contemporary dance work in Poland.
An active screendance creator, editor, and mentor, Mochniej is Associate Professor of Dance at the University of Calgary. His work reflects a long-standing commitment to challenging artists to move beyond habit, sharpen presence, and engage performance as both inquiry and encounter.
Supported by
Supported by
