Wellness Workshop 2027
Ages 16+, all abilities welcome
Sunday January 24, 2027
11:30am-3:45pm with social following
Cleveland Dance Project Studios in Independence
Full day attendance with all classes: $85
Early bird rate before 12/31: $65
Puppy Yoga only: $40
Need-based scholarships available
Email us for group rates for 8 or more dancers CDPCompany501c3@gmail.com
Want to sponsor this event? Email us at cdpcompany501c3@gmail.com for details on how you can support healthy dancers in Cleveland and gain exposure in the dance community, starting at rates of $50
Big thanks to our sponsors thus far: Cleveland Dance Project, Ohio Arts Council, and Cuyahoga Arts & Culture
11:30-11:40 Welcome & Mindful Meditation/Intention Setting with Molly Weiss
Molly Weiss is President of the CDP Company Board. She is a dancer and choreographer based in the Cleveland area whose passionate and vibrant attitude helps her to succeed as a performer and a teacher. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2017 with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Creative Writing; her passions lie in the arts. She began competitively dancing at age six and hasn't stopped since, trained in the styles of jazz, hip-hop, ballet, contemporary, tap, musical theatre, and acrobatics. During her time at University of Michigan she was a member and choreographer of a hip-hop dance crew, as well as performed in music videos and took classes through the U of M dance department. After graduating, Molly taught at various dance studios and choreographed for high school show choir and musicals. During this time she also trained on Cleveland's elite hip-hop dance crew, Elevāted, which led her to performance opportunities such as World of Dance and the Cleveland Cavaliers game. In 2018, Molly became the founding Artistic Director of Cleveland Dance Project Company, a 501c3 contemporary fusion dance company committed to promoting wellness for dancers and exploring the benefits of movement for physical and mental health. She furthered her choreography and performance experience by getting involved with Cedar Fair Entertainment as the Park Choreographer at Valleyfair Amusement Park, and had the opportunity to perform in and work creatively on many of their immersive shows and events. Molly is excited by the opportunity to embrace the athleticism, beauty, and art of dance.
11:40-12:25 Level 1 Progressing Ballet Technique with Megan Perry
Progressing Ballet Technique is a body-conditioning and strengthening program designed specifically for dancers. This class is designed to build core strength, muscle memory, balance, and body awareness through targeted exercises using bands and other props. Attendees develop greater stability, control, and coordination to support their ballet technique (and other styles) and overall performance.
Megan Perry is the Artistic Director of Cleveland Dance Project Company as well as a Dancer. She grew up in a competitive style dance studio in Ohio, where she had the chance to study Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Hip hop, and Contemporary. She received many awards at competitions and conventions, and was given the opportunity to travel and learn from many teachers. After high school she received an internship with the Cleveland Verb Ballet, where she worked with industry leaders like Richard Dickinson, Kay Eichman, and Christopher Flemming. A few years later, she was offered a scholarship to a summer intensive in Cleveland, and then performed in Cleveland & Columbus with a small pick up company. Recently she has continued her training by attending classes at Broadway Dance Canter yearly and taking classes in North East Ohio. In 2026, she was certified in Progressing Ballet Technique and was trained in Junior, Senior, and Advanced programs! Megan has been working with Cleveland Dance Project since 2018 as a dancer & choreographer, and has been a CDP Company member since 2019, as well as their ballet master. She became the Artistic Director in 2022, and has had the opportunity to showcase her choreography at Playhouse Square, Ohio Dance Festival, Dance for Film Projects, and CDP showcases. Megan also teaches many styles at local studios, instructs master classes, and has choreographed award-winning pieces for many competition classes and schools!
12:30-1:15 How to Train Your Body for More Control & Confidence on Stage with Megan Wren
Learn how to train your body to enhance your stage presence and physical confidence to manage stress and command the room. Participants will learn practical techniques to quiet anxiety, project authority, and engage any audience with absolute control.
Megan Wren, B.S., ACSM Exercise Physiologist, is a Cleveland-native movement expert and performing artist with over 12 years of experience in exercise physiology. Throughout her career, Megan has specialized in conditioning protocols that optimize human performance, respiratory mechanics, and physical longevity. As a performer herself, she recognized a massive gap in how stage artists train for the extreme cardiovascular and physical demands of live theatre and dance. To bridge this gap, she engineered StageFit- a cross-training fitness program built specifically for the performance community. Through StageFit, Megan teaches performers science-backed breathing techniques, CO2 tolerance protocols, and strategic movement conditioning, empowering artists to stabilize their heart rates, prevent injury, handle anxiety, and sustain elite stamina for the entire duration of their performances.
1:15-1:55 Hip Hop Cardio with Danielle Rojas-Taylor
Exercise in disguise! A high energy dance workout focused on repetitive choreography, designed to get your heart and those feel-good endorphins pumping with the community around you!
Danielle Rojas-Taylor, born and raised in Albany, NY, has trained in various studios since age 3. With a love for hip-hop and entertainment, in 2019, Danielle danced professionally for the AFL's Albany Empire dance team, the Empresses. Later that year, she managed and danced for the TBL Albany Patroon's first ever Hype Squad, the Emeralds. Danielle has experience choreographing dance routines for wedding parties, hip-hop classes, and has years of experience assisting her father, a professional dance instructor, with ballroom classes. Danielle moved to Cleveland in 2020, and has since taught, performed and choreographed hip hop pieces for Cleveland Dance Project.
2:00-2:40pm Emotion, Avoidance, and Action with Skylar Haberman
As dancers, we experience emotional discomfort in a variety of ways, taking the form of anxiety, insecurity, comparison, frustration, exhaustion, and self-doubt. This conversation will explore how we respond to difficult emotional experiences, when those responses become avoidance, and how we can continue to move forward without letting discomfort determine our actions.
Skylar Haberman, LPC is a licensed professional counselor, lifelong dancer, and has been a part of CDP Company since 2023. She grew up dancing competitively and continues to teach, perform, and choreograph within the Cleveland dance community. Clinically, Skylar works as a therapist in a Partial Hospitalization Program with adolescents experiencing significant mood-related challenges. Her previous experience includes youth mental health crisis response and stabilization as a Qualified Mental Health Specialist and care coordination, supporting individuals and families in navigating mental health services and connecting with community resources. As both a clinician and dancer, she is interested in the intersection of mental health and creativity, and in how we understand, navigate, and respond to our emotional experiences. She brings these perspectives together to explore practical and meaningful approaches to mental wellness that recognize difficult emotions as a natural part of being human, while focusing on building the skills to respond to them in ways that support what matters most to us.
2:45-3:45pm Puppy Yoga Flow with Jessica “DiBa” Bennett and the puppies of Geauga Mama Dogs & Pups Rescue (50% of puppy yoga proceeds go to the rescue!)
Join us for Puppy Yoga! Come flow with DiBa at this fun puppy yoga class! Expect an all-level, rigorous vinyasa flow with modifications, hands-on assists, and plenty of adorable puppies roaming around to make your practice even more fun.
. Enjoy additional puppy hang out and social time with participants from 3:45-4:30.
*Email us with any allergies / puppy fears and we will offer a puppy-free alternative!
Jessica “DiBa” Bennett trained at Canton Ballet for 14 years before earning dual degrees in Modern Dance and Psychology from The Ohio State University, where she studied with former principal dancers from the companies of Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, Mark Morris, and Pina Bausch. She has worked professionally in Columbus, New York City, and Los Angeles with TUPACO Dance, Lori Belilove, Backspace Performance Ensemble, Amy Campbell’s Crooked Mouth Dance Company, Davon Chance Dance, and Fugitive Kind Live Theater.
Jessica serves as Vice President on the Board of Directors of Cleveland Dance Project Company. She is the Assistant Director of Cleveland Dance Project, where she choreographs, performs, and teaches. A certified yoga teacher, she has taught various styles at Yoga Strong, Yoga Central, and The Yoga Place, and has trained at Yoga Vida NYC, Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, and Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh, India. She is currently a Clinical Mental Health Counselor, continuing to explore the connection between movement, mindfulness, and overall well-being.
The Dancer Wellness Workshop, as a part of our Community Wellness Project, is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, as well as Ohio Arts Council