The Happening Dance Co.

The Happening Dance Co. opened in June 2013 when owner and creative director Kimberly Stevenson convinced the strata of a live/work building on East Fourth and Scotia to host a small dance studio. That first summer brought three dancers; by September 2013, nine had enrolled—five of whom still dance with the studio today. The studio moved to The Centre in early 2014, then to Fraser Street in December 2014, where it grew for nearly a decade. In 2018, a second studio called Hustle was added next door. By 2023, a third space at Quebec & 7th was needed to accommodate all productions. In 2026, The Happening moved to its current home at 812 East Cordova Street, now serving over 600 dancers with a team of nineteen staff members.

The studio's mission centers on investing in children and young adults as people first and dancers second. Core values—perseverance, authenticity, creativity, transformation, and inclusivity—shape everything the studio does. Kimberly Stevenson emphasizes that the studio celebrates all bodies, brains, and spirits in movement, building a space where dancers can show up as their true selves. The studio has a 4.9-star Google rating across 73 reviews.

The Happening runs a 10-month season (September to June) split into Full Season Offerings, which culminate in a year-end show, and flexible 13-week Semester Offerings. Classes span preschool through adult levels. Preschool includes Creative Play (ages 2.5–3.5, parent-child) and Creative Dance (ages 3.5–4). Young dancers can train in Ballet, Acro, Breaking, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, and Broadway & Musical Theater, with levels ranging from introductory to advanced. Adult offerings in Beginner and Intermediate Hip Hop, and Beginner and Intermediate Contemporary, are available both as semester classes and full-season commitments.

The studio runs summer camps (Beginner Level, $350 +GST) and intensives like Elevate 2026 ($650 +GST for Intermediate & Advanced levels). Competition pathways include Mini, Junior, Intermediate, Senior, and Advanced Showcase teams, as well as Junior and Senior Hip Hop teams. Solos, duos, and trios are offered with choreography from Kimberly Stevenson or other instructors. Registration for Season 14 opens Friday, May 1st for current dancers.

Drop-in trial classes are available at the start of each semester—contact the studio to arrange. Full Season classes build skills over ten months and culminate in a year-end performance. Semester Offerings run for 13 weeks and include a small production for parents and guests during the final class.

Teaching staff include Emily Wildeman (Creative Play, Creative Dance, Ballet, Broadway), Kaytia Kostersky (Creative Dance, Ballet & Acro, Intro to Acro, Acro 1–3), Jamie Ranney (Ballet & Acro, Intro to Acro, Acro 1–2), Mackenzie Tenta (Advanced Hip Hop Progressive), Natasha Gorrie (Adult Beginner and Intermediate Hip Hop), Oh Augustine (Adult Beginner and Intermediate Contemporary), Sevrin Emnacen Boyd (Breaking), Catherine Andersen (Ballet 6, Ballet 7, Pre-Advanced and Advanced Ballet), and Sarah Brewer Clowes (Ballet 8/9, Ballet 11, Pre-Advanced and Advanced Ballet). Studio owner Kimberly Stevenson leads Musical Theater and works with choreography for solos, duos, and trios.

Classes are offered at beginner levels across all age groups, from preschool Creative Play through adult Beginner Hip Hop and Contemporary; the studio welcomes people returning to dance in adulthood or trying it for the first time.