Absolute Motion Performance and Dance Studio (AMPD) was born out the a desire to offer something better than your typical dance studio experience. We are a studio that is centred on authenticity, inclusivity, consistency, communication, and artistry.
At AMPD, we believe in finding the sweet spot between aiming high and setting meaningful and achievable goals. We encourage personal growth, explore creativity, and celebrate the unique way every body moves. Our goal is to help young dancers build strong technical skills so they can express themselves through movement. While we strive for excellence, we make sure that the joy of dancing is always front and center. Our dancers are mentored to be their very best in a supportive, accepting, and engaging environment.
Infusing Performance with Passion
Artistic Director Leslie Kuny has been teaching dance for over 20 years in a variety of settings, and it’s this accumulated knowledge that shapes the creative environment of AMPD. In conversation with parents, students, adjudicators, choreographers, and competition owners, the discussion centred around similar challenges – dancers are better than ever technically, but the artistry and passion are missing. The pressure and intensity of competition are overshadowing the joy of performance, and it is visible on stage. AMPD believes in positively impacting dance studio culture through our mission to inspire artistry, one dancer at a time.
Our Faculty
We choose our faculty with pride, and are deeply invested in them as people and educators. AMPD employs dance instructors with at least 5 years of teaching/coaching experience and/or certification from an accredited dance institution or program. The health, wellness, and safety of our dancers is paramount, and we believe our clients deserve the very best experience.
MISS LESLIE – BFA-Dance Major, ADAPT, PAA
Leslie is an award-winning dance educator, choreographer, adjudicator, and studio director.
Over the past 20 years, Leslie has devoted herself to teaching dance and choreographing in competitive and recreation studios, elementary and high schools, and pre-professional dance training programs focusing on jazz, contemporary, and musical theatre. Her passion is to empower and educate the next generation of dancers to be their best selves. Leslie’s human-centred approach to coaching rejects the outdated norms of fear-based authoritarian learning that are so frequently associated with dance education. Through authenticity, accountability, and alignment, Leslie brings out the best in her dancers and leads them to their individual goals. Her greatest joy is working with students, both in the studio and from behind the adjudicators’ table, to assist them in uncovering who they truly are as dancers and as people.
She is a Dean’s List graduate from Grant MacEwan College’s post-secondary dance program and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Dance Major from Simon Fraser University. During her training, Leslie worked with some of Canada’s contemporary dance leaders including Wen Wei Wang (Wen Wei Dance Vancouver/Ballet Edmonton), Barbara Bourget (kokoro dance Vancouver), Gerry Morita (Mile Zero Edmonton), Brian Webb (Brian Webb Dance Company Edmonton).
Leslie is a certified adjudicator by The Dance Leadership Institute and the Professional Adjudicator’s Alliance and is an ADAPT-certified instructor. Some of Leslie’s select credits include the Vancouver International Dance Festival, Playland Amusement Park, the Saskatoon Blades WHL hockey team, Saskatoon International Airshow, RJC High School, and Bellyfit International.
In addition to her teaching, adjudicating, and performing, Leslie has worked for the Vancouver Ballet Society, the BC branch of the Dancer’s Transition Resource Center, and the Canadian Dance Teachers Association BC board.
Absolute Motion Performance & Dance 