Elena Toth takes centre stage with the SCPA dance program
By Daniel Rodriguez Barrios and Hannah Caparino, March 25 2026—
The School of Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) has supported talent across all creative and performing arts. Dance is no exception, from working with notable choreographers or laying the groundwork for dancers to produce their own shows, the Dance program continues to be top of its class. Elena Toth, a fourth year dance student sat down with the Gauntlet to talk about her time with the program.
Toth started dancing at age three, and in her youth performed with the Young Canadians of the Calgary Stampede and took part in the Grandstand Show. Her early post-high-school plans were disrupted by COVID, and she later spent a year at University of British Columbia studying psychology. While studying in BC, she felt the need to return to dance and found a program at UCalgary.
“I felt the itch, the dance itch, to go back” said Toth, “I found this program that combined a degree, which is what I was looking for; with my passion, which was dance.”
Toth said the UCalgary’s dance program has given her room to move across several sides of the field instead of locking her into one track. Now in the fourth year of her Bachelors in Fine Arts (BFA), she describes the degree as giving her multiple opportunities within dance, from working in Mainstage with professional choreographers to completing her own choreography and learning what it means to carry a piece from its inception of the piece to production elements to bring it onstage, like lighting and costumes.
She also highlighted that the program is not only performance-based, but academic as well. It includes dance research, dance science and anatomy — all of which made the degree feel well-rounded for Toth, and helped her explore different interests within the field.
Now that Toth is in her fourth year of studies, she’s had experience taking part in senior level projects and is ready to take on projects of her own. Because she garnered the foundation to practice, teach and choreograph; her participation in a full-year project was a seamless transition.
Broken into two parts, Toth’s project was split between solo work and collaborative work. Toth explained that the fall semester was about focusing on a singular topic, utilizing research and practice in order to create solo material. At the top of the winter semester, a group of dancers are selected and Toth would work with them to create an overarching dance production.
“We cast a group of dancers and work with them to translate that research onto a larger group of dancers, and then go through the whole process of creation and creating a storyline.” said Toth, “Then translating that to the stage with lighting, costuming and spacing. […] So this is really the culmination of my four years in this class and this process that I’m currently in.”
With the SCPA’s presentation of Dance Mainstage, Toth has the opportunity to work with three choreographers and their respective styles to create a piece. Choreographers; Christianne Ullmark, Andul Kinyenya and Wojchiej Mochiniej work with UofC’s dance students to put on a performance that incorporates different styles and learn from professionals in the industry.
“So it’s a really great opportunity to not only work with peers and alongside them, but also to get a chance to work with a professional […] and get to learn so many additional tips and ways of working in the dance process that you wouldn’t otherwise.” said Toth.
Toth says the program has given her a way to build her practice. The training structure begins with foundational classes in contemporary, with options such as jazz, hip hop and ballet, before moving into a creation stream built around improvisation, solo and duet work, and later group work.
Dance anatomy, injury prevention, nutrition, research, dance education and history all form part of that same training. Together, she says, those elements helped develop her own style and a sense of how her body moves.
“All of these elements combined to help formulate my own creative practice,” said Toth, “But also how I can translate my movement style onto other people and create a cohesive dance piece.”
Through the SCPA’s links with drama and music students, she has also been able to work across disciplines, with live music being one area she hopes to explore more after graduation.
What stood out most in the interview was openness. When asked what she has learned, Toth expressed the value of being open.
“I would say just staying open to any possibility, I think oftentimes with dance you can get really hyper focused on one particular idea or one avenue of thinking or of moving.” said Toth.
By contrast, one of the program’s most lasting lessons for her has been learning to stay open-minded during the creative process, and be receptive. Toth says she hopes to carry that mindset to the end of her degree and beyond.
Toth expressed that student support is not just showing up or engaging with art but recognizing the value of the arts. Her passion disputes the stigma surrounding pursuing creative avenues and that the arts is a keystone in both culture and society.
“I’m so passionate about keeping dance and keeping the arts alive and valued within education and academics. […] Just a recognition of the value of dance and the value of arts within societies is so meaningful as well.” said Toth.
To learn more about the Dance program, see the SCPA website for more information.