-The Best of Toronto's Most Liveable Neighbourhood-
With a year unlike any other, it is our hope the New Year brings health, kindness, and the fulfillment of dreams. Thank you to our readers, we’re working hard to bring you new + exciting community content in 2021!
With gratitude,
The Best of Riverdale Team
Good Neighbour | 935 Queen St E
It’s no surprise Halloween will be a little different this year. While Pape School can no longer bring the community together for a day of fun at their annual Halloween Hoot & Howl event, as part of a virtual experience, #PapeGivesaHoot turns the focus on some of the east-ends amazing local businesses.
Hoot & Howl co-chairs, Melissa Syme and Erin McInnis Guinto partnered with longtime Pape supporter, Suzanne Lewis of Lewis + Company Real Estate who dropped by a few local businesses and past supporters of Pape School to say hello and see how the community can help support them during this challenging time.
The Pape school community wants to give back to all the local businesses that support the school and events year after year. You can help! Watch to learn more.
Help Pape School get the word out and share this video or post about your favourite local spots on social media using the hashtags #supportlocal and #papegivesahoot.
Melissa Syme, Hoot & Howl Co-Chair & Lyndsay Moody, Sales Representative at Lewis + Company Real Estate
Local Business Spotlight:
The Auld Spot 347 Danforth Ave
Body Blue 199 Danforth Ave
Bob + Paige Salon 239 Danforth Ave
Atomic Age 497 Pape Ave
Good Neighbour 935 Queen St E
S+S Motors 929 A Queen St E
Morrison & Co 976 Queen St E
iQ | living 542 Danforth Ave
This October, we would like to acknowledge and appreciate the amazing community we are so thankful to be a part of.
Local businesses, families and individuals are struggling to combat the effects of COVID-19 and coming together and doing what we can to support our community is paramount.
To help you support local, we are giving away a $100 gift card to Uber Eats and a $100 donation to the Daily Bread Food Bank, in your name.
Share one thing you’re grateful for to enter and a big thank you to everyone who has shared their incredible notes of gratitude so far.
“Definitely my family! But also being able to live in such a beautiful neighborhood such as Riverdale.”
“Grateful to be CANADIAN. Our core values are caring and supportive of each other and it shows in our communities like this one!”
“So grateful for our little family and the smiles we get from the little ones.”
“Thankful that I have my job that I love, working with people who I respect in an industry that is under immense pressure due to Covid. I’m grateful that I have a roof over my head and the ability to work from home.”
“I am grateful I live in Riverdale which is a wonderful community. I am thankful for the friends I have made living here!”
“I’m grateful for my parents being able to provide me with quality education, a roof over my head and delicious food. Super grateful for everything they have done for me.”
“I am grateful that those closest to me are healthy, staying safe, keeping in touch, and optimistic during these challenging times.”
Written by Fleur Boomsma
Photo by Fleur Boomsma
Stage Door Academy of Dance (also known as SDA) – Our latest neighbourhood dance studio might be your child’s new favourite weekend activity. The beautiful and bright, mirrorless studio spreads the positive vibes and also aligns you with your body. You feel the music, you feel your balance, and you feel the engagement between your body parts.
Photo provided by Erica Binder
Dance is considered a form of self-expression, physical release, and most importantly, it is fun. However, something that needs to be pointed out is the fact that dance is believed to help develop motor skills, coordination and discipline. Erica Binder, the artistic director and owner of SDA – shares these beliefs of the philosophy of dance.
She believes that SDA will be a less of a competitive environment. “I want to teach passion for dance over being perfect,” Binder says. Since she has first-hand knowledge on what it feels like to be in positive and negative atmospheres, she would rather teach the excitement and passion over competition. SDA’s goal is to eventually grow into a studio that offers competitive dance.
Photo by Fleur Boomsma
Binder truly has an incredible and extensive resume. She’s been dancing for over 20 years (and teaching over 12 years), specializing in musical theatre, ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, contemporary, aerialist and Brazilian dance. Binder has even performed 15 months abroad as an Aerialist performer at Tokyo Disneysea in Japan before returning home and opening up SDA. I know your kid will bond with Binder over Disney’s characters!
You’ll also notice that the studio doesn’t have mirrors. This is definitely with intention as Binder thinks that mirrors can be a distraction for the children. They can be obsessed with the reflection and they may not listen to the teacher.
“I find that it makes you so critical because as dancers we have proprioception,” Binder says.
Proprioception is defined as the self-movement and body position. For example, you feel how your body positions itself while performing a pirouette.
“Being in front of a mirror takes away from that feeling and you become more visual on how you think something is supposed to look.” When you’re performing in front of an audience you won’t have that mirror. Binder thinks the mirrorless concept is best for learning, attentiveness, picking up choreography, and not being self-critical.
Photo provided by Erica Binder
SDA offers Saturday classes such as:
Tiny feet - a creative movement class involving dance basics mixed with ballet and jazz for ages 5-7
Acro and technique for ages seven and up
Jazz and ballet for ages 8-10
Routine clean
Private and semi-private classes.
Stage Door Academy is a great way for kids to have fun, learning the dance basics and building discipline.
The studio is located at the Toronto Yoga Co studio
1768 Danforth Ave, Toronto (Coxwell & Danforth)
Visit the studio’s website to see its latest welcome offers.
Binder takes the prevention of COVID-19 very seriously. Social distancing measures are in place, floors and equipment (if used) are cleaned and sanitized after every class, and masks will be worn. Of course, your child’s temperature will be taken upon entry of class and/or if there are any symptoms, your child will have to skip the class.
Instead of holding hands, the children will be holding hula hoops. Those hoops will also be used on the floor. This way they can be moved around, however, the kids will have to stay inside these hoops while they’re learning on the spot.