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For popular dance teacher Rheesa Schachter, Kids Etc. is a family affair
By MYRON LOVE In more ways than one, for Rheesa Schachter, Kids Etc. Youth Movement Company is a family affair. Her daughters, Taylor and Jessica Smith, whom she describes as her two best friends, have been an integral part of Kids Etc. since they were teenagers – both as students and, later, as teachers – and, since 2017, have been her partners in the business.
Taylor is an award-winning dancer, a choreographer and a performer who has also qualified as a personal trainer and has her own personal training gym. Jessica’s credentials are equally impressive, having competed in the World Dance Championships and having been chosen as a Hall of Fame All-Star. Jessica has completed her Intermediate Level Cecchetti Ballet Exams. Her mother notes that she has assumed responsibility for Kids Etc.’s marketing and social media initiatives.
In addition, Rheesa notes that her husband, Paul, handles administration duties and is always available to help in a myriad of ways from providing bandaids to editing the music to cleaning the toilets.
On another level though, Schachter says that she considers her staff and students also as part of one big family. She observes that all of her students are like family to her and that half of her 20-plus teaching faculty are former students. During these past few months of pandemic closures, she notes, she kept all of her staff on salary and kept to a teaching schedule via Zoom.
Rheesa Schachter has been dancing – and teaching dancing – virtually all of her life. The daughter of the late Joe and Sunny Schachter – who grew up in River Heights – began studying ballet at an early age. She recalls that when she was young, ballet was the only option for aspiring dancers. Jazz dancing was only open to students 13 and older.
“I felt that jazz dancing should be available to younger students as well,” she says.
At the tender age of 16, the future dancing teacher approached the former Ramah Hebrew school – where she had been a student – about offering dance classes after school.
“I started with 12 children, twice a week, teaching jazz dance,” she recalls. “It was very exciting. I loved working with the kids.”
Over the next few years, while she finished her education – graduating from Grant Park and the University of Manitoba (with a B.Comm. degree) – she continued to teach dance and her student numbers continued to grow. She had also studied dance at York University during her summers off from the U. of M. and completed her Royal Academy of Dance ballet exams.
“After university, I got a real job at a bank,” she recounts. “I hated it. My passion was dancing. After a year, I quit and founded Kids Etc.”
While at university, she had taught her dance classes in rented spaces at churches in River Heights. In 1986, she opened her first studio on Academy Road in what had been Gerry Gurvey’s Uptown Drugstore. A couple of years later, she moved the studio to 686 Academy Road. In the early 1990s, she relocated again – this time to 3525 Roblin Blvd in Charleswood.
“With my student numbers continually growing, I had to keep expanding,” she says.
She also had to hire and train a growing number of instructors for the ever-growing number of classes that now include ballet, Jazz dance, Hip Hop, Tap, Lyrical, Modern, Musical Theater, Adult, and Pre-School dance programs.
In 2017, with her lease on Roblin coming due, Rheesa Schachter had a decision to make – retire or expand. “I wasn’t ready to retire yet, so I decided to expand. I looked up and down Portage and Grant and Taylor for a suitable new location without success. Then this space came up near McGillvary Blvd, (505 Fort Whyte Way). The developer was willing to build. It was fantastic.”
At over 11,000 square feet, she reports, Kids Etc. has the largest studio in Winnipeg. The building contains four large studios (one labeled AFK – alles for the kinder – in recognition of her parents’ influence on her), bleachers for spectators and a huge lounge area for parents.
Pre-Covid, Schachter notes, Kids Etc. was offering more than 100 classes a week – with classes averaging 10-15 kids each. “We prefer smaller class sizes so that we can give each child the attention each needs,” she says.
“We pride ourselves in that we challenge our students but also focus on maintaining balance,” Taylor adds.
Jessica further points out that the staff works to foster a close relationship with the students while also incorporating a sense of fun in their teaching.
Their mother notes that while Kids Etc. has produced some students who have pursued a career in dance, the staff works to encourage each student to build their self-confidence and strive to achieve their personal best in a non-competitive setting.
Schachter says that with the Covid situation hopefully improving, she hopes that Kids Etc can get back to normal business in the fall.
Asked about the accessibility of the Fort Whyte location, Schachter responds that students come from all over – including three students each from Morden in southwestern Manitoba and Arborg in the Interlake.
Schachter has thought about retiring in a few years and leaving the dance studio in the capable hands of Taylor and Jessica. “I will probably never completely retire,” she says. “I really love teaching dance.”
Features
Why Fitness Routines Fall Apart — and How to Rebuild Yours
Every spring, gyms see a flood of hopeful faces. New shoes, fresh playlists, unwavering intentions, by mid-summer? Half of them vanish into the fog of abandoned routines. The story repeats year after year until it starts to feel almost scripted. Why does enthusiasm evaporate? The easy answer involves willpower but that explanation misses the point. Habits don’t fail because people are weak. Life stress, boredom, and monotony ruin routines. Timely lever pulls can change narratives. The hardest part is persevering when motivation wanes.
Mistaking Motivation for Momentum
Most chase that opening surge, the lightning strike of motivation, but then stop searching once enthusiasm fizzles. A scroll through sites like PUR Pharma (pur-pharma.is/) or a glimpse of an influencer’s progress triggers a burst of action: new workout gear ordered, plans scribbled in planners destined for dusty drawers. Yet momentum fades when small setbacks pop up (a late meeting here, rainy weather there). Real progress comes from building systems stronger than any fleeting pep talk. Those who frame fitness as something owed to motivation end up back at square one every time life interrupts, which it always does.
Overcomplicating Everything
It’s tempting to turn wellness into a science fair project with spreadsheets and specialized equipment lined up on day one. This is the allure of complexity disguised as seriousness, a new diet paired with seven types of supplements and four color-coded bottles. Simplicity gets lost in the noise almost instantly. Most successful routines rely on two principles: keep it simple and keep showing up even when everything else is chaos outside those gym walls. Anyone insisting that perfection is required before taking step one has already constructed an excuse not to begin at all.
Forgetting Fun Completely
Who decided exercise must hurt or look like punishment? Somewhere along the line, fun got swapped out for grind culture and “no pain, no gain.” That isn’t just unappealing, it’s unsustainable over months or years. If sessions feel like torture devices borrowed from medieval times, nobody should be surprised when commitment falters fast. Seek activities that actually spark some joy or curiosity, a dance class instead of yet another treadmill session, maybe, or play a pickup game rather than slogging through solo circuits again and again.
Ignoring Recovery (and Reality)
Sleep deprivation, disguised as discipline, fools anyone, except perhaps uncritical Instagram followers. Ignoring recovery turns ambition into tiredness faster than any missed session. Because bodies break without rest, routines must breathe with owners. Cycling, real leisure, and honest self-checks regarding weekly goals build endurance, not continual pushing.
Conclusion
Change rarely arrives by force alone but usually grows quietly from patterns repeated imperfectly over time, even if last month looked nothing like this week so far. Drop the hunt for nonstop inspiration. Instead of breaking behaviors at the first hint of stress or boredom, build habits that last. People who rebuild methodically after every stumble or detour make progress, not those who peak and then fall.
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How DIY Auto Repairs Can Help You Cut Costs—Safely
Regular maintenance and minor repairs are the greatest approach for many car drivers to save money without sacrificing dependability. DIY repairs can save you a lot of money over the life of your car since most of the expense is in the labour. DIY helps you learn how things work and notice tiny issues before they become costly ones. Every work requires planning, patience, and safety.
Test Your Talents with Safe Limits
DIY solutions succeed when one is honest about their talents. Wiper blades, air filters, and occupant filters are beginner-friendly. With the correct equipment, intermediate owners can replace brake pads, spark plugs, coolant, and brake fluid. Pressurized fuel, high-voltage hybrids, airbags, and timing components are risky. Only professionals should manage them. Limitations protect you and your car. Drivers trust sources like Parts Avenue to find, install, and schedule manufacturer-approved work.
Set Up a Reliable Workspace and Tools
Good tools pay for themselves quickly. Ratchets, torque wrenches, combination wrenches, heavy jack stands, and wheel chocks are essential. It is advisable to engage specialists for specific tasks. A clean, flat, well-lit, and open space is essential. Please take your time. While working, keep a charged phone nearby to read repair instructions or write torque patterns.
Find the Problem before Replacing the Parts
It may cost more to replace something without diagnosing it. Instead of ideas, start with symptoms. OBD-II readers detect leaks, sounds, and DTCs. Simple tests like voltage, smoke indicating vacuum leaks, pad thickness, and rotor runout might reveal failure. A good analysis saves components, protects surrounding parts, and fosters future trust.
Maintenance That Pays off is Most Crucial
Jobs compensate for time and tools differently. Prioritize returns and maintenance. Change the oil and filter, rotate the tires, evaluate the air pressure, replace low brake fluid, clean the coolant with the right chemicals, and replace belts and filters before they fail. These items extend automotive life, stabilize fuel efficiency, and reduce roadside towing issues that can take months to resolve.
Do as Instructed, Utilize Quality Parts, and Follow Torque Requirements
Understand the service. Set the jacking points, tighten the screws in the appropriate order, and use threadlocker or anti-seize as suggested by the maker. Rotor wear can cause leaks, distortions, or broken threads. Choose components that meet or exceed OEM requirements and fit your car’s VIN, engine code, and manufacturing date. Cheap parts that break easily cost extra.
Test, Record, and Discard Carefully
Safely test the system before patching. Check under the car for drops, bleed the brakes again, and check fluid levels after a short drive. Note torques, parts, miles, and repair date. Photo and document storage for car sales. Properly dispose of oil, filters, coolant, and brake fluid. Controlling hazards protects your community and workplace.
Know When to Seek Professional Help
Self-employed individuals recognize their constraints. If a task is challenging, requires special instruments, or involves safety, consult an expert. Collaboration makes cars safer, cheaper, and more efficient. Selecting, planning, and implementing processes properly improves performance, lowers costs, and ensures safety.
Features
What It Means for Ontario to Be the Most Open iGaming Market in Canada
Ontario is the most open commercial iGaming market in Canada, having been the first province to open up to commercial actors in the online casino and betting space since 2022.
Since gambling laws in Canada are managed on a provincial level, each province has its own legislation.
Before April 4th, 2022, Ontario was similar to any other Canadian province in the iGaming space. The only gaming site regulated in the province was run by government-owned Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, also known as OLG. However, when the market opened up, numerous high-quality gambling companies established themselves in the province, quickly generating substantial revenue. As the largest online gambling market in Canada, it’s now, three years later, also one of the biggest in North America.
The fully regulated commercial market is run under iGaming Ontario and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. These licensed casinos and online sportsbooks are thus fully legal and safe for players to play at, while at the same time, the open market allows companies to compete and offer different products and platforms as long as they all fit within the requirements set up by the state of Ontario.
This means that Ontarians have a wide choice of licensed sites, whether they’re interested in sports betting, live dealer games, or slots – all with strict consumer-protection rules that keep them safe while exploring the many options. (Source: https://esportsinsider.com/ca/gambling/online-casinos-canada)
There are many benefits to online gaming, especially in a country that’s as sparsely populated as Canada, leaving physical venues often few and far between for those living outside the biggest cities.
Even before Ontario launched its own gambling sites, online gambling had been common among Ontarians. Regulating the market and offering alternatives regulated by the province has often added safer and more controlled options.
Since 85% of Ontarians now play at regulated sites, the initiative of opening up the market seems a clear win in more than one way.
Despite the huge success of the Ontario market, most provinces in Canada haven’t changed much in the iGaming sector in the past few years. Some provinces keep Crown-run monopolies, while others limit activity to a single government-run platform. This often leads Canadians to seek offshore alternatives instead, since the options are so few in their own province.
But 2025 marks an important change. The provinces seem to have noticed that Ontario picked a winning strategy, and Alberta has clearly been taking notes.
While the province of Alberta has previously opted for controlled gambling through one government website, the province is now opening up the commercial online gambling market. The Alberta iGaming Corporation will be in charge of licensing and inspecting actors that operate in the province. This will mean many more options for players, coupled with consumer protection and a high level of safety.
Meanwhile, the Ontario iGaming market continues to prosper, grow, and develop. Now that a second province is following in its footsteps, it seems more likely that other provinces will also start following the trend.