Virtually any Peterborough stage production of note that had dancing and movement at its centre can be attributed to the skills and guidance of Julie Fallis.
Under the tutelage of Joanne Agar at the Academy of Dance in East City, a young Fallis was bitten hard by the dance bug. The after effects of that have been long lasting and significant, not only for the countless students she taught and mentored at her Move N’ Grooove Studio, but also for the Peterborough Theatre Guild, St. James’ Players, Ennismore Homestead Theatre, and St. Peter’s Secondary School.
Before opening Move N’ Grooove more than 30 years ago, Fallis attended Fleming College, taking her recreation and leadership skills to the Royal Academy of Dance where she earned certification as a dance instructor.
Under Fallis’ tutelage, Move N’ Grooove provided hundreds of students, from primary aged kids to adults, with a safe space where they felt seen, heard and accepted. The studio’s walls were home to hundreds of awards – a testament to the high calibre of instruction they received. Countless former students – many of whom have gone onto very good things – credit their time as Fallis’ students with shaping them into what they have become.
As a sideline dancer for the Toronto Argonauts football club, as a performer with Up With People and as an always encouraging supporter of her students at dance competitions, Fallis’ passion for dance and movement has been, and remains, the common denominator. That she got involved with local theatre productions was a natural progression of not only her training but also her overriding desire to see others soar.
Following the challenge of choreographing Guys and Dolls for the Peterborough Theatre Guild in 1997, Fallis embarked on a long line of theatrical collaborations, lending her skills to the success of a number of productions. Her most recent theatre project was with the guild’s 2025 staging of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Forced to close Move N’ Grooove as a result of the pandemic shutdown, Fallis did what the resilient do – she regrouped and, upon attaining her yoga teaching certification, opened Inspired Movement where she continues to share her love of movement, albeit in a different form.
But there’s another side of Fallis’ contributions that doesn’t get the attention it should. Over the years, when a cause or organization asked for her talents and time, she repeatedly answered the call. The Down Syndrome Association of Peterborough, the Five Counties Children’s Centre, Fleming College and the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation are but a few of the entities having benefited greatly from Fallis’ giving back to the community she loves.