Choreographer and TikTok star GiaNina Paolantonio to teach artist dance class at the Beach Ballroom with singer Sofia Camara

By ABBY RUSSCHEN

Social media dance star GiaNina Paolantonio is headed to the Beach on Friday, July 25, to teach a special artist dance class at the Beach Ballroom alongside singer Sofia Camara.

Part of her World Dance Tour, the Toronto stop marks her first visit to the city and only her third visit to Canada.

The 20-year-old dancer, who grew up in New Jersey and may be best known for her time on Dance Moms, will teach a contemporary-style routine for all ages, choreographed to Camara’s music, with the artist in attendance.

“Hosting the artist class with UMusic and Sofia Camaro is pretty crazy to me,” she told Beach Metro Community News in an interview this week. “I’m so excited.”

An artist class is a collaborative experience where a music artist works with a choreographer to interact with fans and watch them perform to their music. An artist class is rare, according to Paolantonio. “If anything, they never happen,” she said.

Her previous artist classes have included artists such as Nessa Barrett, Alex Warren, and Jenna Raine.

Paolantonio said she didn’t always want to teach dance, but found a passion for it as she got older.

 “What’s made me love it so much is the community that I’ve been able to build and have been given a chance to build,” said Paolantonio.

“I’ve been looking forward to it and I never take these opportunities for granted, especially to meet people that show me so much love from all around the world,” she said of Friday’s session at the Beach Ballroom on Queen Street East.

She hopes attendees keep in mind that “It’s going to be nothing but fun. There’s never anything to worry about in a class like mine because we’re literally solely there just to have fun and to do nothing else.”

Tickets to her masterclass are $75 and can be found here https://www.umusic.ca/products/pop-girl-summer-presents-masterclass-with-gianina-paolantonio?srsltid=AfmBOopfALU2nUkiTtEeMl4fzrou2DbglgsxxH-drheUaEize3rCUdYO