hi, i'm carman.

movement facilitator

based in toronto

Hi, I'm Carman Chan (she/her) and I'm a second-generation Chinese-Canadian movement facilitator, studio manager, former dance artist, wife + tuxedo cat mama based in Toronto, Canada. With 25+ years of embodied movement trainings + explorations ranging from classical to contemporary dance, mat + reformer pilates and vinyasa + yin yoga, my relationship with movement feels alive, ever-evolving + deeply rooted.

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I grew up training + performing in ballet + traditional Chinese folk dance until I was about 13, then moved towards a professional route in high school + post-secondary, graduating with a BFA in Performance Dance. There, I continued training in styles of classical ballet, jazz, modern + contemporary dance, as well dabbled into hip hop choreography as a hobby (it felt rebellious + fun). In both academic settings, part of our learning was based in anatomy, which piqued my interest in understanding on body mechanics.

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Post-graduation, I ended up working part-time as a receptionist at a Barreworks, sinking my toes into a whole new world of movement. In 2017, I auditioned for their barre certification training under the direction of Leni Calosing, and from that point onwards is where my teaching career began.

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In 2018, I began my mat pilates training at Mindful Movement Centre under the direction of Leslie Parker, and in 2022 I completed my 200-hour yoga teacher training at Downward Dog Centre under the direction of Margot Stokreef. I then went on to continue in yin yoga training with Shawna Turner and finally, reformer pilates at Muse Movement.

In 2024, I co-launched a digital community called HOME WORK with Megan Alexander + Tash Francesca as an extension of Good Space, as the lead facilitator in the bodyworks component.

Everything that I've learned shows up in my offerings and the way that I perceive and interpret movement.

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Beyond movement, I am also a self-taught + peer-mentored photographer, video editor, digital designer + creative writer. To see some of my most recent digital works, head over to my portfolio.