SOUL FUEL Fitness Seventh Stage Productions FITPOP Dance Fit
Choreographer Movement Expert Actor
MOVING PEOPLE TO LIVE BETTER LIVES

Moving People into their Power

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Hi. I’m MJ Shaw, an Entrepreneur, Artist & Movement Expert whose life’s work is to move people into their power:

  • Physically, through fitness and joyful movement.

  • Creatively, through choreography and dance movement.

  • Mentally, through education, discussion, debate, and writing.

  • Professionally, by guiding people to work with goals & meaning.

  • Communally, by moving people together towards collective power.

While life is beautiful, I believe the the human existence is a bit of an obstacle course. I want to provide outlets to help lean into our individual and collective power, enabling us to better jump our hurdles, so that we can enjoy this one precious Life.

I’ve been leading people in movement (fitness, dance, yoga) for almost 30 years. After developing training programs and opening other studios for the last two decades, I founded SOUL FUEL in 2019, a boutique studio in Bloor West Toronto, where you can find me teaching a variety of classes and leading a growing staff and community of clients. You will also find me on film and tv sets working as Choreographer, making dance and movement magic.

Alongside a 30 year career as a professional actor, dancer, singer, choreographer, and theatre director, I’ve founded and run several small businesses and non-profits: Seventh Stage Productions, LaRouge Entertainment, Dynamic Retreats, and FITPOP Dance Fit.

I hold an HBA in Theatre, minors in Religion and Politics, and MA in Drama Studies from the University of Toronto. I’m a graduate of the Sheridan College/UofT ‘Theatre & Drama Studies’ program, where I later worked on faculty for 5 years. Fitness certifications include: Canadian Federation of Coaches, American Council of Exercise (PT & Group), canfitpro (PTS & FIS), Yoga Alliance, Athletics & Fitness Association of America (Group), British Association of Teachers of Dancing (Ballet, Jazz, Tap) and more.

I’m proud mother to Samuel and wife to Daniel. Together we work to enjoy the amazing world we live in, as well as give back to it. We are travellers, revellers and enthusiasts of this one precious life!

#infertilityswareness week, day, recognition. It’s only recently I accept I won't be able to have another biological child of my own. I grieve, while also being deeply grateful to have the child I do. Many people are still struggling and many w
These days, I mostly make dances for all people to dance. Together in a room with little pressure and a lot of joy. ⁠ ⁠ I used to make a lot of fancy dances with professionals and auditions and serious rehearsals and tight timelines and budgets and f
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#tbt 1989 thanks for finding this one, mom. My only regret is not keeping this jumper gem to wear now a la tight-fit. We were at a Myrtle Beach motel with a coin-slot bed and mirrors on the ceiling. That’s how my family rode in the 80s. #80sba
St. Maarten, a week where I healed what I learned was pneumonia with some sun and my son (and with meds) and my man and his mom. It was good. I’m 83% there, but I’m done being sick now:) I’ve been spoiled with 2 southern escapes t
Winter photo dump. Super glad Spring is near. This winter was a doozy. I was sick a lot. Couldn’t quite get ahead the way I’d hoped, just focused on getting healthy and holding up the family and forts. As always, there was joy and goodn
I find the best way to calm my worries around money is to donate to causes greater than my financial fears. Seems counter-intuitive, but it works and keeps things in perspective for me. It reminds me that my immediate needs are met and that I have en
I went full ‘Brene Brown-vulnerable-leadership’ and sobbed through our retreat’s Closing Circle. I haven’t hosted a full week retreat in 7 years, years with unprocessed grief that have created a shell of protection. But last

10 Fun Facts:

  1. MJ began as Melissa-Jane Boehner in Nova Scotia to a big extended family. She grew up mostly in a French community just outside Ottawa.

  2. MJ’s first movement passion was gymnastics, until she broke a bunch of bones at a competition and moved her efforts towards dance and drama.

  3. MJ signed with her first talent agent when she was age 10 at the national public speaking finals. She didn’t win the contest, but she started acting.

  4. MJ used her university scholarship money to backpack Europe the summer she turned 18. Her budget was $50 a day, there were no cell phones, and she had only her travel book to guide her. 

  5. MJ worked as a Student Intern for the Prime Minister’s office (under Chretien) during her second summer of university, which peaked her interest in politics.

  6. MJ’s memorable past Joe Jobs: cleaning the Argonauts residents, credit card phone sales on night shift, cocktail waitressing at a strip club.

  7. MJ worked as a singer/dancer with Celebrity Cruises, where she ran a ship-to-port promotions company on the side and saved up enough to buy her first house.

  8. MJ worked as an Associate Publicist with Deb G at rock-it promotions for 3 years, being mentored by one of the best in marketing, PR, and business. 

  9. MJ sang and danced with The ElastoCitizens for 10 years, a funk-band that played regularly at the Horseshoe, Lees Palace, appeared in movies and made music and magic.

  10. MJ founded Dynamic Fitness & Retreats which lead a dozen retreats in the Caribbean, Central America, and Ontario. She folded this company to start SOUL FUEL Fitness.