DJ Wizniak: Proud Canadian
Toronto born DJ Wizniak is based in Shanghai, China. He started dance training at a very early age, studying and teaching ethnic dance but soon turned to the classics of ballet and modern techniques. A dancer since the age of 10, DJ was the first male dance graduate of a publicly funded school for the arts in Canada. DJ was given the honor to study with dance masters from the Kirov ballet school in Kiev, Ukraine. DJ spent over 12 years cultivating young talent in various dance schools, in which he was artistic director/choreographer. He has toured many countries performing and entertaining.
Partnering with global theatre producer, Toby Simkin in 1988 on the SkyDome Opening Ceremonies, DJ and Toby created a company and have worked together on every project since. Over the course of the over 3 decades business relationship, DJ evolved from his choreography skills to stage and creative management, and with Toby, selected many award-winning shows for the company to focus on.
DJ served as Vice President, Creative of Theatre.com Inc., the publicly traded company he jointly founded with Toby as Buy Broadway. During this period, he supervised the creative direction and concepts for the vast majority of online marketing campaigns for over 100 shows and 50 companies on Broadway and in the West End.
He is today focusing his efforts in Asia as Vice President of Toby Simkin’s Broadway Entertainment, working on a number of projects for both import and export between China and the rest of the world, writing a play/movie called Tea 4 Two, and outside his working hours, committed to full time charitable work since 2013.
Everyone loves this Canadian boy…
Charity volunteers & global friends celebrate DJ in summer 2020
DJ Wizniak: Career Volunteer
Since 2013 DJ has volunteered, nearly full-time, at Heart to Heart Shanghai, a charity which provides corrective surgery for Chinese children with congenital heart disease whose parents are unable to afford the surgery which would result in the children dying due to failing hearts or secondary causes.
DJ joined when the group volunteering program started in mid 2013, and today sits on the Board of Directors. When DJ joined, Heart to Heart Shanghai had saved the lives of just over 400 children, Since he has joined, the charity has saved the lives of over 1,600 additional children, and improved the quality of life of thousands of families in rural village communities.
His creative work with Toby Simkin’s Broadway Entertainment gives him the flexibility, and indeed is encouraged by the company, to allow this effort.
Amongst other things, DJ is an active Board of Directors member and leads management teams. He manages logistics and assembly room where he supervises other volunteers. He facilitates sponsor/donor visits with children who are recovering from heart surgery. He prepares sales kits for events to raise money for future surgeries. He coordinates with companies for donated goods (often in the hundreds of boxes from generous retailers), and he works at various events raising cash for surgeries by selling Heart to Heart merchandise. He supports field trips to local villages to donate stationary kits, books, computers, libraries and other essentials while following up on previous surgery recipients within the local village community. Ongoing, DJ shares the Heart to Heart Shanghai story and cultivates future volunteers.
Unlike most other charities, Heart to Heart Shanghai is 100% voluntary, where 100% of all donations and dollars go directly to support the charity programs with $0 administration budget. Indeed, volunteers pay for the privilege to volunteer, requiring each volunteer to pay for their own travel and expenses for hospital and field trips to local villages.
Everyone loves this Canadian boy…
