The Dance Centre Unveils 2024-2025 Season

The Dance Centre's 2024-2025 season will present a comprehensive program of exciting performances, accessible community programs, residencies, and projects, featuring a diverse roster of artists working in a wide variety of dance genres. Highlights include the 14th edition of Dance In Vancouver, two new Associate Artist positions, two performance series, and national choreographic exchanges.

Executive Director Mirna Zagar said, "This season really encapsulates how The Dance Centre has built up, over more than three decades, a range of activities which is unparalleled in Canadian dance. We look forward to continuing to support hundreds of artists, offering a diverse selection of performances and events, and welcoming audiences to our vibrant cultural hub Scotiabank Dance Centre, in the coming year."

The Global Dance Connections series features Indigenous choreographers Sophie Dow (Sept 20-21) and Daina Ashbee (Feb 6-8); world premieres of works rooted in classical Indian dance forms by Anusha Fernando/Shakti Dance (Oct 4-6) and Gaurav Bhatti (Mar 28-29); and an exciting new collaboration by Company 605 and Singapore's The Human Expression (June 5-7).

The popular Discover Dance! noon hour series includes aerialists Corporeal Imago (Oct 31), Arts Umbrella Dance Company (Nov 28), Bollywood specialists SHIAMAK Vancouver (Feb 27), Chinese classical and folk dance troupe the Lorita Leung Dance Company (Mar 27) and tap star Danny Nielsen (Apr 24).

The 14th edition of The Dance Centre's biennial Dance In Vancouver takes place Nov 20-24. This is a celebration of BC's contemporary dance scene both for local audiences and for presenters who visit from around the world. Since its inception in 1997, DIV has been instrumental in building connections between local artists and presenters, nurturing touring, exchanges and partnerships.

Iris Garland Emerging Choreographer Award recipient Anya Saugstad premieres her ensemble work Paper Mountains as part of DIV (Nov 23) and The Dance Centre partners with Mandala Arts and Culture to present a new Bharata Natyam duet performed by Kiruthika Rathanaswami and Malavika Santhosh (Dec 6-7).

This season The Dance Centre announces the appointment of two Associate Artists: Justine A. Chambers and Ralph Escamillan each start three-year terms where they choreograph new works, curate programs and events, and build connections with diverse communities. Two national exchange projects with organizations in Montreal and Toronto will support artistic growth and creative exchange.

Choreographic research and the development of new work is supported through a comprehensive suite of residencies, labs, and projects, and the 12 Minutes Max program for emerging artists, with free showings and events throughout the year. The Dance Centre continues to support hundreds of artists every year through its programs, subsidized or free studio space at Scotiabank Dance Centre, resources, information, professional development, and other opportunities.

Community programs including the annual Scotiabank Dance Centre Open House (Sept 14) and International Dance Day (April 29) provide free, accessible dance experiences for all. The Power of Dance program offers workshops for elementary and high school students, immigrant and refugee youth (in partnership with the Vancouver School Board) and seniors.

2024-2025 SEASON DETAILS

Tickets and Information

• Subscriptions, and single tickets for most events, are on sale at thedancecentre.ca
• Events take place at Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie St, Vancouver

GLOBAL DANCE CONNECTIONS SERIES

Sophie Dow + Laura Reznek: Agrimony
Friday September 20, 2024 | 8pm
Saturday September 21, 2024 | 2pm + 8pm

Agrimony walks the edge between spellbinding contemporary dance and an evocative concert. Co-created by the talented young choreographer Sophie Dow in collaboration with composer/multi-instrumentalist Laura Reznek, the work pays tribute to agrimonia eupatoria. In traditional plant medicine, this small yellow flower is a catalyst for honesty, dissolving masks of fear and pain to unveil our truest selves. The fluent choreography, expressively performed by Dow and three dancers, has an intimate connection to the score, which is played live on stage by Reznek and four musicians. Agrimony is an emotional, uplifting and radiant exploration of courage and authenticity.
Presented through the Artist-in-Residence program.

Anusha Fernando/Shakti Dance: Sky Dancers (world premiere)
Friday-Saturday October 4-5, 2024 | 7pm
Sunday October 6, 2024 | 2pm

Sky Dancers emerged from a year-long gathering of six outstanding Bharata Natyam dance artists, who formed a unique collaborative space to explore the core elements of the form: stillness, presence, energy, musicality, ritual, and stories. Using the framework of the Dakini (Sky Dancer), a Buddhist symbol of the dynamic play of energy in the universe, the choreography expresses both the dancers' personal voices and the rich traditions and meditative practices that have emerged from India. Conceived and directed by Anusha Fernando, Sky Dancers is performed by Arno Kamolika, Kiruthika Rathanaswami, Malavika Santhosh, Ashvini Sundaram and Sujit Vaidya, joined on stage by musicians and meditators/chanters.
Supported through the Partnerships Program.

Daina Ashbee: We learned a lot at our own funeral
Thursday-Saturday February 6-8, 2025 | 8pm

Daina Ashbee's radical works sit at the edge of dance and performance. Still only in her early thirties, she has garnered major awards and critical acclaim, and her bold, utterly unique creations are shown all over the world. We learned a lot at our own funeral is a compelling new solo performed by B-Girl Momoko 'Momo' Shimada which probes the notion of death. Enveloping the audience in a potent sense of ritual, it evokes a battle with the self: the dancer challenges gravity, resists the ground, overcomes precarious balances. Finally, only the echo of the body, of its strength and fragility, remains.

Gaurav Bhatti: Bulleh Shah: The Messenger of Light (world premiere)
Friday-Saturday March 28-29, 2025 | 8pm

Working at the intersection of the North Indian classical form of Kathak and contemporary dance, Gaurav Bhatti is known for virtuosic performances which encompass explosive energy, dramatic complexity, and eloquent emotion. His new solo is inspired by the life and poetry of the 18th-century Sufi mystic Bulleh Shah, who spoke out against powerful institutions, and advocated for tolerance at a time of violent religious strife. Integrating Kathak, Punjabi folk dances, and Western movement forms, Bhatti applies his distinctive contemporary sensibility to reassert Shah's enduring message of universal love, and pays homage to the rich artistic heritage of the Punjab.
Presented with New Works.

Company 605 + The Human Expression: New Work (world premiere)
Thursday-Friday June 5-6, 2025 | 8pm
Saturday June 7, 2025 | 2pm + 8pm

From opposite ends of the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver's Company 605 and Singapore's The Human Expression (T.H.E) Dance Company join forces for a thrilling new international collaboration. Both companies have built reputations for a deep commitment to experimentation, and for their unerring ability to tap into the complexities of the human condition through visceral, rigorous and dynamic dance creations. This exciting new work - envisioned and choreographed by T.H.E's Anthea Seah and Company 605's Josh Martin, and performed by artists from both cities - frames a meeting of voices seeking out what it means to break and rebuild: a deconstruction and a piecing back together, the fragments and the whole, and the twisting and reshaping of evolving identities.

TICKETS Series subscriptions (3-show and 5-show packages), single tickets from $28 + facility fee, available at thedancecentre.ca.

DISCOVER DANCE! SERIES

Corporeal Imago
Thursday October 31, 2024 | 12 noon

Corporeal Imago's breathtaking work speaks to the complexities of our times through an intersection of aerial acrobatics, contemporary dance and visual theatre. Limb(e)s is an award-winning aerial dance duet exploring the space between holding onto, or letting go of, another. Unfolding to haunting original music, this is a hypnotic and quietly riveting drama danced from floor to air.

Arts Umbrella Dance Company
Thursday November 28, 2024 | 12 noon

The exceptional young dancers of the Arts Umbrella Dance Company, a pre-professional repertory company based in Vancouver, represent the energy and skill of a new generation. Trained through Arts Umbrella's renowned dance program, these talented dancers will perform new and innovative contemporary ballets created by choreographers from across Canada and around the world.

SHIAMAK Vancouver
Thursday February 27, 2025 | 12 noon

Exuberance, comedy, drama, colour, fun - it's Bollywood! Originally springing from India's legendary film industry, Bollywood dance is a worldwide phenomenon. SHIAMAK Vancouver blends in jazz, funk, folk and modern influences to deliver wildly entertaining performances that are guaranteed to get your toes tapping.

Lorita Leung Dance Company
Thursday March 27, 2025 | 12 noon

Established in 1970, the Lorita Leung Dance Company is regarded as one of Canada's leading Chinese performance groups, producing spectacular shows which illustrate the diversity and beauty of Chinese dance. From the grace and poise of the classical style to the joyful vitality of ethnic folk dances, the company will take you on a journey through Chinese culture.

Danny Nielsen
Thursday April 24, 2025 | 12 noon

Back by popular demand! Tap dance star Danny Nielsen's vibrant collaboration with pianist/percussionist Kristian Alexandrov, In Conversation, delves into the symbiotic relationship between tap and jazz. They will share excerpts from this fresh take on a beloved art form: a wonderful celebration of tap and musical artistry which delighted audiences last season. With Miles Hill on bass, and lighting design by Jack Chipman.

TICKETS Series subscriptions, single tickets from $14 + facility fee available at thedancecentre.ca.

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

The 14th biennial Dance In Vancouver
Wednesday-Sunday November 20-24, 2024

The 14th biennial Dance In Vancouver celebrates the energy and innovation of our contemporary dance scene: join us for five days of performances, studio showings and events, showcasing some of British Columbia's most exciting artists.
Featuring: Action at a Distance | Anya Saugstad | Company 605 | Lee Su-Feh | Starr Muranko | Tasha Faye Evans | and more.
Guest international curator: Anthea Lewis, founder of Blulilli Projects UK in association with Dance Umbrella (UK) - London's International Dance Festival and FABRIC International.
TICKETS go on sale in September.

Anya Saugstad: Paper Mountains
Saturday November 23, 2024 | 8pm

Created by the award-winning young choreographer Anya Saugstad, Paper Mountains is a new ensemble work inspired by the concept of fragmentation and disintegration. The movement is drenched in vigorous and urgent physicality; with a stirring score by Stefan Nazarevich and an innovative visual design.
Presented through the Iris Garland Emerging Choreographer Award and as part of Dance In Vancouver 2024
TICKETS go on sale in September.

Kiruthika Rathanaswami & Malavika Santhosh: Dvaita - Shiva/Shakti
Friday-Saturday December 6-7, 2024 | 8pm

Dvaita - Shiva/Shakti explores the duality of life through the Indian classical dance form Bharata Natyam. Choreographed by Jai Govinda for two accomplished dancers, this scintillating work is rooted in Hindu mythology and expresses how the synthesis of passive and active energies brings harmony, and drives all creation.
Presented with Mandala Arts and Culture.
TICKETS go on sale in September.

ASSOCIATE ARTISTS, NATIONAL EXCHANGES, RESIDENCIES AND PROJECTS

Associate Artists

The Dance Centre's Associate Artists are beginning a three-year term where they will choreograph new works, curate programs and events, and nurture connections with diverse communities.
Justine A. Chambers is Assistant Professor at the School for Contemporary Arts at SFU and an acclaimed dance artist. She will research her new creation The Brutal Joy, develop discursive platforms around performance-making, and foster relationships between The Dance Centre, students, and academics.
Ralph Escamillan is a Queer, Canadian-Filipinx artist, teacher and community leader, and Artistic Director of FakeKnot and Van Vogue Jam. He will develop his new work MY HOUSE, and create programming initiatives geared towards QTBIPOCs, with a specific focus on the Ballroom Scene.

National Exchanges

Quebec-BC Residency Exchange
This annual partnership with Montreal's Circuit-Est centre chorégraphique offers an artist from each province a two-week research-based residency exchange in January.
Creative Exchange Project: From the Back
The Dance Centre is partnering with Tangente (Montreal) and Toronto Dance Theatre, to facilitate a project supporting four Kiki Ballroom artists. This will culminate in artistic exchanges and showings in Toronto and Vancouver, and participation in the World Aids Day Ball.

Residencies, Labs and Projects

The Dance Centre supports choreographic research and the development of new work throughout the season with a comprehensive suite of residencies, labs, and projects, and the 12 Minutes Max program for emerging artists.

Artists-in-Residence Claire French/Restless Productions | Gabrielle Martin, Jeremiah Hughes/Corporeal Imago | Kay Huang/Crossmaneuver | Lee Su-Feh | Tasha Faye Evans
Scholar-in-Residence Ileanna Cheladyn
DanceLab Interdisciplinary Research Natalia Martineau | Kiera Shaw
Special Projects Aeriosa | All Bodies Dance Project | Matriarchs Uprising Festival | Queer Arts Festival | Raven Spirit Dance

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

The Power of Dance
Season-wide

Our Power of Dance classes and workshops bring the joy of dance to elementary and high school students, immigrant and refugee youth, and seniors.

Scotiabank Dance Centre Open House
Saturday September 14, 2024

The 23rd annual Open House offers a chance to experience a host of different dance styles, in a day of free classes, workshops, studio showings and events at Scotiabank Dance Centre, one of Canada's flagship dance facilities. Details TBA.

International Dance Day
Tuesday April 29, 2025
Various locations

Initiated in 1982 by UNESCO, International Dance Day is marked annually on April 29 across Canada and around the world. Each year The Dance Centre presents a program of free events celebrating the vitality and diversity of dance in Vancouver. Details TBA.

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