The Dance Centre presents the 18th annual
Scotiabank Dance Centre Open House
From ballet and contemporary to flamenco and bellydance, the annual Scotiabank Dance Centre Open House is an opportunity to sample a host of exciting dance styles in a day of open classes, studio showings and events. Participating companies and artists include Mozaico Flamenco, Polymer Dance, the Dovbush Dancers, TomoeArts, and more.
Saturday September 14, 2019 | 11am-5pm
Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie Street (at Granville), Vancouver
Free admission
Information: 604 606 6400 www.thedancecentre.ca
Classes are suitable for all levels of experience including beginners. Pre-registration is not required.
11am-12 noon Class: Caribbean Dance Fitness with Nao. An energetic and inspiring class which invites you into the world of Latin, Caribbean and folkloric movements and rhythms.
11am-12 noon Class: Contemporary Dance with Polymer Dance. This class includes both contemporary dance technique and ensemble improvisation practice. Polymer Dance’s approach is rooted in making dance accessible to everyone and exploring an individual’s creativity regardless of body abilities, training, or cultural background.
11am-1pm Workshop: Joy in movement – Positive psychology and dance with Voirelia: Dance, Psychology, & Philosophy Hub. This workshop focuses on how we dance before we even make the first move – what we believe about dance, what we think about our bodies moving through space. Participants will be guided through exercises aimed at connecting with dance from a body-positive framework of curiosity, expression, and joy. Exercises will include self-reflection activities, dance improvisation, and structured movement exercises, integrating a mindfulness-focused approach to physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions. Facilitators: Dr. Alina Sotskova (psychologist and Artistic Director); Rachael Prince (dance artist and educator, former Ballet BC dancer).
12-1pm Class: Bellydance with Maki Dance. Known for her fun classes, Maki blends Egyptian style Raks Sharki (bellydance) with modern flair, respect and authenticity.
12 noon -1pm Studio Showing: Carolina Bergonzoni. Carolina Bergonzoni’s Slant Rhymes explores autobiographical memory and the phenomenon of hypertimesia – perfect memory. Dancers Hana Rutka, Sarah Bernstein, Silene Razo will perform some of the material they have been working on: a combination of improvisation scores and choreographed material sourced from their past and their memories. There will be a talkback after the showing.
12-1.30pm Workshop: Home: Our Way with Olivia C Davies/O.Dela Arts and Crow’s Nest Collective. Home: Our Way women’s circle explores ideas of Home through creative writing and the moving body. Participants delve into questions of refuge, transition, identity, cultural norms, blood memory and explore what it means to be at Home in our lived experience. Facilitated by contemporary dance artist Olivia C. Davies (Anishinaabe) and Coast Salish storyteller Rosemary Georgeson (Sahtu-Dene).
1-2pm Class: Ukrainian folk-stage dance with the Dovbush Dancers. Ukrainian folk-stage dance is a stylized form of dance firmly rooted in traditional folk dance and folk lore. The Dovbush Dancers will take participants on a journey through Ukraine’s vast regions, learning a variety of steps and combinations.
1-2pm Class: hip hop with Liz Vaesen. An introduction to the energy and rhythms of hip hop, taught by award-winning dancer, choreographer, teacher and adjudicator Liz Vaesen.
2-3pm Performance: Mozaico Flamenco. Mozaico Flamenco has been a moving force in the world of Spanish dance for over 30 years, performing traditional and contemporary flamenco while incorporating Latin, jazz and Cuban rhythms. This performance will showcase the breathtaking virtuosity and electrifying footwork of flamenco.
2-3pm Class: Ballet with Linda Arkelian. A high-energy and inspiring class which offers the chance to develop technique and discover new ways to move.
3-5pm Open Rehearsal: Flamenco Rosario Creative Residency. Flamenco Rosario’s Creative Residency pairs flamenco artist Anastassiia ‘La Musa’ Moussatova with mentor Ricardo Rubio from Mexico. This open rehearsal will share the initial stages of Anastassiia’s project experimenting with the traditional structure of flamenco.
3-4pm Discussion: Dancing in the Rain: The Science of Pain with Stuart Anderson (Anderson Performance Clinic) and Virginia Duivenvoorden (dance artist). Discover how the latest research in pain science can help both dancers and non dancers optimize the benefits of movement and relaxation in aiding recovery. The discussion will include a Q&A session on the role of movement in the healing process.
3-4pm Demonstration and Workshop: Kabuki Dance with TomoeArts. TomoeArts director Colleen Lanki (Fujima Sayû) and company member Ryan Caron will demonstrate a few short dances from the kabuki repertoire, talk about kabuki dance and nihon buyoh (Japanese classical dance) as an art form, and teach a few gestures and steps from a dance.
4-5pm Studio Showing: Isabelle Kirouac. Isabelle Kirouac’s Third Space is a trio between dancers, stilts and designed objects, which brings together a series of oppositions (stilts/dance, pop/experimental music, soft/hard objects, French/Farsi/Swedish native tongues etc) and attempts to discover what gets revealed in the in-between. Created by Isabelle Kirouac in collaboration with co-artistic director & choreographer Delia Brett, performers Emmalena Fredriksson & Arash Khakpour, musical composer Robyn Jacob, object designer Robert Leveroos, object collaborator Meghan Rosner, lighting designer Kyla Gardiner.
4-5pm Class: Afrobeats with AKS Bison
A dynamic fusion of African and hip hop dance.
One of Canada’s leading dance facilities, Scotiabank Dance Centre opened in September 2001 and has become a hub for dance activity, housing rehearsals, performances, classes and events all year round. “Our annual Open House is an opportunity to celebrate a wonderful building, which has become a home for dance of all kinds, and also to experience the excitement and diversity of Vancouver’s dance scene,” said Mirna Zagar, Executive Director of The Dance Centre, the organization which spearheaded the development of the building.
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Media release and image provided by Heather Bray, The Dance Centre. Feature image: Isabelle Kirouac Third Space photo Ethan Ror
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