Blog

It’s been a busy year! We asked our fantastic staff to share their personal highlights from 2022.

Gathering the branches for the costumes in Forêt by Compagnie d’Autres Cordes/Franck Vigroux really took a village – it was months of harvest from our maintenance manager’s plum trees, our accountant’s grapevines, and our associate producer’s firewood. I remember scratching my head, wondering how to legally get branches from a park, when I was told that some people actually own property with trees – what a concept for a millennial in Vancouver!
-Chengyan, Lead Technician

In August The Dance Centre attended Tanzmesse in Germany – the biggest contemporary dance festival in the world – and brought a dozen artists to present their work, see performances, participate in workshops and make invaluable networking connections – extending the reach of BC dance! Another highlight for me was to see Shion Skye Carter’s presentation of Residuals, which was made possible through the Iris Garland Emerging Choreographer Award. This award supports young artists who demonstrate exceptional choreographic ability and potential. It was such a pleasure to work with Shion and help guide her through the process of presenting her work – she is an amazingly talented artist with a brilliant future ahead of her.
-Linda, Associate Producer

A highlight for me this year was growing our team of Venue Service Associates and Front of House Managers. We have welcomed onboard so many talented, hardworking, and creative individuals.
-Simran, Venue Services

The Dance Centre was the Canadian partner for Roots of Dance – an international project led by the Polish National Institute for Music and Dance and the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, along with dance organizations from China, India, Mexico, Malaysia, USA, Georgia and Croatia. After two years of Zoom meetings, and an in-person workshop here earlier this year, the concluding event in Poland included Vancouver artists Jhoely Triana and Rebecca Fiorito. It was an amazing coming together that featured how tradition is often the starting point of inspiration, and how it is transformed by contemporary idiom. A remarkable project, that despite COVID managed to manifest in its full glory by the coming together of 20+ artists from the partner countries!
-Mirna, Executive Director

School groups were back in force for our Discover Dance! noon hour series this fall, VanVogueJam especially was a hit! It has also been rewarding to finally present some of the shows which had been delayed because of the pandemic, like Jeanette Kotowich’s Kisiskâciwan which very fittingly coincided with the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.
-Heather, Marketing

For me, the highlight of this year was the return of our annual season launch event in September for our donors and supporters. It was so great to see everyone in person again for a wonderful tap performance by Danny Nielsen, followed by a reception on our rooftop patio.
-Anna, Development

Our Power of Dance seniors program not only continued online on Zoom all year, but also expanded to in-person in the studio – there’s such a great energy and I love hearing about the different genres they learn each week.
-Lindsay, Digital Marketing

After having to postpone due to the pandemic, it was a pleasure to host Justine A. Chambers, Laurie Young and everyone on the One hundred more creative team at the centre in October in residency and performance as part of the Global Dance Connections series, launching their tour in the spirit of international exchange and collaboration. Truly awed and inspired by their authenticity, fearlessness and generosity.
-Raquel, Programming

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Thank you to everyone who supported us this year. We look forward to seeing you in 2023!

Please consider contributing to our year-end fundraising campaign to support The Dance Centre.

Photo credits top to bottom, L to R: The Dance Centre at Tanzmesse/TDC; Forêt sticks/TDC; Shion Skye Carter/Lula-Belle Jedynak; Ralph Escamillan, Juan Imperial, ivy andromeda and secondary students/TDC; Jhoely Triana/courtesy of the artist; Laura Fukumoto/TDC; Justine A. Chambers & Laurie Young/TDC;  Power of Dance seniors class/Zoom screenshot; Danny Nielsen/Dayna Szyndrowski