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April 2024: Jennifer McLeish-Lewis

Who is Jennifer McLeish-Lewis in a sentence?
I am a contemporary dance choreographer and performer with a focus on creating abstract narrative performances that speak to my identity as a woman.

Tell us a bit about your work and practice.
I started dance classes in a really committed way when I was eight years old. I danced at the Alberta Ballet School in Calgary until I was eighteen. I went on to study at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre in Toronto and at MainDance in Vancouver. I have also lived and
worked as a dancer in Montreal. I have danced across Canada as well as in Europe, the west coast of the USA and a brief four-month stint in Mexico. I graduated my post-secondly dance training in 2002, and immediately started presenting my choreography. At twenty-two I had my first piece presented professionally (paid) at a local performance series called, Dances for a Small Stage. It was exhilarating and felt like such a natural transition into the “real world” of professional dance. I apprenticed at EDAM, then went on to worked for MACHiNE NOiSEY (Delia Brett & Daelik) and Marta Marta HOP (Martha Carter) for a decade. I was a freelance dance artist doing contract work and making my own work on the side as well. I can’t count the number of solos I’ve created for myself!

From 2004-2008 I was one of three co-artistic directors of The Tomorrow Collective. Together we produced a performance series called Brief Encounters. There was so much energy and vitality in the community during that time. We presented so many artists in that showcase and I believe it had a lasting effect on the Vancouver arts community.

Looking back, I have been a producer, a choreographer, a teacher and a performer. I think out of all of those, choreographing is my favourite. Or just dancing at class. Performing has also been fun, but for me, it comes with a high degree of stage fright, and a large amount of hyper criticism of myself. At this point in my career, I prefer to see my imagination sculpted onto other bodies.

I am also a Bodyworker (massage practitioner) as my day job. Recently my healing arts practice has come more into focus in terms of my ability to hold powerful energetic space for my clients. I think that dance, as a discipline, has made me a more sensitive and intuitive Bodyworker.

How long have you been dancing?
Since I was eight!

How does dance fit into your life currently?
I currently take ballet class at Harbour Dance. It feels like the most strengthening and healthy form for my body. Contact Improvisation was my main practice from 2002-2020 and I still take classes at EDAM on a regular bases now too. The combination of Ballet and Contact keeps me strong, pain free and moving with ease. I recommend Patrick Howell’s class at Harbour Dance Centre because it’s body positive, shame free, inclusive and really fun.

How would you describe dance’s impact on your life?
Dance has been my longest and most committed relationship. I’ve been dancing since I could walk! Dance is the gift of having a body that humans can utilize to stay well, no matter who you are. Dancing keeps me mentally and emotionally sane.

What three core values drive your engagement with dance?
Courage
Vulnerability
Rigour

Do you have a particular practice that you carry out each day or have you implemented new practices over these last few years?
I have an imagination practice. I love to make the images I see in my mind’s eye come to life. I usually start from image and then build movement around that. The goal of my choreographic work is to put meaning into the form. IE- movement and image reflecting the topic of the thesis. I feel my work has a provocative and arresting quality that is uniquely my own. In terms of on-the-daily, I like to listen to podcasts, and usually have one on around the house. They are often social/political discussions; topics such a gender, mental health, Jungian Analysis, feminism.

What would you say are the most significant benefits for you in being a Dance Centre member?
Membership has provided me with the opportunity to apply for presentation of my work at the Dance Centre. I have been presented twice in the last three months; at 12 Minutes Max and at Open Stage. These were paid professional opportunities that have provided me with a performance fee, free rehearsal space, promotion of my work and ongoing support in terms of future opportunities. Since coming back into the community, after a hiatus where I moved to a rural community during COVID, The Dance Centre has been very supportive of my work. I like to believe that is a result of my long commitment to the Vancouver Dance community. I am so grateful to the Dance Centre for their ongoing belief in me and my work. Thank you!

Jennifer’s Member Directory Profile
Instagram
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Photos: Photo by Erik Zennström (To Fetch a Pail of Water/Jennifer McLeish-Lewis and James-Amzin Nahirnick) and Rob Gunn