2023

International Dance Day 2023 – Our Magical Web

How do you see yourself today?

Choreographers often ask of their dancers: show me who you are. Right? We’ve all heard this, and likely, we’ve all said it to our students. But even as the words have escaped my lips, and/or filled my ears, my mind has asked: do you even understand yourself? Do you even yet know your own limits? The pandemic has had far–reaching consequences for my sense of self and what I’m capable of. I will tell you, that my endurance and capacity for learning has greatly increased far beyond what I thought possible. We re–create our worlds within worlds and our Selves on the daily as we encounter new questions. These questions may be internally or externally motivated, but our progress is grounded in the unshakeable foundation that we have something to offer. It is precisely that offering that allows us to “speak” through the voice that is our bodies. Our movement vocabulary is unique to each of us and I think that is an incredibly powerful way to communicate.

Quick follow–up: how do you see yourself serving your community and who do you see yourself responsible for?

I was at a math conference in the 90s and one of the keynote speakers said something I had never even considered before. He said: “a person is a person through other people; you can’t be human in isolation; you’re human only in relationships.” I learned later that this South African visiting mathematician was quoting the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu. A quote that made sense when he brought the concept of “ubuntu” to global consciousness in the 90s and something I hope that we continue to strive for in our own path towards Truth and Reconciliation. We have so much to do as a global arts community, from spotlighting marginalized voices however they would wish to be supported to keeping up relations and conversations within our own neighbourhoods.

We are interconnected, and I believe that I live in a web that is connected to all of you. This is a magical web. I know I feel the strength of its warp and weft even as I wrap my own weave as a stiltdance artist. There will be a time when my struggles will cease and I will ease gently into the silky fibrous mass but until Time’s spidery reach catches up to me, I’ll be dancing as fast as I can.

–Allara Gooliaff
Artistic Director
Three Left Feet (Calgary)

2020

Dance Blitz MEDIA RELEASE

1.  Date and time of the event: April 29, 2020 6:00pm-9:30pm MST
2.  Venue: Full address, hints on how to go there: Online, via this link
3.  Title of event: Dance Blitz (ONLINE!) 
4.  Organizer: Mile Zero Dance
5.  Participants: Lin Snelling, Anastasia Evsigneeva, Gurdeep Pandher, Kyra Newton, Justin Calvadores, Gerry Morita, Lakota Tootoosis, Deanne Underwood, Deviani Andrea, Alexandra Clancy, Anastasia Evsigneeva, Lesley Kosinski, Jason Romero, Ivan Touko, Jolene Bailie and the Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers, Sarah Ormandy, Ainsley Hillyard, Antonio Bavaro, Katherine Semchuk, Busy Cha, Julian Anderson Bowes, Sue Goberdhan, Joses Martin, and Anna Protsiou.
6.  Description-Program: Mile Zero Dance is celebrating International Dance Day with an event that exalts the short dance piece. Come see artists play with short format works (3 minutes or less) online through ZOOM! Hosted by Sue Goberdhan, you don’t want to miss this quick-fire evening of dance.
7.  Contact details: Telephone, email, website, postal address: (780) 424-1573, admin@milezerodance.com, media@milezerodance.com, http://milezerodance.com/2017/, 10816 95 St, Edmonton, AB T5H 2E3

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2021

Together, We Dance

A Complimentary Virtual Presentation from Goh Ballet

On International Dance Day – Thursday, April 29 – take a moment to breathe and open your heart to the restorative and healing power of dance! Join the worldwide celebration which shines a spotlight on this beautiful art form and watch Goh Ballet’s complimentary virtual presentation.

This original work is produced and choreographed by former Principal Dancer of The National Ballet of Canada, and Director of Goh Ballet, Chan Hon Goh C.M., D.Litt in collaboration with local Canadian guest artists. Let yourself pirouette into this performance and experience through dance, an injection of hope, togetherness and love.

Watch the Virtual Presentation Here: https://www.gohballet.com/togetherwedance/ 

Contact Details: reception@gohballet.com / coordinator@gohballet.com

Website: http://www.gohballet.com/

Address: Goh Ballet, 2345 Main Street, Vancouver BC, Canada, V5T 3C9

2020

IDD2020

Dance crew shakes some booty for Lions Gate Hospital staff and patients (VIDEO)

North Vancouver dancers show their support on International Dance Day

A North Shore dance crew that normally spends every April 29, a.k.a. International Dance Day, doing pop-up shows in public places found a new spot for their sweet moves this year: outside Lions Gate Hospital.

Dancers from Kahlena Movement Studio shook their booties, in a physical distancing appropriate way of course, on Wednesday evening as part of the nightly 7 p.m. cheer for front-line health-care workers and essential services. The dancers performed for patients and staff at locations all around the hospital grounds, encouraging all to join in to share a little joy.

Members of the North Vancouver dance studio, run by Karen Kobel, have also been showing up three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Amica Edgemont care centre where they encourage residents to join in on their balconies.

“We dance from non-judgement and we dance because we love to move, groove, and dance, and help the world smile,” said Kobel in a note to the North Shore News. See below for video and photos.

Source: https://www.nsnews.com/community/dance-crew-shakes-some-booty-for-lions-gate-hospital-staff-and-patients-video-1.24127848

Spring Arts Preview 2020: Three must-sees in dance

Here are just three dance shows that may spark your interest

 

Spring Arts Preview 2020: Three must-sees in dance

Here are just three dance shows that may spark your interest

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The spring dance calendar already kicked off a few days ago with Ballet B.C.’s recent mounting of Romeo and Juliet. The classic ballet was choreographed by incoming Ballet B.C. artistic director Medhi Walerski. Walerski’s first season will begin this fall.

Whether it be a big-ticket opening like the tale of the world’s most famous star-crossed lovers or an intimate late-spring (June 3-6 at Left of Main) solo offering like Plastic Orchid Factory’s Cold War-themed What do You Want to be if You Grow Up? show starring James Gnam there is plenty of dance to pencil into your entertainment calendar.

You can also pack a bunch of dance into one day and celebrate International Dance Day on April 29. Check out the Scotiabank Dance Centre for programming for that day.

Here are just three dance shows that may spark your interest:

Hillel Kogan: We Love Arabs

When: April 23-25, 8 p.m. (subject to change)

Where: Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie St.

Tickets and info:thedancecentre.ca

As part of the Global Dance Connections series, Israel’s Kogan, in a duet with Adi Boutrous, sets out to deconstruct — in an entertaining and often funny fashion — “misplaced good intentions.”

The tale here is of a Jewish choreographer who brings in an Arab dancer in a bid to create work that leaps over borders and dashes fears in hopes of spreading a message of peace.

Well, nice work if you can get it.

Through its ups-and-downs the piece ends up taking shots at politics, stereotypes, cultural differences and contemporary dance.

Kogan is one of Israel’s most successful choreographers and this piece has enjoyed great responses from around the globe.

In an added bonus there will be post-show talkbacks April 24 (in French) and April 25 (in English).

The show is co-presented by Vancouver’s Théâtre la Seizième.

MascallDance Privilege

When: May 18-21 (subject to change)

Where:The Annex, 823 Seymour St.

Tickets and info:mascalldance.ca

This piece was apparently inspired decades ago by the “elusive, apocalyptic effect of Samuel Beckett’s writings.”

Hmmm, when you think about it the absurdist nature of Beckett kind of fits in today’s modern times.

Now here we are in 2020 and the prolific and award-winning choreographer Jennifer Mascall has built on her original post-modernistic ideas about the relationship between dance and movement. So this look at this relationship between dance and other expressive forms apparently is a kind of choreographed confrontation.

This company isn’t about pretty pliés or the perfect pas de deux. This is a modern dance company that digs in deep and excavates the ideas of human movement.

I know this sounds like a bit of a sidestep, but all that can be gleaned from the news release and artist statement is that the multiple pieces of this show are challenging for dancers and it seems the audience. But that makes it all the more interesting, no?

12 Minutes Max

When: June 12, 8 p.m. (subject to change)

Where: Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie St.

Tickets and info: thedancecentre.ca

Just like the name says, this show allows 12 minutes maximum for each performance. The idea for this series is simple — give artists with new works a chance to develop their pieces and then perform them for a live audience.

This latest version — it first began in 1994 — of 12 Minutes Max won’t be programmed until early April when the last research module is completed, so no names yet for the program.

How it works is once that module is completed usually six artists are given the green light and 16 hours of fully subsidized studio space to go ahead and develop their work for the stage.

For audience members it’s a chance to see new works (seven-to-12 minutes in length) by new artists and it’s a chance to enjoy a wide menu of dance flavours. Something like this in the end, thanks to the length of each piece, is less challenging for the audience member, but at the same time it comes with a built-in excitement as you wait to see what is being served next.

Simply put, if you don’t like one performance just take a breath, another is just a few minutes away.

Source: https://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com/entertainment/local-arts/spring-arts-dance-2/wcm/caa25f98-dc1b-4f4e-830b-77d20e788744

2020

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2020

Gatineau Police Filmed Themselves Dancing In The Street & Proved Their ‘Bad Boy’ Skills

While officials have treated public health recommendations with the utmost seriousness, they’ve also found creative ways to keep the public entertained. These moments of levity break up the dreary daily torrent of bad news and often attract thousands of views, comments, and shares on social media. This is exactly what Gatineau police (SPVG) achieved in a now-viral dance video.

In the clip posted to Facebook on April 29, four local officers break out in dance in front of their vehicle to the tune of the 80’s cult song, “Bad Boys.”

You can’t help but smile when you see the serious-looking uniformed officers follow choreography inspired by the best hip-hop music videos.

The video was a response to a challenge from Special Olympics Canada.

Each year, on International Dance Day, the committee organizes events to encourage the inclusion of people living with mental disabilities.

Though these activities were cancelled this year, the Gatineau police still wanted to support the cause.

“We are proud to support the 49,600 athletes and 22,000 volunteers of Special Olympics #Canada by accepting their invitation to encourage the social inclusion of people of all abilities as part of International Dance Day,” the SPVG explains in the video post.

Source: https://www.mtlblog.com/news/canada/qc/gatineau-police-filmed-themselves-dancing-in-the-street-and-proved-their-bad-boy-skills