The Canadian Dance Assembly is launching the first ever National Dance Week as well as the ‘I love dance/J’aime la danse’ campaign leading up to International Dance Day, celebrating the art of dance across Canada.

International Dance Day was initiated by UNESCO in 1982 and is marked globally each year on April 29. The date commemorates the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-1810), regarded as the founder of modern ballet.

The Dance Centre will present a program of exciting events celebrating both National Dance Week and International Dance Day in Vancouver, featuring flamenco and contemporary to bharata natyam and pow-wow dance styles.

In a new partnership between The Dance Centre and the Vancouver Biennale Open Air Museum, local dance artists will perform alongside the city’s monumental Biennale sculptures from April 23 to 28.

605 Collective. Photo by Gary Cotter
[605 Collective. Photo by Gary Cotter]

Highlights will include a noon performance of The Dance Centre’s Discover Dance! series by local favourites The 605 Collective, a partnership presentation with Co.ERASGA featuring Germany’s COCOONDANCE, and a full day of free events on International Dance Day, Sunday April 29.
 
National Dance Week Events
April 23 to 28
Vancouver Biennale Open Air Museum
Presented in partnership with the Vancouver Biennale, dance artists will perform at Biennale sculptures around Vancouver. As part of the Vancouver Biennale BIG IDEAS Educational Program, these free public performances will also include original student works in dance, music, drama and poetry.

Monday, April 23
Noon, Walking Figures, Broadway/City Hall Canada Line station
Danny Nielsen will perform a tap improvisation inspired by the natural rhythm of everyday life.

Tuesday, April 24
11 am, Engagement, Sunset Beach Park
– Ziyian Kwan/dumb instrument Dance in because the world is round, ‘a brief romance for two brides’, performed by Jane Osborne & Ziyian Kwan
Caitlin Griffin’s Disk Pin, a lighthearted look at expectations performed by Griffin and Elissa Hanson

Wednesday, April 25
10 am, Echoes at Kitsilano Beach Park
Flamenco Rosario performs Verde que te quiero verde, danced by Rosario Ancer and accompanied by guitarist Victor Kolstee
Ziyian Kwan’s echoes, a bilingual musical dance created with students from Henry Hudson School

Thursday, April 26
11 am, Water #10 at Cambie Plaza, Richmond
Performance by The Landing Dance Company

Discover Dance!
Noon, Scotiabank Dance Centre; tickets $10/$8 via Tickets Tonight
The Dance Centre’s noon hour series features The 605 Collective in a sneak preview of work from their hotly anticipated new piece, Inheritor Album. Fusing contemporary, hip hop, and martial arts to create a virtuosic and high-energy movement style, the company (dancers Laura Avery, Justine Chambers, Lisa Gelley, Shay Kuebler, Josh Martin and David Raymond) will perform excerpts, along with video projections created by Los Angeles-based experimental animation artist Miwa Matreyek. Informal demonstrations and an audience Q&A will follow.

Friday April, 27
Noon, Walking Figures, Broadway/City Hall Canada Line station
Nicole Dupuis’ Pastures, a structured improvisation responding to ideas represented by the sculpture

Saturday, April, 28
11:30 am, Echoes at Kitsilano Beach Park
The Contingency Plan presents “what belongs to you” (excerpts), a trio choreographed by Vanessa Goodman

1 pm at King and Queen, Harbour Green
Arash Khakpour’s The Righteous Floater, inspired by the tale of Cain and Abel, performed by brothers Arash and Aryo Khakpour

Another You, COCOONDANCE. photo Klaus Frohlich
[Another You, COCOONDANCE. Photo Klaus Frohlich]

Another You
8 pm, Scotiabank Dance Centre; tickets $25/$18 via Tickets Tonight
A double bill of contemporary dance works from Vancouver and Germany. Alvin Erasga Tolentino’s ADAMEVE/Man-Woman (Part 1) is a riveting duet which premiered in 2008 and features charismatic performers Alison Denham and Billy Marchenski. Rafaele Giovanola’s COCOONDANCE is based in Bonn, Germany and will present the duet Another You. Presented by Co.ERASGA and COCOONDANCE in partnership with The Dance Centre.

Sunday, April 29
International Dance Day
A program of FREE daytime studio showings, open classes, and events at Scotiabank Dance Centre

11 am to 1 pm
Raven Spirit Dance: Pow-Wow Boot Camp with Nyla Carpentier
Participants will learn the history of Pow-Wow styles and intertwine it with building stamina and strength alongside the fast heartbeat of the drum. Ages 16+.

11 am to 1 pm
Modus Operandi
An opportunity to view emerging contemporary dance artists from Out Innerspace’s intensive professional training program in class and rehearsal.

Noon to 1 pm
Contemporary dance showcase
An informal presentation of works featuring works by Meredith Kalaman, Give Me Brilliance, and The Contingency Plan/Vanessa Goodman followed by a moderated discussion.

1 to 2 pm
Kinesis Dance somatheatro gives a studio showing of a new ensemble work in progress by Artistic Director Paras Terezakis.

2 to 3 pm
Book launch
Local author Lori Henry’s Dancing Through History: In Search of the Stories that Define Canada. Readings, discussion, and dance demonstrations by artists including the Dancers of Damelahamid.

Mandala East Indian dance. Photo by Ron Sangha
[Mandala East Indian dance. Photo by Ron Sangha]

3 to 4 pm
Mandala Arts and Culture: bharata natyam lecture-demonstration, hosted by Artistic Director Jai Govinda

4 to 5 pm
Karen Flamenco
Open flamenco class; all levels welcome

dumb instrument dance. Photo by Anna Waters
[dumb instrument dance. Photo by Anna Waters]

5 to 8 pm
dumb instrument Dance throwing coin squeezing soy – interactive public research of the I Ching, the ancient Chinese method of fortune telling. Stationed in the main lobby, Ziyian Kwan and her assistants, Anne Cooper and akaSuzi, will translate questions from passers-by through dance and words.

Another You
8 pm, Scotiabank Dance Centre; tickets $25/$18 via Tickets Tonight
A double bill of contemporary dance works from Vancouver and Germany. Alvin Erasga Tolentino’s ADAMEVE/Man-Woman (Part 1) is a riveting duet which premiered in 2008 and features charismatic performers Alison Denham and Billy Marchenski. Rafaele Giovanola’s COCOONDANCE is based in Bonn, Germany and will present the duet Another You. Presented by Co.ERASGA and COCOONDANCE in partnership with The Dance Centre.

For listings of more National Dance Week events and a calendar of BC dance performances, visit The Dance Centre website.

For information on National Dance Week and the I love dance/J’aime la danse campaign, visit the Canadian Dance Assembly online.

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