Through Movement, Transformation

Showcasing an astonishing range of approaches from today’s dance scene, The Dance Centre's 2023-24 program features styles from hip hop, to tap, to flamenco. Local, national and global choreographers and performers explore not only the evolution of the form and the sheer joy of moving, but social issues and cultural identity.

The season kicks off with the annual Scotiabank Dance Centre Open House on Sept. 16, a day of free classes and events. In the evening, the world premier of The African Dream, choreographed by Rwandan-born Isaac Gasangwa, follows the life of a young man growing up in the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Through the intricate choreography drawing on African dance, hip hop and martial arts shines his determination to create a better world for the future.

The Global Dance Connections series launches in November with Stand Up Dance’s Anatomalia: anatomy + anomaly + femalia. Created by queer Canadian dance artist Meagan O’Shea and running Nov. 16 to 18, this adventurous international collaboration is a passionate collective healing of the damage done to women’s "femalia," with original sound and design to celebrate survival and recovery.

December features Montreal’s red-hot Ebnflōh, whose hip hop-driven works are full of urgency and resonance. Running Dec. 7 to 9, La Probabilité du Néant, or The Probability of Nothingness, asks how we can make sense of our actions when witnessing extreme situations — are we spectators or accomplices? Eight powerful dancers answer the question with ferocious commitment to their performance, propelled by electrifying music and video.

In the New Year, Tangaj Collective’s Ramanenjana offers a docufiction performance about a mysterious “dance epidemic” which swept Madagascar in 1863. Presented with PuSh International Performing Arts Festival and choreographed by Simona Deaconescu (Romania) and Gaby Saranouffi (Madagascar), it is a witty and intriguing exploration of dance, disease and revolution, running Jan. 19 to 21.

Come spring, award-winning Dutch choreographer Arno Schuitemaker brings his mesmerizing work to the West Coast for the first time with If You Could See Me Now. A highly physical integration of movement, music and light, it features three performers who take a chilled-out club dance and reinvent it through perpetual movement and rhythm. The show runs March 16 to 18.

The series concludes May 23 to 25 with tap dance star Danny Nielsen’s The New Standards, a collaboration with renowned musician Dan Reynolds, delving into the symbiotic relationship between tap dance and jazz piano.

Beyond all these feature performances, the popular Discover Dance! noon hour series offers an accessible and engaging introduction to dance from all traditions across the season. Starting in September with an exploration of Indian classical dance styles with Kathak artist Fiana Kawane and Bharata Natyam dancer Shilpa Shankar, the series later features Jhoely Triana Flamenco and Calle Verde, contemporary dance company Voirelia Dance Hub, Afro-Brazilian and capoeira powerhouse Aché Brasil, and Dance//Novella, founded by former Ballet BC artists Racheal Prince and Brandon Lee Alley.

The Dance Centre also runs residencies, research labs and projects for choreographers, with free studio showings, open rehearsals, discussions and community events throughout the year.

“We believe that dance has the power to move people — literally, intellectually and emotionally — and to bring communities together,” says Mirna Zagar, The Dance Centre’s executive director.

“Our mission is to nurture a thriving dance scene in B.C., both by supporting artists and offering opportunities for people from all backgrounds to experience the art of dance.”

Tickets and series subscriptions for the 2023-24 season are on sale now at The Dance Centre website.