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Community Masterclasses
When Dance Victoria programs a season of the World’s Best Dance, our agreements with visiting companies always include a community masterclass led by either an Artistic Director, rehearsal director, or dancer. These unique opportunities are offered free-of-charge to local dance students of all ages and various levels of experience. Dancers learn technique and repertoire firsthand from world-class touring artists. In addition, we are proud to offer masterclasses and movement workshops facilitated by select B.C. artists in Dance Victoria’s Residency program throughout the year.
In 2024/25, over 300 local dance students participated in 11 Dance Victoria masterclasses and workshops! These programs were made possible, in great part, thanks to Dance Victoria’s valued partnerships with local dance, arts, educational, and cultural organizations. Participants ranged from professional dancers, to emerging dance artists, to new Canadian youth with limited access to dance classes.
As one example: Dance Victoria concluded our most recent season with a much-anticipated flamenco masterclass led by renowned Artistic Director, choreographer, and dancer Rafaela Carrasco. Organized in partnership with Flamenco Victoria, the class featured live guitar accompaniment by internationally acclaimed flamenco guitarist Gareth Owen. The class reached capacity only minutes after registration opened, underlining the enthusiasm of our city’s thriving flamenco community.
DV General Manager Dayna Szyndrowski, who participated in the masterclass, shares: “The class was filled with a range of early intermediate to professional dancers, and Rafaela created a warm environment that allowed everyone to feel that bit of flamenco-training magic that is typically only felt when travelling to Spain to study.”
We wish to extend a heartfelt thank you to this season’s Masterclass Sponsor, Stretch Dancewear, in addition to the local dance studios and organizations with whom we partnered to make these opportunities possible: Stages Performing Arts School, Chartwell Victoria Harbour, Tillicum Elementary School, PoleCoven, and Flamenco Victoria. FN
Reflecting on Dance Days 2025: It’ll Move You!
This January, Dance Victoria’s 15th annual Dance Days Festival once again ignited our community’s love of dance. Over ten days, 37 dance studios, artists, and instructors offered upwards of 100 free dance offerings across Greater Victoria. Each year, thousands of adults of all ages and abilities take part in this city-wide celebration of dance, enjoying the chance to try classes and workshops in a wide range of styles—from ballet and flamenco to hip hop, contemporary, and more. As part of the festivities, Dance Victoria presented a selection of Rough Cuts (works-in-progress) at DV Studios, featuring excerpts of Belle Spirale Dance Projects’ UNIVERSUS, Cristina Bucci’s Sisu, and Autocorrect directed by Kemi Craig and choreographed by local dance artists Vitor Freitas, Lee Ingram, and Gracey Wynter.
Dance Days is Dance Victoria’s largest-scale community engagement effort. Many thanks to Dance Days Sponsor Chartwell Victoria Harbour for hosting our official kickoff event featuring Waacking dance artist Simran Sachar and for supporting this popular festival.
