A.I.M BY KYLE ABRAHAM NEW YORK
LES BALLETS TROCKADERO DE MONTE CARLO NEW YORK
BALLET BC VANCOUVER
COMPAÑIA RAFAELA CARRASCO MADRID
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
Nutcracker
ROYAL WINNIPEG BALLET WINNIPEG + VICTORIA SYMPHONY
DANCERS OF DAMELAHAMID
SḴWXWÚ7MESH (SQUAMISH) TERRITORIES
SHAMEL PITTS | TRIBE NEW YORK
— Nate Berkus
Dance Victoria’s studios and presentations are on the ancestral lands of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples, known today as the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to live, create, and perform on this territory.
CONTENTS
3President’s Welcome
5Executive Director’s Welcome
7Strategic Plan 2024–2027
8A.I.M by Kyle Abraham
14Royal Winnipeg Ballet with Victoria Symphony
20Dance Days
22Chrystal Dance Prize
24Dancers of Damelahamid
28Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
31Pay Your Age
34Shamel Pitts | TRIBE
38Ballet BC
43Night Moves
44Compañia Rafaela Carrasco
48Artist Programs
49Board of Directors
51Dance Is For Everyone
52Monthly Donations
53Planned Giving
55Our Supporters
58Our Sponsors
With great excitement, I welcome you to this season of Dance Victoria! I feel confident that the presentations we bring to the stage will ignite your passion, joy, and curiosity for dance. It is our mission to cultivate a connection to dance by presenting and supporting diverse local, national, and international artists and inspiring all communities through the magic of dance.
As a Board and staff, we had the pleasure of reaffirming this mission when we wrote our 2024–2027 Strategic Plan. Together with community stakeholders, Dance Victoria created a path into the future that reflects our core values: dance is a necessity, and through generosity, care, and inclusivity, we can realize our vision that everyone in Greater Victoria can experience the transformative power of world-class dance.
Dance Victoria is blessed to have a talented and dedicated team headed by our outstanding Executive Director, Gillian Jones. With the unwavering support of General Manager Dayna Szyndrowski, Gillian has curated a season designed to delight and expand the horizons of audience members. The Dance Victoria Board thanks the staff for their hard work.
The Board would like to extend a big thank you to our wonderful donors and sponsors. Without your support, Dance Victoria would not be able to do what we do best. Your commitment to the community is greatly appreciated. We also want to express our heartfelt gratitude to our audience for your continued support. You are an essential part of the Dance Victoria family.
Finally, I would like to extend my gratitude to my fellow Dance Victoria Board members. Your talent, dedication, and smiling faces have made my journey as President nothing short of a pleasure!
With gratitude,
Colette Baty, President Board of Directors
The excitement of a new season of dance never stops, does it?
Derma Spa is again looking forward to our sponsorship of the 2024/25 Season. We are committed to doing our part in enabling Dance Victoria to continue presenting outstanding performances. The Team is so good at bringing the stage magic that we, the loyal audience, all anticipate — so enjoy this year's brilliance! Thank you for all your support.
Pictured here: Dr Harlow and Jane in their “bee suits.” Plastic surgeon by day, amateur beekeepers on the weekends!
Access this program online!
Once again, we launch a new season feeling grateful for the community that supports, champions, and believes in the transformative power of dance. Last spring, our Board of Directors and staff began a strategic planning process to guide our work over the next three years. This process was informed by conversations with key partners; a survey of subscribers, donors, and sponsors; and targeted focus groups with the local dance community and young audiences (our discerning “Pay-Your-Agers”). I want to thank everyone who contributed your time and perspective to this vital work.
A two-day retreat for the Board and all staff followed, where we articulated shared values and a future vision for Dance Victoria. There is too much to dive into detail here*, but one highlight I’ll share is a core value that emerged, repeatedly, during our time together: Dance is a necessity. No matter how we are connected to dance — whether we grew up in dance studios, or discovered a love for the form later; whether we are devotees of ballet, contemporary, street dance, or Flamenco — I hope we can all agree that the beauty and physical expression unique to dance are, indeed, essential.
Our 2024/25 season opener, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, has long been on my programming “wish list.” I can’t wait to experience this company together, in a mixed repertoire program culminating with the Canadian premiere of YEAR by groundbreaking choreographer Andrea Miller. Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, the acclaimed “gender-skewering” comic ballet troupe, will celebrate a landmark 50th anniversary. We’ll see the gorgeous Ballet BC make its highly anticipated return with ZENITH. The season concludes with an exciting milestone: Dance Victoria’s first contemporary Flamenco presentation, Compañia Rafaela Carrasco Special kudos to Dayna Szyndrowski for enthusiastically recommending this company. The premiere of Nocturna won the XXIV Critics’ Award at the prestigious Festival de Jerez in Spain.
Special presentations allow us to take risks and invite you, our loyal audiences, to experience even more artists innovating across the form. Do not miss these jewels in the season! Dancers of Damelahamid bring five decades of Indigenous song and dance revitalization to their newest work, Raven Mother Shamel Pitts | TRIBE’s cinematic BLACK HOLE –Trilogy And Triathlon promises to transform the McPherson stage with creaturely movement, futuristic lighting and video projection, and the exquisite music of Nina Simone. Finally, Royal Winnipeg Ballet returns to the Royal with the large-scale holiday favourite, Nutcracker, joined by the stellar Victoria Symphony Thank you for your support and for being part of our 2024/25 Season. I look forward to seeing you at the theatre and in the community.
–Gillian Jones, Executive Director gillian@dancevictoria.com
*Find an abridged version of Dance Victoria’s 2024–2027 Strategic Plan on page 7.
In July 2024, Dance Victoria’s Board of Directors and staff finalized a new Strategic Plan. Intended to guide our activities over the next three years, the plan defines a collective vision for the organization’s inspiring future.
A critical aspect of this process was feedback we received from audience members, donors, sponsors, the local dance community, and community partners. Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate, complete a survey, and make your voice heard! Your responses served as a springboard for envisioning a future for Dance Victoria we can all be excited about.
Our new guiding statements are:
Vision
Everyone in Greater Victoria can experience the transformative power of world-class dance.
Mission
To cultivate a connection to dance by presenting and supporting diverse local, national, and international artists, and inspiring all communities through the magic of dance.
Values
Over Dance Victoria’s 27-year history, the organization has been guided by values of artistic excellence, inclusion, curiosity, passion, conversation, and respect. We recommit to these values, while articulating the following core beliefs: Dance is a necessity. –Excellence in dance is transformative. –Live performing arts experiences and dance –participation have the power to enrich community connection and belonging. Generosity, care, and inclusivity are fundamental –to all our relationships.
“We are so fortunate to have dance companies from around the world bring energy and creativity to our little corner of the world.” — DV Subscriber
The following have been edited for length.
Pillar #1: DEEPEN the IMPACT of our performances, programs, and relationships. We offer increasing opportunities for artists, –audiences, and the community to connect; We create multiple entry points to performances –through educational programming, community engagement, and resources; and We commit to improving access for young people –and equity-deserving communities.
“As a Night Moves member, it’s so affordable.” – DV Night Mover
Pillar #2: INNOVATE through artistic risk-taking and new ways of thriving.
We invest in artistic research to ensure DV brings –the World’s Best Dance to Victoria; We diversify our funding models to support risk- –taking, responsiveness and innovation; and We pursue alternative performance venues and –formats.
“It is a social time with friends and family. A tradition.” — DV Subscriber
Pillar #3: BE A CATALYST for the vitality of the Capital Regional District’s arts ecosystem.
We advocate for dance and the local arts sector –through partnership and engagement; We champion, support, and listen to local dance –artists; and
We provide safe and welcoming spaces for the –dance community to come together.
Pillar #4: CHAMPION a sustainable, healthy and engaging organizational culture. We commit to equity, diversity, inclusion and –reconciliation through measurable policies and procedures;
We prioritize staff well-being, creativity, and –professional development; and We lead with best sustainability practices to –reduce our environmental footprint. DV
MotorRover CHOREOGRAPHY Kyle Abraham
Just Your Two Wrists CHOREOGRAPHY Paul Singh MUSIC David Lang
If We Were a Love Song CHOREOGRAPHY Kyle Abraham MUSIC Nina Simone
YEAR CHOREOGRAPHY Andrea Miller MUSIC Fred Despierre
NOVEMBER 15 + 16,
Contemporary dance company A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, considered “one of the most consistently excellent troupes working today” (The New York Times), provides multifaceted performances, educational programming, and community-based workshops across the globe. Led by acclaimed choreographer and Artistic Director Kyle Abraham’s innovative vision, the work is galvanized by Black culture and history. It features the rich tapestry of Black and Queer stories, and is grounded in a conglomeration of unique perspectives; described by Abraham as a “post-modern gumbo” of movement exploration.
A.I.M is one of the most active touring dance companies in the United States, with an audience base as diverse as A.I.M’s movement vocabulary, drawing inspiration from a multitude of sources and dance styles. Since A.I.M’s founding in 2006, Abraham has created more than 30 original works for and with the company. To expand its repertoire and offer a breadth of dance work to audiences, A.I.M commissions new works and performs existing works by outside choreographers, such as Trisha Brown, Bebe Miller, Andrea Miller, Doug Varone, Paul Singh, A.I.M alums Rena Butler, Maleek Washington, and Keerati Jinakunwiphat.
Abraham’s unique vision and illumination of poignant and relevant issues set him apart from his generation of choreographers as a leading creative force in dance. A.I.M extends this vision and amplifies surrounding artistic voices to share movement and community-based work with audiences around the world. DV
KYLE ABRAHAM
CHOREOGRAPHER, MotorRover and If We Were a Love Song
Kyle Abraham (Founder and Artistic Director, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham; he/him/his) has premiered his work to international audiences and acclaim since 2006. Abraham has been profiled in Document Journal, Vanity Fair, Ebony, Harper’s Bazaar, Kinfolk, O Magazine, Paper, Surface, Vogue & Vogue UK, W Magazine, among many other publications. He is the proud recipient of a National Dance Critics Award for Choreography (2024 — Are You in Your Feelings / Alvin Ailey Dance Theater), Dance Magazine Award (2022), Princess Grace Statue Award (2018), Doris Duke Award (2016), and MacArthur Fellowship (2013).
In addition to performing and developing new works for his company, Abraham has been commissioned by a wide variety of dance companies, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The National Ballet of Cuba, New York City Ballet, Paul Taylor American Modern Dance, and The Royal Ballet. In 2024, Abraham will premiere two evening-length works, Cassette Vol. 1 in Hamburg, Germany, and in December ‘Dear God, Make Me Beautiful’ at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City. Abraham has led and curated several performance series including the Danspace Project (2024 / 50th anniversary season) and Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City (2023, 2022), among others). In 2020, Abraham was the first ever guest editor for Dance Magazine
He serves as the Claude and Alfred Mann Endowed Professor in Dance at The University of Southern California (USC) Glorya Kaufman School of Dance (2021–present).
PAUL
SINGH
CHOREOGRAPHER, Just Your Two Wrists
Paul Singh earned a BFA in dance from the University of Illinois where he focused on a variety of dance techniques including Alexander Technique, ballet, modern, and contact improvisation. Since then, his career path has been marked by collaborations with notable industry figures both as a dance artist and a choreographer.
Singh has danced for Gerald Casel, Jane Comfort, Risa Jaroslow, and Faye Driscoll. Notably, he was among the inaugural cast of Punchdrunk’s American debut of Sleep No More Abroad, he danced in Peter Sellars’ production of The Indian Queen and for Peter Pleyer (with collaborators Meg Stuart, Sasha Waltz, and Jeremy Wade) in a large-scale improvisation work in Berlin.
As a choreographer, Singh has presented his works at prestigious venues worldwide, including the Kennedy Center, Judson Church, and New York Live Arts.
Paul has taught contact improvisation around the world during CI training festivals in Israel, Spain, Ukraine, Germany, France, Finland and India. He is currently on faculty at The Juilliard School, Sarah Lawrence College, and Movement Research in NYC.
ANDREA MILLER CHOREOGRAPHER, YEAR
Andrea Miller is a choreographer, creative director, and founder of the internationally renowned multidisciplinary organization GALLIM. A graduate of The Juilliard School, she has established herself as a groundbreaking artist and coveted collaborator in dance, film, theatre, tech, and fashion. She was named 2017/18 Artist in Residence at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, becoming the first choreographer to hold that distinction.
Miller’s dance works have been presented by leading institutions and festivals worldwide such as Lincoln Centre, London Royal Opera House, Teatro Nacional de Panamá, and Spoleto Festival. Recent commissions include Pennsylvania Ballet, NDT2, Bern Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Grace Farms, Noord Nederlands Dans, Peak Performances, and The Kimmel Center.
Miller’s repertory, creative methodology and dance training have been taught through the GALLIM School of Movement as well as The Juilliard School, NYU, UC Kaufman, Harvard, Barnard, Marymount Manhattan, and others. She has been Adjunct Professor at Marymount Manhattan College and Barnard and is currently guest faculty at The Juilliard School.
Abraham sits on the advisory board for Dance Magazine and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the inaugural Black Genius Brain Trust, and the inaugural cohort of the Dorchester Industries Experimental Design Lab, a partnership between the Prada Group, Theatre Gates Studio, Dorchester Industries, and Rebuild Foundation.
Providing
Philip J. Penner
Patrick C. Trelawny
Sean Finn Kïrsten McGhee
Alec J. Young Brian Beitz
Ryan D. C. Green
Kate Scallion
Jessica Travers
Ephraim Welle
Francesco D. Silletta
WINNIPEG // CLASSICAL BALLET
Nutcracker CHOREOGRAPHY Galina Yordanova AND Nina Menon MUSIC Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
NOVEMBER 29, 30 + DECEMBER 1, 2024 • FRI + SAT + SUN • 7:00 PM
NOVEMBER 30 + DECEMBER 1, 2024 • SAT + SUN • 1:00 PM
ROYAL THEATRE
RUNNING TIME: 124 MINUTES (INCLUDING INTERMISSION) • AGE GUIDE: 5 YEARS+
Christmas 1913, in a large Canadian home. It’s a prosperous time in a prosperous city whose population has swollen with new arrivals. The First World War is still half a year away.
‘Tis the night before Christmas, and all through Clara’s house, everything and everyone is stirring — even the mice! The people inside are getting ready for the big Christmas party, cooking and wrapping and dressing and fussing. Outside, neighbourhood boys play hockey on the street while friends and family start to arrive, carrying armloads of presents and anticipating a marvelous event.
Twelve-year-old Clara is oblivious to all the noise and confusion. She’s dreaming in front of the mirror in her bedroom, practicing her ballet steps. She wants to be perfect when she dances for her glamorous Aunt Josephine, a singer who has traveled all the way from Montreal on the train. Mama interrupts. “Where is the bow I made for your hair?” she demands.
“And where is Dieter?” Clara’s younger brother leaps out of a large armoire, brandishing a toy sword. Grandmother Marguerite finds her way to the bedroom and manages to calm everyone down. Things aren’t turning out the way Mama has planned; not even the Christmas tree has been delivered. “But Mr. Drosselmeier promised to bring a tree!” She runs off to check on things downstairs while Grandmother shows the children some favourite photographs of Christmas past.
Mama, Papa and the butler are looking at the empty space in the big living room where the tree should be. What kind of a Christmas party is this going to be? Among the guests filling the room is Aunt Josephine. Resplendent in furs, she makes a grand entrance
with her fiancé Edouard, dashing in his military uniform. At last! Mr. Drosselmeier carries in a tree. Clara suddenly feels shy when he introduces her to his grandnephew, Julien. In no time at all, the tree is decorated, and Clara has the honour of putting the star on the very top. Suddenly, the firstever electric Christmas lights illuminate the tree! Mr. Drosselmeier hands out his presents, all enchanting. Dieter’s army of toy soldiers has now been augmented by Mounted Police. Mr. Drosselmeier’s masterpiece goes to Clara — a beautifully handcrafted Nutcracker. During Christmas dinner, Clara slips away to admire her Nutcracker and imagines he comes alive to dance with her. The doorbell rings and a bear scurries in, admires the tree and dances happily with the Christmas toys. The party breaks up in a flurry of dancing and silliness and romance. “Goodnight, everyone! Merry Christmas!”
SCENE III - BEDTIME
Clara falls asleep but is soon awakened by the terrifying Mouse King who is about to steal her beloved Nutcracker. The clock strikes midnight.
Moonlight shimmers through the window and the room starts to change into something strange and new. Clara finds Mr. Drosselmeier, who tries to convince her she has nothing to fear. Suddenly, before her very eyes, the room and the Christmas tree begin to grow. Clara is attacked by scurrying mice while trying to save her Nutcracker. The Nutcracker comes alive and chases the mice away. Dieter’s squadron of toy soldiers and Mounted Police are now a living regiment and battle fiercely against the menacing mice with cannons, swords and every ounce of cleverness they can muster. The battle takes a turn for the worse when Fritz is wounded and the Nutcracker is shot by the Mouse King while attempting to help Dieter.
Scenic Designer Brian –Perchaluk was a Gemini Award winner before designing Nutcracker, his first RWB production.
The production features 250 –costumes for 39 dancers. This means that each dancer wears three to eight costumes! RWB’s Wardrobe Department –makes each costume in-house, sewing precious details by hand.
Nutcracker features 35 tutus! It –can take up to 50 hours to create just one snowflake tutu. To transform the Nutcracker –stage into a winter wonderland is no small feat. Thirty-four stagehands are needed for setup and 26 are staffed for the duration of the production. To give an idea of the organized –clamour behind the curtain, there are 18 fly cues that move 32 pieces of scenery. With the final minutes of Nutcracker requiring three major scene changes, it is no wonder Nutcracker planning begins in March!
Finally, Clara defeats the Mouse King and begs Mr. Drosselmeier to help her wounded Nutcracker. It’s only after Clara professes her love for Nutcracker that Mr. Drosselmeier can bring him to life again. The Nutcracker was Julien all along and he is now a handsome prince. They walk hand in hand into a magical pine forest, dancing under a sky filled with stars and the Northern Lights. Snow begins to fall. As the snow falls, twelve polar bear cubs and one big bear playfully wander into the forest. The polar bears are happy to find Clara and the Nutcracker Prince there and bid them farewell as the Nutcracker Prince and Clara depart to the Sugar Plum Fairy’s kingdom.
The Nutcracker Prince and Clara travel to the Sugar Plum Fairy’s kingdom, where adorable little angels, along with Mr. Drosselmeier, help with preparations for
CAMPAIGN CHAIRS
Each year, Dance Victoria provides free Nutcracker tickets to children and families with barriers to attendance in partnership with local community organizations. Our sincere thanks to Nutcracker Kids Campaign Chairs Julie Rust and Greg Phillips of Rust Phillips Group | Engel & Völkers, who have championed this program for the past 9 years. And thank you to ALL the amazing donors who will make the 2024 holiday season bright for so many Nutcracker Kids
their arrival. The Sugar Plum Fairy gives Clara and Prince Julien a very warm welcome and an elaborate ceremony ensues to honour them. Wonderful dances from many different lands are performed, reminding Clara of all the people arriving every day to their country. In a beautiful pas de deux, the prince has the great honour of dancing with Clara. She simply floats in time to the music. In a grand farewell gesture, all the inhabitants of the magical land gather to bid Clara a happy journey home.
When Clara wakes up, she is happy to be in her own bedroom. The Nutcracker stands proudly next to her. Remembering her dream, she’s relieved to see her big brother Fritz striding into the room, alive and well, and announcing, “It’s snowing!” They bundle up, go outside and watch the snow fluttering down. DV
SPONSORED BY
The RBC Sugar Plum Party returns with this enchanting pre-show event! Join us in the Royal Theatre lobby for a line-up of activities that will captivate little ones and add a touch of magic to their experience. With photo opportunities with Victoria Academy of Ballet dancers in lavish costumes, craft activities, and more — there’s something to delight every child’s (and adult’s!) imagination.
SPONSORED BY
The scale of Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Nutcracker is impressive: approximately 27 dancers from RWB, 45 members of the Victoria Symphony, 56 local children, 35 backstage crew, and countless volunteers come together for every performance. That’s over 160 behind and in front of the scenes! It truly takes a community of people working together to make Nutcracker come to life. Children’s Ensemble members not only get the opportunity to perform with professional dancers on the Royal Theatre stage — they are a key element of Nutcracker’s magic. The Ensemble has been hard at work, rehearsing under the guidance of Victoria Academy of Ballet’s Ursula Szkolak. Please join us in congratulating these talented young dancers and thanking the families and caregivers who have encouraged their participation. We hope this experience creates a positive impact for years to come.
It’ll move you for 10 days this winter!
For the past 15 years, Dance Victoria has invited our community to join the celebration of Dance Days, a 10-day festival in partnership with local dance studios and artists. As a longstanding, city-wide collaboration, Dance Days engages the public in diverse and accessible dance forms and promotes dance appreciation, joyful movement, and connection.
The heart of Dance Days is the free adult classes in a diversity of styles offered by Greater Victoria's local studios. Last year, 25 studios participated, offering more than 90 classes! Have you ever wanted to try ballet, contemporary, flamenco, hip hop and more? Dance Days is your chance to try it all! You can also attend free workshops, artist talks, and dance performances all over town. Look for the online calendar at DanceVictoria.com in early January 2025. DV
Tickets: 250-386-6121 or DanceVictoria.com
Space is limited. Visit DanceVictoria.com in January to RSVP and reserve your seat.
Raven Mother
JANUARY 24, 2025 • 7:30 PM ONE NIGHT ONLY!
MCPHERSON PLAYHOUSE
We are honoured to kick off Dance Days with a special presentation by Dancers of Damelahamid! Co-commissioned by Dance Victoria, this new work is a vibrant tribute to the late Elder Margaret Harris, co-founder of Dancers of Damelahamid and powerful upholder for Indigenous arts and culture. Learn more about the company on page 22.
JANUARY 26, 2025
DANCE VICTORIA STUDIOS (111–2750 QUADRA STREET)
A highlight of Dance Days is the opportunity for our community to experience a curated selection of works-in-progress (Rough Cuts) by regional artists and choreographers. These intimate performances are 20–30 minutes long and are followed by a moderated talk-back during which audience members can ask questions and share valuable feedback with artists. Rough Cuts are free and accessible to the public, with a suggested donation of $10. Watch for our announcement of the artist line-up in December!
The Chrystal Dance Prize (CDP) champions dance creation on the west coast, thanks to Dr. Betty “Chrystal” Kleiman, who left a bequest to Dance Victoria, held at the Victoria Foundation, in 2009. The Chrystal Dance Fund is valued at more than $1.6 million, with interest supporting two annual Chrystal Dance Prizes. In 2024/25, Dance Victoria will award over $60,000 between these awards.
The Chrystal Dance Prize is open to artists living and working in Western Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, Nunavut and Northwest Territories). The Projects award for independent dance artists supports exceptional projects with an international artist (choreographer or interpreter). The Training award supports emerging Western Canadian dance artists continuing their fulltime training at international institutions.
From top left: Justine A. Chambers; Fernando Hernando Madagan and Alexis Fletcher of Belle Spirale Dance Projects; Caroline MacCaull and Sammy Chien of Chimerik 似不像; Avari Dodd; Natalie Martin; Anna Wang-Albini
In 2023/24, the winners of the CDP–Projects award were Justine A. Chambers, Alexis Fletcher and Sylvain Senez of Belle Spirale Dance Projects, and Caroline MacCaull and Sammy Chien of Chimerik 似不像 Winners of the CDP–Training award were Avari Dodd and Anna Wang-Albini. Natalie Martin was the recipient of the Arabella and Robert Award for Dance for emerging artists, which is open to dancers from across Canada who are continuing their training at international dance conservatories or institutions. Each year, winners are selected by a panel of local dance industry professionals.
Applications for the Chrystal Dance Prize–Projects are due in October, while applications for the CDP–Training are due in April. Visit DanceVictoria.com for details. DV
2023/24 CDP–Projects winner Alexis Fletcher of Belle Spirale Dance Projects shares: “For us, Dance Victoria has always been a place where our creativity and artistic practice are nurtured. Whether we have been performing here with Ballet BC or creating our own projects via the Artist Residency program, Dance Victoria has helped our artistic practice to flourish. It is a huge honour for Belle Spirale Dance Projects to be recipients of the Chrystal Dance Prize. We are currently creating our largest scale project to date, which is a new dance Double Bill with world premieres by Belle Spirale’s Artistic Directors Alexis Fletcher/ Sylvain Senez and internationally acclaimed choreographer Fernando Hernando Madagan. This project is a collaboration in interdisciplinary design and choreography and the CDP is giving us the resources we need to fully immerse ourselves in the creative process, giving us the time and space we need to research complex ideas and for each choreographer to work collaboratively with exceptional dance artists.”
Helping artists bridge the gap from emerging to established.
Together with organizations like the Dance Victoria, we support a diverse range of Canadian talent in local communities and across the country.
Raven Mother CHOREOGRAPHY Margaret Grenier MUSIC Raven Grenier
JANUARY 24, 2025 • FRI • 7:30 PM • MCPHERSON PLAYHOUSE
RUNNING TIME: 75 MINUTES (NO INTERMISSION ) • AGE GUIDE: 12 YEARS+
For as long as we can trace back, dance has been essential to the transmission of Indigenous culture across generations. Dance is a language; as such, it has been and continues to be a vehicle for storytelling. As keepers of the tradition, Dancers of Damelahamid is an Indigenous dance company known for its captivating use of narrative, intricately carved masks, and elaborate regalia that coalesce into compelling, timeless performances.
Founded upon five decades of extensive song and dance revitalization work, the company emerged in the 1960s in response to the lifting of the Potlatch Ban (1884–1951). Since then, Dancers of Damelahamid has played a pivotal role in preserving and promoting the Indigenous dance traditions that had been suppressed for nearly 70 years. The group came together out of an urgency to preserve the artistic practices integral to defining Indigenous culture and identity. Today, it is committed to advancing public knowledge and appreciation of Indigenous culture.
Dancers of Damelahamid has since established itself as a leading professional Indigenous dance company with a unique ability to bridge traditional forms with innovative approaches. Through rigorous and attentive practice, the company safeguards the ancestral artistic legacy’s integrity while ensuring this dance form remains non-static and relevant to contemporary audiences. As a result, the company speaks to our current realities by drawing from a rich lineage of teachings and wisdom.
Raven Mother is a co-production of The CanDance Network Creation Fund, Dance Victoria, DanceWorks, National Arts Centre and Danse Danse. This newly choreographed work is the company’s most ambitious to date, honouring the company’s co-founder, late Elder Margaret Harris (1931–2020), who dedicated her life to the revitalization of Indigenous dance and cultural practices on the Northwest Coast. Raven Mother calls attention to women’s and mothers’ essential role in leading this resurgence and in passing down cultural knowledge to younger generations.
Since 2008, Dancers of Damelahamid has been producing the annual Coastal Dance Festival (CDF), celebrating the stories, songs and dances of the Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast with guest national and international artists. The company’s versatile repertoire includes productions fit for community or corporate events, conferences, and K–12 schools, as well as theatre-exclusive works. DV
The Indian Act of 1876 ushered the era of enforced cultural assimilation of First Nation Peoples in Canada through the abolishment, by law, of all cultural practices. The Potlatch Law came into effect in 1884 and included other important Indigenous ceremonies such as the Sun Dance. Historically, potlatch ceremonies served redistributive and kinship functions that helped maintain community solidarity and hierarchical relations within and between communities. Since they were integral to the cultural fabric and self-governance system of coastal First Nations, the Canadian government and missionaries viewed potlatch ceremonies as key barriers to assimilation. Eradicating the practice would leave a void that Christianity, unimpeded, would swoop in and fill. As a result, the potlatch was specifically targeted. Still, the Potlatch Ban did not successfully eliminate the practice — Potlatch ceremonies continued underground — but the policy significantly disrupted social relations and damaged Indigenous identities. In effect for over 70 years, this assimilation policy deprived an entire generation of their ancestral traditions. Thousands of irreplaceable potlatch items such as masks, robes, and blankets were confiscated and forever lost to Indigenous people. Today, the Potlatch ban is considered an element of cultural genocide.
Margaret Grenier is Dancers of Damelahamid’s Executive and Artistic Director and producer of the annual Coastal Dance Festival. Of Gitxsan and Cree lineage, her choreographic work, often multimedia in nature, blends her ancestral cultural dance forms with contemporary expression. Grenier’s works continue to redefine contemporary Indigenous dance and have been presented to international audiences. She received the Reveal Award (2017), the Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts (2020) and the 2022 Dance Studies Association Distinction in Dance Award. Grenier’s strong artistic practice is complemented by her academic achievements and extensive experience as a presenter and lecturer. She holds a B.Sc. in Geography and Environmental Science from McGill and a Master of Arts in Arts Education from Simon Fraser University, where she was also a sessional instructor. Grenier was a speaker at the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education in Peru (2011), Hawaii (2015) and Australia (2008 and 2023). She continues to lead workshops and masterclasses for dance training programs.
“Growing up in a small community on the Northwest Coast of British Columbia, I was immersed from a young age in the practice of song and dance that had been passed down for countless generations. It was through this experience that I entered into a relationship with my ancestral memories. Today, as a dance artist, within a practice that interweaves many artistic disciplines, I have found a means to make a tangible connection with the stories and values that define us.
The work that I do as Executive and Artistic Director for the Dancers of Damelahamid is to ensure the continuation of what has been of such great importance to my parents and the generation that revitalized dance. I treasure dance as the most significant inheritance that I have, and it will be a life journey to strive to develop the art form to its potential. For me, dance, song, and story have provided a protective environment to address the limitations placed on our Indigenous peoples and to create a healing space. Our bodies, our thoughts, our emotional attachments and our prayers are connected through the ceremony of dance. In our performances we are not only turning to our ancestral knowledge for our own reconciliation, but we are sharing and supporting others through our art.” — Margaret Grenier
Kandbhari Women’s Safe House, Sankhuwasaba, Nepal, September 2024
RTM & Another Brick in Nepal are thrilled to support Dance Victoria and the Nutcracker again for our fifth season!
The Kandbhari Women’s Safe House & Shelter is on schedule to be completed in March 2025. Our sixth project and largest to date, it’s the first facility of its kind in Eastern Nepal.
For more information about our projects including the Women’s Safe House, and how you can donate to support our work or get involved, please visit AnotherBrickInNepal.com or scan this QR code.
Another Brick In Nepal is a registered Canadian charity.
Tanya Tagaq with the Victoria Symphony with the Victoria As You Like it As You Like or The Land Acknowledgement or The Land
Vitaly An Evening of Wonders An of Wonders
International Guitar Night International Guitar
Shane Koyczan Shane Spoken Word Artist Word Artist
Anda Union Mongolian supergroup supergroup
Sechile Sedare Leela & Jay Gilday Leela & Jay Gilday
V’ni Dansi Traditional M Métis Dance tis Dance SEP 18 OCT 10-12 OCT DEC 7 7 JAN 29 29 FEB 26 26 MAR 15 15 APR 25 APR JUN 17
FEBRUARY 7 + 8, 2025 • FRI + SAT • 7:30 PM • ROYAL THEATRE
RUNNING TIME: 135 MINUTES (INCLUDING INTERMISSIONS) • AGE GUIDE : 12 YEARS+
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo is the world’s foremost all-male comic ballet company, best known for its lovingly satirical takes on classical ballet tropes. Founded in New York City in 1974, the company’s early beginnings in off-off Broadway lofts were infused with a subversive edge. At the time, the LGBTQ+ movement and drag performances were anything but mainstream.
Yet, with their razor-sharp wit and astonishing pointe work, the “Trocks” quickly succeeded in garnering critical acclaim in publications with major reach like The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Village Voice. As little as a year later, in 1975, the company was already on an extended tour of the United States and Canada, delighting audiences everywhere they went. They have been going non-stop ever since, appearing in 43 countries and more than 660 cities worldwide.
Today, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo celebrates its 50th anniversary. While the world has changed significantly in the span of a half-century, the Trocks’ original concept has not. It is a company of professional male dancers performing the full range of ballet and modern dance repertoire, including classical and original works in faithful renditions of the manners and conceits of those dance styles. The comedy is achieved by incorporating and exaggerating the foibles, accidents, and underlying incongruities of serious dance. Muscular, athletic bodies delicately balancing on toes as swans, sylphs, water sprites, romantic princesses, and angst-ridden Victorian ladies enhance the appreciation for the art form, delighting die-hard ballet fans and newcomers alike.
The troupe has proved an alluring documentary subject, featured in an Emmy-winning episode of the acclaimed British arts program The South Bank Show; the 2017 feature film Rebels on Pointe; and most recently Ballerina Boys, which aired on PBS American Masters in 2021.
The company’s awards include a prestigious UK Critics Circle National Dance Award for Best Classical Repertoire (2007) and nomination for Outstanding Company (2016), the UK Theatrical Managers Award (2006), and the Italian Positano Award for Excellence in Dance (2007).
Looking to the future, the Trocks are making plans for new commissions, debuts, and new audiences while continuing the company’s original mission: to bring the pleasure of dance to the widest possible audience. The company will, as they have for 50 years, “keep on Trockin.” DV
Les Ballets Trockadero have been delighting audiences for 50 years. Longevity like that comes with monumental effort from the company’s directors, dancers and support staff. These numbers give an idea of what it takes.
60
Each artist in the Trocks portrays two personas (one female and one male), who dance the roles in each performance. Any given performance may have up to 60 different named characters, as well as nameless fairies, wilis and swans.
0
Most Trockadero roles are historically played by women, but the company has no female dancers. Most of the full-time technical staff are women, though.
61,859
Before the pandemic, the company racked up 61,859 travel miles in the United States, Europe and Asia in 2019. Multiply that distance by the number of dancers, and the Trocks could have sent a dancer to the moon and back — twice!
Like most ballet companies, the Trocks use a lot of pointe shoes in a season. Sizes are a little different though: Tatiana Youbetyabootskaya (aka Andrea Fabbri), for example, needs a size 9 1⁄2 shoe, while the average ballerina wears size 7 pointe shoes.
110
Be prepared! Along with the 60 costumes they need (including some for understudies who are a different size than lead dancers), the Trocks carry 80 pairs of earrings and 110 false eyelashes on tour, all in only 15 cases! It takes the dancers 60 to 90 minutes to get into their makeup and costumes.
1
The Trocks have only one degree of separation from the King of England, having met King Charles after taking part in a Royal Variety Performance in 2008. They enjoy the same proximity to both Shirley MacLaine and Miss Piggy — the company danced with Ms. MacLaine on her special Where Do We Go From Here? as well as with Miss Piggy (and Kermit!) on their Muppet Babies show.
With Dance Victoria’s popular Pay Your Age (PYA) program, sensational savings are available for 12 to 29-year-olds for all 2024/25 presentations (except Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Nutcracker). Call or visit the Royal & McPherson Theatres Box Office, tell them your age, and they will give you a ticket for the same price (plus a small handling fee). Remember to bring a photo ID at pick-up. Please note a limited number of PYA tickets are available per production, so get yours while supplies last! If not sold out, PYA ticket sales end at 5 pm the day before the opening performance.
Coming to a show with a young audience member? Order a PYA ticket when you buy your ticket and save while ensuring you sit together in the theatre. Your young companion will have to show their ID at ticket pick-up. More information about Pay Your Age is available at DanceVictoria.com.
BLACK HOLE – Trilogy And Triathlon
CHOREOGRAPHY Shamel Pitts MUSIC Sivan Jacobvitz
FEBRUARY 20, 2025 • THU • 7:30 PM • MCPHERSON PLAYHOUSE
RUNNING TIME:
MINUTES
Award-winning movement artist and choreographer
Shamel Pitts founded TRIBE – Multidisciplinary Visual Performances in 2019 with the dream to connect some of today’s most gifted individuals — specifically, artists of colour — to re-imagine and cultivate an alternative new future. The Brooklyn-based company finds inspiration in the Afrofuturism movement, which maintains that Black artists have a responsibility through their work to tell new stories and create a brighter future that is different and shines more luminously than the past.
As an artistic hub and a non-profit organization, TRIBE became not only a tool for producing works, but a creative endeavour in its own right. Pitts explains: “By working with performers from different places within the African diaspora, my own understanding of the many facets of Blackness has evolved. Now, united by the feedback loop of ideas and empowered by shared resources, we can create and cultivate our own space.” TRIBE describes itself as an arts collective dedicated to creating, producing, and sharing original art projects including, but not restricted to, movementbased work, live multidisciplinary performance, video art, video documentary, photography, exhibition,
commissioned dance choreography, art residency, and workshops.
TRIBE’s acclaimed BLACK HOLE – Trilogy And Triathlon epitomizes the Afrofuturist vision. Although the project marks the initial meeting between choreographer Pitts and the artists of TRIBE, it concludes the “BLACK Series” triptych, a series of deeply personal live performance pieces conceived and choreographed since 2015. The first work of this collection, the solo BLACK BOX – Little Book Of RED, introduced the recurring themes of this cycle: identity, search for one’s roots and community, and personal evolution of the artist, born “young, gifted and Black.” 2019 saw the New York premiere of BLACK VELVET –Architectures And Archetypes, “a haunting duet” (The New York Times) with Brazilian-born Mirelle Martins. Collaboration with Martins and other “BLACK Series” artists subsequently spurred the inception of TRIBE. The final installment, BLACK HOLE is a kaleidoscopic art experience combining dance, original sound, video projection, and light design in a tale of vitality and tenderness, darkness and light, personal growth and collective empowerment DV
Shamel Pitts is a performance artist, choreographer, conceptual artist, dancer, spoken word artist, director, and teacher. Born in Brooklyn, NY, Pitts began his dance training at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and, simultaneously, at The Ailey School. He is a first-prize winner in The National Arts Competition from YoungArts. Pitts went on to receive his BFA in dance from The Juilliard School and was awarded the Martha Hill Award for excellence in dance. He began his dance career in Mikhail Baryshnikov’s Hell’s Kitchen Dance and Ballets Jazz Montréal. Pitts danced with Batsheva Dance Company for seven years under the artistic direction of Ohad Naharin and is a certified teacher of Gaga movement language. He has created a triptych of award-winning multidisciplinary performances, with his arts collective TRIBE, known as
the “BLACK Series,” which has toured extensively to many festivals and performance spaces around the world since 2016. In 2019, he founded the Afrofuturist dance collective TRIBE - Multidisciplinary Visual Performances.
Pitts is an adjunct professor at The Juilliard School, a guest faculty member at Princeton University, New York University, Wesleyan University and has been an artistin-residence at Harvard University. He has received numerous prestigious awards, including the 2024 Doris Duke Artist Award, 2021 Bessie Award winner, 2018 Princess Grace Award in Choreography. He is also a NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow, a Jacob’s Pillow artist-inresidence, a 2020 Guggenheim Fellow, and recipient of a 2024 MacArthur Fellowship.
ZENITH
New Peña CHOREOGRAPHY Andrea Peña
PASSING CHOREOGRAPHY Johan Inger MUSIC Amos Ben-Tal, Erik Enocksson, Louis Thomas Hardin
New Magadan CHOREOGRAPHY Fernando Hernando Magadan
MARCH 14 + 15, 2025 • FRI + SAT • 7:30 PM • ROYAL THEATRE
AGE GUIDE: 12 YEARS+
To long-time Dance Victoria audience members, Ballet BC needs no introduction; ZENITH will be the eleventh time we present the Vancouverbased company. Each time, patrons leave elated by the program’s rigour, artistry, and creative edge. Over the years, we have seen Ballet BC flourish into the internationally acclaimed dynamic force it is today, making it Canada’s leading contemporary dance company.
Founded in 1986 by David Y.H. Lui, Jean Orr, and Sheila Begg, Ballet BC is a creation-based dance company led by Artistic Director Medhi Walerski since 2020. The company has made a name worldwide for the quality of its dancers who so impeccably combine the classical polish of ballet with contemporary expression and edge. These are open-minded and curious artists, each unique for their exceptional skill and ability, willing to explore and take movement to new depths. And audiences keep returning for more; more than 40,000 people experience Ballet BC each season.
ZENITH is a prime example of Ballet BC’s commitment to supporting new creation while elevating masterworks from today’s most soughtafter voices in dance. The mixed repertoire program features a new creation by Andrea Peña, winner of the 2024 Ballet BC Emily Molnar Emerging Choreographer Award; Johan Inger’s flawless PASSING; and an exciting new work by long-time collaborator Fernando Hernando Magadan, commissioned by the company.
Ballet BC actively fosters collaborations that support artists, choreographers and audiences alike. Now, they are also a leader in the industry by offering their dancers a more sustainable livelihood — thanks to a $2 million donation to the Dancer Investment Fund in the summer of 2024. The company is committed to making a positive impact in the community through outreach and professional development activities. Ballet BC’s new home on Granville Island anchors Ballet BC within Vancouver’s premier arts and culture community, providing these artists with deepened opportunities for collaboration, growth, and transformation. DV
Johan Inger
CHOREOGRAPHER, PASSING
Johan Inger, born in Stockholm in 1967, trained at the Royal Swedish Ballet School and the National Ballet School in Canada. He danced with the Swedish Royal Ballet from 1985 to 1990, ending his tenure as a soloist. Inger joined Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT 1) in 1990, becoming a prominent dancer until 2002. His choreographic debut came in 1995 with Mellantid for NDT 2, which won the Philip Morris Finest Selection Award and earned him a Laurence Olivier nomination. He also received the Lucas Hoving Production Award for Walking Mad and Dream Play in 2001. In 2003, he became artistic director of Cullberg Ballet, focusing on choreography from 2008.
From 2009 to 2016, Inger was Associate Choreographer with NDT. Since the 2022/23 season, he has served as artistic director of Take Off Dance in Seville, Spain, shaping the next generation of dancers.
Fernando Hernando Magadan is a freelance choreographer, teacher, and stager with a background in professional gymnastics. Throughout his 15 seasons as a performer with the Nederlands Dans Theater, he created with and performed works by prominent choreographers such as Jiří Kylián, Ohad Naharin, Mats Ek, Crystal Pite, Sol Leon, Paul Lightfoot, Johan Inger, and Hofesh Shechter, among others. He was also invited to perform at the Benois de la Danse Gala Performance at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. He later went on to be rehearsal director and ultimately Artistic Leader of the prestigious junior
Andrea Peña
CHOREOGRAPHER, New Peña
Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Andrea Peña is a multidisciplinary artist whose creative practice blends art installation, choreography, and design. In 2014, she founded her company, Andrea Peña & Artists, based in Montréal. Since then, she has earned international recognition for her creation of critical, alternative, and spatial universes that rupture notions of a sensible humanity and engage in deep encounters between the physical body and the self.
Peña’s highly intricate, vulnerable and raw choreography has toured at national and international scales, with works presented in Hong Kong, Spain, India, Panama, Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Canada. Peña has received numerous awards for her creations, including the 2018 Banff Arts Centre’s Clifford E. Lee Canadian Choreography award and the 2018 Hong Kong International Choreography Award.
ensemble NDT 2 between 2018 and 2021.
As a choreographer, Magadan’s movement vocabulary is known for highly physical, inventive, and musical characteristics. He has created and presented works with companies worldwide, which include NDT 1 and NDT 2, Luna Negra Dance Theater (Chicago), Cross Connection Ballet Company (Copenhagen), Ballet Mainz and Ballett Saarländisches Staatstheater (Germany), Satore Studio (London), Compañia Lava (Tenerife), Ballet BC, Luzerner Theater (Switzerland), Korzo Theater (The Hague), and BODYTRAFFIC (Los Angeles).
meaningful design. healthy communities.
We’re proud to support Dance Victoria in bringing the world’s best dance to our city.
Dance Victoria’s Night Moves program invites patrons between 30 and 45 years old to enjoy discounted pricing for Dance at the Royal presentations, special theatre seating, and exclusive invitations to pre-show happy hours. The best deal is a Night Moves subscription for all four performances in the series. Single Night Moves tickets are available through the Royal & McPherson Theatres Box Office. Proof-of-age photo ID required.
Nocturna (Architecture of Insomnia) CHOREOGRAPHY Rafaela Carrasco
MUSIC Pablo Martín Jones, Pablo Suárez, & Jesús Torres
APRIL 11 + 12, 2025 • FRI + SAT • 7:30 PM • ROYAL THEATRE
RUNNING TIME: 80 MINUTES (NO INTERMISSION ) • AGE GUIDE: 12 YEARS+
Madrid-based flamenco dancer, choreographer, and Artistic Director Rafaela Carrasco founded her company in 2002 on a quest to update the flamenco art form and uplift the tradition to new heights.
Originally from Andalusia in Southern Spain, flamenco is a style that blends poetry, song (cante), music (toque), dance (baile), polyrhythmic handclapping (palmas), and finger snapping (pitos) to create emotionally intoxicating performances. Carrasco’s career and work have been shaped by a firm dedication to exploring and uncovering flamenco’s vital essence. Her approach evolves the genre through deep-rooted knowledge, respecting its origins while pushing artistic boundaries.
Over the years, Carrasco has expanded the flamenco vernacular in collaboration with artists and creators across disciplines, including playwright and poet Álvaro Tato. Together, they produced Born a Shadow (2017) and Ariadna, Al hilo del mito (2020), two works that garnered international acclaim. Their latest piece, Nocturna: Architecture of Insomnia (2023), takes flamenco music and dance to a new level of exploration and earned Carrasco the 2023 National Dance Award and also won the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Dance Show at the XXVII Flamenco Festival of Jerez de la Frontera.
In Nocturna, we follow the sleepless journey of the Insomniac, a symbolic figure who, in Carrasco’s voiceover, chronicles the night’s transformative power. From dusk to dawn, the performance unfolds like a diary of the soul, traversing fruitless bedtime rituals, obsessive memories, nightmarish hallucinations, and the eventual peace found in the quiet moments before sunrise. With live singing, recorded songs, and the intentional use of silence, Nocturna’s soundtrack enhances the performance’s emotional intensity and narrative depth. Drawing from the coplas tradition of flamenco, Tato’s poetry and verses string together a work in perpetual motion as if his words, too, danced.
It is not only Nocturna’s strong thematic, musical, and lyrical dimensions that make it so compelling but also the dancers’ flawless technical mastery of flamenco. With unforgettable stage presence, Carrasco and eight female dancers entrance audiences with their clean and dizzying heelwork bolstered by the emotional depth of their expression. Their movements embody the spirit of the night — from moments of frenetic, anguished energy to the surrendered stillness of contemplation.
Ultimately, Nocturna invites the viewer to confront their relationship with the night — to embrace its mysteries, face its challenges, and find solace in the shared experience of being awake while the world sleeps.
Rafaela Carrasco
CHOREOGRAPHER, Nocturna (Architecture of Insomnia)
Rafaela Carrasco, a prominent figure in flamenco, established her own company in 2002 after winning top honors at the XI Spanish Dance and Flamenco Choreography Competition. From 2013 to September 2016, she directed the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía. Carrasco’s career has been shaped by her role as a dance researcher and her unique vision of flamenco. She learned discipline, technique, and a passion for dance from the influential Matilde Coral. Her other mentor, Mario Maya, led to her first professional opportunities, starting with the Mario Maya Company
and, later, with the Andalusian Dance Company.
Carrasco has collaborated with esteemed companies and artists such as Belén Maya, Israel Galván, Javier Barón, and Antonio Canales, among others. She is also a respected teacher at institutions such as Amor de Dios in Madrid, the Centro Flamenco de Estudios Escénicos in Granada, and the Jerez Festival, teaching international courses and Flamenco methodology at the María de Ávila Conservatory of Dance in Madrid.
Above all, Rafaela Carrasco is known as a generous and adventurous artist, dedicated to expanding flamenco’s boundaries through her poetic, innovative, and deeply personal choreography.
Dance Victoria is best known for bringing the World’s Best Dance to Victoria, but the heart of what we do is at Dance Victoria Studios.
DV Studios is a nationally-recognised choreographic centre – and a valued community asset. New improvements to the studios in 2022 enhanced their adaptability for filmmaking, livestreamed and in-person performance. Offering access to DV Studios and financial support to independent dance artists are meaningful ways in which Dance Victoria is able to champion and bring visibility to the region’s talented dance artists.
The Artist Residency program has been evolving for fifteen years.
Dance Victoria announces a call for proposals each year, selecting 8–12 B.C.-based artists and collectives, contingent on available funding. These artists benefit from free studio access, mentorship, technical support and, uniquely amongst similar programs, a direct financial contribution to their project budgets. Our goal is to enable choreographers from diverse backgrounds, experience levels (emerging to established), and disciplines to develop their artistic visions through research/ exploration, creation, outreach, and performance
In 2024/25, Dance Victoria will welcome nine artists- and collectives-inresidence, furthering our mandate as a creation hub for new dance works. These include Belle Spirale Dance Projects, Cristina Bucci, Amber Downie-Back, Embrace: Performance, Stacey Horton, Kay Huang, Impulse Theatre, Noble Riot Dance Theatre, and Visible Bodies
Collective. We can’t wait to share the progress of these innovative artists at Rough Cuts (work-in-progress showings), in-studio presentations, and through DV’s studio2stage e-newsletter.
The Studio Access program offers subsidized access to DV Studios for South Vancouver Island-based professional dance artists who are developing new works or conducting research for new work. Artists can request up to 100 hours of studio time, which includes 60 hours of free access and 40 additional hours at $5/hour, to support a single artistdriven project each year. Requests for support are accepted on an ongoing basis. So far in 2024/25, Dance Victoria is proud to welcome Farheen Haq, Impulse Theatre’s Dance Incubator Program, Pauline Koeplin, Sarah Mercer, Shannon Moreno & Farley Johansson, Kiera Shaw, Suddenly Dance Theatre’s Fountain of Youth Program, and Kim Tuson through the Studio Access program. DV
Dance Victoria Studios are located in the heart of Quadra Village at 2750 Quadra St. Within these facilities, we manage three studios, administrative offices for Dance Victoria and Protégé Dance, and lobby event spaces. Studios are available to rent for a dynamic range of dance classes, rehearsals, and dance-related events. We also serve fitness instructors and other arts organizations in the community, as space allows. With recent upgrades, studios have the capability to transform into a black box performance space. Visit DanceVictoria.com for more information.
Dance Victoria Studios
2750 Quadra Street Victoria, BC V8T 4E8 250-595-1829
For studio rental inquiries, contact studios@dancevictoria.com.
Last season, Dance Victoria supported 20 artists’ projects and provided over 1,000 hours of free and subsidized studio space through our Studio Access and Artist Residency programs. This adds up to $33,000 invested in artists’ projects and $44,000 in in-kind studio time.
Dance Victoria’s Artist Programs are made possible with the generous support of the Victoria Foundation’s Community Grants program, RBC Foundation – Emerging Artists, and Canada Council for the Arts, with individual underwriting support from Helen McDonald and two anonymous donors.
For more information about Artist Programs, please visit DanceVictoria.com or contact Kiera Shaw, Artist Programs & Studio Manager, at kiera@dancevictoria.com.
Dance Victoria is mandated to enhance the appreciation of dance in the Capital Region by presenting and developing professional dance, supporting emerging artists and choreographers, and engaging the community in the experience and celebration of dance. Meet the dedicated Board of Directors that supports Dance Victoria with its leadership and vision! DV
As of October 1, 2024 prior to our Annual General Meeting
Dance Victoria Office & Studios
#111 – 2750 Quadra St. V8T 4E8
Phone 250-595-1829
Website DanceVictoria.com
Email info@dancevictoria.com
Facebook /DanceVictoria
Instagram @dance_victoria
Dance Victoria Staff
Gillian Jones Executive Director
Dayna Szyndrowski General Manager
Shireen McNeilage Development & Operations Manager
Anne-Sophie Cournoyer Marketing Manager
Holly Vivian Production Manager
Larissa Sharma Community Engagement Manager
Kiera Shaw Artist Programs & Studio Manager
Rayola Creative Graphic Design
Bonnie Light Advertising Sales promote@bonnielightadvertising.com
Since 2006, Dance Victoria has been proud to partner with local community organizations to distribute complimentary Nutcracker tickets to children and families with barriers to attendance. In 2022, in response to feedback from our partners and increasing demand, we expanded this program under the new umbrella of Dance Is For Everyone In addition to Nutcracker, for the past two seasons, we have welcomed our community to more DV performances across the season — at no cost to them. This has included survivors of intimate partner violence, who attended Gibney Company’s performance and participated in the company’s groundbreaking Move to Move Beyond program; families from Ukraine, recently arrived in Victoria, who experienced Ukrainian Shumka Dancers’ joyful Nutcracker; and a group of new Canadians who joined us for a milestone performance by Dance Theatre of Harlem.
The expansion of Dance Is For Everyone — and Dance Victoria’s commitment that everyone in our community can experience world-class dance — would not be possible without your support. In 2024/25, Dance Victoria will grant tickets to Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Nutcracker, Dancers of Damelahamid’s Raven Mother, and Shamel Pitts | TRIBE’s BLACK HOLE - Trilogy And Triathlon in collaboration with long-time community partners Victoria Women’s Transition House, Victoria Native Friendship Centre, and the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria, among others.
To the amazing donors and sponsors who already generously support Nutcracker Kids and Dance Is For Everyone: thank you! We hope you will consider renewing your gift in 2024/25.
To those newer to Dance Victoria (or perhaps attending a performance for the first time): we invite you to consider supporting this work in 2024/25 with a charitable contribution. Your gift will directly translate into free tickets distributed to members of our community who otherwise would not have the opportunity.
Finally, there are many ways to get involved beyond making a donation — including volunteering, Board service, or applying for an artist residency, to name a few. We encourage you to approach our staff or Board members if you’re interested in getting involved or you have another idea to support this work. We’d love to meet you. DV
All Dance Victoria donors receive:
Acknowledgement in Dance Victoria’s house –program
A charitable tax receipt (for donations $10 or –greater) in accordance with the Canada Revenue Agency
Friend ($10–99)
All benefits listed above + Voting privileges at the Society’s Annual General –Meeting
Associate ($100–249)
All benefits listed above + Three issues of our digital Footnotes newsletter –
Supporter ($250–499)
All benefits listed above + Invitations to post-show receptions –
Patron ($500–999)
All benefits listed above + Invitations to exclusive studio showings of new –work, artist conversations, and receptions.
President’s Circle ($1,000–2,499)
All benefits listed above + Invitation to a backstage tour (when available) –
Visionary ($2,500 +)
All benefits listed above + Invitation for a personal meet & greet with the –Production Team and Artists (when available)
Give a Gift Today — One Month at a Time
Have you considered supporting Dance Victoria but are unsure when and how much to give?
May we suggest a monthly donation? It’s simple! You can easily set up automatic payments via CanadaHelps or through PayPal. CanadaHelps will issue you a receipt electronically, or if you use the Dance Victoria online donation form (through PayPal), we will mail your receipt annually in January. You can access either option on the Dance Victoria website at dancevictoria.com/donate
Here’s what long-time monthly donor Jennifer Hill recently shared with us:
“I’ve been a lover of dance since taking ballet lessons as a five-year-old. When we moved to Victoria over twenty years ago, I looked for opportunities to watch dance. To my great surprise, I discovered Dance Victoria, an organization that brought astoundingly good dance companies from around the world to the Victoria audience. I was so impressed: how could
a relatively small city attract such high calibre dance companies?
After one performance that was particularly moving, I headed home, sat down at my computer and sent an email to Stephen White, then Executive Producer of Dance Victoria. I thanked him for his outstanding work bringing superior quality dance to this city. Wisely, he replied and asked if I might consider becoming a regular monthly donor.
Well yes, of course I would. Having been involved in non-profits over the years, I knew that regular monthly donations matter, even modest ones. They help provide a reliable, stable revenue stream that mitigates the uncertainty of up and down grant funding.
I am still a monthly donor and subscriber today because, thanks to Dance Victoria, I have a world of fantastic dance at my feet, and I am very grateful for that!” DV
Dance Victoria is proud to hold a special place in the hearts of those who support our programs today through annual or monthly donations. We are also profoundly grateful to those dance-lovers who decide to include Dance Victoria in their long-term plans A “Legacy Gift” is a deeply meaningful way to ensure Dance Victoria thrives into the future. This support can take the form of a bequest in your will or a planned giving vehicle such as an endowment fund or donor-directed fund. Thank you to those of you in our audience and community who have already pledged a Legacy Gift to Dance Victoria and joined our Legacy Circle!
If you have already included Dance Victoria in your will, we are truly grateful. We also would love to hear this news so we can say a quiet “thank you” to you and because this information puts us in an informed position when we plan budgets and expenditures for programs we can offer in the future. Bequests can include gifts such as life insurance or RRSPs
This year, we were honoured to receive significant consideration in the bequest wishes of long-time Dance Victoria supporter Vivian Love. Many in the dance community will remember Viv as a passionate, determined champion of dance — including her accomplishments in running her dance school in Victoria at the tender age of 20. Viv was instrumental in creating the South Vancouver Island Dance Archives, originally held at Dance Victoria and now housed and cultivated by the esteemed University of Victoria Archives.
We are also inspired by the family of the late Anne Russo, a founding Board member of Dance Victoria. Anne’s family wished to commemorate Anne through a Legacy Gift and consulted with Dance Victoria to establish the Anne Russo Community and Youth Engagement Fund held at Victoria Foundation. This endowment supports Dance Victoria’s many initiatives to engage youth and our broader community through dance, including the impactful Pay Your Age program.
Vivian and Anne are two examples of forward-thinking, visionary members of our community who made a long-lasting commitment to Dance Victoria through Legacy Gifts. Their support — and the support of all Legacy Circle members — ensures Dance Victoria’s continued success by providing a lasting legacy for dance.
Would You Like to Leave a Legacy?
These gifts have extra benefit to you — and to the organization you are supporting — because you do not pay capital gains tax on these donations. Donations of stocks or securities can be made now as part of your living legacy so you can see the impact of your generosity today.
Dance Victoria has presented 27 years of artistic excellence, innovation, and diverse perspectives and ideas through dance. Our long-term vision includes continuing to bring internationally renowned dance companies to our historic regional theatres; connecting world-class artists to our community through inclusive ticket access and outreach programs; and championing local dance artists through creation, mentorship, and performance opportunities.
To speak about leaving a personal legacy, please contact Executive Director Gillian Jones at 250-595-1829 or gillian@dancevictoria.com When you make a bequest to Dance Victoria, you are contributing to Victoria’s vital cultural sector; enhancing the quality of life in our region; and ensuring dance artists continue to have a home where they can research, create, and perform.
We highly recommend that any Planned Giving decisions be made in consultation with advisors and family members so those closest to you understand your wishes. If you wish to consider a donor-directed fund, we suggest you contact Victoria Foundation directly to access their valuable, informed advice. DV
Thank You for Your Vital Support!
Thank you to the businesses (and generous people behind them!) that made the decision to sponsor Dance Victoria this season.
Derma Spa | Jane, Dr. Harlow Hollis & Alex Russell
RBC | Royal Bank of Canada | Carmen Stossel
JB Lawyers LLP | Pheng Heng
Turnabout Luxury Resale | Joy Mauro & David Raposo
Langford Physiotherapy & Medical Acupuncture | Rod Mitchell
Departures Travel | Cathy Scott
Cameron Izard Snell Chartered Professional Accountants | Susan Snell
Luxe Home Interiors | Elaine Balkwill, Janine Lange & Felipe Prado
Jones Emery LLP | Kïrsten McGhee
Sotheby’s Realty International | Andy Stephenson
Cascadia Architects | Gregory Damant & Peter Johannknecht
RBC Foundation | Carmen Ryujin
YAM Magazine, Page One Publishing | Lise Gyorkos & Georgina Camilleri
Tapestry at Victoria Harbour | Amber Reis
Another Brick in Nepal & Rob Tournour Masonry | Rob & Sumitra Tournour
DFH Real Estate Ltd. | Kevin Sing
Toes ’n’ Taps Dance Shoppe | Ellen & Amy Cole
Rust Phillips Group, Engel & Völkers | Julie Rust & Greg Phillips
RITUAL Nordic Spa | Marci Hotsenpillar
Stretch Dancewear | Metka Lazar & Joshua McKenty
Victoria Academy of Ballet | Bleiddyn Bellis
Fastrac Print & Marketing | Greg & Ollie Hawes
Impossible Enterprises | Allister McRae
Fort Properties Ltd. | Suzanne & Jayne Bradbury
The Natural Hair Salon | Natalie Grunberg-Ferreira & Philip Ferreira
Deborah B Event Management | Deborah Bricks
Castle Consulting | Colette Baty & Allan Castle
Bespoke Homes Team, Engel & Völkers | Marlon Murr & Margaret Mots
IN-KIND SUPPORT
Château Victoria Hotel & Suites | Mark Paul
Helijet Airways | Jay Minter
Mac Zen | Aitan Roubini
Poppies Floral Art | Mary-Jane Posno & Andrea Posno-Walker
Little Piggy Catering | Christabel Padmore & Patrick Simpson
The Royal & McPherson Theatres Society
Times Colonist
Storied Wines and Spirits | Mark Wachtin
Chocolat & Co. | Vlasta & David Booth
Emandare Vineyard | Mike Nierychlo
Wayward Distillery | Sara Unrau
The Whole Beast Artisan Salumeri | Cory Pelan
Pedersen’s Event Rentals | Elizabeth D’Eramo
Thank you also to all the donors to our silent auction at IGNITE! A Dance Victoria Launch Party, our season kick-off fundraiser held at Luxe Home Interiors on November 2, 2024.
Dance Victoria Society
#111 – 2750 Quadra Street, Victoria, BC V8T 4E8
Dance Victoria Society is a federally registered charity.
Charitable Registration #87377 5522 RR0001
Please support the local businesses and advertisers in this program. They help Dance Victoria bring the World’s Best Dance to our community and we couldn’t do it without them. Thank you!
Donations received between July 1, 2023 – October 1, 2024.
VISIONARIES ($2,500+)
Roslyn Cameron
Brenda Eaton
Carol & Rob Gillespie
Lorna Harris
A & A King Family Foundation
Mae & Yan Lee Foundation
Helen McDonald
Lois McNabb NK
Potash Family Foundation
Patricia Schneider
Chris Thompson & Anna De Luca
PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE ($1,000–2,499)
Anonymous x 4
Barnes Family Foundation *
Colette Baty & Allan Castle
Mavis Begg NK
Toni Bramley & David Kendall
Paul & Sharon Bundon NK + DE
Paula Carey & Nicholas Wemyss
Ian & Marjorie Clark
Renate Grinfelds
Harbour City Kitchens NK
Laurie Farley
Susan K.E. Howard & Gregory Krantz DE
Robert Milne
Terry Moore & Dorothee Friese DFH
Bijan & Nasrin Neyestani Foundation
John & Susan Pallett
Laurie Sharp
Sandra Stott NK
Patricia Taylor NK
Lisa Veres
Maurice Yacowar & Anne Petrie
PATRONS ($500–999)
Anonymous NK
Anonymous x 2
Andrew D. Beckerman Fund through the Victoria Foundation
Douglas D. Durand
Brenda Ruth Firestone
Avery Fitzgerald via Contribute to the Land Fund
Greg & Lisa Anne
Marnie Hill
Gillian Jones & Rocky Ulk
Susan Moger
Ryan Mullins
Sara Neely NK
Roy Nikaido NK
Jean Orr DE
Joost Pelt & Marilyn Lewis-Pelt
Brendan Ralfs
Joan Ross NK
Rotary Club Of Victoria NK
Christopher & Randene Tolhurst
Bobby Varghese DE
Jayne & Steve Weatherbe
Sue Whitesides NK
SUPPORTERS ($250–499)
Anonymous x 3
Anonymous NK
Anonymous DE
Anne Ardiel NK
Douglas Baer
Sylvia Bews-Wright NK
D Callison
Trudy David
Jan Dong - In memory of Allan Dong
Karan Fervorn DE
Irene Fizzell
Lori Garcia-Meredith & Jack Meredith
Eleanor Gjelsten
Jennifer & Philip Hill
Brenda Jagdis
Andrea Keil
Kerr family
Donna Lowe - In Memory of Anne Appleby
Jeannie MacDonald
Jennifer & Keith MacLeod DE
Joy Olesky
R. Joan Penny
Merv Porath NK
Boyd Porteous
Tanja Rosteck
Sheridan Scott & David Zussman
- In Honour of Harlow & Jane Hollis NK
Carrie Smart
Susan Snell NK
Judy Stewart
Dayna Szyndrowski
Terry Vatrt NK
Victoria Wray NK
ASSOCIATES ($100–249)
Anonymous x 5
Anonymous x 6 NK
Anonymous - In Memory of Anne Appleby
Pamela Abra
Dr. Gregory Andrachuk & Dr. Darlene Hammell NK
Lynne Bain NK
Clayton Baraniuk & Jason Dubois
Barbara Benton NK
P. M. Bond
Merrie-Ellen Wilcox & Christopher Butterfield NK
Michael Carpenter
Dawn Connolly NK
Jacquie Corrigan
Kemi Craig - In memory of Starlett Craig DE
Miles Craig
Robert & Eleanor Dilts
Linley Faulkner
Mary Ellen Fisher
Lloyd Fitzsimonds & Paulette Tarnawski
Norah Garyali
Mark & Diana Gillis NK
Margaret Godfrey NK
Alex Grey
Valery Heckel
Charles & Sherrill Howard
Charles Joerin & H. Grant Sullivan
Greg & Roselyn Jones
Roberta Jones
Candice Low
Erik Lythgoe
Veronica Maguire
Red Cedar Chiropractic
Marilyn McCrimmon NK
Farouk & Mehmoona Mitha
William Moyer
Robert Moyes DE
David & Mandy Niddrie NK
Ailsa Odermatt
Susanne Palmer
Philip Pierce
Patricia Pitts DE + LG
Jenny Reid NK
Dana Reinhardt
Susan Ross NK
Karina Sangha
Bernard Sauvé & Michael Scott Curnes
Douglas Seneshen NK
Adrienne Shaw NK
Jan & Diane Skirrow DE
Andy Stephenson & Murray Carey
Veronica Stinson
Marilyn Taylor
Iris Thomson-Glen NK
Barbara Tolloczko
Catherine Traer DE
Stephanie Ustina NK
Paul Winston NK
Ross & Jane Woodland DE
FRIENDS ($10–99)
Anonymous x 3
Anonymous DE
Anonymous x 6 NK
Elizabeth & Steve Adilman
Nicole Ardiel NK
Manvi Batra
Tania Betiku
Kismet Bhandar
Sarah Board
Penny & Peter Brand NK
Elena Buscher DE
Canadian Online Giving Foundation
Cam Culham
Andrea Downie
Helen Durie
Louisa Elkin
Catherine Etmanski NK
Margo Farr & Pam Terry
Wendy Farrington
Deborah Fayad
Kit Filan
Ann Gallagher NK
Gordon & Carolyn Greeniaus
Isabel M. Hansen NK
Toula Hatziioannou
Jane Henderson
Jane Heyman - In Honour of Colette Baty NK
Michele Hibbins
Ella Huber
Staci Hunter Noble
Kelly Hutton
Sylvia Jarvis NK
Lida Jind
Charles Joerin & H. Grant Sullivan NK
Claudia Kobayashi
Dr. Whitney Laughlin NK
Mary Leighton
Amanda Lisman & Gregory Smith
Marilyn & Peter Lutzmann NK
Martha MacDonnell NK
Arabella Martin & Robert Britten NK + LG
Christina McCarthy NK
Rod & Marilyn McCrimmon NK
Sarah Mcewen NK
Shireen McNeilage
Sarah Millard
Allan & Virginia Miller
Kevin Mills NK
Bridey M. Morgan
Marlon Murr
Provincial Employees Community Services
Lauren Schutte
Senga Simpson NK
Gina Sinclair-Davis
Gail Squire DE
Margaret Thornthwaite NK
Philip Todd
Heather Vale
Amanda Vasilakopoulos NK
Anna Vunder
Miriam Waldman
Rene Watt
AJ West
Lorna Zaback
Alexandra Zawisza
Estate of Mary Catherine Doyle
Estate of Vivian Love
Anne Russo Community and Youth Engagement Fund
DE = Dance is for Everyone
DFH = DFH Referral Program
LG = Legacy Giving
NK = Nutcracker Kids
If we have omitted your name, or made a different error, we apologise and would appreciate you letting us know so we can remedy the mistake. You can reach us at info@dancevictoria.com. Thank you.
* Pass-Through Grants Fund through Victoria Foundation
Scan here to donate today!
Please join us in celebrating these local businesses!
DANCE
A.I.M by Kyle Abraham
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
BC
Compañia Rafaela Carrasco
Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Nutcracker
LEAD SPONSORS
PLUM PARTY
ORCHESTRA
Dancers of Damelahamid
UNDERWRITER Lois McNabb
NUTCRACKER KIDS CAMPAIGN CHAIRS
CHILDREN’S ENSEMBLE
Shamel Pitts | TRIBE
Helen McDonald, Anonymous (2)
