2023 VIDF Program

Vancouver International Dance Festival

VIDF 2023 Program

Info & Box Office: VIDF.CA 604.662.4966

Aakash Odedra Company photo by Nirvair Singh Rai

Feb 27 to Mar 25

A MESSAGE FROM February 27–March 25, 2023

Dear Friends:

PREMIER DAVID EBY

As Premier of British Columbia, it is my pleasure to welcome everyone to the 2023

I am pleased to extend my warmest greetings to everyone taking part in the 2023 Vancouver International Dance Festival (VIDF).

Vancouver International Dance Festival (VIDF).

Since 2000, the VIDF has celebrated the diversity of contemporary dance expression, offering dancers from across Canada and around the world a wonderful opportunity to showcase their talent. I am certain that everyone in attendance will be inspired by the creativity and artistry on display.

international community of artists, showcasing evocative and thought-provoking dance expressions from around the world and our own backyard. It is wonderful to see the VIDF

I would like to commend all those associated with the VIDF for their hard work and dedication in mounting this year’s festival. You can be proud of your commitment to supporting the art of culturally diverse contemporary dance in Canada.

For over two decades, this festival has served as a vital link between Vancouver and the

continue to thrive and support a wide range of contemporary dance. This year's impressive lineup, featuring local performers alongside dancers from Montreal, Toronto, Europe and Asia, is a testament to the VIDF's dedication to highlighting diverse voices and styles.

I want to express my gratitude to everyone at the VIDF Society for their unwavering commitment to supporting contemporary dance and for their hard work in bringing this festival to life. I also want to extend my deepest appreciation to the dancers, directors and

Please accept my best wishes for a most enjoyable experience.

choreographers for sharing their invaluable artistic expression and talent. As you gather

Sincerely,

diversity and richness of our vibrant multicultural province.

to experience the power and beauty of contemporary dance, let us also celebrate the

Please accept my best wishes for a memorable and enjoyable experience at the 2023 Vancouver International Dance Festival.

The Rt. Hon. Justin P. J. Trudeau, P.C., M.P. Prime Minister of Canada

KW Atrium Studio

KW Recording Studio

HONOURABLE DAVID EBY, K.C. PREMIER OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

KW Studios are multipurpose production/ performance spaces available to rent to the public with a mandate to support low-income, non-profit, Indigenous and DTES artists.

The spaces consist of the 1,051 sq. ft. KW Atrium Studio on the main floor, and the 3,802 sq. ft. KW Production Studio with attached recording studio, dressing room and servery in the basement.

Both studios feature harlequin vinyl sprung dance floors, lights and lighting grid, recording / live sound gear, projector and screen, green screen and full surrounding curtain track.

KW Production Studio

CONTACT US Address: 236-111 West Hastings St., Vancouver BC V6B 1H4 Phone Number: 604.662.7441 E-mail: booking@kwstudios.ca Website: kwstudios.ca

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VIDF 2023 Festival Program

2022 Dance Collection Danse Hall of Fame photo of Barbara Bourget and Jay Hirabayashi by Liliana Reyes

Dance, Company 605, and Vidya Kotamraju. In 2021-22, we presented livestreamed shows by LamonDance, Josh Beamish/MOVETHECOMPANY, We begin by acknowledging Marion Landers, Dance//Novella, that the 2023 VIDF takes place and Company 605, as well as on the unceded ancestral in-person shows by Alonzo territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including theterritories King LINES Ballet, Holly Bright & Celestine Aleck, Company of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm 605/German Jauregui, Manuel (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh Roque, Daina Ashbee, Benoît (Squamish), and Səl̓ ílwətaʔ/ Lachambre/Montreal Danse, Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Company 605, Rhodnie Désir, Nations and we thank them for Olivia Shaffer, and tiger sharing their land, princess dance projects. Daina with us.

Ashbee’s performances had to Producing an international be cancelled after her opening dance festival is a challenge night when members of her at the best of times. In 2020, company tested positive for we managed to present only the Corona virus. Attendance 8 of 31 shows before the overall was poor compared COVID-19 pandemic shut us to the pre-COVID years. down. In the 2020-21 fiscal Apparently, audiences still had year we were unable to present lingering fear of Corona virus any in-person shows, but did exposure despite Provincial present 8 livestreamed shows Health Office’s lifting of

by Kokoro Dance, FakeKnot, social spacing and masking Farouche, Ne. Sans Opera & restrictions.

Welcome to the 23rd edition of the Vancouver International Dance Festival.

Is it safe now to attend our dance performances? We think so. We have travelled in the past year to Montreal, London, England, Edinburgh, Scotland, Victoria, Toronto, Winnipeg, and again to Montreal to see dance performances and have remained healthy in each of those cities while seeing performances with capacity audiences.

Please join us at the 2023 VIDF. In the following pages, you can read about the provocative and evocative artists that we have invited to this year’s festival.

Yours in dance,

Barbara Bourget and Jay Hirabayashi

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VIDF 2023 Festival Program

TABLE OF CONTENTS 01. Producers’ Note 03. Ticket & Venue Info 04. Kokoro Dance 06. Christopher House 08. La Otra Orilla 10. Alessandro Sciarroni 12. Taketeru Kudo

14. Ichigo-Ichieh 16. Aakash Odedra Company 18. Daina Ashbee 20. Vision Impure 24. Free Workshops 26. Support the VIDF 28. Partners / Staff Listing

Aakash Odedra Company photo by Nirvair Singh Rai

2023 SPONSORS

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VIDF 2023 Festival Program

TICKET & VENUE INFO BOX OFFICE To reserve your ticket, go to vidf.ca. If you need assistance call our box office at 604-662-4966 or email boxoffice@vidf.ca.

The box office is available online 24/7: online ticket sales are available until 4PM on the day of the show. Administrative staff are available to take your calls during office hours 12PM – 4PM, Monday to Saturday.

Door Sales start at 7PM at the Vancouver Playhouse, Annex and Scotiabank Dance Centre.

6:30PM at Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. Box Office opens 1 hour prior to all performances at KW Production Studio and performances by Alessandro Sciarroni at the Italian Cultural Centre and Scotiabank Dance Centre.

Refunds Policy: Refunds will be made in full in case of a cancelled performance. No other refunds will be made. Missed performances will not be refunded.

TICKET PRICES Vancouver Playhouse: Reserved seating ticket prices are $50 for Adults and $40 for Students/ Seniors/Arts Workers on Wednesday and Thursday. $70 for Adults and $60 for Students/Seniors/Arts Workers on Friday and Saturday.

Annex Theatre: $25 for Adults and $20 for Students/Seniors/Arts Workers on Wednesday and Thursday. $35 for Adults and $30 for Students/Seniors/Arts Workers on Friday and Saturday.

Annex Package: Watch one show by Taketeru Kudo and one show by Christopher House on a Friday or Saturday night for $50.

Scotiabank Dance Centre: $25 for Adults and $20 for Students/ Seniors/Arts Workers on Wednesday and Thursday. $35 for Adults and $30 for Students/Seniors/Arts Workers on Friday and Saturday.

Shadbolt Centre for the Arts: $35 for Adults and $30 for Students/Seniors KW Production Studio: $20 for Adults and $15 for Students/Seniors/ Arts Workers or pay what you can at the door for standby tickets.

Woodward’s Atrium and Vancouver Playhouse performances by Kokoro Dance are free/by donation.

LOCATIONS Vancouver Playhouse: 600 Hamilton St @ Dunsmuir St, Vancouver Annex Theatre: 823 Seymour St @ Robson St, Vancouver Scotiabank Dance Centre: 677 Davie St @ Granville St, Vancouver

KW Studios/Woodward’s Atrium: 111 West Hastings St @ Abbott St, Vancouver Italian Cultural Centre: 3075 Slocan St, Vancouver Shadbolt Centre for the Arts: 6450 Deer Lake Ave, Burnaby

Wabi-Sabi by Kokoro Dance photos by Chris Randle

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VIDF 2023 Festival Program

Vancouver’s

Kokoro Dance contemplates transience and imperfection in Wabi-Sabi, a duet choreographed and performed by Kokoro Dance directors, Barbara Bourget, and Jay Hirabayashi. Kokoro Dance’s butoh expression gives recurring attention to the seven

KOKORO DANCE aesthetic principles of Zen philosophy: kanso — simplicity; fukinsei — asymmetry or irregularity; shibumi — beauty in the understated; shizen — naturalness without pretense; yugen — subtle grace; datsuzoku — freeness; and seijaku

— tranquility. These terms are encompassed in a world view contained in the words wabi and sabi — the acceptance of transience and imperfection.

Duration: 53 minutes

Wabi-Sabi March 2-4 @ 8pm Free/By donation Vancouver Playhouse

Credits:

Performed and choreographed by Barbara Bourget and Jay Hirabayashi Lighting: Hina Nishioka and Gerald King Costumes: Tsuneko Kokubo Projected photography: Jay Hirabayashi Composer: Joseph Hirabayashi Musicians: Joseph Hirabayashi, Peggy Lee (cello), Meredith Bates (violin), and James Meger (upright bass)

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VIDF 2023 Festival Program

Toronto’s

CHRISTOPHER HOUSE New Tricks is an intimate solo work created and performed

by Christopher House. It uses costume, disguise, ritual, and 44 years of choreographic research to explore new ways of being in the world in a veteran body.

The work is personal and playful

and is inspired by a desire to embody liveness, the ambiguity of gesture, the poetry of failure and inefficiency, the beauty of the ordinary, and a queering of both the body and the imagination.

The work exists in relation to the space in which it is performed,

unfolding through a series of episodes that invite the viewer to consider the specificity of each passing moment.

Duration: 55 minutes Advisories: Nudity

New Tricks (West Coast Premiere) March 2-4 @ 8pm $20-35 Annex Theatre

Credits:

Advisories: Nudity Duration: ~75 Minutes

Choreography and performance: Christopher House Soundtrack: Thom Gill Lighting: Simon Rossiter Costumes: Sarah Doucet Outside Eyes: Tedd Robinson and Rosemary James

Vancouver International Dance Festival

VIDF 2023 Festival Program

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Christopher House photos by Omer K. Yukseker

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La Otra Orilla photos by Vanessa Fortin

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VIDF 2023 Festival Program

Montréal’s

LA OTRA ORILLA DEBORDEMENTS is a choreographic and soundbased work at the crossroads of flamenco language and punk philosophy. Created by Myriam Allard and Hedi Graja in collaboration with the composer and performer Jonathan Parant on electric guitar and on stage, this new work sees the trio deliver a striking

DEBORDEMENTS (World Premiere) March 8-11@ 8pm $15-20 KW Production Studio

Credits:

On stage: Myriam Allard, Hedi Graja, Jonathan Parant Choreography: Myriam Allard Stage direction: Hedi Graja Music: Jonathan Parant Lighting: Etienne Boucher Costumes: Elen Ewing Rehearsal director: Hélène Messier Artistic collaborator: Juan Carlos Lerida Production director: Jacinthe Nepveu

performance in which dance, music, space, light and actions are revisited by multiples derivatives.

An urban production, it’s rooted in a cry, a common desire to express a never-say-die vision of life.

Duration: 55 minutes

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VIDF 2023 Festival Program

Italy’s

ALESSANDRO SCIARRONI In Save the last dance for me Alessandro Sciarroni works together with the dancers Gianmaria Borzillo and Giovanfrancesco Giannini on the steps of a Bolognese dance called Polka Chinata. It is a courtship dance originally performed by men only and dating back to the early 1900s: physically demanding, almost acrobatic, it requires that the dancers

embrace each other, whirl as they bend to their knees almost to the ground.

The work was created in collaboration with Giancarlo Stagni, a Filuzziani dance master who revived this ancient tradition thanks to the rediscovery and study of some documentation videos dating back to the 1960s.

Sciarroni discovered this dance in

December 2018 when the dance was practiced in Italy only by 5 people in total. For this reason, the project consists of a performance performed by the two dancers and a series of workshops aimed at spreading and reviving this popular tradition in danger of extinction.

Duration: 20 minutes

Save the last dance for me (West Coast Premiere) March 10-11 @ 5pm: Scotiabank Dance Centre March 12 @ 1pm & 3pm: Woodwards Atrium (Free) March 13-14 @ 4:30pm: Italian Cultural Centre March 15 @ 5pm: Woodwards Atrium (Free) $15-20/Free Co-presented with The Dance Centre and Italian Cultural Centre

Credits:

Invention: Alessandro Sciarroni with Gianmaria Borzillo and Giovanfrancesco Giannini Artistic Collaboration: Giancarlo Stagni Performers: Gianmaria Borzillo and Giovanfrancesco Giannini Music: Aurora Bauzà e Pere Jou (Telemann Rec.)

Styling: Ettore Lombardi Technical Direction: Valeria Foti Curator, Promotion, Consulting: Lisa Gilardino Administration, Executive Production: Chiara Fava Communication: Damien Modolo

Vancouver International Dance Festival

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Alessandro Sciarroni photos by Claudia Borgia/Chiara Bruschini

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Taketeru Kudo photos by Funna Kang

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VIDF 2023 Festival Program

Japan’s

The Foot on the Edge of Knife began its development in 2021 in Tokyo when COVID-19 was spreading all around the world.

Composer Masaru Soga sent some 100 pieces of music to Taketeru Kudo who, at the time, was caught in Tokyo’s long-term lockdown and was anxious and

The Foot on the Edge of Knife (North American Premiere) March 15-18 @ 8pm $20-35 Annex

Credits:

Direction & Dancer: Taketeru Kudo Music: Masaru Soga Stage Set: Michitoshi Kurokawa Costume: Konomi Shibata Light Design: Seiji Hayakawa Production Manager: Yeoreum Hang

TAKETERU KUDO irritated by it. He brought the music to his studio where, night by night, he tried to make a piece while still in the middle of confinement. It finally began to take shape after 3 months. It is a butoh piece, but people will see how Kudo worked to bring butoh to a different stage that no one

has ever stepped on. The Foot on the Edge of Knife reflects the reality of the current world as he dances his embodied reflection of our human situation. This work premiered at Za-Koenji Public Theater in January 2022.

Duration: 75 minutes

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VIDF 2023 Festival Program

Japan/Nelson’s

ICHIGO-ICHIEH Accomplished dancerchoreographer-actor Hiromoto Ida skillfully merges dance, theatre, classical music, and voice to tell the story of an old man (Hiromoto Ida), raising a glass of sake to himself in celebration on what will be his last birthday.

Reminiscing about the richness of his life experience, he is visited by the spirit of his wife (Lindsay Clague). Birthday Present for Myself features musicians Nicola

Everton (clarinet), Sue Gould (piano), Jeff Faragher (cello), and Martine denBok (violin & viola), performing an evocative original score by Russian composer Pavel Karmanov. Simple but rich text from pioneer Japanese contemporary theatre playwright, Shogo Ota, and a Kagekiyo Noh theatre mask created by Japanese Noh mask artist Mitsue Nakamura adds to the poignant beauty of the work.

Inspired by the subtlety and simplicity of Japanese Noh theatre expressed through western contemporary dance and music, Ida touches our hearts. Through themes of love, transformation and regeneration, the inner world and emotions of this old man inspires us to find unexpected beauty in our own lives.

Duration: 90 minutes

Birthday Present for Myself March 17-18 @ 8pm $30-35 Shadbolt Centre for the Arts Presented with:

Credits:

Creation/Direction/ Choreographer: Hiromoto Ida Performers: Hiromoto Ida (Old Man), Lindsay Clague (Wife), Nicola Everton (Clarinet), Sue Gould (Piano), Jeff Faragher (Cello) and Martine Den Bok (Violin/Viola) Music Score: Pavel Karmanov Text: Shogo Ota (Excerpt from Play “Sumika”) Assistant Director: Lindsay Clague

Noh Mask: Mitsue Nakamura Sound Design: John Tucker Sound Assistant: Lachlan Tocher Set & Poster Design: Thomas Loh Lighting Design: Sharon Huizinga Stage Manager: Olivia Bogaard Assistant Stage Manager: Hannah Stevens

Vancouver International Dance Festival

VIDF 2023 Festival Program

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Hiromoto Ida photos by Masayosi Suzuki

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Aakash Odedra Company photos by Nirvair Singh Rai

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VIDF 2023 Festival Program

UK/India’s

AAKASH ODEDRA COMPANY Aakash Odedra Company and Bagri Foundation invite you to enter the world of Samsara.

Inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, Samsara is a spellbinding piece that traces the steps we take, both forward and backward, in search of our higher selves.

UK/Indian dancer Aakash Odedra and Chinese dancer Hu Shenyuan

draw on their diverse disciplines of ballet, Chinese folk, kathak and contemporary dance to explore the notion of samsara: the wheel of life, birth, existence and re-birth. This compelling journey of self-development, fear and love traces a path across lands and through time, exploring the idea that if we let attachments go and allow light in, we might find a

Samsara (North American Premiere) March 22-25 @ 8pm $40-70 Vancouver Playhouse

Credits:

Performers/Crew Names & Positions: Dancers: Aakash Odedra, Hu Shenyuan Musicians: Nicki Wells, Beibei Wang, Michael Ormiston Tech: Salvatore Scollo, Michael Morgan, Emanuele Salamanca, and Simon Ryder Company Manager: Ali Robertson and Megan Maw

place of truth and peace. Drawing on thinking and imagery at the heart of Buddhist philosophy, Samsara’s mythological storytelling merges with personal experience from two globally opposite perspectives in a seductive, astonishing journey of twin movement.

Duration: 60 minutes

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VIDF 2023 Festival Program

Gabriola Island’s

DAINA ASHBEE The first group piece by the prolific Daina Ashbee, J’ai pleuré avec les chiens (TIME, CREATION, DESTRUCTION 2021) plunges into states of being with both sober and incisive precision.

Far from any possible attempts at categorization or binary representation, the naked and gaping bodies pierced by chants attempt to come closer together, pile up in vanishing lines – before

breaking apart. Connection then emerges, in poetics of deflagration and trance, while the sounds produced by the bodies generate movements, growls, yelps, cries and calls. True flesh channels, the performers transmit myriads of stories, embodying a web of possibilities where everything can coexist. Because everything is transitory, fleeting, and forges a sensory experience

where the sensitive configuration shapes a ritual of cohabitation and decompartmentalization.

This work inspired by the density and complexity of human structure, explores its entrails, its thought processes, its energy, and its life force.

Duration: 80 minutes Advisories: Nudity

J’ai pleuré avec les chiens (Time, Creation, Destruction) March 22-25 @ 8pm $20-35 Scotiabank Dance Centre Co-presented with:

Credits:

Advisories: Nudity Duration: ~75 Minutes

Artistic Director and Choreographer: Daina Ashbee Rehearsal Director: Gabriel Nieto Performers: Audrey Sides, Celia Green, Elise Vanderborght, Imara Bosco, and Sh’vii Rosen Mentor: Benoît LaChambre Lighting Designer: Stephanie Van Sandt Musical compilation: Sean MacPherson, Daina Ashbee, Gabriel Nieto

Vancouver International Dance Festival

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Daina Ashbee photos by Johan Pijpops

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Noam Gagnon photos by Erik Zennström

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VIDF 2023 Festival Program

Vancouver’s

VISION IMPURE being is about accepting a certain lack of ultimate meaning in life and living for momentary beauty.

being (World Premiere) April 20-21 @ 7pm & April 22 @ 4pm $15-20 Livestream from KW Production Studio

Credits:

Choreography: Noam Gagnon Performer: Noam Gagnon Lighting Designer: James Proudfoot Rehearsal Director: Jennifer McLeish-Lewis Music for Paint the Land: Ground truthing: Faye Mallett – vibraphone, drums, keyboards, vocals, Lindsay Cuff – trumpet, violin, guitar, harmony vocals, Braden Jones – bass, drums, harmony vocals, Jesse Griffith – guitar, pedal steel, dobro Music for Fighting Chance: MJ Coomber Composer

­business­cards­ post + rack­cards Proud Print greeting­cards Sponsor of VIDF stitched­+­CD­calendars posters + banners as well as dozens transit­shelter­ads foamcore + coroplast of other arts and menus­of­all­sorts check out our pull-up display: A-frame­sandwich­boards $ non-profit events only 199 raffle­&­event­tickets brochures+ flyers In the Arts or Non Profit? & fundraisers programs+ books Ask about our various discounts. stickers+ magnets Contact us at info@evg.ca presentation­folders or online check us out at www.evg.ca for product selection and pricing, full­colour­stationery please enjoy! plus technical specs and order form. full­variable­printing Or try calling us at 604-568-1206 and­a­whole­lot­more...

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SPRING HIGHLIGHTS March 10-15 Alessandro Sciarroni

Photo: Lamondance/Adrian Ortega

March 22-25 Daina Ashbee March 30

Dancers of Damelahamid

April 13-15

Hillel Kogan

April 20

Lamondance

May 4-6

FakeKnot

May 18

Aeriosa

thedancecentre.ca Presenting partners

July 3 - 16, 2023 Rehearsals at KW Studios Performances July 15 & 16 at Wreck Beach (foot of #4 Trail below UBC Museum of Anthropology on Vancouver’s largest stage with costumes, set, lighting, and sound by Mother Nature info: kokoro.ca/workshops

Vancouver's freshest media source for arts & culture. createastir.ca

Proud media partner of Vancouver International Dance Festival

2006 Wreck Beach Butoh photo by Yuri Kikuchi

29th Annual Wreck Beach Butoh Performance Worshop

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VIDF 2023 Festival Program

FREE WORKSHOPS Barbara Bourget photo by Chris Randle

Immerse yourself in the artistic practices of local and international dance artists performing at the 2023 Vancouver International Dance Festival.

If you want direct insight into the art of our visiting guest artists, there is no better way than by taking a free workshop. Class size is limited, so we strongly recommend registering in advance online at vidf.ca/workshops or phone 604.662.4966

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VIDF 2023 Festival Program

KOKORO DANCE CLASSES Kokoro Dance’s modern and butoh dance classes build strength, flexibility, and stamina, as well as develop technical and performance skills. The difference between the two types of classes reflects the different approaches to the same end taken

by Barbara and Jay. Barbara’s classes focus on technical training and have a consistent structure from warm-up to movement in space. Jay’s classes are more eclectically varied and include more time for improvisational exploration. The two approaches complement each other and dancers are recommended to take both.

Barbara Bourget and Jay Hirabayashi are the Co-producers of the VIDF and the Co-directors of Kokoro Dance. Their teaching is strongly influenced by butoh studies over the last 35 years. These classes are open to all levels of experience.

February 27 – March 24, 2023 Barbara: Mon, Wed, Fri: 9:30-11:00am Jay: Tue, Thur: 9:30-11:00 am Location: KW Studios

ALESSANDRO SCIARRONI WORKSHOPS Learn the steps of a Bolognese dance called Polka Chinata, a courtship dance originally performed by men only and dating back to the early 1900s: physically demanding, almost acrobatic, it requires that the dancers embrace each other, whirl as they bend to their knees almost to the ground.

Workshop with dancers Gianmaria Borzillo and Giovanfrancesco Giannini from Alessandro Sciarroni

March 10-11 @ 12-2pm: Scotiabank Dance Centre March 13-14 @ 12-2pm: Italian Cultural Centre

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VIDF 2023 Festival Program

HOW TO HELP You can support the festival’s programming and the continued growth of contemporary dance through donations to the Vancouver International Dance Festival. The VIDF is a non-profit, artistrun, registered charitable society (CRA# 892858614RR0001) that needs your support. Your donation will help to ensure ongoing opportunities for local dancers, and touring opportunities for international artists to bring their works to the stage in Vancouver.

Learn more about different ways to support the VIDF at vidf.ca/donate.

Unrestricted donations to the society can be made directly through this link, over

the phone or by mail to the VIDF office.

Charitable tax receipts will be issued for contributions over $3.

You can also support the VIDF by “liking” our videos on YouTube, subscribing to our YouTube channel and following us on Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.

“Checking in” to the VIDF on Facebook and rating you experience also supports our visibility and promote our activities.

Scan me to donate now!

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VIDF 2023 Festival Program

VIDF ENDOWMENT FUND Supervised by the Vancouver Foundation, the VIDF Endowment Fund is building a long-term legacy for the festival. The VIDF is in its 23rd year; if you would like to see the festival continue advancing the art of contemporary dance for years to come, please donate at vidf.ca/endowmentfund. Charitable tax receipts will be issued for contributions over $3 made online.

You can also donate to this fund by writing a cheque payable to the Vancouver Foundation, indicating VIDF in the memo line, and mailing to: Vancouver Foundation RE: Vancouver International Dance Festival Suite 200, 475 West Georgia St. Vancouver, BC V6B 4M9

LARISA FAYAD MEMORIAL FUND In loving memory of Larisa Fayad (1976-2007), her friends and family have established the Larisa Fayad Memorial Fund to carry on Larisa’s work and aspirations in the field of lighting design.

From this fund, biennial bursaries of $5,000 are alternately awarded to enable the careers of emerging lighting designers and choreographers. Please help keep Larisa’s memory alive by donating to this fund at vidf.ca/donate.

The $5,000, 2023 VIDF Choreographers Award, has been awarded to Dance// Novella choreographers Brandon Lee Alley and Racheal Prince for their stellar work in creating When The Walls Come Down - inspired by and collaboratively created with Deaf artist Caroline Hébert.

Brandon Lee Alley & Racheal Prince photo by Philip Jarmain

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WE’RE GRATEFUL FOR ALL OUR SUPPORTERS, WHO TOGETHER, MAKE THE VIDF POSSIBLE VIDF SUSTAINING BENEFACTORS Linda Farris Barbara Bourget Jay Hirabayashi Judith Garay Gary Maier and Leslie Poole Peter Dickenson and Richard Cavell Aaron Smith Leslie Stark

COMMUNITY PARTNERS Rosedale on Robson Kokoro Dance Theatre Society KW Studios East Van Graphics The Dance Centre Shadbolt Centre for the Arts Italian Cultural Centre Vancouver Civic Theatres

MEDIA PARTNER

STAFF

STIR Vancouver

Co-producers: Jay Hirabayashi and Barbara Bourget Director of Operations: Joseph Hirabayashi Festival/Marketing Manager: Khaliun Altanbadralt Box Office Manager/Volunteer Coordinator: Caterina Capizzano Production Managers: Terry Podealuk and Gabriel Raminhos KW Studios Co-Technical Directors: Gabriel Raminhos and Nick Short Graphic Designer: Aaron Smith Photographer/Videographer: Chris Randle Social Media Coordinator: Misheel Altanbadralt

FOUNDATIONS & FUNDING AGENCIES British Columbia Arts Council Canada Council for the Arts City of Vancouver – Cultural Services Government of Canada Department of Canadian Heritage Province of British Columbia

VIDF BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Leslie Stark Vice President: Henry Wong Secretary/Treasurer: Tuan Luu Member at Large: Judith Garay, and Tessa Perkins Deneault

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VIDF 2023 Festival Program

The Vancouver International Dance Festival is a member of the CanDance Network of Dance Presenters.

FRIENDS OF THE VIDF Mary Louise Albert Tim Agg and Stuart Alcock Wesley Arnold Emily Bausback Jean-Christophe Bélisle-Pipon Dave Carloni Katie Cassidy Marilyn Chapman Luce Couture Elizabeth Devereaux Alex Espinosa Kevin Ettinger Noah Ferguson Glauce J. Fleury Veronica Gardea Anthony Giacinti Jonathan Haddon Adrianne Haley Kathy Hamilton Jessica Han Douglas Harris

Muriel Harris Caroline Harvey Sarah Hutton Josephine Jakubowski Taryn Klassen David Lach Meesoo Lee Su-Feh Lee Ingrid Leong Ken Lim Lydia Lovison Eamonn Mackenzie Jennifer Mascall Andrew McKinley Rachel Meyer Marian Milanovic Robert Minifie Lynne Mossey Tanya Murree Haruko Okano Douglas and Marion Oldenburg Jeremy Orsted

Brian Page Racheal Prince Mandy Rabinovitch Hilary Russell Adriana Santamaria Ilona Scharer Nicole Seguiin Michael Sider Peter Smith Susanna Uchatius Lexi Vajda Wen Wang Christine Wight Cindy Williams Kazuho Yamamoto Suzann Zimmering

236–111 Hastings St W Vancouver BC V6B 1H4 Canada T. 604.662.7441 E. contact@vidf.ca Box Office: 604.662.4966

facebook.com/vidf.ca twitter.com/vidf instagram.com/vidfestival

Aakash Odedra Company photo by Nirvair Singh Rai

Vancouver International Dance Festival