Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Scotiabank Dance Centre, at its annual Open House on October 2nd. One of Canada’s flagship dance facilities, The Dance Centre is presenting a special edition of its popular Open House, featuring a performance on the outside wall of the building by Vancouver’s spectacular aerial dance company Aeriosa, and a creative activation of the Granville Street-front by Company 605 and guests. The afternoon will also host free classes, events and exhibits; and the online premiere of a short film about the building by filmmakers Milos Jakovic and Hossein Fani.
When it opened in 2001, it was the only purpose-built dance facility of its kind in North America. Donated by Scotiabank the 1930-built former bank branch at 677 Davie Street, holds six dance studios and an intimate theatre. The Scotiabank Dance Centre hosting hundreds of rehearsals, classes, workshops, performances, and events every year.
Mirna Zagar, Executive Director of The Dance Centre, says: “It has been immensely rewarding to see how Scotiabank Dance Centre, which began as a dream so many years ago, has contributed to the arts scene in our city and the growth of BC’s dance community! As hub for dance, it provides high quality studio space, but it is much more than just a building: we have nurtured a stimulating environment that is supportive of the creative potential of dance artists, contributing to a thriving synergy within the arts sector in Canada.
“Scotiabank Dance Centre is a place where people from all walks of life come together around dance. Today it is also an established participant in an international cultural network connecting BC to organizations around the world and facilitating national and international cultural exchanges – even throughout the pandemic as we kept the facility operational and accessible to artists, helping to sustain careers in dance. I am also so happy to continue our longstanding relationship with Aeriosa, who performed on our building both at its opening and for the tenth anniversary.”
Highlights of the Scotiabank Dance Centre Open House:
· Aeriosa’s Home/Domicile: Choreographed by Julia Taffe in collaboration with visual artists Sarah E Fuller and Stuart Ward. The new aerial dance work is inspired by moths, and the dancers, wearing stunning ‘moth’ cloaks designed by Fuller, will perform on the north wall of the Dance Centre.
· Company 605’s SPLAY: Company 605 is curating a special program of artists who will animate various spaces of the Scotiabank Dance Centre building. Each artist will create encounters for viewers inside and outside, making their process and practice visible, culminating in a sharing of intimate performance experiences across a variety of formats.
· A performance of excerpts of new works in progress from artists including Bharatanatyam exponent Sujit Vaidya, and Dumb Instrument Dance.
· Classes include tap and footwork with Danny Nielsen and Shay Kuebler; flamenco with Kasandra ‘La China’ of Al Mozaico Flamenco Dance Academy; hip hop, breaking, waacking and contemporary with Cristina Bucci of OURO Collective; and AfroBeats with AKS Bison.
· Our Dance (working title) is a documentary by Milos Jakovic and Hossein Fani which will capture the impact Scotiabank Dance Centre has had on the dance community over the 20 years of its existence.
The Scotiabank Dance Centre Open House: 20th Anniversary Edition takes place Saturday October 2, 2021 from 1pm to 6pm at the Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie Street. For full details about the Open House’s events and performances, visit thedancecentre.ca
Events are subject to provincial health orders: all recommended COVID-19 protocols will be in place.