Kaili Che & Carla Alcántara
Kaili Che & Carla Alcántara
Kaili Che 謝祖弘, is an interdisciplinary artist, choreographer, and movement educator based on the unceded lands of the Coast Salish Peoples, colonially known as Vancouver. Her practice centres collaboration, curiosity, play, and vulnerability, exploring themes of climate justice, community, and Asian heritage. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance (with Distinction) from the University of Calgary and is certified in Healthy Dance Practice. Her work has been shared at the Surrey Art Gallery, New Works, and Expanse Festival, and she has collaborated with companies such as Project InTandem, Cloudsway Dance Theatre, and more.
Carla Alcántara is a Mexican multidisciplinary artist, choreographer, photographer, and educator based in Vancouver since 2021. She is the founder and co-director of TEMPO Dance & Visual Art and has collaborated internationally. In Canada, she has presented work at Stand Festival, Vines, IndieFest, NextFest, All Over the Map, Pop-Up Dances, and 12 Minutes Max, and worked with choreographers Alina Sotskova, Jennifer Aoki, and Charlotte Boye-Christensen. Since 2022, Carla has taught youth and adult dance classes at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts and serves as a guest choreographer for their Youth In Motion Dance Company.
Together, they are guided by a shared curiosity for connection, play, and bringing dance into everyday spaces—as a way to nurture friendship, spark joy, and invite moments of meaningful presence. Through this shared practice, they explore how movement can become a bridge: linking people, cultures, and communities.
INTERWEAVE
INTERWEAVE is a high-energy contemporary dance and physical theatre duet by Carla Alcántara and Kaili Che that celebrates play, imagination, and the transformative power of friendship. With humour and heart, the performers embody whimsical characters navigating a world bursting with clothes—as if trying to find their way out of a closet alive with colour, movement, and memory.
Inspired by their favourite childhood games, INTERWEAVE blends storytelling, dance, and theatricality into a playful narrative that questions the seriousness of adulthood. It explores friendship, resistance to conformity, and the essential role of play in daily life.
The choreography of INTERWEAVE is designed to suit a variety of outdoor and indoor environments, including proscenium, round, thrust, and platform stages. Its themes and engaging physicality make it suitable for audiences of all ages—from children to seniors.
The movement language combines animated gestures, pedestrian, and rhythmic footwork, playful partnering, and the creative use of props and clothing. The piece is set to a soundscape that blends light jazz and R&B soul with classical orchestral music.
Email: kcdanceartist@gmail.com & info.tempodva@gmail.com
Website: www.kailiche.ca & www.tempodva.com
Instagram: @kcdanceartist & @TEMPO Dance & Visual Arts
Located: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Photos: Rodrigo PicazoProject created by: Kaili Che & Carla Alcántara
Key Collaborators: Kaili Che & Carla Alcántara
General Technical Requirements:
-Performance Area: A clean and flat surface to dance.
-Access to the Site: At least 2 hours before the show for warm-up, tech setup, and space familiarization.
-Weather Contingency Plan: A covered or indoor backup location in case of rain or unsafe weather conditions.
-Basic Tech Support: A sound system with an aux or Bluetooth connection for our music playback.
-Dressing Area: A private or semi-private space near the performance site for costume changes and warm-up.
-Volunteer or Staff Support: Someone available on-site to assist with setup, audience flow, and general coordination.
-Optional but appreciated: Promotional support through your platforms to help reach local audiences.
Length of Performance: 15 minutes outdoor, no intermission and not durational
Audience Type: Children/Family
How many days/hours of on-site rehearsal do you require pre-performance?: 15 minutes to set up and strike from the performance space. Please consider 15-20 minutes of preparation of the clothing racks.
Space required: Adaptable to any outdoor space, however a marley, wood, or concrete option is preferred, with a minimum space of 8m X 12m.
Number of Performers on Tour (including choreographer): 2 performers
Number of Support Staff on Tour: (# and role) N/A
How do you define this work?: Contemporary dance, dance theatre, partnering, outdoor, storytelling, family friendly, audience interactions.
Does your work include outreach / community engagement?: Carla and Kaili are extremely interested in any form of community engagement activities: movement/choreographic workshops, creation labs, dance photography/videography, open rehearsals, and talk backs. They are both comfortable with teaching any age group and population: seniors, mixed abilities, preschool, elementary, and high schools.
Performance history of this project:
International Dance Day, The Dance Centre 2023
All Over The Map, New Works 2023
Nextfest dance, The Good Women Dance Collective & The Nextfest Festival 2024
Family Art Party, Surrey Art Gallery 2024
Project Availability: 2026/27 & 2027/28