Community Engagement 2022-23
Community Dance Connector 22-23 summary
CDC Claudia Moore on Okanagan Nation Territory (Kelowna)
Claudia organized 5 movement classes, an outdoor community dance project titled Dance for the Earth and an Older & Reckless performance, all part of the Creative Aging Festival at Rotary Centre for the Arts, June 2023.
Dance for the Earth was an outdoor performance led by Claudia Moore, Annick LeQuellec, and Patti Tennessy with musicians Darren Williams and Cori Derickson (Westbank First Nations) and 6 community dancers. The movements were based on the elements of Water, Earth and Air, within a simple improvisational structure to live music - joyful! A wonderful ending to the 2023 Creative Aging Festival!
Photo credit: Eliseo Santillan
Ballet Kelowna’s visit to the unceded territory of the sn̓ʕay̓ckstx Sinixt Arrow Lakes and the Yaqan Nukiy Lower Kootenay Band peoples (Nelson)
Local Nelson youth open for Ballet Kelowna
To open the Capitol Theatre presentation of Ballet Kelowna, three youth dancers from a local dance studio performed a short work titled Reflect, choreographed by Nelson choreographer/dancer, Acacia Schachte
“Our audience was delighted to see local youth dancers on stage opening for a professional dance company. Presenting local talent on the stage cements our commitment to contemporary dance, introducing audiences to dance and deepening our dance outreach and engagement programming.” Stephanie Fischer, ED Capitol Theatre
Photo credit: Greg Rogers
CDC Fior Saorise Ts’msyen La̱xyuup homelands (Prince Rupert)
In December, local art organization Brilliant Experience and community members created illuminated props and costumes which they used to parade through downtown to the courthouse followed by an evening spent in a 3 hour flash mob dance! The project was titled Winter Solstice - Illuminated Dance
Lisa Mariko Gelley and Visible Bodies Collective on lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ homelands (Victoria)
Lisa Mariko Gelley and Visible Bodies Collective on lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ homelands (Victoria)
On Sunday June 11, I had a lovely afternoon with the incredible humans that make up Visible Bodies Collective. Led by Lindsay Delaronde, the group meets weekly as artists in residence at Dance Victoria to dance with one another, taking turns facilitating, each committed to nurturing themselves and one another through their shared work. Two years ago, I met this group for the first time to guest facilitate one of their sessions in summer 2021 and now, in 2023, I had the chance to come back to facilitate again. As an outsider, I witness that this collective is rooted in reciprocity, care, openness, and fortitude. It is an absolute pleasure to be welcomed to their group to dance for another session.
We begin by sharing where we are at. Fatigue, near burn-out, holding many things all at once, uncertainty, doubt, loss, growth, the complexities of living, and dying. But also the simplicity and the necessity of dancing together, of the constant returning to one another to keep going.
One member of the group offers that they have been practicing Letting Go of Expectations. We agree that today, we will all hold this shared value.
Then we dance. A lot!
Reflections from the group:
When dancing in the margins of the space, it felt spiritual and political.
We de-centre centre.
The newly found power of being in corners.
The tactile edges of the room give feedback and more and more ideas to explore.
Silence and stillness as a way of expanding within the space.
We feel how the space itself dances. How turning our attention to the whole space and acknowledging our surroundings is a way of including stories that might otherwise be excluded.
Expanding our skin, it feels liberating, it changes how we move.
Playing in a way that wasn’t possible during childhood.
The floor takes away soreness.
Rolling like waves in the ocean or down a grassy hill.
Being witnessed vs not being witnessed and how it alters our dancing.
Shedding.
Keep unfolding.
The group departs as they need and when they are ready. One member sweeps the floor, her ritual.
As I leave, I am filled with gratitude for this reconnection.
-Lisa Mariko Gelley
Visible Bodies in Workshop with Lisa Gelley - photo Lisa Gelley
CDC Holly Bright, and facilitated by Ecko Aleck Nanaimo, Snuneymuxw homelands (Nanaimo)
Performance with flag features: Dakota Bear, Nakota, C. Jones.
The Cru and Wasaskwun Winston Wuttunee, offering cultural teachings during one of the Cru meetings.
Body Talk, now in its 21st year, brings together a group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth in weekly meetings from October to May to produce a Spring Break dance event, and learn important life and employment skills in the process. During spring break the teens worked with Artists MJ Megaman, Dakota Bear and Casey Desjarlais to create a live production attended by over 120 friends, family and community members!
AJ Megaman: It was fascinating to see how the Indigenous artists worked with the youth and brought their teachings to life.
Elder Gary Manson: The work of this project supports Crimson Coast's efforts to help clear a path for these children so that eventually they will be able to take care of themselves. The Body Talk program offers this. It is good for the participants. They have fun and keep returning
Long time Cru participant, 2022-2023 “I noticed I wasn’t afraid to perform this year.”
Photos are by BHB Photography
CDC, Kenley Knock
Secwepemc homelands / Revelstoke
Encore Youth Festival
Through funding and guidance from Dance West Network, Kenley Knock and Tanis Baer were able to connect to the Revelstoke community through dance and other arts in the youth-led art festival Encore Youth Festival. 5 dance artists submitted several works, approximately 30 submissions of 2 & 3D art, live musicians and 100-150 attendees to the event. What a success and incredible experience to see the youth of our community step up and feel seen. What started as a small idea quickly grew to a larger than life event that they hope to continue year after year. Check out this article about the Festival in the Revelstoke Mountaineer!
Photographer Alexi Mostert
Dancers: Ella Hardy, Emily Hunt, Loren Morabito, Emma Mair, Micah Jacob , Natalia Morrone in Go Solo choreographed by Pearl Pratico
Photographer Alexi Mostert
Dancer: Yvonne Zhang in The Red Coral
CDC, Claudia Moore
Okanagan Nation Territory / Kelowna
CDC Claudia Moore offers an adult movement class(55+) called Dance Your Body / Move Your Heart at the Rotary Centre for the Arts. Danced to a variety of music, the movement phrases become instant dance creations to share with each other - playful, uplifting, energizing and fun!
Patti Tennessy, Claudia Moore and Sheila Long, participants in Dance Your Body / Move Your Heart class. Photo courtesy of Claudia Moore
CDC, Kenley Knock
Secwepemc homelands / Revelstoke
Arts Revelstoke, and CDC Kenley Knock a successful workshop and show presenting the Dancers of Damelahamid in Revelstoke during the first weekend of December.
“This workshop was so meaningful. Not only was the dance beautiful to participate in, the story, cultural sharing and context for how, why and what this dance is for was incredibly powerful and moving. It was an opportunity to connect with the workshop providers but also the other participants. I left feeling connected to place and people, delighted, spiritually awakened and honoured.” - workshop participant
CDC, Robbyn Scott
Te’mexw Treaty Association, WSÁNEĆ, Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group,Tsawwassen Territory / Salt Spring Island
Josh Beamish workshop with Gulf Island School for thre Performing Arts, territories of the xʷənen̕əč (Salt Spring Island), November 2 and 3, 2022. It was truly a delight having Joshua Beamish/MOVETHECOMAPNY here on Salt Spring Island again. The performances of the varied, short works in “Proximity” were riveting with their intimate sense of self-reflection, emotional content, and technical prowess.
The island’s high school dance class students had the opportunity to learn some of the choreography from “Proximity” in their class. Joshua led them with care. He was aware of each student and gave clear and helpful corrections. The young dancers were engaged, picked up the movements quickly and stayed with it. It was all wonderful to witness!
“I think this style of dance is very interesting and definitely gave me a new perspective on how to blend movements when making choreo.”
CDC, Kenley Knock
Secwepemc homelands / Revelstoke
Arts Revelstoke, and CDC Kenley Knock, have some exciting events planned at this year's Luna Festival! On Thursday, September 22, Ralph Escamillan will offer a workshop introducing performers to the choreographic and compositional ideas used in BLUSCRN - a work exploring contemporary advertising in relation to the body, which is live captured and composited onto monitors, from which other worlds, environments and desires emerge. Ralph will teach some sections of the show and share steps to working with digital media in a live studio practice.
Following the movement workshop, on Sunday, September 25, Ralph, Milton Lim and Kayleigh Sandormisky will share a look behind the curtain into some of the media design aspects, specifically how BLUSCRN makes use of chroma key materials, a camera, and real-time interactive software to put together a show. The creative team will also host a discussion about digital dramaturgy and field questions from workshop participants.
For more info
LUNA Artist Ralph Escamillan offered a movement based workshop exploring concepts of his work BLUSCRN. We had 13 participants ranging in ages 12+ who left the workshop feeling inspired and uplifted. We were so thrilled to provide our community with a fresh style of movement and an opportunity to play.
In July, Jessica McMann and Wild Mint Arts offered a series of workshops in one week to over 14 adults and 18 youth of the Shuswap Nation. Participants learned how to make hoops which they then used in hoop dancing workshops taught by Jessica McMann. The dance workshops culminated in a community sharing with the Shuswap nation with over 30 adults and 16 youth participating. Two pine needle weaving sessions were also offered for nation members with Ktunaxa artist Heather Morigeau.
photos feature participants in workshops. photo credit: courtesy of artist
CDC, Karen Buchanan
Ts’msyen La̱xyuup homelands / Prince Rupert
The event was designed to recognize indigenous history and pride month. Day one featured artwork and number of short films by local film maker Andrew Stewart and films from the National Film Board. The second date featured excerpts and film from the Dance Residency followed by a community dance, where people were encouraged to experiment interacting with each other and playing with audio and illuminated props.
These photos are from Change Makers.
