My name is Katie Wertz (she/her) and I am an emerging dance artist and choreographer based on Gidimt’en Clan Territory of the Wet’suwet’en Nation (Smithers, BC).

My foundation is in technical dance and stage performance. I studied classical ballet and contemporary dance modalities with renowned international contemporary dance artists at Arts Umbrella (Vancouver, BC). Overtime, I came up against a pivotal growth edge, feeling my early training no longer supported my long term artistic vision when I returned to the North. My choreographic style evolved toward improvisation and site-responsive work as I embraced and deepened my relationship with the dynamic landscape and waterways of this territory. Core artistic influences include Julie Lebel (Vancouver, BC), Lindsay Katsitsakatste Delaronde (Victoria, BC), Miriam Colvin (Myriad Dance Projects, Smithers, BC) and Natu Bearwolf (Smithers, BC). I integrate Latinx cultural influences into my movement practice, using multidisciplinary tools including spoken word, drawing, meditation, photography, film and land-based explorations.

I am a 2nd generation Colombian-Canadian and a single parent to two young children. My artistic practice focuses on the interplay between land, somatics, and community, shaping lived experiences into expressions of place and belonging. The rural context in which I live informs my work which is deeply connected to nature, community, and collective storytelling.