MAINSTAGE 2026-27
Dark Factory (work in progress)
Dark Factory is a new interactive, installation-style work exploring themes of automated labour and the embodiment of inorganic systems by organic beings (and vice versa). The work takes it’s inspiration from fully-automated manufacturing facilities that operate with little to no human workers, and therefore have no need for light. These facilities are referred to as dark factories, or lights-out manufacturing.
This new work posits a post-human industrial site inhabited by auto-bodies functioning in complete darkness, precisely choreographed so that they can complete their tasks without ever colliding. The machines in this work are living performers, performing a track of looping actions that gesture towards machine action that has an original signature in human movement (ie claw machines, conveyor belts, security cameras, etc.)
Since the performers won’t need light to complete their tracks, the work instead invites the viewer to become an active participant by lighting the work through their exploration of the piece with flashlights, following their curiosities without an overly prescribed directorial gaze.
Dark Factory is designed to be durational, non-narrative, and site-responsive to mimic the ubiquity of machines in our everyday lives. The work can be performed in- or out-doors, in traditional or non-traditional venues, at any time of day or night.
Calder White
photos courtesy of the artist
TRAILER
ARTIST BIO
Calder White (he/him) is a freelance dance artist based on the unceded lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations. He is an alumnus of Tkaronto's Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre and holds a BFA in Dance from the Ohio State University. He has originated roles in work by Shay Kuebler, Joshua Beamish, Wen Wei Wang, Ziyian Kwan, and Rachel Meyer, amongst others. His own choreography has been presented by institutions across North America, including Santa Barbara Dance Theater, Dancing on the Edge Festival, Danceworks Toronto, Odd Meridian Arts, and Kinetic Studios Halifax. Calder is also a floorwork teacher, regularly sharing his workshops in cities and towns across North America. He is the proud recipient of the 2022 Hnatyshyn Foundation's Ukraine - Heritage, Spirit, and Future award for Exceptional Talent in Contemporary Dance.
Performance History & Upcoming Performances
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES:
"only child", June 5 2027, Crimson Coast Dance Society in collaboration with PRIDE Nanaimo, Nanaimo BC
"Dark Factory (work in progress)", Spring 2027 (TBD), Boombox Performance, Vancouver BC
"only child", Sept 1-2 2026, Gabriola Theatre Festival, Gabriola Theatre Centre, Gabriola Island BC
PAST PERFORMANCES:
"Dwell", June 5-6 2026, Lamondance Training Program, BlueShore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts, North Vancouver BC
"I become an Island", November 21-22 2025, presented by Kinetic Open Studio Series, DANSpace, Halifax NS
"only child", November 7-8 2025, co-presented by ChromaQueer Film + Arts Festival and Ottawa Dance Directive, Arts Court, Ottawa ON
"only child", July 9-13 2025, presented by Odd Meridian Arts, Morrow Studios, Vancouver BC
"3/4 echo", July 9-13 2025, presented by Odd Meridian Arts, Morrow Studios, Vancouver BC
"only child", June 24-26 2025, presented by Danceworks Toronto, Young People's Theatre, Toronto ON
"BABY", May 10th 2025, Prince George Community Arts Council, Prince George Performing Arts Centre, Prince George BC
"BABY", March 30th 2025, ArtSpring Theatre Rough Cuts Residency, ArtSpring Theatre, Salt Spring Island BC
"I become an island", July 17th - 19th 2024, Boombox Performance (with partnering sponsor Company 605), 44 W 4th Ave, Vancouver BC
"Nowing", June 16th + 17th 2024, Dancing on the Edge Festival (AD. Donna Spencer), Firehall Arts Centre, Vancouver BC
"BABY", July 14th + 15th 2022, Dancing on the Edge Festival (AD. Donna Spencer w/ guest curation by Amber Funk Barton), Firehall Arts Centre, Vancouver BC
"the trouble with stacking bones", Sept 21st 2019, self-produced with space and staff support from Le Marché St George & La Fabrique St George, La Fabrique St George (7 East 7th Ave), Vancouver BC
Project Created by: Calder White, in collaboration with the performers
Key Artistic Collaborators: Performers and creative collaborators: Brianne Chan, Sarah Hutton, Aiden Cass, Samantha Krystal, Juolin Lee, Max Hanic
Costume designer: Daniel McDougall
Music: Jeremy O'Neill
Outside eye: Steph Cyr
Performance type: THIS WORK IS BUILT FOR OUT-OF-DOORS OR ALTERNATE VENUES/SPACES , THIS WORK IS ADAPTABLE TO THEATRE OR OUTDOORS OR ALTERNATE VENUES /SPACES
How do you define this work: Durational, Installation, Site-responsive, Performance art
Length of performance: 30-120 minutes
Audience type: General Audience
Number of Performers on tour (including choreographer): 6
Number of Support Staff on Tour: 1
Availabilities: 2027/28 Season,2028/29 Season
Project Details
Community Engagement
General Technical Requirements: This work requires no tech besides a professional or portable sound system and a kit of small flashlights for the audience to use if the work is performed indoors/after dark. The work is designed to be performed on any terrain that is mostly flat, and therefore no specific dancefloor is needed.
Required amount of time for tech set up: 2-4 hours if technical details of performance space (dimensions of the space, most importantly) are sent ahead of time.
Alternative Venues: We are building this work with site-responsiveness as a priority. The main need for this work is a performance space of no less than 900 square feet and a relaxed viewing environment to allow the audience to come and go as they please.
Outreach Activities
Workshops from open-level to advanced/professional level can be offered as part of the performance engagement. My pedagogy focuses on prioritizing comfort through the learning process to do away with fear and replace it with excitement. Teaching movers to use the knowledge they already have to meet new challenges is at the core of my classes. Many of my collaborators performing in Dark Factory also have rigorous teaching practices in styles including partner work, contact improvisation, and various forms of contemporary dance.
Additionally, choreographic/compositional workshops can be provided to the community, inviting participants into the creative process and themes of Dark Factory.
These workshops could happen during show week, earlier in the day on show days or in the days leading up to the performance to better promote the work. Company rehearsals can also be opened to the public to give young artists and curious community members a peek inside the preparation process for Dark Factory.
The workshops/masterclasses can be adapted for various communities, from ages 6 to 70. The skill level necessary for the workshops can also be adapted with advanced notice provided, as I have experience teaching professional dancers and first-timers alike. These workshops can be included in the performance fees, offering low barrier to entry for people curious about contemporary dance, improvisation, choreography, and/or floorwork.