Project Details

Project created by: Shelby Richardson, Jon Russell, Ashley Burmaster, Giselle Liu

Key Collaborators: Darleen McIntosh (lheidli t'enneh elder welcome and blessing), Nicole Russell, Sara McGowan, Sloane Zogas, Kendra Hamelin, Grace Perry, Shayla Dyble

Audience: General Audience

Length in minutes: 20 minutes and 2 seconds - Mixed program

Space required: This work is built for an online presentation. This work is adaptable for any spaces where video screening is available.

Preparation required: N/A

General technical requirements: Video Performance, a projector is required to screen the performance.

Availabilities: FALL 2021, WINTER 2022, SPRING 2022, SUMMER 2022

We are available for in-person activities anytime after January 2022.

Not booking as of yet - FALL 2022, WINTER 2023, SPRING 2023, SUMMER 2023

Number of performers on tour: 0 (1 facilitator, 3 dancers for in-person accompanying workshop)

Number of support staff on tour: 0 (1 agent for in-person workshop)

Community Engagement Activities

Currently our programming involves a series of online community workshops called the Method Community Workshops. The classes focus on improvisation methods and entry-level access choreography that provide inclusive strategies of engagement for public members. Our classes encourage cardiovascular health by providing instructional movement and exercise. Throughout the class our facilitators provide insight as to the foundational techniques and processes of contemporary dance, expanding participant knowledge of contemporary art forms. An important aspect of this community workshop is to allow the greater public of Prince George an opportunity to see the inner workings of a professional dance company. Some classes may offer deconstructions of choreography so that our participants can engage with repertoire from the company performances. Other classes may explore contemporary methodologies in movement, such as contraction and release, suspension and falling or structured improvisation. By providing access to these methodologies and practices our community will gain a valuable understanding of contemporary dance and its importance to our community. We would love the opportunity to expand these workshops to engage other regions throughout British Columbia. Last year, we were able to bring in practitioners from all over BC and Canada to participate and facilitate these workshops. Method Dance Society’s intended audience is meant to be broad and includes all those who are passionate of about arts and culture in their community.

This year, we would like to specifically work on connecting with communities throughout the wider central-interior and northern regions of BC. If workshops are being deployed in connection to a screening of the work, we would propose the following format: A one-hour online (or in-person COVID permitting) session that includes the following: 5 minute introduction from the facilitator (one of the choreographers from the work), and dancers participating in the workshop. 15-20 minute introduction to contemporary dance techniques including improvisation and somatics. 20 minutes of deconstructed choreography from the work. 10-15 minutes of questions and answers period. It is key here to understand that participants can engage at any level, whether that participation is physically active or simply as an observer. The goal of the workshop is to shed light on the process of creating contemporary movement and how it relates to the work being presented.