Scotiabank Dance Centre celebrates its 20th anniversary this season

One of Canada’s flagship dance facilities, the purpose-built centre has become a cultural hub

SPONSORED POST BY the dance centre

Scotiabank Dance Centre. Photo by Ivan Hunter

This fall marks a momentous occasion for Scotiabank Dance Centre. One of Canada’s flagship dance facilities, it is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

A purpose-built facility designed for the use of a diverse dance community, Scotiabank Dance Centre is believed to have been the only one of its kind in North America when it opened in 2001. It was spearheaded by The Dance Centre, a non-profit resource organization for dance in B.C. founded in 1986, which operates the facility today in addition to running artist support programs and presenting performances and events.

Its goals are to provide quality space for artists to work; to provide a central home for the dance community; to increase visibility for dance; and to provide a place for people to connect with dance.

The location, at the corner of Davie and Granville streets, was donated by Scotiabank: it was formerly a branch of the bank, built in 1930, and the heritage façade on Granville was preserved. Renowned Canadian architect Arthur Erickson designed the building in collaboration with Architectura (now Stantec). There are seven dance studios, including a fully-equipped black box theatre space for performances.

However, Scotiabank Dance Centre is more than a building—it has become a cultural hub, bringing together people from diverse communities to create, share, and experience dance. Studios are used for rehearsals, classes, performances, and events in every kind of dance style. The 2018-19 season (the last full season pre-COVID) saw an estimated 87,000+ visits.

“It has been immensely rewarding to see how Scotiabank Dance Centre, which began as a dream so many years ago, has contributed to the arts scene in our city and the growth of BC’s dance community,” says Mirna Zagar, executive director of The Dance Centre. “As a hub for dance, it provides high-quality studio space, but it is much more than just a building: we have nurtured a stimulating environment that is supportive of the creative potential of dance artists, contributing to a thriving synergy within the arts sector in Canada.”

The Dance Centre’s 2021-22 season will mark the 20th anniversary with special programming, in addition to residencies, performances, and events.

For more information, see Scotiabank Dance Centre.

Post sponsored by The Dance Centre.