DanceHouse
Dada Masilo - TheSacrifice - Photo by John Hogg.
Hofesh Shechter Company - DOUBLE MURDER - CLOWNS - Photo by Todd MacDonald
BBoyizm-In My Body-Photo by Jerick Collantes
For fifteen years, DanceHouse has connected Vancouver audiences to the international world of dance.
Founded in 2008 by local producers Barbara Clausen of New Works and Jim Smith, DanceHouse formed to fill a void for large-scale, world-class dance coming into the city.
Since then, it has presented vibrant and inspiring companies from Canada and beyond—including celebrated works by the likes of Compagnie Marie Chouinard, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Hofesh Shechter Company, and Vancouver bright lights like Kidd Pivot and Wen Wei Wang. It introduced local audiences to some of the hottest troupes from far corners of the world—including Brazil’s cutting-edge Grupo Corpo, the UK’s Wayne McGregor, and Australia’s ILBIJERRI Theatre Company.
The culturally diverse programming aims not just to foster a wider appreciation of dance here on the West Coast, but to challenge and inspire audience members. It’s become a showcase for work that fuses disciplines like theatre and multimedia with dance, or that intersects with culturally rooted styles. Sometimes that means the world-premiere of a hotly-anticipated new Canadian work (Kidd Pivot’s sold out 2019 production of Revisor), or an explosion of physicality (think Brazil-based Compagnie Kafig’s mix of hip-hop with capoeira, samba spice, and contemporary flow).
Led today by artistic and executive director Jim Smith, DanceHouse has become an integral part of the cultural fabric of the city and now spreads its performance offerings between the larger Vancouver Playhouse Theatre and the slightly more intimate Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre in the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts at SFU Woodward’s.
It has also built a full range of engagement opportunities beyond the stage. These include Speaking of Dance Conversations—a series of free public dialogues and roundtable conversations co-presented with SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs; these forums dive into the world of dance and arts, contextualizing it within culture and society. These are complemented by Speaking of Dance pre- and post-show talks, a rare opportunity for audiences to hear from and engage directly with visiting artists and their representatives. Other community initiatives include local masterclasses with world-class artists, and ticket discounts for the local dance community.
