Stir is a digital media organization dedicated to covering Vancouver’s arts and culture scene through independent journalism.
Stir is a digital media organization dedicated to covering Vancouver’s arts and culture scene through independent journalism.
Samsara by Aakash Odedra Company, Dancers Aakash Odedra and Hu Shenyuan, photo by Nirvair Singh Rai.
Time-Creation-Destruction by Daina Ashbee.
The VIDF elevates the public profile of contemporary dance in Vancouver and has put Vancouver on the international map of dance. Since its very beginnings, Hirabayashi and Bourget have programmed the festival with a commitment to inclusivity and a nod to their own eclectic interests. While they are best known as being among the world’s top butoh artists, having founded Kokoro Dance, Bourget trained as a ballerina, Hirabayashi is a keen amateur musician, and they love dance of all kinds. Over the years, VIDF has presented artists who specialize in hip hop, classical ballet, martial-arts inspired modern dance, avant-flamenco, contact improvisation, classical and contemporary Indian Bharatanatyam, and much more. The VIDF is a highly anticipated event that has no aesthetic boundaries, that showcases work that is physically visceral and kinetically exciting, and that engages and challenges audiences.
Increasing public appreciation for contemporary dance created by equity-seeking artists is a core goal. VIDF presents exceptional performances and workshops by leading artists of varying backgrounds who are focused on the body as the instrument of communication. The festival advances the art of contemporary dance through innovation, experimentation, rigour, and physical discipline.
The VIDF’s mandate is to globally support the art of contemporary dance while maintaining a strong focus on B.C.’s contemporary dance community and building audiences for contemporary dance in Vancouver. To that end, the festival features work that is inclusive of the diversity of expression found in B.C. and the City of Vancouver, where the VIDF takes place annually during three weeks in the month of March.
Equity and approachability are central principles of VIDF, which strives to make contemporary dance accessible to all sectors of the Vancouver population, including those who are economically disadvantaged and unable to afford to purchase even the least expensive tickets to dance performances. If dance is a universal language, the VIDF ensures everyone can experience it, Half of the VIDF’s programming is free for the public to enjoy.
Travelling from Haiti to Brazil, the artist collects a diverse range of rhythmic language