The Georgia Straight proudly sponsors the Dancing on the Edge Festival

Canada’s longest-running contemporary dance festival returns to Vancouver July 5 to 14. The Dancing on the Edge Festival marks its 24th year with nearly 50 performances from more than 20 companies and choreographers from across the country.

This year’s featured full programs include Vertiges by Montreal’s Paul-André Fortier of Fortier Danse-Création, which takes place at the Firehall Arts Centre (280 East Cordova Street) Thursday and Friday (July 5 and 6) at 7 p.m.; Inheritor Album by local dance troupe 605 Collective at the Vancouver Playhouse (601 Hamilton Street) Saturday and Sunday (July 6 and 7) at 8:30 p.m.; Pierced by Vancouver’s Joshua Beamish of MOVE: The Company at the Firehall Arts Centre Sunday and Monday (July 8 and 9) at 7 p.m.; Yemayo by Montreal’s Julio Hong at the Firehall Arts Centre from July 10 to 11 at 7 p.m.; this time by Toronto’s Heidi Strauss of adelheid dance projects at SFU Woodward’s Studio T at the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (149 West Hastings Street)from July 12 to 13 at 8:30 p.m.; and bANGER from local choreographer Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg at Firehall Arts Centre on July 14 at 7 p.m.

Six mixed programs include EDGE one on July 5 at 9 p.m. and July 7 at 7 p.m., which will feature three Vancouver dance troupes: Robin Poitras for dumb instrument Dance in Soft Foot, Caroline Liffmann and Lina Fitner of Light Box in The Karolina Sisters, and Vanessa Goodman of the Contingency Plan in peeling away like a bubble in wallpaper; EDGE two on July 8 and 9 at 9 p.m., which will feature Starr Muranko of Starrwind Dance Projects in before7after, Karissa Barry in BINARY, and Cheryl Prophet in The Room; EDGE three on July 10 at 9 p.m. and July 12 at 7 p.m., which will feature Edmonton’s Troy Emery Twigg of Alberta Aboriginal Arts in They Shoot Buffalo, Don’t They? and Vancouver’s Sophie Yendole and Meredith Kalaman in The Lost Art of Girl Guiding; EDGE four on July 11 and 12 at 9 p.m. will feature Brian Webb of Brian Webb Dance in 30% Gone and Peter Bingham for MACHiNENOiSY in Romantic Old Horses; EDGE five on July 13 at 7 p.m. and July 14 at 2 p.m. will feature Victoria’s Constance Cooke in Flightless Aviators & Angels, Nicole Mion of Springboard Performance in Quiver, and Farley Johansson in Untitled; and EDGE six on July 13 and 14 at 9 p.m. will feature Alvin Erasga Tolentino of Co.ERASGA Dance in Amongst, Deborah Dunn of Trial & Eros & MACHiNENOiSY in Yin Fetish, and Helen Husak in Fight or Flight.

In addition, two site-specific works will feature Karissa Barry in 3 Places… on July 5 and 14 at the Firehall Arts Centre Courtyard and Brad Muirhead of Science Friction in What’s the Idea? on July 10 at 12 p.m. and July 11 at 5 p.m. at Victory Square (200 West Hastings Street at Cambie).

Tickets to single performances start at $22 and four- and eight-pack EDGE passes start at $85. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the Firehall Arts Centre box office at 604-689-0926