Chijinshu Wakatiida

October 11 at the Michael J. Fox Theatre

Save yourself the plane fare as Chijinshu Wakatiida brings eisa, the folk dances and singing, chanting, and drumming unique to Japan's Okinawa Islands here to Vancouver.

It's a rare chance to experience the region's colourful cultural traditionals firsthand, along with its form of lion dance, Ryukyu Shishimai, and taiko.

Special guests include legendary Okinawan musician and producer Hidekatsu, his daughter Mion on vocals and sanshin (the Okinawan three string banjo), and guitarist Yujiro Nakajima.

Evolutions

October 16 and 17 at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts

Canadian dance legend Margie Gillis takes the Burnaby stage with  seven performers from her Legacy Project, bringing to life new choreography and pieces from Gillis’s long repertoire. Best of all, the magnetic dance maven performs a solo at each show--a chance to see why she's still revered in the country.