(This story is sponsored by the Seismic Shift Arts Society.)

Vancouver-based DanceHouse is not letting the pandemic interfere with its 2020 fall season. For more than a decade, the international dance presenter has shared its passion for exhilarating dance with the city’s residents. 

Embracing the virtual world, DanceHouse is pleased to offer works online that were previously outside the scope of its offerings. 

“Over the past 12 years, DanceHouse’s programming for the stage has endeavoured to find opportunity within the limitations and constraints we must work within, striving to land artistically challenging offerings that push and stretch our organization, our community, and our audiences,” says artistic director Jim Smith. 

“2020 has pushed this idea to its extreme in taking new risks in digital delivery and we are all thrilled to see that it’s working,” he says. “In pivoting to what feels like start-up mode we have learned things at an unprecedented rate and I am proud of all of us, especially our adaptive and dedicated audiences.” 

DanceHouse’s fall season features three cutting-edge presentations that will captivate and inspire virtual attendees. 

Dance enthusiasts will deeply adore the programming delivered by the famous Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT), livestreamed from the Netherlands. The NDT is one of the most robust and progressive contemporary dance companies in the world and will feature work by Alexander Ekman and Dimo Milev in the premiere of Dare to Say. DanceHouse has been eager to get the top-tier arts company to its Vancouver stage and the digital platform presents a great opportunity to do so.

In the presentation of Dare to Say, dancers explore the boundaries of choreography and take a percussive approach to movement. Ekman typically creates his own music to fit with the meticulous choreography, but for this production, the dancemakers collaborated with composer Miguelangel Clerc Parada. This series will be running from November 6 to 8, and tickets can be purchased here. 

Another of DanceHouse’s fall innovations is Jack Of All Trades’ Battle / Street Dance, which will be livestreamed from Montreal on November 15. Viewers will be fascinated by the excitement and intimacy included in this performance, showcasing the ancient art of battle through the dance genre of popping. 

Eight talented Canadian dancers will perform to adrenaline-inducing funk and g-funk beats played by three renowned DJs. After executing their improvised dance solo, each competitor’s piece will be adjudicated by a jury. For tickets to this must-see event, click here. 

Lastly, DanceHouse’s public Speaking of Dance series has been revolutionized into an expanded event that will feature a panel of four artists, titled Future Memory, on November 26. In previous years, the complimentary event presented visiting artists and community members for an open discussion. 

Speaking of Dance promotes public engagement, accessibility within Vancouver’s dance community, and much more. This virtual event will take place on November 26, and is copresented with SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs. To register, click here. 

For more information, visit www.dancehouse.ca/. Follow DanceHouse on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates.