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Free dance classes at Scotiabank Dance Centre on Saturday

Kinesis Dance. Photo: Chris Randle

The sign of a healthy dance community is a bustling dance hub and for Vancouver that place is the Scotiabank Dance Centre.  From contemporary and flamenco to bellydance and swing, the annual Scotiabank Dance Centre Open House, this Saturday September 13, offers the chance to sample a host of dance styles in a day of free open classes, studio showings and events. Participating companies and artists include Shay Kuebler/Radical System Arts, Kinesis Dance somatheatro, Karen Flamenco, TomoeArts.

As well as supporting the local community, Mirna Zagar, the Dance Centre’s intrepid leader, showcases national and international artists.

“ The Dance Centre each year tries to build on the success of prior seasons, enriching experiences of both audiences and the dance artists we interact with. This year is no different,” explained Zagar. “ I am thrilled that our partnerships expand our ability of presenting dance works by internationally acclaimed dance artists.”

“ Angelin Preljocaj, a first for Vancouver and one of France’s iconic dance makers, performs a seminal work to the voice of John Cage (he would be 100 years this years!). We’re also lucky to present Gilles Jobin, a Swiss choreographer and feature works by artists from Belgium and from Congo as part of the PuSh season. “

Without the steady support for local dance artists through a residency program and reasonable rental rates, many would struggle to flourish.

For Zagar, there is real “ excitement witnessing and featuring local artists within such a global context and how they shine is so wondrous.”

Two new full evening works by local artists Serge Bennathan and Delia Brett of MachineNoisy are the results of residency activities.

“The vibrancy of our community, the diversity of expression that creates Vancouver's dance fabric, can be experienced in a nutshell already at our Open House and through the year with our Discover Dance series”, enthused Zagar.

For those of us in the non-profit arts sector, life is not always easy and rarely well paid, but for Zagar, life is not worth living without art.

“I cannot imagine a world without art. Even the smallest details of our every day lives are impacted by art in one way or another starting at early childhood. We become obsessed with the big, the bling, the loud, and forget to notice the small things in the making,” shared Zagar. “ Art helps us understand who we are and what we like, it expands our horizons of how we see the world around us and our role in the world. “

 

 

The Dance Centre presents the 13th annual

Scotiabank Dance Centre Open House

Saturday September 13, 2014, 11am-5pm

Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie Street (at Granville), Vancouver

Free admission

 

 

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