Two left feet? Can’t feel the beat? Thanks to free programming available through Dance Days it's not a problem for anyone.
Now in its eights year, Dance Days is back with free and fun dance classes all over town, for beginners to advanced participants. You can try your hand (or foot) at swing, flamenco, ballroom, dance fitness, ballet, nia, zumba, hip hop, contemporary and more.
Dance Days 2017 kicks off on Jan. 20 and Jan. 21 with BalletBoyz performing their double bill, Life: Rabbit and Fiction at the Royal Theatre. Featuring music by Henryk Górecki, Ben Foskett and Donna Summer, the two works in Life take a provocative look at life and death.
During the week, Dance Victoria throws open the doors of its studios and invites the community to experience innovative dance artists up close and personal.
Look for a series called Rough Cuts on Jan. 27 and 28 at the Dance Victoria Studios at 2750 Quadra Street. Among the artists presenting new works-in-progress will be Tara Cheyenne, Silvia Gribaudi, Alexis Fletcher, Monique Salez, and Arash and Aryo Khakpour. Free and informal, performed under work lights and without costume or makeup, you’ll join a group of visiting dance presenters from across the country, and participate in a meaningful discussion with the artists. Because of the limited capacity of these events, participants are asked to visit DanceVictoria.com and select Rough Cuts to RSVP for each show.
Dance Victoria also presents The Mars Hotel at the Metro Studio Theatre on Jan. 27 and 28. In 2015, the accomplished dance artist, Ziyian Kwan, was commissioned to create a dance work using PW Brightman’s flash fiction, The Mars Hotel, as the inspiration.
She pulled together Vancouver’s top musicians—cellist Peggy Lee, trumpeter JP Morgan and guitarist Aram Bjakiam—and her old friend Noam Gagnon. Remarkably, despite long and distinguished international careers, Kwan and Gagnon had never danced together. The result is pure magic. A funny, touching and thoughtful portrayal of romantic love performed to an original score played live.
Tickets are $28.50 and available through the Royal and McPherson Box Office at 250-386-6121 or by visiting DanceVictoria.com.
The Dance Days class schedule is online at DanceVictoria.com.
Dance Victoria Dance Days
Free Classes: January 20 to January 29
BalletBoyz at the Royal Theatre: January 20 + 21 | $29-$89
Rough Cuts at Dance Victoria Studios: January 27 + 28 | Free
The Mars Hotel at the Metro Studio Theatre: January 27 + 28 | $28.50
Tickets: 250-386-6121 Information: DanceVictoria.com or 250-595-1829