International Dance Day may have come and gone, but there is still lots of dance to celebrate! Have a great week!

Welcome to the Friday Round-Up, a place for the Vancouver community of dancers and dance lovers to come together and share what is going on in the local dance community. In this new world in which we find ourselves, it is now more important than ever to find ways to connect and share all the many new and innovative ways in which we create, communicate and relate in the world of dance. So if you have something you would like to share with the Friday Round-Up, please send it to debora@dancehouse.ca. We look forward to hearing from you!

If you have not made your way down to 1150 Denman St to see Caroline Laurin-Beaucage’s (Montreal) REBO(U)ND: An Outdoor Dance Video Projection, you have until Saturday May 8 to do so! Presented by DanceHouse, REBO(U)ND, projected on the wall of a tower in English Bay, will be offered to the gaze of all passers-by, bringing dance out of theatres and studios, and directly into the general public in a celebratory moment for artists, local businesses and neighbours to rebound from the past year’s challenges. The projection plays with perceptions, the notions of time, gravity, scale and space. A visual experience to live, to feel, REBO(U)ND is a vibrant tribute to dance, sharing the feelings of abandonment and freedom. FREE!

Until Friday, May 8 (online), the Vancouver International Dance Festival presents Vidya Kotamraju in LONGING, a two-part performance based on the universal themes of romantic and spiritual yearning for love, companionship and oneness. I. I and He “Dear Friend, please bring my beloved Krishna to me. Nostalgic as I am of all those magical moments spent with him, I passionately yearn for his presence.” II. Thou and Me “Oh Shiva! intoxicated as I am by the beauty of your dance, I yearn for your presence. Oh beautiful Lord with matted long hair, adorned with snakes, with the crescent moon and divine river on your head, I long to see your marvelous dance. I implore you to come and bless me with your grace.” For tickets and a video, go here.

Tuesday, May 11, 5 pm (online), the Dance Centre presents Flamenco dancer Maria Avila as she explores the act of creating within the confines of the pandemic in a short film titled IN/COMPLETO. “Flamenco is typically performed with a group that includes a guitarist, percussionist, singer and dancer. Left in isolation from others, what could be possible? This led me to create my own musical score and explore voice. I found myself changing roles of dancer to singer to percussionist, decomposing and reconstructing the elements of flamenco. My aim was to encapsulate my current reality of being an artist in the COVID era. Choreography was generated through feelings of loneliness, appreciation, anger, boredom and repetition.” This film can be viewed on YouTube, at 5 pm May 11.

On Friday May 21, 5pm (online) join Made in BC – Dance on Tour (MiBC) in collaboration with the Vancouver Street Dance Festival in REAL TALK Dance Convo: Women in Hip-Hop, a public conversation and gathering featuring a stellar mix of five international and local guest speakers discussing their support of women dance artists in Hip-Hop and their experiences creating large-scale platforms to share the work. Speakers include Michele Byrd-McPhee – Executive Director Ladies of Hip-Hop Festival  (NYC), Natasha Gorrie,Diamonds in the Rough (Vancouver), Alex ‘Spicey’ Landé, award-winning choreographer in hip-hop (Montréal) and Mycs Villoso, Director of The HipHop Dance Convention in the Philippines, the biggest gathering of hip-hop dance in the country.  And direct from the birthplace of hip-hop, The Bronx, NY, Kathleen Adams co-founder of  Momma’s Hip-Hop Kitchen will moderate the conversation. To register

Saturday, May 22nd @ 4:00-4:45pm (Online), join New Works for a Free Online Share Dance Workshop: Creative Dance with Harmanie Rose! Classes will be live-streamed on Zoom. This program is designed for families with children 6+ years old, but everyone is welcome to participate! Harmanie blends hip hop, ballet, contemporary, and creative dance to create a unique and fun class that promotes fun and self-expression for children and their families, all in an inclusive and welcoming space for people with and without disabilities About Harmanie: Harmanie Rose is a disabled dance artist, facilitator, and choreographer with the award-winning All Bodies Dance Project in Vancouver, BC, Canada as well as a member of the InterpenDance Collective. Harmanie is curious about how the disabled lens can enhance and provide clarity about the bodies and space we inhabit. In addition to studying with internationally renowned companies, Candoco Dance Company (UK) and Axis Dance (US), Harmanie has worked with critically acclaimed dance artist Alice Sheppard in her film Inclinations. Details & how to register.