EVENTS
The Dance Centre announces its 2025-2026 season
The Dance Centre’s 2025-2026 season presents a comprehensive program of exciting performances, accessible community programs, and creative residencies, featuring a diverse roster of artists working in a variety of dance genres. The Global Dance Connections series features Co.ERASGA, Action at a Distance/Vanessa Goodman, James Gnam/Plastic Orchid Factory, Justine A. Chambers, Ame Henderson + Matija Ferlin, Corporeal Imago and FakeKnot. The Discover Dance! noon hour series includes Sujit Vaidya, Flamenco Rosario, Idan Cohen/Ne. Sans Opera & Dance, and Danny Nielsen. Choreographic research is supported through residencies and labs, and residency exchanges with partners in Montreal, Toronto and New Zealand will support artistic growth and creative exchange. Community programs include the annual Scotiabank Dance Centre Open House and International Dance Day events, and The Power of Dance program workshops for schools, youth and seniors.
(Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie St, Vancouver, September 2025 – June 2026)
DanceHouse and Vancouver New Music present Stephanie Lake Company’s Manifesto
DanceHouse and Vancouver New Music present the BC Premiere of Australia’s Stephanie Lake Company’s Manifesto, April 16 to 18, 2026, at 8pm at the Vancouver Playhouse. In a unique pairing, nine drummers and nine dancers—with backgrounds ranging from contemporary and ballet to salsa and hip hop, and from jazz and metal to classical and experimental—share the stage for this explosive full-length performance, summoning a cacophonic wall of sound composed by experimental music composer Robin Fox. Drawing inspiration from the primal connection between drumming and dance, the artists channel the glittering energy of old-time Hollywood extravaganzas for a tightly crafted and thrilling work.
(Vancouver Playhouse, 600 Hamilton St., Apr. 16–18)
Ballet Vancouver presents After the Rain & Other Works
Ballet Vancouver, the city's newest professional ballet company, presents its inaugural program After the Rain & Other Works, on stage April 23–25, 2026 at the Vancouver Playhouse. Featuring dancers from American Ballet Theatre alongside some of Canada's finest artists, the program celebrates Vancouver's global identity and its rich contributions to the art form—with the Vancouver premiere of Christopher Wheeldon's After the Rain, marking the first time the acclaimed Royal Ballet Artistic Associate's work has ever been performed for Vancouver audiences; the return of two works that made their world premieres in the city—Wen Wei Wang's Swan and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's Redemption; and the world premiere of Winterbourne, co-created by Ballet Vancouver’s Artistic Director Joshua Beamish and Gitxsan Indigenous fashion designer Yolonda Skelton. Ballet Vancouver will host pre-show talks with guest artists ahead of all three performances in the upper lobby of the Vancouver Playhouse at 6:45pm. For tickets, more information, and the pre-show chat schedule, visit: balletvancouver.com
(Vancouver Playhouse, 600 Hamilton St, Apr. 23–25)
The Dance Centre presents International Dance Day events on April 29
The Dance Centre presents a dynamic lineup of events for International Dance Day, including an outdoor Vogue workshop, a boundary-pushing choreography walk, and studio showings of new works in development. Most events are free or offered on a sliding scale, taking place across The Dance Centre, What Lab, and 800 Robson Plaza. Initiated in 1982 by UNESCO, International Dance Day is celebrated annually on April 29 worldwide.
(The Dance Centre, 677 Davie St, Vancouver, Apr. 29)
Studio Salon Series: Spring 2026
Our Studio Salon Series returns, featuring works in progress by three local artists. This event will be live at What Lab (#202-1814 Pandora St, Vancouver) on Wednesday, @ 5 PM. In-person audience capacity is limited to 40 people.
(What Lab - 1814 Pandora St Vancouver BC, V5L 1M5, Apr. 29)
DanceHouse announces 2026/27 season
DanceHouse announces its 2026/27 season of five evocative contemporary performances from some of the world’s leading dance companies, on stage at the Vancouver Playhouse from October 2026 through April 2027. An eclectic mix of dancemakers from Canada, the UK, Sweden, and India will explore pathways to liberation, from breaking free of conformity to uniting against an increasingly fractured world and embracing connection. The season includes the Vancouver premiere of Catherine Gaudet’s ODE, the Canadian premiere of Knitting Peace by Cirkus Cirkör, the North American premiere of Forbidden by Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company, the return of Kidd Pivot’s Assembly Hall, and the BC premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Deepstaria.
(Vancouver Playhouse, 600 Hamilton St., Oct. 2026–Apr. 2027)
Lighting Design with James Proudfoot
James Proudfoot is Vancouver’s leading lighting designer in dance and has designed works ranging from festival presentations to full evening performances. This hands-on workshop explores how lighting can support the physical and thematic aspects of choreography, as well as the terminology needed to communicate effectively with a lighting designer. Participants will work in a black-box theatre setting to see the real-time impact of lighting on performance.
(The Dance Centre, 677 Davie St., Vancouver, May. 4)
The Dance Centre presents Discover Dance! Danny Nielsen
The Dance Centre’s Discover Dance! noon series highlights tap dance through excerpts from Danny Nielsen’s collaboration with pianist and percussionist Kristian Alexandrov, In Conversation. The work explores the relationship between tap and jazz, featuring live music by Miles Hill on bass and lighting design by Jack Chipman, offering a contemporary interpretation of rhythm-based performance. (The Dance Centre, 677 Davie St, Vancouver BC V6B 2G6, May 7, 2026)
The Dance Centre presents Corporeal Imago: Drift
A powerful world premiere from Corporeal Imago, Drift conjures a mysterious world where the human form recedes into a shifting, scarred landscape. Choreographed by Artistic Directors Gabrielle Martin and Jeremiah Hughes in collaboration with five performers, the work unfolds through compelling movement, visual effects, and an atmospheric soundscape.
(The Dance Centre, 677 Davie St., Vancouver, BC V6B 2G6, May. 21–23)
