Dance Victoria announces support for eleven artists/collectives in residence at its newly refurbished Quadra Village studios during the 2023/24 season. Successful applicants were selected from a request for proposals that closed on June 3, 2023.
“We were incredibly impressed with the overall excellence, diversity and scope of projects represented in the proposals this year,” shares Dance Victoria’s Executive Director, Gillian Jones. “This was a competitive process, and one that we ultimately believe will support the continued development of a flourishing, diverse, and collaborative dance scene in the region.”
Dance Victoria’s mandate is to enhance the appreciation of dance by presenting and developing excellent professional dance; to support emerging dance artists and choreographers; and to engage the community in the celebration of dance. The Artist Residency Program provides BC-based artists access to studio space, mentorship, the opportunity to network with dance artists from across the region, and a direct financial contribution. Participating choreographers are supported as they develop their artistic visions through research and exploration, creation, outreach, and performance.
Dance Victoria’s 2023/24 Residency Artists are:
Amber Downie-Back (she/they) will enter the final creation phase of on the nature of…, an interdisciplinary dance performance and installation in collaboration with Netherlands-based dance artist Emilie van der Waals, interdisciplinary artist Angus Gaffney, and dramaturge Natasha Poon Woo.
Eowynn Enquist (she/her) and Isak Enquist (he/him) will develop their first full-length collaborative project as ENQUIST X ENQUIST. This piece will explore and amplify various aspects of the Enquists’ relationship – personal, private, and professional.
Inverso Productions, led by choreographer and Artistic Director Lesley Telford (she/her), will explore themes of strength and vulnerability in our relationships. The resulting performance, Borrowed Time, will engage an intergenerational cast and invite two older adults, residents of Victoria, to participate as performers.
Fiana Kawane (she/her) is a dance artist and choreographer trained in Kathak. illiterate heart: experiments in Kathak (e)motion will explore the nine emotional states, Rasas, distinct to South Asian dance. Fiana’s practice prioritizes interdisciplinary collaboration and public engagement.
Stacey Horton (she/her) will begin development of a new work Brain Dreams, bringing together a cohort of Victoria-based dance artists to explore the brain’s influence on reality and the “golden days” phenomenon after brain trauma.
Cora Kozaris (she/her) will choreograph a dance film, The Messenger, exploring the impact of grief on the body over time. The film utilizes 3D scanning technology to capture multi-dimensional models of the dancers. This allows for reimagining, manipulating, or distorting the physical entities in ways which cannot be done in reality.
Angela Mousseau (she/her) will collaborate with dance artist Elya Grant (she/her) and emerging artist Nyah Wong Penner on AMBIGUOUS IMAGES, an exploration of how contemporary dance can be interwoven with sketch artist illustrations.
Kiera Shaw (she/her) will research movement vocabulary and character development for an immersive, site-specific contemporary dance work inspired by the popular Choose Your Own Adventure book series.
Suddenly Dance Theatre will continue their international collaboration with South Korean artists Hoyeon Kim and Jung ah Chung in the development of a fourth installment of the dance film series Lucky Maybe, directed by David Ferguson.
Visible Bodies Collective is a multidisciplinary embodiment practice grounded within global Indigenous ways of knowing and being. This shared collective of knowledge keepers engages in training, creation, and performance with an emphasis on somatic processing and structured improvisation.
Marissa Wong (she/her) is a dance artist collaborating with filmmaker Jared Davis (he/him). Marissa’s movement background of ballet, contemporary dance, aerial silks and contact improvisation complements Jared’s background in Parkour, breaking, house dance and hustle.
In addition to free studio time, Dance Victoria is providing artist fees and technical support valued at over $30,000. At various times throughout the year, the public will be invited to meet Residency Artists and experience their works-in-progress at Dance Victoria Studios.
Dance Victoria’s Artist Residency Program is supported by the RBC Foundation – Emerging Artists Fund, D’AMBROSIO architecture + urbanism, JB Lawyers, Canada Council for the Arts, Victoria Foundation’s Community Grants Program, and individual donors.
About Dance Victoria
Dance Victoria brings the World’s Best Dance to the Royal Theatre and supports the development of new dance for the international stage from its studios in Quadra Village. Dance Victoria is a non-profit charitable society. DanceVictoria.com
For more information, please contact:
Gillian Jones, Executive Director
[email protected]
250-595-1829