The 10-day celebration once again partners with studios and artists across Victoria to offer
free classes and events for the community.
VICTORIA, B.C. – Each winter, Dance Victoria brings the community together through Dance Days, a 10-day city-wide celebration featuring free classes, performances, and events in partnership with local studios and dance artists. Now in its 16th year, the festival champions accessible dance experiences while cultivating appreciation of the form, community connection, and joyful movement.
Dance Victoria Executive Director Gillian Jones shares: “Dance Victoria’s vision is that everyone in Victoria can access and participate in dance, and Dance Days is one of the most vital ways we accomplish that. Over the course of the festival, over 3,000 people will start the new year moving, connecting with others in their community – and perhaps trying something completely new. It’s really a joy to collaborate with our local dance studios and artists to make it happen.”
Dance Days begins on Friday, January 16, with a ticketed performance by Vancouver-based contemporary company Belle Spirale Dance Projects at the McPherson Playhouse. UNIVERSUS showcases exceptional talent emerging from B.C.’s dance community. The striking double bill features choreography by Chrystal Dance Prize recipient and former Ballet BC dancer Alexis Fletcher, alongside internationally acclaimed choreographer Fernando Hernando Magadan in his first Canadian commission outside Ballet BC.
On Saturday, January 17, Dance Days Sponsor Victoria Harbour by Chartwell welcomes the public to a free workshop and kick-off event with Belle Spirale dancer Brenna Metzmeier from 2–4 pm. Dance Victoria then opens its Quadra Village Studios on Sunday, January 25, for Rough Cuts, a free showing of works-in-progress by local dance artists. Additional program details will be shared in the new year.
Ten days of FREE dance classes – It’ll Move You!
Throughout Dance Days, dance studios across the Capital Regional District will welcome adults of all skill levels and abilities to explore free classes in a wide variety of styles, including contemporary, ballet, hip hop, salsa, and contact improvisation. Last year, 37 studios took part in the festivities with over 100 free classes and community events. Dance Days provides an opportunity not only for participants to try something new, but for studios to connect with and recruit new students. As the Vancouver Island Scottish Country Dance Society shared, “We participated in Dance Days… and it was a great success. We got several new members through the opportunity.”
Studios are invited to submit free offerings to the Dance Days calendar until January 9. Pleasevisit DanceVictoria.com/Dance-Days-Calendar.
Belle Spirale Dance Projects
January 16, 2026, 7:30 pm
McPherson Playhouse
Belle Spirale Dance Projects (Vancouver), led by co-Artistic Directors Alexis Fletcher and Sylvain Senez, is a platform for the work of many artists; through their collaborative processes, they produce their own creations as well as commission original works by both emerging and established choreographers while featuring Vancouver’s high-calibre independent dancers. UNIVERSUS, their largest production to date, is an ambitious double bill exploring humanity’s resilience in the face of global challenges. Choreographed by Fletcher and Fernando Hernando Magadan (Spain), the work received the prestigious Chrystal Dance Prize award. UNIVERSUS is a reflection on time, extinction, and interconnectivity, and showcases the transformative power of art to inspire social change.
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