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Dance Festivals Canada: Unique Events
Dance festivals in Canada: Unique artistic and cultural events.
Dance is celebrated as a means of artistic expression at many festivals in Canada. During these few days of the event, many artists perform, around one or more given genres, and contemporary dance in particular. The performances allow many artists to become known in Canada. Some of these events are free in order to make the art of dance accessible to everyone.
Toronto International Dance Festival
This festival honors International Dance Day which was initiated by the international committee of the UNESCO International Theater Institute. Since 2013, it has provided a platform to convey the importance of dance as an art and places special emphasis on the role of each culture in the country's cosmopolitan society. He emphasizes that dance as an artistic expression is intimately linked to the cultures within which it develops.
The Toronto International Dance Festival promotes values such as cultural integration, respect for others, celebration, gender, intercultural understanding. Its mission is to help communities build an interconnected and collaborative society.
Many communities showcase their dances and music during this event. During the 2023 edition, visitors were able to attend traditional Kathak dances from the Indian province of Uttar Pradesh, performances of Bollywood film dances, belly dancing, K-pop dance and even contemporary dance and ballet. The Toronto International Festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary with its 2023 edition.
Transamericas Festival
This festival international theater and dance festival has taken place every year in Montreal since 2007. It replaces the former Festival du theater of the Americas by including an important place for dance.
The TransAmériques Festival highlights contemporary creation through choreographed shows, productions and other works. The objective of this festival is to find Canadian and international artists, but also to offer them a platform for meeting, exchange and representation. Indeed, workshops, debates and various activities are set up to allow artists, art professionals and the public to interact.
It is held at the beginning of summer, generally from May until June. The TransAmériques festival is considered the largest creative festival in North America. The festival has set up Les Respirations du FTA initiative to support Canadian creators in the experimentation and development of their art since 2021.
Dancing on the Edge
This festival is celebrating its 35th edition in 2023. It takes place every year in summer during the month of June. Originally, the festival primarily celebrated contemporary dance and to date, it is the oldest contemporary dance festival in Canada.
During the few days of the event, local, national and international artists are invited to give performances in front of a large audience. The festival thus wishes to offer events accessible to as many people as possible and ensure that contemporary dance is appreciated by all. It is also an opportunity for artists and people working in the field to improve their skills. Indeed, residency programs, commissions as well as workshops and presentations are organized during the Dancing on the Edge festival.
The festival also acts as a particularly effective platform for learning more about dance through forums, round tables and conferences.
Toronto International Flamenco Festival
This festival promoted by its founder Lionel Felix brings together international artists and Canadian artists every year for 4 years. It is the first festival of its kind in Canada and is inspired by the international festivals of New York and Albuquerque (New Mexico). The 2023 edition of the Toronto International Flamenco Festival saw world-famous Spanish artists arrive, such as Dustin Shaskin & The Café Olé and Lisa La Mantia.
This event, described as the ultimate flamenco experience in Canada, attracted visitors from across the country. In the final, they were able to attend the show “Pa' Mi Se Quea” at the Queen Elisabeth Theater, with world-famous dancer Maribel Ramos. The latter has given performances in several countries, with well-known dance companies.
Canada Dance Festival
This annual festival of contemporary dance began in 1987. It took place every year in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, during the summer in June or July. It highlighted innovative, contemporary and avant-garde choreographers and dance companies. Performances and shows were scheduled in various places in the city, such as the National Arts Center or the National Gallery of Canada, as well as in city parks.
This artistic event attracted more than 250 artists from across the country and promoted Canadian contemporary dance. The international press and global industry players also traveled there to follow developments in contemporary dance in the country.
Among the most popular shows were Paradoxe Mélodie by Danièle Desnoyers, A Soldier's Tale, DVOTE by Noam Gagnon and Nova Bhattacharya and Loveloss by Dancemakers.
An initiative of the Canada Dance Festival has been in place since 1997. It is a smaller evolving event called Move Advance and which highlights artists in a less intensive atmosphere than that of the Canada Dance Festival. The Canada Dance Festival has unfortunately officially stopped its activities in 2022.
Vancouver International Dance Festival
The Vancouver International Dance Festival was established in 2000 and emphasizes inclusiveness and eccentricity. It is an event lasting almost a month and which puts contemporary dance in the spotlight. It is organized by Kokoro Dance Theater Society, helmed by Bourget and Hirabayashi. Its origins can be traced back to 1998 with the Butoh Festival.
The mission of this festival is to develop public appreciation for contemporary dance through artists driven by the search for equity and the use of the body as an instrument of communication. Beyond the performances, there are also workshops that are held during this international dance festival.
If the event has an international character, artists from the province of British Columbia are highlighted. Equity and accessibility are values dear to this festival. Thus, the festival plans at least 50% completely free shows so that less well-off populations can attend and enjoy them. The 2023 edition of the Vancouver International Dance Festival was held in March.
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