August 16 – 20, 2023

August 16 – 20, 2023

We’re back!

And we’re pleased and excited to invite you to discover the 2023 edition of your contemporary dance festival: dance: made in canada / fait au canada live at the Betty Oliphant Theatre from August 16 – 20.

When COVID hit in the spring of 2020, we had already curated our 2021 MAINSTAGE series. For 2023, we had to make a decision: maintain those 2021 commitments or, in recognition of how the world had changed, re-issue a call to artists and start fresh. Our decision was to honour our previous commitments as curation is not only the selection of work, but its guardianship. This is fully in line with one of the central foundations of the Festival, to extend the life of the best Canadian choreography

Over five jam-packed days, we’ll present the MainStage curated series and the lottery-drawn What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) series. We are also thrilled about our Arts Encounters program, which shines a light on our multifaceted dance artists through their photography, literary arts, new dance on film and video — live and online screenings, as well as our podcast The ‘D’ Word — it’s all ready for your experience and participation.

It has truly been an honour to work alongside two remarkable guest curators, Santee Smith and Robert Binet on crafting this year’s MainStage program. Together we have selected and programmed nine brave and curious Mainstage artists. Programmed alongside artists from the lottery-drawn WYSIWYG series and the Arts Encounters programming, their works will transform the way you see the world.

In the words of Zen philosopher Shunryu Suzuki, “Awareness is the first step towards change, awareness can expand infinitely, inward and outward. What we call ‘I’ is just a swinging door which moves when we inhale and when we exhale.”

This year’s Festival is dedicated to Tedd Robinson (1952-2022), our guest curator in 2015.

We hope that by experiencing the dynamic and diverse works in the 2023 festival, you will go back to your daily life with a new awareness, with some indescribable idea or feeling that you didn’t have before those artistic encounters. The 2023 programme is an invitation to see and know yourself, and the world, differently.

Artistic Director: Yvonne Ng
Co-Festival Directors: Jeff Morris, Janelle Rainville, Yvonne Ng 黄碧琬

mainstage

Explore our 3 different programs showcasing our mainstage artists for the 2023 festival.

The Morrison Series

details

The Binet Series

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The Smith Series

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WYSIWYG

Determined by lottery, What You See Is What You Get showcases 5 artists from different backgrounds. An experimentation in sharing perspective and experience.

wysiwyg

details

Arts Encounters

Arts Encounters encompasses a range of engagement and animation activities by dance professionals working in other disciplines.

arts encounters

details

dance films

Dance explored through a series of radical dance films.

See the films

Glimpses into the Early Years of the Danny Grossman Dance Company: The Artists and Community in Conversation with Mairéad Filgate

An interdisciplinary work exploring the 30-year history of the company through the voices of those who encountered the company.

Find out more

the 'd' word podcast

Listen to Season 3 of our podcast now!

Listen

dance stewards

Up and coming dance artists, who will welcome and greet you in the lobby, all while learning about the inner workings of a festival setting.

Find out more

Full schedule

Wed Aug 16

Thur Aug 17

Fri Aug 18

Sat Aug 19

Sun Aug 20

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