Category Archives: connecting

Invite to Community Dance Artists Gathering

Independent Contemporary Dance Artists and Creators on the south island, you are invited to an online gathering about sustaining our creative practices as we go forward at this time of Covid.

Meeting on Zoom, we will check in, meet new folks, see some familiar faces, share ideas and build connections.

If you’re interested in joining:
1) Let us know what times could work for you June 14/ 15/ 16 by filling in this doodle poll.
AND
2) Send your email address to ConstanceCooke@shaw.ca so we can send you the details in a week or so once the date of the gathering is confirmed.

This gathering is focused on dance artists in Victoria in the homelands of the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, as well as on the south island (south of Duncan) and southern gulf islands, such as artists living and working in the homelands of the BOḰEĆEN/ Pauquachin, Diitiid7aa7tx/ Ditidaht, Esquimalt/ Xwsepsum, Halalt, Lake Cowichan, Lyackson, Málexeł/ Malahat, Pacheedaht, Penelakut, Quw’utsun/ Cowichan, Sc’ianew, Songhees, SȾÁUTW/ Tsawout, Stz’uminus, T’Sou-ke, W̱JOȽEȽP/ Tsartlip, and W̱SIḴEM/ Tseycum Nations.

This gathering is for dancers and creators to come together. Artists who also work as presenters, producers or funders are invited to attend in the role of dancer/ creator.

If there are access practices that would support you in participating, please contact Joanne@CreativeMoment.im . ASL interpretation and captioning are dependent on availability of interpreters and transcribers.

This online meeting is being co-hosted by Connie Cooke and Joanne Cuffe.

Warm regards,

Connie and Joanne

Online opportunities

Colleagues on the west coast of Turtle Island are offering awesome sessions online this Spring. This post has links to a few classes. Times are for the Pacific Time Zone (Pacific Daylight Time / UTC−07:00).

On this page:
Land-based livestreams
All abilities dance classes (updated in late May)
Mainstream dance classes
Dance-making prompts
Dance videos
Queer Disability peer-facilitated groups
Events in April (not updated)


Land-based livestreams:

Open Space held an online / on land series of talks at different sites within Lekwungen & W̱SÁNEĆ territories in April and May, to spend time with and learn from local Indigenous artists, educators, and knowledge keepers. Online / on land series video recordings.


All abilities dance classes:

This list focuses on organizations with disability leadership on the west coast.

Dance for All Bodies (based in the US, Bay Area) is hosting online dance classes, including:
Friday May 29: Diaspora Dance Class for All Abilities with Alicia Langlais.
Saturday May 30: Urban Jazz Dance Company Class with Antoine Hunter.
Friday June 5: All Abilities Beginner Flamenco Workshop with Clara Rodriguez.
Sundays June 7, 14, 21, 28: Salsa Class for All Abilities with JanpiStar.
Tuesday June 9: DanceAbility Class with India Harville.
Saturday June 13: Brazilian Dance Class with Stephanie Bastos.
Details about Dance for All Bodies classes.

Kickstart Disability Arts & Culture has two dance workshops during its Still, Life: A Digital Festival:
Tuesday June 2nd at 1pm: Dancing for Well-Being with Joanne Cuffe.
Friday June 5th at 1pm: Move and Connect with Harmanie Rose and All Bodies Dance Project.

Weekdays (Monday-Friday) at 10:30am-11:30am (PDT):
AXIS Dance Company is offering physically integrated dance classes online via Zoom. The schedule is posted for the current week and next week. The class cost is $0, $5 or $10, and requires pre-registering. Details and to register for AXIS Company Classes.

Wednesdays until the end of May, from 2:30pm-3:15pm (PDT):
Dance Together at Home: Creative Movement for people with and without disabilities facilitated by Sarah Bourne. Free. On Zoom. Details about Wednesdays with Sarah are on the Exploration Dance website.

Thursdays from 3:30pm-4:30pm (PDT):
A Low-Impact, Seated Dance Fitness Class offered by Embrace Arts. Free on Zoom. Details about Thursdays Dance Fitness are on the Embrace Arts website.

Saturdays until June 13th, from 10:00am-11:30am (PDT):
All Bodies Dance Project Saturday morning series, open to anyone and everyone.


Mainstream dance classes:

There are upcoming mainstream dance classes listed on the Dancing Alone Together website (and a daily list of classes posted to the Dancing Alone Together Instagram), and a list of online mainstream dance classes by studios in Canada on the Dance Current website. There are daily gaga classes online, and with Toronto gaga teachers. Margie Gillis is offering classes Wednesday mornings until June 3rd.


Dance-making prompts:

Dancing Alone Together has a list of projects with prompts for creating dance, such as #QuarantineShorts Instagram creation prompts from Jerron Herman (@JerronHerman)  & Alice Sheppard (@WheelchairDancr).


Dance videos:

If you’ve got some extra time these days, check out this resource page of dance videos, as well as interviews with artists about dance from decolonial, Deaf, and cross-disability perspectives. There are links to videos of dancers based on six continents, with a focus on the west coast of Turtle Island.


Queer Disability peer-facilitated groups:

Chronically Queer provides a welcoming, supportive environment where LGBTQIA2S+ identified people living with chronic health conditions and/or disabilities can come together and share what is happening in their lives. The group is meeting online regularly.

QueerAbilities Victoria is a group of individuals who identify somewhere on the LGBTTQ+ spectrum and who are also living with a disability, either diagnosed or not. The group is connecting on Zoom on Mondays from 3:30pm-5:00pm (PDT).


Events in April:

Open Access Workshop: Organizing Accessibility from the Grassroots with Carmen Papalia, Friday April 17, 1pm-3pm (PDT), organized by the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Free. Details and to register for the April 17 Open Access Workshop.

Justice Brunch! A Sunday series featuring Queer Disabled BIPOC Brilliance, hosted by the Disability Justice Culture Club. Sundays April 19, 26, May 3, 10 from 1pm-4pm (PDT): Details about the Sunday Justice Brunch series.

Sins Invalid’s Crip Bits presents: Va-Va-Voom: A Crip Dance Party! Monday April 20th,  6:00pm-7:30pm (PDT) in Sins Invalid’s Zoom room. Pre-registering required. Details and to register for the Crip Dance Party.

Unsettling Dramaturgy: Praxis Sessions for Virtual Collaboration, TBC: April 20 and 30. The series addresses approaches to, and practices in online convening that centre unsettling, decolonization, indigenization, and disability justice in process design. Details will be on the Unsettling Dramaturgy page.

Disability Organizing in the Age of Covid-19: Medical Rationing, Eugenics, and the Precarity of Mutual Aid, Tuesday April 21, 4pm (PDT), hosted by Lydia X. Z. Brown and Georgetown University’s Disability Studies Program. Details about the April 21 Webinar and link for registering by the 19th. Previous event: Webinar on Disability Justice and Decolonization, Tuesday April 14.

Online meditation retreat with Anuskha Fernandopulle on Staying Grounded During the Pandemic, Friday April 24 to Saturday April 25, hosted by the BC Insight Meditation Centre. Details and to register for Anushka’s meditation retreat.

The Accessibility of Victoria’s Arts Scene: Community Conversations hosted online by the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria – Part 1 is Monday April 27, and Part 2 is Wednesday May 13.

Webinar on Disability Justice and covid-19, Thursday April 30, 6pm-8pm (PDT) on Zoom, organized by Kwekwecnewtxw – Coast Salish Watch House, Stand.earth, and Moishe House Vancouver. Details about the April 30 Webinar at 6pm.

Which styles of dance description are you interested in?

Greetings,

This note invites input about what styles of dance and live describing you are interested in.

First, we would like to introduce our group. The InterdepenDance Collective is passionate about collective access and growing connections among communities.

We are organizing inclusive dance workshops and events with live describing. Because describing dance is different than theatre audio description, it’s a learning curve for us. Below are three questions we want to ask local communities:

  1. When attending dance performances, what styles of dance are you most interested in? (perhaps list 3 or 4 styles)
  2. What approaches to dance describing do you think might appeal to you most as an audience member: metaphor, technical narration of physical actions, option of tactile describing, storytelling, soundscapes, layering different styles, all of the above?
  3. As a participant in a dance workshop, what styles of dance description do you think you would be most interested in: metaphor, technical narration of physical actions, option of tactile describing, storytelling, soundscapes, all of the above?

The InterdepenDance Collective is excited to connect with more people interested in described dance. If you have any questions or would like to connect, contact Joanne.

Dance Films January 25th

The InterdepenDance Collective invites you to join us for:

Integrated Dance Films

Saturday January 25th, 2020

 2:30pm – 4:30pm

Free!

At FLUX Media Gallery

821 Fort Street, on the ancestral land of the Lək̓ʷəŋən People.


About the event

This event is to introduce the public to mixed-ability dance and dance from disability perspectives.

As well, the event is a chance for dancers who experience disability to come together and experience the work of colleagues in other cities.

Films and video will include work by artists such as Alice Sheppard, Danielle Peers, Geoff McMurchy, All Bodies Dance Project, and Embrace Arts. There will be video excerpts of dance artists based on six continents, with a focus on the West Coast of Turtle Island.

Please do not use any scented or fragranced products before coming to the event.

Photo of nine dancers huddled together, crouched and seated, attentively staring to the left.
Photo from All Bodies Dance Project. Photo credit: Erik Zennstrom.

Optional snacks

Feel free to bring a snack to share, with a list of ingredients (large print or size 18 font). Please avoid bringing common allergens (i.e. No nuts, peanuts, shellfish, wheat, gluten, milk/cow dairy). Thank-you!


Please RSVP

Here is the event RSVP form. Space is limited.

An alternative way to RSVP is by contacting Joanne.


Access notes

Accessible washrooms for all genders are available next door at the Victoria Disability Resource Centre.

The Flux Media Gallery entrance is level off of Fort Street. The door is not automatic, so there will be a volunteer near the door available to open it.

Please request interpreting, captioning and describing by January 20th:
-A sign language interpreter is available.
-Captioning and transcribing are confirmed.
-Audio description: Some of the videos have audio description available. There will be live describing for the remaining videos, by artists who are learning to describe dance. Audience members can choose which styles of live describing they would like (for example, narrating physical movements, metaphor, optional tactile describing, layering styles).

For other questions and access requests, contact Joanne or include it when you RSVP.


To watch the videos after the event:

In case joining in person does not work, a webpage will be available after the event with links to many of the videos shown at the event. The webpage with links will be shared on the integrated dance south island listserv. To join the listserv, connect by email.


To help spread the word:

Link to Facebook event page

Link to event Poster


To volunteer:

There are volunteer roles available: greeter (and available to assist with the door), describing team, childminding, set up and clean-up. Please sign up on the RSVP form.


Upcoming events

The film event is in advance of the Integrated Dance Forum on Sunday February 16th, and an Introduction to Inclusive Choreography with All Bodies Dance Project on Friday February 14th.


Event supporters and partners

This event is organized by the InterdepenDance Collective, in partnership with MediaNet, Victoria Disability Resource Centre, Creative Momentum and Embrace Arts.

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. This project is made possible, in part, with the collaboration and support of Made in BC-Dance on Tour.

Dance Celebration December 9th

The All Abilities Dance Group invites peers to join us:

Winter Celebration

Monday December 9th

from 11:00am-11:45am

at the Garth Homer Auditorium.

The group is creating a winter-themed dance to share Dec. 9th. The Nigel dance group will share a very brief dance as well.

After this there will be a dance party open to anyone who would like to join in!

Please send song requests and RSVP numbers to Joanne@creativemoment.im by December 6th.

If you arrive before 11:00am, feel free to find a spot in the audience. Please do not interrupt the group dancing (they have a rehearsal from 10:45-11:00am).

Please note that there might be photo and video documentation of the All Abilities Dance Group’s dance. If anyone in the audience does not want to accidentally be in video or photos, please sit towards the back or sides of the audience. Thank-you.

Colonial Reality Tour

Colonial Reality mini-Tour for dancers
Tuesday June 25th
7:00pm

at Esquimalt Gorge Park
on Tillicum Road just south of the Gorge Waterway.
We’ll meet at the bottom of the main parking lot (closer to the water) by the bike racks.

Event description:

The Colonial Reality Tour is guided by a Lekwungen community member to identify places of significance to local Indigenous peoples and the colonial institutions and names that mark them.

Cheryl Bryce has offered to guide a short version of the Colonial Reality Tour for dancers on June 25th by Camossung. We will stroll to a few tour stops, for about an hour.

Space is limited. Please RSVP by June 24th at this link and note any access needs. The route will be shaped by the accessibility needs of the group.

Admission is free.

This event is open to anyone involved in dance who would like to attend (such as community dancers, dance artists, dance facilitators/ teachers, and family members). It has been organized by a few members of the islands network for collaborative dance.

Thank-you to Made in BC – Dance on Tour’s community engagement program for supporting this event, which is part of a dance project that is also supported by the CRD Arts & Culture Support Service and the Victoria Disability Resource Centre.

Bringing a water bottle is encouraged.

Buses number 8, 9, 11, 14 and 26 go to the area.

We apologize that there has not been more advance notice for this event, and look forward to seeing those who can attend.

Dance Visioning June 26

You are invited to brainstorm about integrated dance! What types of all abilities dance initiatives would you like to be part of locally over the coming year/s?

Dance Visioning: Wednesday June 26th.
Two time options (choose one): 11:00am-12:30pm, or 1:30pm-2:30pm.
At the Victoria Disability Resource Centre’s boardroom, at 817A Fort Street, in the homelands of the Lekwungen peoples.
ASL Interpretation is available for the 11:00am-12:30pm session.

Please register by June 24th at this link: https://forms.gle/dTAfjeHyeugkZ43j7 .

The morning session will be co-hosted by Amber (Dancer & Artist) and Joanne (Creative Momentum), and the afternoon session will be co-hosted by Tiffany (Embrace Arts) and Joanne.

The visioning will help shape local dance opportunities for this Fall and over the coming years.

This gathering is a follow-up to last year’s Mixed-Abilities Dance Group, in collaboration with the Victoria Disability Resource Centre. This event is made possible with support from CRD Arts & Culture Support Service and Made in BC – Dance on Tour’s community engagement program.


A head’s up about an opportunity to dance this Fall: There will be integrated dance collaborative sessions on one Wednesday per month. For more information see the Integrated Dance Collective page.

Dancing Together March 18 at 7pm

The first Dancing Together session, which is all genders, all mobilities, all ages, queer, community social dance, will be:

Saturday March 18
7:00pm-9:00pm
at Dance Victoria (2750 Quadra Street) at the back door (use the rear parking entrance on Market Street), in Lkwungen Territory.
Sliding scale $0-20.
Note: Please do not use scented products on the day of the event.
The Facebook event page is at [link: March 18 Facebook event page].

For details about accessibility and directions

Please click [link: Dancing Together page] for details about event accessibility and location.

March 18 event description:

Dancing Together brings together people with diverse genders and sexualities, people of diverse backgrounds, and people with diverse ways of moving, as well as friends, family and supportive people. Sessions are open to anyone who can 1) communicate consent (non-verbally or verbally) and 2) respect other people’s boundaries and gender identities. No previous dance experience is required.

On March 18th we will start with talking about how to respect other people’s boundaries and gender identities, such as asking for and receiving consent before engaging in contact such as holding hands, and not assuming what gender pronouns (if any) someone might use. We recognize this is a learning process and we can learn from our mistakes.

There will then be a 30 or 40-minute introductory lesson in gender-inclusive & mixed-abilities partner dance. This will include a chance to try the dance roles of inviting and responding (“leading” and “following”), ways of moving through space together (with options of moving with space between us or with contact such as holding hands), and options for spins / turns / going around each other. There is no need to come with a dance partner. After the learning time there will be a venue washroom discussion, followed by some freestyle social dance time, for practicing what we learned or free-form dancing. After dancing we will brainstorm about what types of dance we would like to try in future sessions.

Want to receive updates about sessions?

To be added to the group’s email listserv, please [link: contact us].

To join the group’s page on Facebook, please go to [link: group on Facebook].

Want to help sessions happen?

The group is looking for people to help with a variety of shared roles, which are described in this [link: invite to get involved on Saturdays]. There will be a Dancing and Planning session on March 11 from 3:30pm-5:30pm for people helping out.

Want more info about the group and other upcoming dates?

For more info, please click [link: Dancing Together page].

Invite to help out (and dance!) Saturdays

Dancing Together, inclusive social dance lessons for people with diverse genders, sexualities, backgrounds and ways of moving; will start this Spring! It will be on one or two Saturdays per month, with alternating start times of 3:30pm and 7:00pm, in Quadra Village in Lekwungen Homelands. For a detailed description of the sessions, please click [link: Dancing Together group overview].

Would you like to help Dancing Together sessions happen in a good way?

The group is looking for volunteers for a variety of shared roles: music, sound, “on call” team (access support/ safer spaces), movement translators, sign language teachers, co-facilitators, fundraising, social media, postering, first aid, set-up/clean-up, and zine-making.

There are options both for volunteers who want to dance and those who don’t want to dance. There may also be opportunities for people who like drawing, sewing hems, translating languages, providing informal audio description, assisting with ASL interpretation, Braille embossing, website updating and graphic design.

If you’d like to be involved, please RSVP to dancingtog@gmail.com and include the following:

1) Which is the first session date you will be attending? (Session dates are March 18 from 7:00pm-9:00pm, likely April 22 from 7:00pm-9:00pm, and more dates will be confirmed in April on [link: group page]; volunteers are asked to arrive 15 minutes before the session start time)

2) Is there a group role/s that you are interested in, or do you have experience or skills in a certain aspect that you would like to share?

Want your email added to the group’s listserv, or interested in donating to the sessions?

Please [link: contact us].

The group has started a collaborative google-document to compile favourite anti-oppressive songs for dancing, including suggesting songs of musicians with dancey music who are trans, gender variant, queer, Indigenous, people of colour, and/or living with disabilities; and discussing and/or flagging songs with lyrics that might be problematic, oppressive, and/or not trauma-informed. If you would like to contribute to the music ideas document, please be in touch.


Here is a draft description of the various roles:

*If you would like to try something you’ve never done before and would like support learning what’s involved, let a co-facilitator know at a session or by email, as we could organize skills-shares or mentoring this Spring. (:
*If you have experience in a role and would like to share what you have learned or co-mentor, let a co-facilitator know at a session or by email. (:

  • Co-facilitators: people who love dancing, have a strong understanding of consent, and are committed to learning inclusive language and practices. We’re gathering together a collective of co-facilitators that includes Indigenous people, people of colour, people living with disabilities, intersex people, and two-spirit, trans, nonbinary and/or gender-variant people. Co-facilitators might take turns, with 2-3 people co-facilitating each session. It will be a paid position, although the honourarium amount will be dependent on how many donations come in at each session.
  • Sound: people who take turns hanging out near the stereo to press play, pause, and adjust volume.
  • Music: people who collaborate or take turns creating a playlist either just for the freestyle part of sessions (30-45 minutes), or for the whole session (90 minutes), in consultation with that week’s co-facilitators. Guidelines for songs: aiming for lyrics that are consensual, anti-oppressive and friendly for all ages.
  • Fundraising team: people who help the group seek donations and write grant applications. Costs include accessibility needs (such as having bus tickets available, hiring a translator or sign language interpreter when needed, etc.), space rental, honourariums for co-facilitators and guest instructors, buying rad music that people request, printing the zine (find an organization to sponsor photocopying?), etc.
  • “On call” team (access support/ safer spaces): people who participate in sessions but are available for people to connect with if an issue comes up during a session, and who take turns being by the door.
    • The group is currently drafting safer spaces guidelines (e.g. adapting from the guidelines for Alt Pride’s All Bodies Swim and Homospun dances), and will be brainstorming protocols for situations that may arise. The “on call” team will need to decide on how to note who is “on call” (e.g. with a green heart safety pinned to the back of the “on call” people’s shirts/tops like Homospun, with green fabric tied around an arm like the Stolen Sisters Memorial March organizers, or with hankies/ fabric if we can figure out a pattern that doesn’t already have connotations?)
  • Movement translators: people who help translate dance instructions into a variety of options based on needs and abilities. During lessons a small group could hang out beside the instructors and offer examples of ways of interpreting dance steps (e.g. seated, moving an arm instead of feet, partner dancing without holding hands, etc.).
  • Sign language teachers: people who teach the group a few new signs at the beginning of each session to do with consent (“yes”, “no”, “stop”, “I’m sorry”, “is this okay?”, “do you want to hold hands?”, “awesome, thank-you”, “you’re welcome”, etc.), dancing (“fast”, “slow”, “which role?”, “you choose”, “freestyle”, etc.) and accessibility (“options”, “if sitting”, “if standing”, etc.); and who are available to support/teach co-facilitators and “on call” people signs related to their roles (“are you okay?”, “do you want support?”, etc.).
  • Social media and posters: people who, in collaboration with the group, create facebook event pages and posters, poster, handle social media, compile a list of relevant groups and calendars for sending updates to, etc.
  • First aid: people with current certification in first aid and CPR, who are available to assist if a participant has a sudden illness or injury.
  • Set-up/ clean-up: people who can arrive 20 minutes early and/or stay 15 minutes after to help move chairs and tables to/from the studio, sweeping the floor if needed, etc.
  • Zine-making team: people who like to draw, create art, compile resources, edit, summarize or do layout to create a Dancing Together zine in collaboration with co-facilitators and “on call” team, from around April – October 2017. The resource zine could include summaries about consent in dance, acknowledging the peoples of the land, pronouns, confidentiality, safer spaces, conversation starter ideas, inappropriate questions, anti-colonial gender-inclusive all-abilities dance, cultural appropriation vs. cultural exchange, and local resources for emotional support. Once it’s ready, copies of the zine will be available at sessions and can be referred to as things come up. Once the group creates a website, the resource info could go online as well.

For any questions, or to get involved, please [link: contact us].

An Invitation to Dance

There is a new article about local adaptive dance opportunities that I (Joanne Cuffe) wrote in collaboration with the Victoria Disability Resource Centre for their blog: An Invitation to Dance. (Update: I am including the article below along with all of the photos with alt text descriptions, as most of the photos did not get transferred when the VDRC switched to a new website.)


An Invitation to Dance
Kristian is turning his head and looking up to the top left corner of the photo, with a smile. He has one arm diagonally up to the left and his other elbow is out to the right with his hand by his ear. He is wearing a black t-shirt and dark pants and is seated in his manual wheelchair. There is some gym equipment in the background.
Kristian OakenShield dancing at MOVE gym.

Four months ago dance was not at all on Kristian OakenShield’s radar screen. But that definitely changed one day in September at MOVE gym, when, by chance, he encountered a Dance Without Limits session. It looked like great fun and he joined in.

Now the program, which is run by the Cerebral Palsy Association of BC, is part of his life, and he works as a volunteer at their dance sessions.

Kristian says he likes “moving the body in ways I would not normally, being creative with my imagination, and being more in tuned and aware with my body.” After dancing he feels “inner excitement and inner happiness–I know I am getting out of my comfort zone.”

Dancing has an extensive array of health benefits and it is fantastic for physical, emotional, cognitive, spiritual and social well-being. Studies have found that dancing can decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety, lessen pain, minimize isolation, help heal trauma, promote healthy aging, and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Dancing can also improve range of motion, balance, coordination and agility; increase muscular strength and endurance; and benefit the heart and lungs.

Five adults are dancing, facing in different directions, with a few more people in the background. Two people are sitting next to each other facing the left. The closest person has his hand on the push ring of his manual wheelchair and the other dancer is clapping to the music. Behind them are two people facing each other, holding hands and dancing while standing. To the left there is a dancer who is turning her head to face the camera; she is stretching one arm in front of her, holding hands with someone not seen in the photo, and she is dancing while sitting in her manual wheelchair.
Dancers at a Celebration bringing together participants from five dance groups. Photo credit: Kirk Schwartz.

Kristian is an active member of MOVE gym and has been attending other dance workshops there too. He says his own specific goal is “to use dance to help me progress further in my quest to regain full function of my physical body.” He says he also gets real satisfaction from volunteering in dancing “to help enrich other people’s lives.”

Kristian’s advice to a peer, who wants to try an inclusive dance class but feels hesitant, is: “Just make a decision to take action and try it out and watch what happens.”

Dancing can be an amazing way of bringing people together, as communities have done around the world for a very long time. Dancing in a supportive setting can help meet a variety of basic human needs: for connection, acceptance, belonging, closeness, mutuality and respect; for autonomy, choice, freedom and spontaneity; for joy, humour, movement and safe physical contact; and for celebration, contribution, creativity, harmony, inspiration, meaning and self-expression. (This list draws from the Needs Inventory by the Center for Nonviolent Communication.)


The adaptive dance scene is varied and growing in Victoria in Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ Territories.

In June 2016 five community dance groups came together for a Celebration. Each group shared the dance they had created in collaboration with artist facilitators, and everyone mingled during a dance party. Participants included dancers with diversabilities, dancers who are older adults, and dancers who are refugees and newcomers. The event was hosted by the Dance Alchemy project and the Community Arts Council of Greater Victoria, with funding from the BC Arts Council.

The feet of nine adult dancers are in a circle. They are wearing a variety of sizes and types of casual shoes, boots, socks with a cloud pattern, and running shoes. 5 people have just one shoe visible pointing to the middle, and 3 people have both their feet resting on the foot rests of their wheelchairs.
Circle of feet with the Wellspring Dancers.

On January 4th there was a follow-up event called Dancing in the Morning that welcomed all abilities; 45 people gathered to dance at 10:30am at Cedar Hill Recreation. Participants were enthusiastic and are interested in the inclusive event happening once a month, if we can find a large accessible space that is available on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday from 10:30-11:30am.

Locally there is a group focused on creating opportunities for inclusive social dance, with sessions starting in March. Dancing Together brings together people with diverse ways of moving, as well as queer, trans and gender-variant communities, to try different types of social dance (such as tango) and learn to improvise together respectfully. This is a welcome development, as many dance classes and clubs around town are inaccessible to many community members, whether it is due to the venue not being physically accessible, the cost being a barrier, or the teaching style of the instructors not being inclusive or welcoming.


As well as public classes, there are also a variety of ongoing dance groups that happen through organizations around Victoria in Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ Homelands. I am honoured to facilitate dance groups with people with diverse ways of moving, perceiving and interacting, with six disability-focused organizations and nine organizations focused on Elders and older adults.

Six adults, ages 30s-90s and of different genders, are dancing in a semi-circle, while sitting on dining room chairs. They are leaning forwards a bit, and smiling to the camera. Most of them have their right hands stretched out towards their right feet; their right heels are out forwards on the carpet. Each dancer is wearing a different colour of shirt: teal, white, navy, red, cream, light green.
Joanne (left), with the Glenshiel Dancers and Lori Hamar (right). Photo credit: Kirk Schwartz.

In recent years I have led dance sessions with around 1900 unique participants, aged 4 years old to 103 years young. I live with invisible disabilities, and I notice that my sense of joy and well-being is drastically increased when I dance during the day in a community setting, compared to days when I do not dance.

I asked a few participants with one of the dance groups for their reflections on the sessions. Linda, Renee, Johnny and Lawrence all said that they had not taken a dance class before attending sessions at Kardel’s Futures program. Renee said she likes that she gets to help pick the music and that there are “no bad moves.” Linda likes “everything,” and Lawrence noted that “it’s fun AND Joanne plays Cantonese songs.” Johnny said, “I feel great after dance,” and Renee and Linda said they feel energized.

There have been integrated dance initiatives locally in the past, including by Geoff McMurchy, Dance Victoria, Lori Hamar, Brad Magnus and Dance Encounters. There are also examples from around the world of inclusive dance initiatives that believe that ‘if you can breathe you can dance,’ including Sins Invalid, which focuses on disability, sexuality and social justice, and DanceAbility International, which offers teacher trainings.

18 adults are in a big circle in a dance studio. Some dancers have their arms stretched wide open to their sides and some dancers have their arms raised to the front with elbows bent. 8 people are seated, using a variety of styles of wheelchairs, and 10 people are standing.
All Bodies Dance Project. Photo credit: Chris Randle.

There are many professional dance companies elsewhere that are physically integrated, where artists with and without disabilities collaborate, such as Candoco DanceAXIS Dance, and ILL-Abilities International Breakdance Crew. “Mixed ability dance is an approach that is accessible to all bodies and all abilities, including people with physical, developmental, sensory and neurological disabilities,” wrote the All Bodies Dance Project in an article about attending the first Canadian Inclusive Dance Teacher Intensive in February 2016. The people involved in dance companies in other cities are in dialogue, including All Bodies Dance Project in Vancouver, Propeller Dance in Ottawa, MoMo Mixed Ability Dance Theatre in Calgary, CRIPSiE in Edmonton, and Corpuscule Danse in Montréal.

Six adults are in a row on a stage, each doing a different move. Two dancers are looking to the right (one dancer is in the background behind a dancer who is using a scooter and has an arm lifted to the right). Two dancers are leaning forwards looking down (one dancer has her arm stretched down to the left with her other hand on the push rim of her manual chair, she is next to a dancer who is standing with arms straight down). And two dancers are looking to the left (a dancer, with an elbow to the side and hand behind ear and legs crossed, is seated in a power chair, next to a dancer balanced on one foot with the other leg lifted and arms out to the sides). They are all wearing a mix of black and red clothing.
All Bodies Dance Project dancers in See & Be Seen. Photo credit: Chris Randle.

Although the dance sessions mentioned earlier in this article are focused on being beginner-friendly, if there is interest, we could train together in the coming years and create an inclusive dance company here, too.

Emily J. danced with MoMo Dance in Calgary for three years and now lives on the island. “I’ve met some of my favourite people through dance – people who show me exceptional ways of being in the world. Dancing has generated new possibilities for intimate love and care, and moments of change and joy that I might not have had otherwise.”


Its Happening in Victoria

Lots of opportunities to participate in adaptive dance in the Victoria area:

Inclusive dance for adults: 
  • Adaptive Dance, Mondays 1:00-1:45pm at Cedar Hill Recreation; although the January class is full, if the waitlist fills up we will schedule another class. We are fundraising to have an All Abilities Dance Group there this April in collaboration with MOVE Adapted Fitness, facilitated by Joanne Cuffe. Learn more about the Adaptive Dance class.
  • 50+ dance troupe, Mondays 2:00-3:30pm at Cedar Hill Recreation, all abilities welcome. The group is also open to adults younger than 50, and is free thanks to support from Saanich Parks & Recreation and Made in BC. Learn more about the 50+ dance troupe.  
  • Dancing Together, inclusive social dance lessons that bring together people with diverse ways of moving as well as queer, trans and gender-variant communities, beginning in March. Learn more about the “Dancing Together” dance lessons.
  • Dancing in the Morning, inclusive dancing events that bring together participants from day programs and interested community members, on a Mon., Tues. or Wed. at 10:30am, happening a few times per year (or more often if a venue/ sponsors are found). Learn more about the “Dancing in the Morning” events.
  • To be in touch about the Dance Alchemy project, or community dance programs (sessions can happen on-site at local organizations, residences and community centres), contact Joanne Cuffe.
Opportunities to dance with other instructors:
  • Motion Ways, a custom dance/ exercise program tailored for individuals with neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s, epilepsy, peripheral neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, and acquired brain injury, Mondays 11:15am-12:15pm until April 10, at Gordon Head Rec Centre, a program of HeadWay, instructed by Lindsay Beal. Learn more about the motion ways program.
  • Juan de Fuca Social Club, weekly dances that are geared towards people with disabilities, Wednesdays 7:00-8:30pm at Juan de Fuca Seniors Centre: Learn more about the programs at Juan de Fuca (description for dance and drama programs is on page 42 in the January guide).
  • Dance Without Limits, free classes for children and youth with various disabilities, on Tuesdays 5:15-6:00pm until March 28, drop-ins welcome, at MOVE Gym, a program of the Cerebral Palsy Association of BC, instructed by Jordan Dalley. Learn more about Dance Without Limits.
  • Chair Exercise, a dance class for people living with multiple sclerosis and anyone else interested in a seated dance/exercise class, Tuesdays 12:15-1:15pm until Feb. 28, at Silver Threads Victoria, a program of the MS Society of Canada, instructed by Katrina Pavlovski. Learn more about the chair exercise class. 
  • Adapted Dance classes for children, youth and young adults, taught by Tiffany Tjosvold. Learn more about Adapted Dance classes.
  • Dance and Move for PD (Parkinson’s Disease) and dance therapy sessions with Sepora Mayim Jacobson. Learn more about Dance and Move dance therapy.