It’s exciting to finally be here after many years of discussion and we’re already getting ideas for next year!

We hope that you’ll find some time to come down to the Dance Centre (our new home) and take a class with us.

Today is a full day with the following classes.

9-10:30am Contemporary Dance Intermediate
(Julia Carr)

10:30-12pm
Raven Spirit Dance Repertoire
(Michelle Olson)

LUNCH 12-1pm 1-3pm
Traditional West Coast Dance
(Bob Baker)

3-5pm
Aboriginal Dance Perspectives & Dialogue Free Event
(Starr Muranko)

Open to everyone, all classes are at the Dance Centre (677 Davie Street) and the drop-in fee is only $14 to $16 per class!

Hope to see you there!
Janice Beley
General Manager
Raven Spirit Dance

Daina Ashbee Photo credit: Chris Randle

The countdown is on to our Summer Training Intensive and now is the time to learn something new or brush up on your skills.

Raven Spirit Dance in partnership with the Scotiabank Dance Centre is pleased to present a week long Indigenous Summer Dance Intensive from August 29 to September 3rd. The first of its kind in British Columbia, this program brings together an impressive roster of prominent Aboriginal artists who will share their expertise in an eclectic mix of movement, voice and story classes in both contemporary and traditional forms.

“The idea to create a week-long training program came from the desire to bring together artists of different backgrounds and experience to share and acknowledge the rich diversity of indigenous expression in the arts.”
-Michelle Olson, Artistic Director, Raven Spirit Dance

The Indigenous summer dance program gives artists of all backgrounds and levels of experience the opportunity to develop performance and creation skills combining both traditional and contemporary Indigenous perspectives. With classes ranging from pow-wow and traditional west coast dance to hip-hop songwriting, contemporary dance and Métis jigging. Raven Spirit’s training and mentorship activities originate with the intent of providing artists the opportunity to develop work in the creative field, and as cultural workers to fully invest in communicating, creating, performing and disseminating work as broad as possible. These training opportunities and experience for emerging Indigenous artists build and foster a stronger sense of community involvement.

The faculty includes established artists Robert (Bob) Baker (Squamish Nation/Eagle Song Dancers), Geraldine Manossa (body storytelling: Bigstone Cree Nation), Russell Wallace (voice & song: Lil’Wat Nation), Yvonne Chartrand (Artistic Director of Compaigni V’ni Dansi), theatre and dance director Floyd Favel and Michelle Olson (Artistic Director of Raven Spirit Dance). Rounding it all out are contemporary dance instructor Julia Carr, yoga instructor Kerriann Cardinal, hip-hop artist Carrielynn Victor “Rapsure Resin”, pow-wow dancers Shyama-Priya, Nyla Carpentier and Starr Muranko (Artistic Associate of Raven Spirit Dance).

All classes for the Indigenous Summer Dance Incentive are at the Dance Centre from August 29 to September 3rd. 677 Davie Street, Vancouver BC. Open to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal artists.

Go to our training page for the full class schedule and registration information.

Great to have back on board Theresa Tsang, Stage Manager, Julie Martens, Lighting Designer and Monica Strehlke, Costume Designer. We’ve had the pleasure of working with these talented ladies before and it means a lot to continue this great creative and artistic relationship.

We’re performing at the intimate Chapel Arts so please buy your tickets early!

We hope to see you there.

Raven Spirit Dance

We’re pleased to announce that Raven Spirit Dance has moved into the Dance Centre.  We have our own office and even a door.  Our good friends and former office mates in Gastown, Karen Jamieson Dance, have also made the move and we are still neighbors!

Our new address is 677 Davie Street, 7th Floor.  We’ll have to have a party in the very near future.

We’re also launching a dance training program at the Dance Centre and we have some information up right now (under the training section) but there is more to follow.

Plus, Gathering Light is premiering at the Dancing on the Edge Festival in July!

This is going to be a great summer!

Stay tuned for all the details.

Cheers
Janice Beley, General Manager

Sunday 21 February

What the Land Remembers – Tales of Raven & Wolf
Presented by: Council of Yukon First Nations (Yukon First Nations 2010)

Time: 11:00am to 3:00pm

Show times: 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm

Location: The Dome at the 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion

West Georgia Street and Hamilton Street,

Presented by: Council of Yukon First Nations (Yukon First Nations 2010)

Using the four seasons as the narrative structure, “What the Land Remembers” will present the best traditional and contemporary arts and artists of the Yukon. Interweaving dance, music, and storytelling against the landscape of the Yukon, the show will be a powerful visual and sound experience.

Raven Spirit is located in the host city of the 2010 Winter Olympics and we will participating with the Yukon First Nations and performing as part of the Cultural Olympiad at the Four Host First Nations (FHFN) on February 21 from 9am to 5pm.  We will be presenting a short excerpt from our production, Songs of Shär Cho.  You can find out more information about the YFN by visiting the YFN website.

Cherith Mark, our Associate Artistic Director, is participating in the Olympic Torch Relay as part of her community.  She will be participating on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 and you can follow her online here.  Good luck Cherith!!

Gathering Light will be presented at Weesageechak Begins To Dance festival in Toronto on January 27.  This performance will be the last opportunity to see the work before it’s premiere at the Dancing on the Edge Festival here in Vancouver.

More information here.

We would like to thank the following project partners and funders

Firehall Arts Centre
Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre
Canada Council for the Arts
BC Arts Council
City of Vancouver
First Peoples’ Heritage Language & Culture Council

It’s a busy time for Raven Spirit as we have just put behind us a fantastic performance of Gathering Light at the Dance Centre and now begin a new project, Cello & Butterflies, with Urban Ink and the DTES Women’s Writer’s Group.  Performances of this initiative will be on November 1st at the Heart of The City Festival.  We also have two major grants due November 1st and 2nd, so we’re busy artistically and administratively!

Raven Spirit is in a year of growth and in September of this year we welcomed Cherith Mark to Raven Spirit as an Artistic Associate and in this past summer we welcomed Starr Muranko our Outreach Coordinator.

We created a new facebook page, and a twitter account.  You can join both of these on our home page.

Thanks for visiting!

Raven Spirit Dance

Gathering Light is premiering at the Dancing on the Edge Festival 2010. Friday, July 16 at 8:30 pm and Saturday, July 17 at 8:30 pm. Chapel Arts (Dunlevy at Cordova)