Jun 13 – Jun 22 | Firehall Theatre, Scotiabank Dance Centre, SFU Woodward's

Dancing on the Edge

Running Time: Various

One of the most eagerly anticipated events in British Columbia’s contemporary dance scene, DOTE is a significant contributor to the Canadian arts and culture community for both artists and audiences. This year’s Festival will once again deliver high caliber, exhilarating, innovative, and spell-binding dance works.

Featuring over 30 performances across 10 days, DOTE audiences will be witness to world premieres, Western Canadian debuts, and works-in-progress from some of the most sought-after contemporary Canadian choreographers. This year’s lineup showcases the diversity of dance across Canada, reflecting its rich tapestry of cultural influences and contributing further to the evolution of this multifaceted art form.

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For more information, please visit http://dancingontheedge.org

Performance Schedule

June 12 – Preview performance of Company 605’s lossy

June 13-22 – Performances every day

FULL SCHEDULE HERE

Participating Companies

Belle Spirale Dance Projects – Vancouver
Calder White – Vancouver
Clala Project – Vancouver
Company 605 – Vancouver
Cristina Bucci – Vancouver
EDAM Dance – Vancouver
FakeKnot – Vancouver
Furious Grace Dance Theatre/Anya Saugstad and Sophia Saugstad – Vancouver
Helen Walkley – Vancouver
Jaqueline Ethier and Sarah Hopkin – Ottawa/Halifax
Joshua Beamish/MOVETHECOMPANY – Vancouver
Kaeja D’Dance – Toronto
Kelly McInnes – Vancouver
Lara Kramer Danse – Montreal
Method Dance Society – Prince George
OURO Collective – Vancouver
Simran Sachar – Vancouver
Tiger Princess Dance Projects – Toronto

The People of the Snow – Film Screening

Running Time: 1hr

Produced by a dedicated group of Young Leaders from Promise Vancouver, The People Of The Snow is an eye-opening short film about the culture and community of the people of Haisla Nation. See through the eyes of youth in the Downtown Eastside as they travel north to Kitamaat Village, interviewing Haisla community members to help make their stories and experiences heard.

Pre-screening reception at 1:30pm. Film screening at 2pm, followed by a short Q&R session with the director.

All proceeds donated.

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Поджигатели/The Arsonists

Running Time: 1hr 20min

Produced by The Horseradish Theatre.

«Кто перемен боится
Больше беды,
Что сделать может
Против беды?»

В литературе часто происходит странное — хозяин дома предпочитает семье случайного знакомого, люди превращаются в носорогов, живой человек получает похоронный венок… А то и вовсе в город заглядывает дьявол со свитой.
Все описанные выше сюжеты имеют что-то общее с «Поджигателями».

Это история о мирных людях, которые живут обычной жизнью и лишь изредка возмущаются новостями — читая газету или выпивая с приятелями в баре. А с наступлением ночи где-то в городе загорается очередной дом. Но если быть гостеприимным и острожным, то это всегда будет чужой дом. Ведь так?

Спектакль демонстрируется на русском языке с синхронным аудиопереводом в индивидуальные наушники.

"Who fears change
Invites greater misfortune,
What can one do
Against misfortune?"

In literature, the strange often happens — a homeowner favors a random acquaintance over their own family, people turn into rhinoceroses, a living person receives a funeral wreath... Or even the devil himself with his entourage might visit the city.
All the above stories share something in common with "The Arsonists."

It's a tale of peaceful people, leading ordinary lives, only occasionally disturbed by the news — reading the newspaper or drinking with friends in a bar. And as night falls, another house in the city catches fire. But if one is hospitable and cautious, it will always be someone else's house. Right?

The show is presented in Russian with simultaneous English dubbing into personal headphones.

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DANCING TO THE END: JERRY & IRA TALK LEONARD

Join actor & critic Jerry Wasserman and UBC Emeritus Professor of English Ira Nadel, author of "Various Positions, A Life of Leonard Cohen", on February 18th in the Firehall studio. Doors open at 1:30 for coffee, tea and treats and discussion will commence at 2pm. Tickets $10. Performance follows at 3pm with tickets $30 to $50.

About Ira Nadel:
Ira Nadel, of the Department of English at UBC, is the author of "Various Positions, A Life of Leonard Cohen". He has also published biographies of Tom Stoppard, David Mamet and Philip Roth. His most recent books are Love and Russian Literature (2023) and The Business of Ballet, Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes (2024). He continues to be involved with Leonard Cohen studies.

About Jerry Wasserman:
Jerry Wasserman is an actor with over 200 credits for TV, film and stage; a critic with 2000 theatre reviews for CBC radio, the Vancouver Sun and Province, and his website, Vancouverplays.com; and Emeritus Professor of English and Theatre at UBC where he taught for 44 years – almost as long as Ira Nadel.

Image: (L) Ira Nadel, (R) Jerry Wasserman

* Please note that this event is on the second floor of the building that is only accessible via stairs and we apologize for the inconvenience.

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Chant’Ouest 2024

Running Time: 2 hours

Venez découvrir les artistes de la chanson : French Rk (MB), Isabelle Mercier (SK), Nadia Sylvain (AB) et Ghislaine Doté (C-B).

Le projet Chant’Ouest, qui a comme objectif de contribuer à la professionnalisation des artistes en émergence de l'Ouest et du Nord canadien, a fait peau neuve en 2023 en proposant une tournée dans les quatre provinces de l’Ouest ! L’expérience est un enrichissement extraordinaire pour bien comprendre les réalités du métier.

Direction artistique et musicale : Mario Lepage

19 mars : Winnipeg (Le patio 340, Centre culturel franco-manitobain)
20 mars : Regina (The Exchange)
22 mars : Edmonton (The Aviary)
24 mars : Vancouver (The Firehall Arts Centre)

Pour plus d'information : chantouest.com

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Come discover the music of: French Rk (MB), Isabelle Mercier (SK), Nadia Sylvain (AB) et Ghislaine Doté (C-B).

Le Chant'Ouest, 2024 edition, is a four-city music tour through MB, SK, AB and BC. The objective of this annual event is to provide professional development opportunities for emerging Francophone artists in Western Canada. This year's tour concept will give the participants a taste of 'DIY' (independent) touring.

Artistic and Musical Direction: Mario Lepage

March 19: Winnipeg (Le patio 340, Centre culturel franco-manitobain)
March 20: Regina (The Exchange)
March 22: Edmonton (The Aviary)
March 24: Vancouver (The Firehall Arts Centre)

For additional information: chantouest.com

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ENDLESS LOVE: A Firehall Fundraiser

You are invited to join us for a special evening toasting both the legacy of Canadian singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen and the Firehall's 42nd year of bringing the performing arts to the Downtown Eastside.

The Firehall Arts Centre has proudly produced 342 performances of Chelsea Hotel: The Songs of Leonard Cohen since its premiere in 2012. Mr. Cohen's incredible work continues to live on, even though he left us in 2016.

Tickets are $100 and include the performance, a pre-show reception hosted by Artistic Producer Donna Spencer (6:30pm) with complimentary canapés and bubbles, and a post-show mingle to meet the cast and crew of Chelsea Hotel. A $25 tax receipt will be issued per ticket.

Image: Ferenc Szelepcsenyi Alamy Stock Photo

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How to Feel: A Stage Reading

Running Time: 90 minutes

by Solomon Goudsward

How to Feel is a dramatic comedy exploring the complexities of relationships and emotional life in contemporary Canada.

Sam is a melancholic twenty-something whose best friends Jamie and Phoebe form the brunt of his social world - along with his therapist Johnathan. Together, against an uncertain future, Sam and his friends do their best to navigate love, childhood trauma, late capitalism, and friendship.

Admission to this reading of a play-in-development in the Firehall Arts Centre's studio is free. RSVP in advance through the online checkout process.

The reading will be followed by a talkback with the cast and playwright.

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Dungeons and Drag Queens

Running Time: 2 hrs

Drag Queens play Dungeons and Dragons LIVE! On March 23, 9pm!

Hear ye, hear ye! The hit drag comedy show rocking the West Coast is coming to BC! Witness the high-fantasy, high-fashion, high-rolling, high-larity as three drag queens play the legendary tabletop game of Dungeons and Dragons.

Dazzling Dungeon Master Paul Curry and masterful improvisational musician Carson Grubb, will lead (or be led by) the Queens through an brand new storytelling adventure which is sure to delight comedy consumers, fantasy fans, and drag dabblers alike!

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The Judge’s Daughter

By Mairy Beam, Produced by Sinister Seniors, Directed by Lindy Sisson

A crowd and critic favourite from the 2023 Vancouver Fringe, The Judge’s Daughter is back - provoking discussion as it dares to question the actions of our BC Supreme Court Judges. There are two ways this could go, and the final scene hinges on the judgement of you, the audience.

This play takes place in the Whistler ski cabins of brilliant lawyer, Judge Kelly Saint Patrick, and her lawyer husband James Brown. Young love blooms for their daughter, Erin, and her activist boyfriend. When a sudden death raises the morality of jailing anti-pipeline protesters, family relationships and professional reputations are threatened. It’s time for judgement and the audience is the jury.

Cast: Jennifer Fahrni, Sidney Klips, Arsham Farasat, Linden Banks.

Illustration by George Rammell

* This is a Guest Presentation. Firehall Passholders cannot redeem their passes for this show.

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CHUTZPAH FESTIVAL: WHISTLE

Running Time: 60 minutes | Show Time: 8pm

In this powerful solo theatre work, Tami, the only child of Auschwitz survivors, discovers at the age of 45 that she has not yet ever really lived. This startling revelation comes to her through a stranger, who suddenly enters her life and opens up locked doors to her soul.

Whistle is a searing, yet heartfelt and sensitive monodrama by Yaakov Buchan and directed by Hanna Vazana Grunwald, featuring a virtuosic performance by Hadar Galron that centres the pain of the second generation of survivors, and reveals the invisible wounds of the Holocaust, through a human story about a woman fighting for her natural right to rejoice, live, and love. In English.

Chutzpah! Festival programming of Israeli artists is supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and the Consulate of Israel.

Support for this presentation is provided by the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre.

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Dancing on the Edge

Event Details

Performance Schedule

Participating Companies

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