The Dance Centre Podcast

Company 605: Episode 44

Welcome back to The Dance Centre Podcast. This month Claire welcomes Artistic Co-Directors of Company 605, Lisa Mariko Gelley and Josh Martin. Together they share their dance journeys, their relationship with dance, and the evolution of Company 605 from a collective to where it is today.

 

Josh and Lisa also discuss the work they do in the Vancouver dance community, their creation process, and how their new work, Sloth Canon, came to be. 

Show Notes:

-See Sloth Canon June 5-7 at Scotiabank Dance Centre: https://thedancecentre.ca/event/company-605-the-human-expression/

-Website: https://company605.ca/

 

Vanessa Goodman: Episode 43

Welcome back to the Dance Centre Podcast. This month Claire is joined by dance artist, choreographer and Artistic Director of Action at a Distance, Vanessa Goodman.

 

Together they discuss Vanessa's journey with dance, how she make dance a communal experiences as well as her relationship with music and sound - and how to listen to dance. 

 

Vanessa also speaks about creating dance and sound with her collaborators, group work and creating dance for non-traditional spaces. 

 

Show Notes

-International Dance Day 2025: https://thedancecentre.ca/event/international-dance-day-2025/

-Claire and Vanessa's conversation in 2020 as part of our International Dance Day Virtual Edition: https://youtu.be/Y8p5z2TJdiw

 

 

 

Gaurav Bhatti: Episode 42

Welcome back to The Dance Centre Podcast. This month Claire is joined by dance artist and choreographer Gaurav Bhatti. Together they discuss how dance chose him, his journey through dance genres, starting with Bollywood to his current work in Kathak, the relationship between Kathak and Contemporary dance and the evolution of his new piece Bulleh Shah: Seeker of Light.

 

See Bulleh Shah: Seeker of Light - March 28-29, 2025 at Scotiabank Dance Centre: thedancecentre.ca/event/gaurav-bhatti

Jessica Jone: Episode 41

Welcome back to The Dance Centre Podcast. This month Claire chats with Jessica Jone, principal and artistic director of the Lorita Leung Dance Academy. Together they discuss Jessica's journey with Chinese and contemporary dance, the different chapters of her life in dance and her relationship with the Dance Centre.

Jessica also shares the correlations she sees between Chinese and Contemporary dance and gives us a brief overview of Chinese dance.

 

Show Notes

-Lorita Leung Dance Academy: chinesedance.ca

-Stand like a Pine with a Helium Helmet: The Influences of Qi and Chan Buddhism in both Chinese Classical Dance and Modern Dance: https://www.chinesedance.ca/en/news-media/publications/%E2%80%9Cstand-like-a-pine-with-a-helium-helmet%E2%80%9D

Erika Mitsuhashi: Episode 40

Welcome back to The Dance Centre Podcast. This month Claire chats with interdisciplinary artist, choreographer and performer Erika Mitsuhashi. Together they discuss Erika's journey with dance, evolving from a dance artist to making dance, exploring other disciplines and materiality, as well as her collaborations to create and produce dance

Erika also shares about her current project: putting together a dance work within spiritual spaces, something she will explore more of as part of her upcoming residency in Montreal as part of the Quebec BC Residency Exchange with Circuit-Est Centre Chorégraphique. 

 

ttps://www.erikamitsuhashi.com/

Tasha Faye Evans: Episode 39

Welcome back to The Dance Centre Podcast. This month Claire welcomes dance artist and choreographer Tasha Faye Evans. Together they speak about community engagement, her house posts project In The Presence of Ancestors, and the evolution of her piece Cedar Woman.

 

Show Notes:

Website: tashafayeevans.com

Coast Salish Design Elements: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc3K-MyH3xg

 

 

Anya Saugstad: Episode 38

Welcome back to The Dance Centre Podcast. This month Claire welcomes Anya Saugstad, dancer, choreographer and recipient of the 2023 Iris Garland Emerging Choreographer Award. Together they discuss Anya's dance and choreography journey, how she is inspired by nature and uses it in her work, and why she enjoys working with a team. 

Claire and Anya also talk about her piece, Paper Mountains and it's journey leading up to it's world premiere on November 23 at Scotiabank Dance Centre as part of Dance In Vancouver 2024. 

 

https://thedancecentre.ca/event/anya-saugstad/

https://www.anyasaugstad.com/

 

Anthea Lewis and Freddie Opoku-Addaie: Episode 37

Welcome back to The Dance Centre Podcast. This month, Claire sat down with Dance In Vancouver 2024 curator Anthea Lewis and Freddie Opoku-Addaie, who has also been closely involved in the curatorial process.

Together they discuss the dance communities in London and Vancouver and the importance of hearing from multiple, different voices when curating. Plus Anthea shares her approach to curating DIV 2024.

 

Learn more about Dance In Vancouver 2024: https://thedancecentre.ca/event/dance-in-vancouver-2024/

Anusha Fernando: Episode 36

Welcome back to The Dance Centre Podcast. This month Claire sits down with dance artist, choreographer and Artistic Director of Shakti Dance, Anusha Fernando. Together they discuss her history and career in Bharata Natyam, the creation of Shakti Dance as well as her role in the formation of the Jai Gavinda Dance Academy and Mandala Arts & Culture Society. Plus the evolution of Bharata Natyam as a dance form, supporting personal stories within Bharata Natyam and her new piece Sky Dancers and how it has evolved over time.

 

https://thedancecentre.ca/event/anusha-fernando-shakti-dance/

Ayasha Guerin: Episode 35

Welcome back to The Dance Centre Podcast. This month Claire sits down with interdisciplinary artist and scholar Dr. Ayasha Guerin. Together they discuss Ayasha's journey and connection with dance, her current work at UCLA, and the importance of dance and moving the body.

Claire and Ayasha also talk about the Liberated Planet Studio, diving into the creation of the project and how it has evolved and changed over its different iterations in the past few years.

 

Show Notes:

Website: https://www.ayashaguerinworks.com/

Liberated Planet Studio on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liberatedplanetstudio/