Training Society Of Vancouver

Monday February 13 Working Class in partnership with Matriarchs Uprising from 10am-1130am

Monday - February 13 Olivia C. Davies

Wednesday February 15 Working Class in partnership with Matriarchs Uprising from 10am-1130am

Wednesday - February 15 Santee Smith

Friday February 17 Working Class in partnership with Matriarchs Uprising from 10am-1130am

Friday - February 17 Gabrielle Thomas & Abbie Rogers

If the class you selected is full, please select this Waitlist Ticket.

Waitlist ticket

February 13 - Olivia C. Davies:I believe that our bodies hold the potential for powerful story-telling. Movement and gesture can connect our bodies to the world around us and facilitate the sharing of our lived experience. In this class, I share a Contemporary Indigenous dance methodology that is intended to open new ways of experiencing the world with breath, impulse, and shape guided by imagination and our connection to earth and sky. We will tap into the material of bone and muscle, mind and body, and presence work to explore the space within our body and surrounding us. Guided improvisations generate intentional gestures sourced from our imaginations and our blood memory. Set sequences will apply basic movement fundamentals and take us into momentum with reach, push, pull, yield, and spiralling action. <span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Roboto;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:0.25px;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:pre-wrap;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Everyone welcome.  February 15 - Santee Smith:<span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Roboto;color:rgb(34, 31, 32);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">In her master class Santee Smith shares insight and aspects of her movement and energetic practices inspired by natural patterning, knowledge encoded within cultural symbols, and the grounded pulse of Onkwehon:we style of dance, supple and activated spine with call and response as a reciprocal process. The class features full bodied movement, awareness of breath, activation of energy from inside and outside of the body with guided imagery and free form movement exploration.  <span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Roboto;color:rgb(34, 31, 32);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The class is open to movement people from all styles with ability to work within personal ranges. Class is barefoot or socked, wearing non-restrictive clothing is suggested. <span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Roboto;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:0.25px;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:pre-wrap;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Everyone welcome.  <span style="font-size:14px;font-family:Roboto;color:rgb(34, 31, 32);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">February 17 - Gabrielle Thomas & Abbie Rogers:<span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Roboto;color:rgb(53, 53, 53);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Experience a Māori contemporary dance masterclass with Choreographer Gaby Thomas and dancer Abbie Rogers from Atamira Dance Company (Aotearoa/New Zealand). Participants will engage with Māori perspectives while learning techniques, concepts and repertoire from the company’s recent work TOMO. Be ready to move in and out of the floor, participate in sensory play and make contact with others through the exploration of wairua (spirit), light and darkness. <span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Roboto;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Everyone welcome.  <span style="font-size:14px;font-family:Roboto;color:rgb(34, 31, 32);background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;box-sizing:inherit">Teacher Description:<span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Roboto;color:rgb(34, 31, 32);background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;box-sizing:inherit">Olivia C. Davies<span style="color:rgb(34, 31, 32);background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;box-sizing:inherit"> is a Contemporary Indigenous dance artist who honors her mixed Anishinaabe heritage (Algonquin, Finnish, French-Canadian, Welsh) in creating across choreography, film, sound design and writing. Her work seeks to traverse boundaries and challenge social prejudice, conveying concepts and narratives that open different ways to experience the world. Current projects include curation of Matriarchs Uprising Festival, Talking Truths Circle Conversations, and collaborations with Peppers Ghost Collective and with Moonseed Collective in hybrid VR/AR live performance events. Davies is the founding Artistic Director of O.Dela Arts. Her work has been presented across Canada in Ontario, Quebec, and BC since 2004. <span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Roboto;color:rgb(34, 31, 32);background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;box-sizing:inherit"><a href="http://www.oliviacdavies.ca/"><span style="color:rgb(17, 85, 204);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">www.oliviacdavies.ca</a>  <span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Roboto;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Santee Smith / Tekaronhiáhkhwa is a multidisciplinary artist from the Kahnyen’kehàka Nation, Turtle Clan, Six Nations of the Grand River. She trained for 6 years at Canada’s National Ballet School, completed Physical Education and Psychology degrees from McMaster University and a M.A. in Dance at York University. Sharing her dance experience and classes for over 20 years, Santee teaches around the world, within diverse communities, at all levels of schooling, and designs and facilitates workshops. She spearheads “Inviting the Land to Shape Us” Creation Labs at Six Nations, Talking Earth Studio and other sites. Recently, she taught master classes in the Dance Department at Cornell University, community classes at University of Buffalo. In 2021, she was guest faculty at Soulpepper Academy, Toronto and guest teacher for the Banff Centre/Citadel Theatre Training, Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity in 2019. From 2009-2017, Smith programmed and taught at Kaha:wi Dance Theatre’s Summer Training Intensive. Santee shares her choreographic aesthetic and physical training techniques gathered from the spans of her career as a dance artist with a focus on Indigenous movement languages, purpose and celebration.  <span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Roboto;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Gabrielle Thomas  (<span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Roboto;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Kai Tahu, Te Atiawa te Tau Ihu<span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Roboto;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">) <span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Roboto;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Gabrielle Thomas is a choreographer and dancer of Kāi Tahu and Te Atiawa te Tau Ihu descent. Her choreographies are inspired by Māori philosophies and traditional practices, mythologies and raranga (weaving) and often incorporate her personal experiences growing up. Gabrielle became a member of Atamira Dance Company in 2006 and has continued to dance, teach and choreograph for the company. Her most recent work <span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Roboto;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">TOMO<span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Roboto;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> premiered in October  2019 and has since been adapted to a VR film. <span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Roboto;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Gabrielle is studying Te Reo Māori and raising her whānau. She is passionate about creating new pathways of enquiry through the arts and sharing Māturanga Māori through dance.  <span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Roboto;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Abbie Rogers (Ngāi Tahu, Te Arawa)<span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Roboto;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> Abbie was born and raised in Ōtautahi before moving to Tāmaki Makaurau in 2016 to study contemporary dance at Unitec. Since graduating in 2018, Abbie has gained experience and knowledge through a variety of roles including as a dancer, teacher and stage manager. She has worked with various acclaimed artists, most recently Atamira Dance Company, Jack Gray and Ōkareka Dance Company. <span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Roboto;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Abbie has been working closely with Atamira since 2019 on various projects including Te Wheke, Tomo, Ngā Wai and Toi Tu Toi Ora (Auckland Art Gallery). In 2021 she stepped into the role as their Education Leader and Marketing Co-ordinator working on developing education resources and managing online media. Abbie has a passion for connecting Te Ao Māori values, tikanga and stories with her contemporary dance practice. Finding new movement and pathways to explore within different settings and projects. <span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Roboto;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Photo Credits L-R: Dayna Szyndrowski (Olivia) Santee Smith (Santee) Toaki Okano (Gabrielle and Abbie)

February 13 - Olivia C. Davies:I believe that our bodies hold the potential for powerful story-telling. Movement and gesture can connect our bodies to the world around us and facilitate the sharing of our lived experience. In this class, I share a Contemporary Indigenous dance methodology that is intended to open new ways of experiencing the world with breath, impulse, and shape guided by imagination and our connection to earth and sky. We will tap into the material of bone and muscle, mind and body, and presence work to explore the space within our body and surrounding us. Guided improvisations generate intentional gestures sourced from our imaginations and our blood memory. Set sequences will apply basic movement fundamentals and take us into momentum with reach, push, pull, yield, and spiralling action. Everyone welcome.  February 15 - Santee Smith:In her master class Santee Smith shares insight and aspects of her movement and energetic practices inspired by natural patterning, knowledge encoded within cultural symbols, and the grounded pulse of Onkwehon:we style of dance, supple and activated spine with call and response as a reciprocal process. The class features full bodied movement, awareness of breath, activation of energy from inside and outside of the body with guided imagery and free form movement exploration.  The class is open to movement people from all styles with ability to work within personal ranges. Class is barefoot or socked, wearing non-restrictive clothing is suggested. Everyone welcome.  February 17 - Gabrielle Thomas &amp; Abbie Rogers:Experience a Māori contemporary dance masterclass with Choreographer Gaby Thomas and dancer Abbie Rogers from Atamira Dance Company (Aotearoa/New Zealand). Participants will engage with Māori perspectives while learning techniques, concepts and repertoire from the company’s recent work TOMO. Be ready to move in and out of the floor, participate in sensory play and make contact with others through the exploration of wairua (spirit), light and darkness. Everyone welcome.  Teacher Description:Olivia C. Davies is a Contemporary Indigenous dance artist who honors her mixed Anishinaabe heritage (Algonquin, Finnish, French-Canadian, Welsh) in creating across choreography, film, sound design and writing. Her work seeks to traverse boundaries and challenge social prejudice, conveying concepts and narratives that open different ways to experience the world. Current projects include curation of Matriarchs Uprising Festival, Talking Truths Circle Conversations, and collaborations with Peppers Ghost Collective and with Moonseed Collective in hybrid VR/AR live performance events. Davies is the founding Artistic Director of O.Dela Arts. Her work has been presented across Canada in Ontario, Quebec, and BC since 2004. <a href="http://www.oliviacdavies.ca/">www.oliviacdavies.ca</a>  Santee Smith / Tekaronhiáhkhwa is a multidisciplinary artist from the Kahnyen’kehàka Nation, Turtle Clan, Six Nations of the Grand River. She trained for 6 years at Canada’s National Ballet School, completed Physical Education and Psychology degrees from McMaster University and a M.A. in Dance at York University. Sharing her dance experience and classes for over 20 years, Santee teaches around the world, within diverse communities, at all levels of schooling, and designs and facilitates workshops. She spearheads “Inviting the Land to Shape Us” Creation Labs at Six Nations, Talking Earth Studio and other sites. Recently, she taught master classes in the Dance Department at Cornell University, community classes at University of Buffalo. In 2021, she was guest faculty at Soulpepper Academy, Toronto and guest teacher for the Banff Centre/Citadel Theatre Training, Banff Centre for Arts &amp; Creativity in 2019. From 2009-2017, Smith programmed and taught at Kaha:wi Dance Theatre’s Summer Training Intensive. Santee shares her choreographic aesthetic and physical training techniques gathered from the spans of her career as a dance artist with a focus on Indigenous movement languages, purpose and celebration.  Gabrielle Thomas  (Kai Tahu, Te Atiawa te Tau Ihu) Gabrielle Thomas is a choreographer and dancer of Kāi Tahu and Te Atiawa te Tau Ihu descent. Her choreographies are inspired by Māori philosophies and traditional practices, mythologies and raranga (weaving) and often incorporate her personal experiences growing up. Gabrielle became a member of Atamira Dance Company in 2006 and has continued to dance, teach and choreograph for the company. Her most recent work TOMO premiered in October  2019 and has since been adapted to a VR film. Gabrielle is studying Te Reo Māori and raising her whānau. She is passionate about creating new pathways of enquiry through the arts and sharing Māturanga Māori through dance.  Abbie Rogers (Ngāi Tahu, Te Arawa) Abbie was born and raised in Ōtautahi before moving to Tāmaki Makaurau in 2016 to study contemporary dance at Unitec. Since graduating in 2018, Abbie has gained experience and knowledge through a variety of roles including as a dancer, teacher and stage manager. She has worked with various acclaimed artists, most recently Atamira Dance Company, Jack Gray and Ōkareka Dance Company. Abbie has been working closely with Atamira since 2019 on various projects including Te Wheke, Tomo, Ngā Wai and Toi Tu Toi Ora (Auckland Art Gallery). In 2021 she stepped into the role as their Education Leader and Marketing Co-ordinator working on developing education resources and managing online media. Abbie has a passion for connecting Te Ao Māori values, tikanga and stories with her contemporary dance practice. Finding new movement and pathways to explore within different settings and projects. Photo Credits L-R: Dayna Szyndrowski (Olivia) Santee Smith (Santee) Toaki Okano (Gabrielle and Abbie)

Training Society Of Vancouver

Working Class in partnership with Matriarchs Uprising - February 13/15/17

Scotiabank Dance Centre

Add a donation

Monday - February 13 Olivia C. Davies

$15

Wednesday - February 15 Santee Smith

$15

Friday - February 17 Gabrielle Thomas & Abbie Rogers

$15

Waitlist ticket

Free