International Dance Day 2025 in Vancouver

📅 Dates: Sunday, April 27 & Tuesday, April 29, 2025
📍 Locations: Scotiabank Dance Centre & 800 Robson Plaza (Vancouver Art Gallery South Plaza)
🎟️ Admission: Free and Sliding Scale (Select events: $0 / $15 / $25)
🔗 Website: thedancecentre.ca

💃 Celebrate the Power of Movement on International Dance Day 2025

Get ready to move, groove, and be inspired as The Dance Centre presents a spectacular celebration for International Dance Day 2025 in Vancouver. This vibrant, multi-day festival honours the global art of dance through performances, films, workshops, and immersive installations. Events are hosted at the Scotiabank Dance Centre and 800 Robson Plaza, with something for everyone—dancers, students, families, and art lovers alike.

Marked annually on April 29, International Dance Day commemorates the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727–1810), known as the father of modern ballet. It’s a time to recognize dance as a universal language that connects cultures and inspires change.

🌟 Highlights of International Dance Day 2025 in Vancouver

📍 Sunday, April 27 – Scotiabank Dance Centre

🕐 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Workshop: Cultural and Migration Stories
Explore personal and cultural identity through movement and storytelling with Kay Huang/Crossmaneuver. This reflective workshop uses guided play and imagination to uncover embodied heritage.
🎟️ Free | Ages 16+ | Register in advance or drop-in welcome

🕔 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Film Screening: Gluk – Karen Jamieson Dance
An impactful documentary on Stone Soup, a dance project rooted in reconciliation and cultural respect. Experience Indigenous teachings through movement, followed by a reception.
🎟️ Sliding Scale: $0 / $15 / $25

🎞️ Part of Capture Photography Festival

📍 Tuesday, April 29 – International Dance Day Events

📍 800 Robson Plaza (Vancouver Art Gallery South Plaza)

🕛 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Artemis’ Embrace | soma anima arts
A large-scale, inclusive outdoor performance led by Rachel Helten, featuring community and professional dancers, accompanied by live music from Balkan Shmalkan.

🎤 High School Hip Hop
Burnaby Central Secondary students bring energy and urban flavour with a hip hop routine choreographed by Sophia “Sosa” Laurio.

🩰 landings for six | Vanessa Goodman
Six dancers explore the emotional weight of stairways and structure through immersive performance.
📍Also shown at 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM at Scotiabank Dance Centre

📍 Scotiabank Dance Centre

🕑 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Studio Showing: Borrowed Time | Inverso Productions/Lesley Telford
An intergenerational dance about life’s transitions, vulnerability, and strength.

🕔 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Performative Lecture: The Brutal Joy | Justine A. Chambers
A moving, academic, and creative exploration of Black line dance, style, and culture as a form of lived knowledge.

🕕 6:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Performance: landings for six | Vanessa Goodman
A stunning stairwell performance blending sound, space, and storytelling with six performers.
🎞️ Capture Photography Festival Participating Event

🕖 7:00 PM – 7:45 PM
Chrysalis | Dance//Novella
Twelve rising dance artists explore identity and transformation in this immersive show with adaptable set designs from molo. Expect dynamic visuals, strobe lighting, and haze.
🎟️ Sliding Scale: $0 / $15 / $25

🎥 Ongoing Installation – Through April 30

📍 Scotiabank Dance Centre Lobby and Stairwell
between the landings | Vanessa Goodman/Action at a Distance
A meditative, multisensory stairwell video and sound installation exploring liminal space and transition.
🎟️ Free admission
🎞️ Capture Photography Festival Participating Event

🎭 About International Dance Day

International Dance Day was initiated by UNESCO’s International Theatre Institute (ITI) in 1982 to celebrate dance’s role in society. Vancouver’s celebration is among Canada’s most robust, showcasing the city’s vibrant and diverse dance community through educational, performative, and participatory experiences.

✅ Event Accessibility & Info

• Most events are free or pay-what-you-can

• Accessible by transit (downtown Vancouver)

• Recommended for all ages and all dance backgrounds

• No registration needed unless specified

💌 Plan Your Visit

Scotiabank Dance Centre
677 Davie St, Vancouver, BC
Robson Plaza – Vancouver Art Gallery South Plaza
800 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC

🚌 Easily accessible via SkyTrain and TransLink bus routes
📸 Events are part of the Capture Photography Festival

🌎 Let Dance Move You

Whether you're new to dance or a seasoned pro, International Dance Day 2025 in Vancouver is your chance to experience movement as connection, culture, and expression. Celebrate the transformative power of dance with free and ticketed events designed to move both body and soul.