Story
With $4,400 from Catalyst, Eponymous (now called Seismic Shift), in partnership with New Performance Works, commissioned a 2006 environmental scan and feasibility study to explore the possibility of establishing a large-scale contemporary dance series at the Vancouver Playhouse. A new series was considered to address the lack of large-scale dance presenters in the city. The study identified potential funding and programming partners, a business model, possible pitfalls, and a plan of action. Format included personal interviews, statistical research and scans, a review of existing literature, and consultations with 25 members of Vancouver and Canada’s contemporary dance community. Results showed a gap in Vancouver’s dance presentation, specifically relating to large scale dance. As a result, the society developed a three-year pilot series at the Vancouver Playhouse with the first complete season in 2008-2009.
