37th Annual Dancing with the Edge Festival
Photo by Brad Dillon
Canada’s longest-running contemporary dance festival will present three world premieres and two Canadian premieres as part of its 10-day event
VANCOUVER, BC – Dancing on the Edge Festival (DOTE), recognized as the cornerstone of Vancouver’s contemporary dance season, presents its 37th annual festival, featuring an impressive line-up of established and emerging dancemakers at the Firehall Arts Centre and SFU Woodward’s, on stages June 12 to 21, 2025.
Spotlighting a wide range of eclectic world and Canadian premieres, as well as works in progress, from Canadian and international artists, the festival will offer seven mixed programs, as well as three full-length works, over its 10-day slate of performances.
“In the turmoil of the world, we look to artists for solace, encouragement, and inspiration. For this year’s 37th annual DOTE Festival we are thrilled to present a roster of artists whose works offer a balm for the soul – exploring a pendulum of themes from isolation to connectivity, from being overwhelmed to feeling joy,” says Donna Spencer, DOTE Artistic Producer. “From established choreographers such as Lina Cruz, Noam Gagnon, Justine Chambers, Sarah Chase, Ame Henderson, Newton Moraes, Ziyian Kwan, and Lesley Telford to exciting newer voices like Cai Glover, Rebecca Margolick, and Jenn Edwards, our festival’s dancemakers will share work that transcends language, explores new perspectives, and transports us to different realities.”
Some of this year’s most anticipated performances include the world premiere of the full-length work Lurch from Vancouver’s MascallDance, an intellectually rigorous evaluation of legacy, in partnership with three commissioned choreographers: Justine Chambers, Ame Henderson, and Sarah Chase; the world premiere of a short work, Tunnel 9, from Montreal’s Fila 13 Productions, with acclaimed dancers Claudia Moore and Sean Ling-Allan who take refuge in a confined space; the world premiere from Taiwanese-Canadian dance artist Juolin Lee with Soup of Forgetfulness, a solo inspired by Taiwanese folklore about the afterlife and reincarnation in which Lee shapeshifts between the many characters of one’s past lives.
Canadian premieres include SUBJECT TO / خضوع from Moroccan choreographer/dancer Mehdi Dahkan, which contemplates the symbolism of silence as a form of protest and Muchos Cisnes from Spanish choreographer/dancer Manu Badás, whose work questions traditional perceptions of beauty, politics, and identity.
Dancing on the Edge’s complete festival lineup includes:
(Lurch by MascallDance at SFU Woodward’s. All other performances at Firehall Arts Centre.)
Edge 1: June 12 at 7pm & June 13 at 9pm
being by Noam Gagnon (Vancouver)
My Dance Is Not A Hobby by Newton Moraes Dance Theatre (Toronto) – Work In Progress
Edge 2: June 12 at 9pm & June 13 at 7pm
Windshear / If I were 2 by Inverso Productions (Vancouver)
to begin with no end by Tushrik Fredericks & Rebecca Margolick (Vancouver)
Edge 3: June 14 at 9pm & June 15 at 9pm
Muchos Cisnes by La Inquinquinante/Manu Badás (Spain) – Canadian Premiere
A Matter of Deviance by Method Dance (Prince George)
June 14 at 7pm & June 15 at 7pm
1,000 Pieces of π by Broken Rhythms Dance Company (Victoria)
June 17 at 9pm
TUNING from Action at a Distance / Belle Spirale Dance Projects (Vancouver)
Edge 4: June 17 at 7pm & June 19 at 9pm
To Fetch a Pail of Water by Jennifer McLeish-Lewis (Vancouver)
Tidal Wave (Excerpt) by SQx Dance Company (Castlegar, BC)
Edge 5: June 18 at 7pm & June 19 at 7pm
The Centre of Time by Jenn Edwards (Montreal/Labrador West) – Work In Progress
Soup of Forgetfulness by Juolin Lee (Vancouver) – World Premiere
June 18, 20 & 21 at 8:30pm
Lurch by MascallDance (Vancouver) – World Premiere
Edge 6: June 20 at 7pm & June 21 at 9pm
Tunnel 9 by Fila 13/Lina Cruz (Montreal) – World Premiere
Tendrils by Odd Meridian/Ziyian Kwan (Vancouver)
Edge 7: June 20 at 9pm & June 21 at 7pm
I Know You Are But What Am I? by A Fichu Turning/Cai Glover (Montreal)
SUBJECT TO / خضوع by Jil Z/Mehdi Dakhan (Lyon, France) – Canadian Premiere
About Dancing on the Edge
Dancing on the Edge Festival is Canada’s longest-running professional contemporary dance festival, proudly rooted in British Columbia for more than 37 years. Celebrated as a cornerstone of the Lower Mainland’s dance season, the festival showcases bold, boundary-pushing performances by emerging and established artists from across Canada and around the world. With a mission to support the creation and presentation of innovative choreography, DOTE engages audiences through performances and dialogues in both traditional and unexpected spaces–making contemporary dance accessible, thought-provoking, and unforgettable.
June 12 to 21, 2025
Firehall Arts Centre
280 E Cordova St, Vancouver
SFU Woodward’s
149 W Hastings St, Vancouver
