This summer Vancouver will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Dancing on the Edge Festival that has brought over 400 different dance artists and choreographers to our stages. Talented members of the dance industry have traveled from across Canada, Japan, Germany, Venezuela, Mexico, Wales, the United States, Poland and China to join local artists each year.
For this special milestone we’ll see 28 different choreographers and dance companies performing at Portside Park, Chinatown and Gastown and at the flagship festival location, the Firehall Arts Centre and the Scotiabank Dance Centre from July 4th until July 13th, 2013.
25 years ago, the contemporary dance scene in Vancouver was flying under the radar with few venues committed to showcasing the city’s growing talent.
Dance companies and artists such as Kokoro Dance, Noam Gagnon, Crystal Pite, Alvin Erasga Tolentino, Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg, Wen Wei Wang, Peter Bingham, 605 Collective, Amber Funk Barton, Karen Jamieson, James Gnam, Joe Laughlin, Jennifer Mascall and Canadian dance companies and artists such as Compagnie Marie Chouinard, Fortier Danse, Dancemakers and Jose Navas were not well known names.
All, along with many others, have been nurtured by the Dancing on the Edge Festival through its provision of production support and venues in which they could perform and hone their skills. Founded by Donna Spencer and Esther Rausenberg in 1988, the Dancing on the Edge Festival was established in response to the needs of local dance artists and since then it has been influential in establishing the success of contemporary dance artists and companies, putting many on the map nationally and around the world. [Source: Press Release]
Vancouver’s dance companies and artists will shine while engaging the whole city during the 25th anniversary year. There will be ticketed shows along with public, site-specific events like Alvin Erasga Tolentino and Alison Denham who will perform 25 gestures within 25 minutes as a ritualistic meditative movement prayer every day at 12:00pm (location is to be announced). You can also catch Dusk Dances nightly at Portside Park/Crab Park with host Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg.
From free performances like this to showcases at the Firehall Arts Centre and elsewhere around town, dance enthusiasts will love what’s in store. A full schedule can be found online.
Tickets are now on sale and they include the EDGE 4 Pack ($85) or 8 Pack ($165) for 4 or 8 ticketed shows and a membership to the Dancing on the Edge Society, and single tickets which range from $22 to 28 depending on the event. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the Firehall Arts Centre box office at (604) 689-0926.
If you would like to experience the Dancing on the Edge Festival I have two EDGE 4 PACKS to give away. One winner winner receive both so that they can pick up tickets to four shows of their choice along with a guest. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment here naming your favourite type of dance (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, June 25, 2013. Follow the festival on Facebook and Twitter for more information.
Update The winner is Tania!
Last August, John and I were invited to the Ka’anapali Fresh Festival on Maui, which celebrated locally-grown ingredients prepared by local chefs at a variety of unique beachfront events. On top of the festival, we toured MauiGrown Coffee, had a beer pairing lunch with Maui Brewing, and even managed to fit in a volcano sunrise.
We took plenty of photos and I posted a festival roundup and I finally have got around to writing about our accommodations… Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
The 25th Annual Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival returns to the waters of False Creek in Vancouver this week as over 200 teams competing. From Thursday, June 20th until Sunday, June 23rd everyone can enjoy the free festival and a few new events this year.
25th Anniversary Gala Fundraising Event
The Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival celebrations will begin on Thursday night (6:00pm to 10:00pm) at the 25th Anniversary Gala Fundraising Event. The Shangri-La Hotel will host an evening of fabulous food, wine from Lang Vineyards, beer from Granville Island Brewery and Twisted Tea. Tickets are $125 and are all-inclusive. Proceeds will go to the Milton K Wong Legacy Project, Kids and Youth Programs and a silent auction and balloon-pop raffle prizes will be available.
Schedule of Events
Starting at 5:00pm on Friday, the traditional blessing ceremony will take place near Creekside Community Centre. Taoist priests will “awaken the dragons” from their winter nap and invited guests will “dot the eyes” of the dragons as part of this colourful ritual. This will be followed by the 25th Anniversary Celebration with live entertainment, a BBQ, and the opening of the Granville Island Beer Garden from 6:00pm to 10:00pm.
On Saturday the races start promptly at 8:00am and the site opens for other activities at 10:00am. The World Beat Stage entertainment line-up starts at 11:00am and the Granville Island Beer Garden opens up the for the day. Races and festivities will go on until about 7:00pm.
Sunday has the same morning schedule as Saturday then at 12:00pm the Championship Races begin and welcome remarks will be made from the World Beats Stage at 1:30pm. Paddlers and volunteers can enjoy a send-off in the Granville Island Been Garden at 5:00pm.
Things to See, Do, and Taste
Check out the Sponsor’s Village on site all weekend including the Marketplace and Not-Fot-Profit info booths. Slow things down at the Global Tea Lounge, learning tips from Tea Sommeliers and grab some treats from food vendors.
Duck into the Creekside Community Centre for the Dragons Den Kids Area, CircusWest Performance Cirkids, performances from Rokky Mountain, games with the Vancouver Curling Club, and more. Roaming entertainment will include CircusWest, and The DJ Trike.
Dragon Boat Teams
On top of the free fun and festivities at this amazing cultural celebration there are the hard-working dragon boat racers themselves that make this such an exciting sporting event. Hundreds of teams will compete tirelessly in False Creek throughout the weekend including the False Creek Grandragons (with members ranging from their 50s to their 80s); the Conquering Waves (by conquering waves, they hope to conquer the stigma of mental illness); and the Eric Hamber FCRCC Eternal Dragons (the longest-standing junior team in North America).
Follow all of the Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival action and events on Facebook and Twitter. There are usually close to 100,000 people who enjoy the festival each year so be sure to leave the car at home and take the SkyTrain in (to Main Street), hop a bus, or bring your bike.
Pinot Noir grapes are mainly associated with Burgundy but Andy Johnston of Averill Creek Winery on Vancouver Island are putting Duncan on the global Pinot map.
Averill Creek is the largest estate grown vineyard and winery on Vancouver Island and they’re producing everything from Pinot Gris and Gewurtztraminer to a Foch Cab. “I’m a grape grower,” Andy told my media group earlier this spring. “Making wine is a bonus.” He, a former MD from Edmonton, and his wife Wendy founded Averill Creek in 2001 and have been growing grapes on the 40 acre estate ever since.
They began planting in 2002 using “a vertical shoot positioning system (Guyot) is used to allow for optimal photosynthesis, air circulation, and ripening.” With the region’s long, dry summers the southeastern slope of their property on Mt. Prevost is often several degrees warmer than the Cowichan Valley below. They have small-lot plantings even though they could potential yield more fruit from a number of their grape varieties. The winery sticks to a practice, and what would seem to be their mantra, of “quality over quantity”.
Andy is very proud of what they have accomplished at Averill Creek and they’ve done so in a very particular manner. They don’t crush grapes and they don’t pump wine. Everything is gravity-fed and pressed. They also do not use any American Oak and they only use screw-caps on their bottles.
His commitment to the grape and the purity of the process is definitely working. Averill Creek has been named “Victoria’s Best Local Winery” for 2013, according to readers of EAT Magazine and their pride and joy — the Averill Creek 2009 Pinot Noir Reserve — was named one of the top 25 wines from BC at the Wine Access Canadian Wine Awards.
Our group got to sit down in at the winery and sample the Somenos Rose (2011), Pinot Grigio (2011), an Alsace-style Pinot Gris (2009), Foch Cab (2010) otherwise known as a fun “bubble gum wine”, and the Cowichan Black — a 100% blackberry wine. Of course we tried the Pinot Noir as well. “There’s 150 cases left in reserve and if I don’t sell it, I don’t care. It’s my drinking wine!” Andy joked and we all knew that of course, the bottles of this award-winning local Pinot Noir would soon be flying off the shelves.
As the President of the Wine Islands Growers Association Andy keeps pretty busy but you’ll probably spot him around the winery if you stop in for a visit (at 6552 North Road in Duncan). They have a tasting room and wine shop with outdoor seating for picnics and events.
Follow Averill Creek on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about the winery and events around BC where their wine is being poured. You can find their wine in several local wine + spirit shops and buy online.
Earlier this spring I discovered the beauty of an oven-fresh pizza paired with Okanagan wines and I’m pretty excited that an event all about that same marriage of flavours and textures will be taking place in Vancouver this month.
Photos courtesy of LaStella/Nicli
Nicli Pizzeria Antica is hosting the Nicli Pizzeria Winemaker’s Dinner on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 featuring wines from LaStella.
For this event, Nicli will create four award-winning Neapolitan pizzas to be paired with five newly-released wines from the South Okanagan winery, and finish with a unique dessert to be paired with LaStella’s Moscato d’Osoyoos. LaStella’s General Manager Rasoul Salehi will be introducing each of the wines.
Tickets were going for $60, inclusive of tax and gratuity. The event is now completely sold out but you can win your way in. Here’s how to win tickets for you and a guest:
Nicli is located at 62 E Cordova St in Vancouver and LaStella can be found in Osoyoos’ rich wine region. Follow them both on Twitter @LaStellaWinery and @NicliPizzeria.
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 2:00pm on Thursday, June 20, 2013. Must be 19+ to attend this event. Please enjoy responsibly and plan a safe trip home.
Update The winner is Deb!
