Dancers of Damelahamid will host the 16th annual Coastal Dance Festival, honouring Indigenous stories, song, and dance from the Northwest Coast, Canada and around the world, March 2-5, 2023 at the Anvil Centre in New Westminster.
In celebration of reciprocity between global Indigenous communities, this year’s festival will support a cultural exchange with New Zealand, featuring the festival debut of New Zealand Indigenous performing artist Rosie Te Rauawhea Belvie. Dancers of Damelahamid will then travel to New Zealand to share their cultural knowledge at the biannual Indigenous performance festival, Kia Mau, in June 2023.
Dancers of Damelahamid by Chris Randle
16th Annual Coastal Dance Festival
When: March 2-5, 2023
Where: Anvil Centre (777 Columbia St, New Westminster)
Festival Stage Performances by donation (March 4 & 5 1:00pm to 4:00pm)
Artist Sharing, free admission (March 2 & 3 at 6:30pm)
“We are thrilled to welcome Indigenous artists from the Northwest Coast, across Canada, the U.S. and Australia and New Zealand to share their artistic practices and cultural knowledge,” says Margaret Grenier, Festival Executive & Artistic Director.
“Our programming provides a platform for cultural sharing to deepen our understanding of our festival artists’ histories and sources of inspiration, in celebration of the ongoing cultural revitalization and resiliency of so many communities around the world. We are honoured for the opportunity to receive this ancestral knowledge from artists close to home and globally, and, in turn, to share our own traditions with the people of New Zealand later this year.”
In addition to the festival debut of Rosie Te Rauawhea Belvie (New Zealand), Coastal Dance Festival’s Signature Evening Series will feature an exclusive excerpt by Dancers of Damelahamid from their next full-length work Raven Mother, set to premiere in 2024. This excerpt follows a recent dance residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in December 2022 to further develop this work.
The Festival’s Signature Evening Series will also include a performance from Paunnakuluit (Inuit), a group comprised of drum dancers and traditional Inuit throat singers Tooma Laisa and Leanna Wilson; Australia’s intergenerational Wagana Aboriginal Dancers, who perform traditional and contemporary dances inspired by the Blue Mountains; Alberta-based Cree multidisciplinary artist and classically trained flutist Jessica McMann; Squamish-based Spakwus Slolem (Skwxwu7mesh), who share their canoe and cedar longhouse culture; Yisya̱’winux̱w (Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw), a group representing many of the 16 tribes of the Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw people on Northern Vancouver Island; and Rainbow Creek Dancers (Haida), in celebration of traditional Haida ceremonial dances.
As part of this year’s by-donation Festival Stage Series, Coastal Dance Festival welcomes performances from several of the Festival’s Signature Series artists, including Rosie Te Rauawhea Belvie, Paunnakuluit, Wagana Aboriginal Dancers, Yisya̱’winux̱w, and Dancers of Damelahamid. The daytime weekend performances will include the festival debut of Saskatchewan’s award-winning Métis fiddler Adam Daigneault, and the return of numerous festival favourites: dynamic dance group Chinook Song Catchers (Skwxwu7mesh, Nisga’a); mask-dancing groups Git Hayetsk (Nisga’a, Tsimshian)and Git Hoan (Tsimshian); a family group from many First Nations Xwelmexw Shxwexwo:s (Stó:lō, Musqueam, Sts:ailes, Snuneymuxw, Nuu-chah-nulth, Skwxwu7mesh); the award-winning Inland Tlingit Dakhká Khwáan Dancers; and Chesha7 iy lha mens (Skwxwu7mesh, Stó:lō, Tsimsian), a family group of grandmothers, mothers, and daughters.
This year’s festival will also feature the return of its Artist Sharing Series, with two free offerings for guests on Thursday, March 2 and Friday, March 3, at 6:30pm. Thursday’s sharing will discuss the connection of dance to ancestral lands and Friday’s sharing will discuss the connection of dance to ancestral language.
Workout for Women’s Day is back for the 5th year, presenting dozens of classes and sessions all by donation, all in support of some great causes from March 3-8, 2023.
Women’s Shelters Canada (a national cause this year for those participating online from outside of BC)
Check the daily schedule (PDF) and find the workouts and classes you’d like to participate in. They’ve had everything from Power Step to Barre Fusion, HIIT, Zumba, Strength Training, Bliss Yoga Flow, Circus Bodies, Retro Dance Cardio, Kickboxing, Bollywood Dance Party, and many more.
Organizers Shana Alexander, Andi Davis, and Danya Rogen want to raise awareness for organizations and causes that support all self-identifying girls and women, and gender expansive people, in the hopes of creating greater community connections now and in the future, and promote inclusion, diversity and equity in movement settings.
For participants, they provide a space where all feel welcome and empowered to move in their own way.
All of the instructors’ time, and the venues/spaces have been donated as this is a truly grassroots initiative – with a big impact! In the first four years Workout for Women’s Day has raised about $100,000 and they’re hoping to add another $50,000 to that total in celebration of their fifth year. The charities have identified areas of their programming where help is critically needed so you will be able to see the impact of your contribution.
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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Sponsored Post — Sponsored by SocialPacific Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
The team that created Canada’s premier series of digital marketing conferences is bringing their event, SocialPacific to Vancouver this March! The SocialPacific Digital Marketing Conference is a must-attend experience for brands, agencies, and marketers.
SocialPacific is a one-of-a-kind event designed to help marketers refine their digital strategies and develop skills that will help push brands and channels even further.
“I have been wanting to bring something like SocialPacific to Vancouver for as long as I can remember,” says SocialWest & SocialAtlantic founder Mike Morrison. “It’s an opportunity to bring together the brightest minds in digital marketing and online advertising for a few days of high-level learning, networking and connection.”
If you’re a social media manager, content manager, digital marketer, communications student, photographer, or small business operator – this is the conference for you!
With over 15 speakers, sessions and panels, this is an invaluable experience for anyone who wants to elevate their digital marketing skills.
You can hear from Zack Grossman, Head of Industry for TikTok; LinkedIn’s Sean McConnell; Alanna Fiedler from Google; and many more! Topics range from accessibility on platforms, to leveraging influencers, social media marketing trends, and I’ll also be speaking with a general overview of social network algorithms.
The 30th RBC JCC Sports Dinner is just weeks away! This annual charity event raises funds for the JCC of Greater Vancouver through a reception, dinner, raffle, and auction. This year’s special guest speaker, presented by ZLC Financial, is Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski!
The JCC also always brings a sport personality to inspire, entertain and share personal stories from their careers in professional sports with guests.
Rob Gronkowski is one of the greatest tight ends of all time. He is a four-time Super Bowl champion, a four-time First Team All Pro selection, and was selected in the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team and NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
Gronk is a fan favourite due to his exuberate and infectious personality, his many TV and Movie appearances, and his relentless philanthropy through the Patriots Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Gronk Nation Youth Foundation, and many other charities across the US.
Gronk also owns many records for his position, including: the most career postseason receiving yards and touchdowns, and the most combined receptions and receiving yards in Super Bowl history.
Jack Diamond Sports Personality of the Year Award
Don’t miss this year’s announcement of The Jack Diamond Sports Personality of the Year Award! This award recognizes an individual who has consistently demonstrated a competitive and cooperative spirit, who has excelled in the field of sport, and who has made a positive contribution to our community.
Cadillac Raffle Tickets on Sale Now
You could win a 2023 Luxury Cadillac XT4 FWD! And there’s a 50/50 raffle on as well. Final Sales Deadline: Tuesday, March 28, 2023 at 8:00pm.
The JCC is an inclusive Community Centre that has always offered cultural, recreational, educational and social activities for all generations. Your support provides subsidies for exceptional preschool, arts and music programs, sports leagues, senior care, special needs services and more.
By supporting The RBC JCC Sports Dinner, you are directly helping to ensure that these programs and opportunities continue to be available to members of the community.
More details and information here. Follow the RBC JCC Sports Dinner on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information.
Miss604 is a proud Social Media Sponsor of the JCC Sports Dinner
Tickets are now available for the winter 50/50 raffle to support Canuck Place children and families. Half of the jackpot goes to a lucky winner and the other half supports exceptional care in Canuck Place hospices in Vancouver and Abbotsford, and in communities across BC and the Yukon.
Canuck Place 50/50 Raffle
Tickets: Buy online for 3 for $5, 7 for $10, 50 for $20 or 150 for $50
Ticket Sales End: Midnight, Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Draw Date: Friday, March 3, 2023 at 11:00am
50/50 tickets may be sold and purchased only in British Columbia. Ticket purchasers must be 19 years of age or older. Know your limit, play within it.
Canuck Place Children’s Hospice is British Columbia and the Yukon’s pediatric palliative care provider. Over 830 children living with life-threatening illnesses and families from five provincial health regions receive Canuck Place inpatient and community care (in home/in hospital).
Canuck Place operates 13 patient beds and 8 family suites through two hospices in Vancouver and Abbotsford. Services include medical respite and family support, pain and symptom management, provincial 24-hour clinical care line, music and recreation therapy, education and art, grief, loss, and bereavement counselling, as well as end-of-life care.
2022 Impact
With your support, in 2022 Canuck Place increased medical respite care by 24% ensuring families needing care during tough times were given rest and renewal, with 1,917 family members receiving overnight respite at our hospices.
They saw a 33% increase in inpatient admissions for children and families requiring pediatric palliative care, and had a 36% increase in in-person consults with children and families in-home, and in hospital.
Canuck Place counselling sessions increased by 27%, supporting children and families through incredibly difficult circumstances. They were also able to ensure that 100% of urgent hospice admissions were met within 24 hours.
For over 25 years, Canuck Place has been providing exceptional complex medical care, while helping children and families embrace living fully with the time they have left together. But not without donor support. That’s where your 50/50 ticket purchase can make a difference.
Because of supporters, they’re able to make the most of the time that is left for a child and empower children and families to make important choices:
A choice for care focused on comfort, the relief of suffering and symptoms and quality of time;
a choice for the place of end-of-life;
and a choice for emotional, social, spiritual, and bereavement support
