DanceHouse presents Grupo Corpo, an energizing, two-part program from Brazil’s iconic contemporary dance company featuring the Vancouver premiere of Dança Sinfônica and Gira, February 28 & 29, 2020 the Vancouver Playhouse.

DanceHouse Presents Grupo Corpo

Where: Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton St, Vancouver)
When: February 28 & 29, 2020 at 8:00pm
Pre-show Talk at 7:15pm. Host: Janet Smith
Tickets: Available online now from $35 »

In the company’s third presentation with DanceHouse, Grupo Corpo’s visionary siblings — Artistic Director Paulo Pederneiras and Choreographer Rodrigo Pederneiras — open the evening with Dança Sinfônica, a reflection of its 40-year history.

The electrifying work draws upon an eclectic fusion of ballet, samba, jazz, Afro-Brazilian rhythms and more, in a jubilant synthesis of the juggernaut’s signature vocabulary of movement. The second half of the program will showcase the brothers’ riveting work Gira, exploring the rituals of Umbanda — one of Brazil’s most widespread religions — in a carnal meditation on humanity’s pursuit for divine enlightenment.

Created in 2015 in celebration of Grupo Corpo’s 40th anniversary, Dança Sinfônica is a delightful musing on memories, in which Rodrigo mines his body of work to re-envision the contemporary dance company’s most memorable choreographic narratives. 

Grupo Corpo explores a different facet of Brazilian culture with Gira, a mesmerizing work inspired by the chants and ritual dances of Umbanda, an Afro-Brazilian religion that blends African traditions with Roman Catholicism and Spiritism. 

Win Tickets

I have a pair of tickets to give away to this performance, here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Click below to post an entry on Twitter

For more information, follow DanceHouse on Instagram, Facebook, and a Twitter. I will draw one contest winner at random from all entries at 9:00am on Monday, February 24, 2020.

UPDATE: The winner is Stephanie!

Spring doesn’t officially begin until March 19th but it’s arriving early this year as I Heart Tulips returns to Metropolis at Metrotown. This second annual event, benefitting Variety BC, is the largest one-day indoor tulip display in Canada!

I Heart Tulips Returns to Metropolis at Metrotown

When: Saturday March 7, 2020
Where: Grand Court Metropolis at Metrotown (4700 Kingsway, Burnaby)
RSVP on Facebook »

On Saturday, March 7, an awe-inspiring installation of 14,000 live tulips will be unveiled in Metropolis at Metrotown’s Grand Court. Arranged in multiple heart shapes, the multi-coloured tulips will be on display for one day only.

Visitors to Burnaby’s famous shopping destination will have the opportunity to view the full display of tulips from all three levels of the mall, from 10am to 11am. For the rest of the day, the tulips will be available for picking, at a cost of eight stems for $5 or 20 stems for $10. Proceeds will go to Variety – the Children’s Charity, which has been providing direct help to BC children with special needs for more than 50 years.

This marks the second edition of I Heart Tulips. It debuted in January of last year and was a great success. The event was created by Kate Onos-Gilbert and Davy Onos from Onos Greenhouses Ltd. and founders of Tulips of the Valley – the company behind the enormously popular Chilliwack Tulip Festival (established 2006) and the Chilliwack Sunflower Festival (established 2018), which take place in the Fraser Valley each year. 

I Heart Tulips will also feature various photo opportunities and pose-worthy selfie locations, including life-sized photo frames, a replica mini flower stand, and an adorable tulip-filled baby carriage. Keepsake Polaroids will be available for an additional donation, with all proceeds going to Variety.

For more information follow the Chilliwack Tulip Festival on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Miss604’s Rebecca Bollwitt is Secretary of the Board of Directors of Variety – the Children’s Charity of BC and Chair of its Marketing Committee

Spring Break is just around the corner and local businesses and attractions are gearing up by loading their calendars. Whether your child is into nature, science, or the performing arts, there’s a lineup of Spring Break Day Camps in Vancouver that can accommodate, educate, and entertain!

5 Spring Break Day Camps in Vancouver

Spring Eco Camp in Stanley Park
Where: Stanley Park Ecology Offices (610 Pipeline Road, Vancouver)
When: March 16 to 27, 2020 8:30am to 4:30pm
Details: Rain or shine! Stanley Park Ecology Society offers Eco Camp for children ages 7 to 11. Embark on an exciting educational adventure among the giant trees, sandy beaches and hidden wetlands of Stanley Park. This spring, spot migrating waterfowl, search for signs of flying squirrels and beavers, embark on an epic day hike through the park, and learn of animal adaptions to the temperate rainforest ecosystem of the Pacific Northwest, all while spending valuable time outdoors. Campers can stay for one week, or for both! Note that some activities are the same for each week.

Spring AquaCamps
Where: Vancouver Aquarium (845 Avison Way, Vancouver)
When: March 16 to 20 & March 23 to 27, 2020 9:00am to 3:00pm
Details: AquaCamps are filled with hands-on activities, animal observations, crafts and time to run around outside to fully engage your children in an environment that encourages active learning. Children will learn about local and exotic animals, life cycles, food webs, adaptations, ecosystems and sustainability.

Arts Umbrella Spring Break Camps
Where: Granville Island or South Surrey
When: March 16 to 20 & March 23 to 27, 2020
Details: Spring Break at Arts Umbrella is where young artists let their imaginations free – be it capturing photos or popping cool hip-hop moves. Week-long camps and programs let students get creative through Theatre, Dance, and Visual Arts classes. Young artists challenge their curiosity and stretch artistic boundaries.

Spring Break at Christianne’s Lyceum of Literature and Art
Where: Christianne’s Lyceum (3696 West 8th Ave, Vancouver)
When: March 16 to 27, 2020 9:00am to 4:30pm
Details: Each day of our spring break program is devoted to one book, allowing plenty of time to read selections, and use these readings as the jumping off points for troves of priceless artistic creations, and adventurous outdoor forays. Children don’t need to have read these books before attending camp – the program is designed to work both as an introduction for newcomers, and a celebration for those who have visited these pages before. The camp schedule is customizable. Your child can come for a day or two of our programming, join for a week, or join for the entire two weeks. Each day of camp stands alone, but also links thematically to all the other days. This makes it easy to drop in for a day of Harry Potter magic, or Despereaux chivalry, but it also means that those joining us for longer benefit from a rich and layered experience.

Vancouver Police Museum’s 2020 CSI Spring Break Camp
Where: Vancouver Police Museum (240 E Cordova St, Vancouver)
When: March 18 to 20 or March 25 to 27 from 10:00am to 2:00pm
Details: An exhilarating, three-day crime-solving spree, featuring exciting opportunities for kids and pre-teens to work on criminal investigations and forensic science activities. Designed for Junior Detectives aged 9-12, this jam-packed spring break camp lets eager detectives take part in solving a case, meet real people from the VPD, meet the VPD canine unit, learn about forensic science and more!

Bonus!
Spring Break at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery (Richmond)
Spring Break Day Camps (Surrey)
Spring Break at the Museum (Surrey)
Spring Break at Burnaby Village Museum (Burnaby)

For more inspiration, stay on top of Miss604’s event listings here »

The 27th Annual RBC JCC Sports Dinner is happening on March 11th with Keynote Speaker Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints. Celebrating professional and local athletes, the Sports Dinner raises much-needed funds to provide scholarships and programs for members of the community who wouldn’t otherwise have access to these services.

Event Details

Where: Hyatt Regency Hotel Vancouver (655 Burrard St, Vancouver)
When: Wednesday, March 11, 2020 reception 5:30pm, dinner 6:30pm
Tickets: Tables and a limited number of individual tickets will be available mid-February. This event usually sells out so stay tuned!

The evening will be hosted by emcee Al Murdoch (from the Canucks) and James Cybulski from SportsNet650 will be back again as the Keynote Moderator. 

JCC Sports Dinner Auction Items and Prizes

One of the most impressive live auctions and silent auctions will be found at the JCC Sports Dinner, including the auction of a New 2020 Cadillac XT4 Crossover SUV! Last year a Cadillac sold for $37,000 during the dinner’s auction.

Guests can also bid on a trip to the Euro 2020 finals in London. Europe’s best teams are battling for the title of Euro 2020 champion and the auction winner can enjoy a spectacular Category 1 view at Wembley Stadium for not just one, but both semifinal games.

There’s also an exclusive Whiskey Tasting at the Vancouver Club, for 8 guests, hosted by the renowned Nate Gana of Single Malt Daily, and a premium home bar collection up for grabs.

For sports fans, the auction includes the chance to hit the field with New York Yankees pitcher James “Big Maple” Paxton and enjoy batting practice, and VIP seats for a game in New York. There’s also a VIP Indianapolis 500 access experience with Champion Rinus Veekay, and the chance to catch a pass from Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees LIVE at the RBC JCC SportsDinner!

There will also be a trip to Las Vegas to see (and meet) The Who, a premium wine auction, and a fully stocked silent auction.

Follow the RBC JCC Sports Dinner on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information. Everyone is welcome at the Jewish Community Centre (“JCC”), which provides exceptional cultural, educational, recreational and social programs and services. The JCC offers daily activities, services, and programs including fitness offerings and award-winning early childhood education, and more.

Miss604 is the proud Social Media Sponsor of the RBC JCC Sports Dinner

The Surrey Art Gallery is pleased to present a talk with one of Canada’s foremost artists, Susan Point. Point will deliver a presentation about her past and current work. The talk takes place in conjunction with her exhibition Susan Point: Spindle Whorl, on tour from the Vancouver Art Gallery. Admission is free.

Susan Point at Surrey Art Gallery: Free Artist Talk

When: February 19, 2020 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm
Where: Surrey Art Gallery (13750 88 Ave, Surrey)
Admission: Free!

Susan Point is renowned as one of Canada’s leading innovators in the fields of contemporary and Indigenous art. She has pioneered the development of Coast Salish art (a field historically dominated by men) through her works in jewellery, sculpture, printmaking, public art, and more. Her artmaking celebrates the vibrancy of traditional Coast Salish culture, while situating it within the present moment.

Spindle Whorl features screenprints developed by the artist over the past four decades. Each one uses the motif of the spindle whorl—a small, round, usually wooden disk traditionally used by Coast Salish women to prepare wool that would be woven into garments and ceremonial blankets. In her art, Point beautifully adapts the whorl as a vehicle for symbolic meaning, reinventing and adorning it with animals, the forces of nature, mythological creatures, and other more abstract design elements.

For Point, the spindle whorl is not only a way of connecting with her heritage, but a means of developing visual ideas. In many instances, traditional motifs such as salmon, eagles, crescents, and moons intertwine, transform, and meld into each other, producing strikingly original imagery. Combined with the use of colour, her works present us with an entirely unprecedented body of patterns and forms. This commitment to the exploration of the whorl has inspired generations of younger Coast Salish artists, and expanded the realm of visual expression.

About the artist
Susan Point is a Musqueam artist based in Vancouver, British Columbia. She grew up with her family in their home on what is known as the Musqueam Indian Reserve near the mouth of the Fraser River. In the early 1980s, Point became interested in reviving the traditions of Coast Salish art and design. She first began making art in 1981 when she took a jewellery-making course at Vancouver Community College. Her work has since helped revive Coast Salish design and brought new scholarly attention to her culture. She was the first Musqueam artist to have a solo exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Point’s public works include pieces installed at the Vancouver International Airport, Stanley Park, the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC, and the UBC Museum of Anthropology. She has been widely recognized for her work, most recently with the Audain Prize for Lifetime Achievement.