Dance / Dancing in Vancouver
Vancouver has an extremely lively and sophisticated dance scene whether you want to spectate or participate. If you want to dance and don’t find the kind of dancing you’re interested in here, check out bars, clubs, pubs and lounges for more places to dance.
Dance Performance
Karen Flamenco Dance Company
November 12 and 13, 2010
Romeo and Juliet
The Dance Centre
400-677 Davie Street
Located at the corner of Granville and Davie St.
Vancouver
604-606-6400
The Dance Centre, located in the renovated Scotia Bank building that still houses the bank, has seven floors of studios, practice space, offices, a video facility and performance space.
The space has energized the entire, already vibrant, Vancouver dance scene. Check it out for the latest work of fledgling and well established choreographers and dancers.
Established in 1986 for the dance profession and the public in British Columbia, The Dance Centre has become a multifaceted organization promotes local dance to the public and provides resources and services for the dance profession. It sponsors performances year round.
Vancouver – Ballet British Columbia presents Vancouver audiences with a spectacular season of entertainment, filled with beauty, drama, fun and fantasy. A world premiere, a Vancouver premiere, plus the best from the company’s repertoire of contemporary classics.you’ll see it all.
All Ballet BC performances are held in the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, located at the corner of West Georgia and Hamilton. 604-732-5003
Dancing on the Edge
A Dance Festival for 10 days, held in the first two weeks of July, is Canada’s largest showcase of independent choreographers.
280 E. Cordova St.
604-689-0926
Places to Dance in Vancouver
Just Dance
In business for 17 years, Just Dance, located at 2114 West 4th Avenue, is a place to express yourself through dance. Dances include active meditation followed by dance to world music. Dances happen three Fridays a month.
Crystal Ballroom
Crystal Ballroom is the most elegant ballroom dancing hall and dance school studio in Vancouver. It has 5000 feet of dance floor with a sprung maplewood floor. Crystal Ballroom is open 7 nights a week and two afternoons on Sunday and Wednesday for Tea Dances.
Dance4U
Vancouver Salsa, Latin and Swing Dance
Vancouver Dance4U offers a fun, social environment to learn salsa dance, latin dance, and swing dance.
No partner required and everyone, both singles and couples are welcome.
Mr Dance
Social Dance Club in Vancouver – Astorino Hall – 1739 Venables Street
Cha Cha – Waltz – Tango – Jive – Mambo – Samba – Foxtrot
Quickstep – Rumba – Salsa & More
VanSwingThing
Information for each of the West Coast Swing dances held regularly in the Vancouver area is listed here complete with details about the dance including maps to help you get there.
Jungle Swing
Jungle Swing is Vancouver’s Swing Dance event specialists, providing the best in private Swing dance events, swing dance classes and public dances.
Vancouver Ballroom, Latin and Salsa Dance Club
General & Class Information: 604-420-0087
Latin Beat Dance Club Vancouver
Dance classes are offered in various locations, and include Latin-American classes, international ballroom dances plus Zumba Fitness. Membership is free, and is geared toward people getting together to share the fun and excitement of dance.
Tango Moderna
Tango Moderna is a Vancouver based business offering Argentine tango lessons in a friendly and creative atmosphere.
Couples and Singles are welcome, and private and semi private lessons are available at various levels.
Located at the corner of Granville and Davie St. in downtown Vancouver.
Information: 778 991-3705
Vancouver Country Dance
Contradancing, also known as New England style country dancing, is related to square dancing, but has a rather different feel. Instead of four couples dancing in a square set, any number of couples arranged in lines makes up a contradance set. (It’s not at all like country/western line dancing.)
The structure of the dance is simple: you and your partner dance a series of movements with another couple, then you and your partner move on to dance the same pattern with a new couple, and so on, until you have danced with all the other couples in your set.
You don’t have to learn any fancy footwork for contradances. Most of the dance movements involve walking in patterns – some as simple as a circle of four people moving with hands joined, or each of the four joining one hand in the center to form a “star.” A dance caller teaches each dance before the music begins, then calls the movements to the music.
Music at a contradance is both live and lively, and is provided by a small band which typically has one or two fiddles, a piano, and maybe a guitar, flute, tin whistle, or hammered dulcimer.
Al Ritrovo
2010 Franklin Street
Vancouver
604-255-0916
This Italian restaurant, also known as Ritrovo Cabaret, is a great place to for dinner and dancing on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. To get there from downtown, go east on Hastings, turn left (north) on Semlin. It’s on a tiny street called Franklin, a short block from the corner of East Hastings and Semlin.
Friday Sweetheart Dance
False Creek Community Centre
1318 Cartwright Street
8:45 – 11:00 PM $2 per person
604-257-8195