Matriarchs Uprising: Community Dance Workshop with Sophie Dow
About this Event
As part of Matriarchs Uprising, a three-day festival of contemporary Indigenous women’s dance presented by Dance Victoria in partnership with O.Dela Arts, Sophie Dow invites participants into a welcoming introduction to contemporary dance explored through an Indigenous perspective.
Participants will be invited to connect with bone and muscle, mind and body, and a sense of presence while exploring both the space within themselves and the space surrounding them. Through guided improvisation, participants will generate intentional gestures inspired by imagination, intuition, and blood memory. Set movement sequences will introduce foundational contemporary dance principles while exploring momentum through reaching, pushing, pulling, yielding, and spiraling actions.
Grounded in embodied prompts and visceral imagery, this workshop offers space to move, reflect, and connect while considering the stories, teachings, and experiences we carry within our personal bundles.
Workshop Details
Class Level: No dance experience required. All levels welcome.
Arrival Time: Please arrive by 6:15 pm for check-in.
Location: Dance Victoria Studios, Shaw Studio —111-2750 Quadra Street (2nd floor).
Attire: Comfortable clothing you can move in. Bare feet, socks, or clean indoor shoes are welcome.
Accessibility
Venue Information
Dance Victoria Studios (2750 Quadra St. #111) has level access on the top floor accessed through the upper parking lot. It has two gendered washrooms and one wheelchair accessible, gender neutral washroom.
Parking & Transit
There are two free parking lots: one in front of Dance Victoria's main entrance and one beside the side entrance in the upper parking lot. Some of the BC transit bus routes that run near Dance Victoria are: #6 along Quadra St, #4 along Hillside Ave, and others along Douglas St.
Important Note
Photos will be taken during the workshop. A photo release form will be available to sign. Consent to photos is NOT mandatory to participate. If you are under 18 years old, a parent or guardian must sign the waiver and photo release form.
About Sophie Dow
Treaty 1-born Sophie Dow is a multidisciplinary Métis/Assiniboine, French, and Ukrainian artist whose work spans dance, choreography, music, film, and storytelling. A graduate of York University’s Dance Performance and Choreography program, Sophie has toured extensively across Turtle Island, with highlights including performances at Burning Man and Shambhala Music Festival, and presentations at imagineNATIVE Film & Media Arts Festival. Their collaborative and evolving creative practice has been shaped by work with leading Indigenous and contemporary dance artists and companies across Canada. Sophie currently works as a freelance creator and performer, and serves as Artistic Associate with O.Dela Arts, Chimera Dance Theatre, and V’ni Dansi/The Louis Riel Métis Dancers.
Dance Victoria’s presentation of Matriarchs Uprising is generously funded by TD Bank Group through the TD Ready Commitment.
Consider making a charitable donation. Your gift ensures that we can continue to offer meaningful support to independent dance artists, including community workshops. Donate here.
Photo Credit: Sophie Dow by Audrianna Martin Del Campo
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
CAD 0.00
