• Mandate

    The Lamondance Arts Society is dedicated to fostering an inclusive arts environment that reflects the diverse identities and experiences of our community. We actively promote equity by providing accessible arts training and opportunities for underrepresented groups, partnering with diverse organizations, and continually evaluating our programs to ensure they meet the needs of all community members. Through education, performance and outreach artistic activities, we aim to raise awareness about the importance of diversity and inclusion in the arts.

  • Our Mission:

    Our mission is to promote artistic excellence and the creation, production, and performance of contemporary dance by fostering a supportive and inclusive environment. We challenge artists from diverse backgrounds to take creative risks and express their unique voices while prioritizing equitable access and representation in the arts.

  • Our Vision:

    We envision contributing to vibrant local and provincial artistic communities through professional, high-level training, performance opportunities, and cultural exchanges that honor diversity. Our commitment ensures that dance is accessible to all, bridging connections across communities within the province, the country, and around the world.

  • Our Values:

    We hold diversity and inclusion as fundamental to our identity. Our commitment is to connect individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities by providing equitable access to performances and nurturing entry points for emerging artists from underrepresented groups. Our values encompass integrity, fairness, accountability, teamwork, and a passion for quality. Since our inception in North Vancouver in 2009, Lamondance has been devoted to championing inclusivity by actively uplifting artists from diverse and marginalized communities, and enriching the cultural landscape through shared artistic endeavors.

History

In 2008, Lamondance performed as a collective for the very first time. Gisele Santoro, the esteemed artistic director of the International Dance Seminar in Brasília, commissioned Lamondance to create the show *RED*, which was performed at the National Claudio Santoro Theatre in Brasília, Brazil, one of the most important theaters in the country.

The success of this performance prompted Hayley Walker (RNB Dance - Principal) and Charlie Costello (RNB Dance - President of the Board of Directors) to move forward with the idea of creating a dance training program. Mônica Proença and Lara Barclay then founded Lamondance in 2009 with the mission of helping emerging dancers transition into the world of professional dance. The high quality of training, accompanied by unique choreography, provided the company with early stability.

From 2009 to 2014, the artistic direction of the company was headed by Lara Barclay and Mônica Proença, with Davi Rodrigues joining in 2010 as co-director. In 2014, Davi Rodrigues assumed the position of Artistic Director and has since been responsible for the company's distinctive artistic identity.

Lamondance performed in Canada and Brazil with the shows *RED* (2009), *Human*, *Angels* (2013), and *Spark* (2016), and in Germany at the Tanzart Festival in Nordhausen in 2011 with the choreography *Terra Arrida* by Mônica Proença. In 2021, the company closed the Vancouver International Dance Festival by performing *Before Dawn* by Artistic Director Davi Rodrigues.

Lamondance is a place where art is nurtured at the highest caliber. With an emphasis on original choreographic voices comes the responsibility of presenting shows that leave a lasting imprint on the audience’s mind and connect them to the dance world. This is a responsibility that Lamondance upholds proudly.

For its first ten years, Lamondance operated under the umbrella of RNB Dance and Theatre Arts, a not-for-profit society based in North Vancouver. In June 2019, Lamondance was incorporated as Lamondance Arts Society to continue its mission of facilitating the evolution of contemporary dance as an art form and enhancing its presence within the community. Lamondance is registered as Lamondance Arts Society. Charitable registration number: 78681 5274 RR0001.

With gratitude as guests, we acknowledge that Lamondances' activities take place on the unceded territories of the Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.