I share my storytelling and movement practice with a trauma-informed approach. My classes blend Contemporary technique, meditative movement, and story-weaving through an Indigenous lens. I trained as a Classical Ballet dancer in RAD and Cechetti for the first decade of my career, and as a Contemporary dancer and improviser since 2002 with dance education from York University’s Dance program, Raven Spirit Dance, Kaha:Wi Dance Theatre, along with facilitation training and mentorship from Diane Roberts, Raïna Von Waldenburg, Victoria Mata, Grotowski Method and I Am One Who Praxis, Langara College Facilitation for Facilitators and other artists and collaborators.
Community Arts Practices
“Home: Our Way” Community Arts Workshop Intensive
Home: Our Way women’s writing and movement circle is facilitated to hold safe space for women-identified and two-spirited community members to engage in collective creation process. Safe space is held through collective agreement with consideration to home territory protocol and custom. Embodied movement explorations are coupled with creative writing prompts. Participants co-create, direct, and star in the devised production that may then be shared with community members in open rehearsal, work-in-progress showing, or public performance. Home: Our Way circles are site-adaptive and versatile to multiple locations and venues. Multiple facilitators possible. Ages 16+ Prices are negotiable. Available for Residency in Community. Email: info@oliviacdavies.ca
Moberly Senior Dancers: Healthy Aging Through the Arts
This community-engaged art practice is a collaboration between professional dance artists, Olivia C. Davies and Anna Kraulis along with community participants who work on the creative expression of ideas and issues that are important to them. It is cooperative, participatory, and focused on exploration, creation, and relationship-building. The process of creation is as important as the final product. We share stories, we dance, and then we have tea. Classes are free of charge through Vancouver Parks Board Recreation Programs. For more info and registration, please visit Healthy Aging Through the Arts: http://artsandhealth.ca/
Storytelling Through Movement for Seniors
Through a series of investigations into personal gesture and story, participants develop the tools of collective creation. Starting with warm-up exercises to awaken the body/mind/breath connections, we explore patterns to develop locomotion and coordination skills. Participants are introduced to improvisation exercises and apply techniques to generate dance vocabulary based on personal gesture. Movement motifs are established through exploration on story-weaving themes. Seeds of collective creation are pollinated. Workshop pricing is negotiable. Email: info@oliviacdavies.ca
Intro to Ballet – available on demand
Based in R.A.D and Cechetti forms, this workshop provides participants with basic knowledge and practice in the structural postures and fundamental movement phrases of Classical Ballet. Designed to be flexible for movement beginners, athletes required to obtain and utilize basic understanding of dance aesthetic, or curious people with no previous dance experience, this workshop can be shared individually in one-on-one setting or in small groups for cumulative series training.
Inquire for prices. Email: info@oliviacdavies.ca
Meditative Movement – available on demand
Learning to follow impulse and travel pathways based on intuitive sensing is all part of the meditative flow that can unravel held trauma and re-ignite passion for locomotion and playful expression. This workshop can be shared with beginner and practiced movers.
Inquire for prices. Email: info@oliviacdavies.ca
“Weaving Stories of Transformation” – a workshop series produced by MataDanze Collective (2016)
Produced by MataDanze Collective in Toronto with support from the Canada Council for the Arts, this workshop provided women who had recently experienced homelessness and life in shelter and experience of sharing their own stories of transformation with the tools of expressive movement. Co-facilitated with choreographer, Nicole Nigro, and members of MataDanze Collective in May 2016.
“Spirit Bones: Arrivals Legacy Project” – a workshop series produced by Diane Roberts (2014)
Produced by Urban Ink Productions in collaboration with the Pacific Association of First Nations Women in Vancouver, The Arrivals Personal Legacy Process was a transformational exploration of ancestry, ceremony and root cultural practices for artists and creators of change. The Arrivals Legacy Process draws inspiration from African and diasporic performance traditions to give participants the tools to connect in profound ways to their authentic histories. Co-facilitated with director Diane Roberts and facilitators Jude Wong and Rosemary Georgeson in February 2014