About the Performance Research Project (PReP) at Arts Umbrella

PReP is a half-day program for emerging dance professionals led by Lesley Telford at Arts Umbrella. PReP is conceived as a stepping stone into a career in dance or for those in transition between contracts. The program is for dancers who would like to continue training along with in-depth research and development. PReP is committed to developing an intensive artistic practice which offers a technique class followed by a daily workshop. The morning class is a ballet or contemporary technique class, followed by a workshop that delves into the creative process with the research and development of new work, exploration of improvisation skills as well as the investigative learning of existing repertoire. 

This program involves creation with  guest choreographers as well as a laboratory exchange with other artists in the community such as visual artists, writers, actors, musicians, filmmakers, etc.  There will be showings of the work we are investigating. Performing is a great opportunity to develop experience, keep the dance community in touch with the work we are doing and be seen by choreographers and companies.

The program is structured to function in parallel with an emerging professional path so that the dancers involved will have time in the afternoons to be involved in professional projects and performing opportunities. The year is divided into 2 semesters. Although a full year commitment to the program is encouraged, the program essentially serves for career development and some dancers may plan periods of the year for auditions or may find work. PReP serves to maintain momentum following graduation or in between work and introduce emerging dancers to other choreographers and artists. The main purpose is to provide dancers with the flexibility, support and focus that they need while balancing training, auditioning and independent work.
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Past Performance Research Projects:

  • New work in creation with Lesley Telford
  • Improvisation events at Sawdust Collector
  • Dancers created their own work in a choreographic workshop
  • Collaborated with Pi Theatre developing movement for the play Long Division
  • Studied the repertoire of Jiri Kylian
  • Text and dance workshop with Barbara Adler
  • Workshop with movement sensor technology
  • Works in progress by Noam Gagnon, Serge Bennathan, Idan Cohen and Heather Myers​
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Alumni of the Performance Research Project have gone on to dance professionally with:

Mainfranken Theater Würzburg, Germany
Theatre Pforzheim, Germany
Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal
Inverso Productions - Lesley Telford
605 Collective- Josh Martin and  Lisa Gelley
Vision Impure - Noam Gagnon
Les Productions Figlio - Serge Bennathan
Wen Wei Dance- Wen Wei Wang
Action at a Distance - Vanessa Goodman
​Rachel Meyer
Project20 - Donald Sales
The Response - Amber Funk Barton
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Schedule
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9:30am to 11:00am – Technique class 
11:00am to 12:30pm – Workshop 
Monday to Friday
September to June (34 weeks)
Semester 1: September-December
Semester 2: January-June 
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How to audition

Please contact dance at dance@artsumbrella.com for audition information. 
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Open Classes

The Performance Research Project at Arts Umbrella offers drop-in classes for professional and advanced-level dancers in the community.

Class with Lesley Telford: $12

Monday-Friday
9:30 –11:00 am

77 E 7th Ave, Vancouver, BC

*Online drop-in class registration
*Fees are eligible for partial reimbursement under CADA/West’s Training Subsidy Program.