Method Dance Society is a new non-profit performing arts organization in Prince George that will provide a platform for contemporary dancers and choreographers from throughout the region. By utilizing the talents of local dance professionals, Method aims to produce various projects and performances that seek to broaden the audience for Contemporary Art in Northern British Columbia.
The company is comprised of four principal dancers, three core dancers and two apprentices for its 2020-2021 season. For the past month, Method has been creatively mentoring and developing its dancers throughout this difficult time.
Founder and artistic director Shelby Richardson, spent her formative years training with various choreographers and instructors including Jennifer White (The Source Dance Company), Suzanne Ouelette (Richmond Academy), Ellen Andrews (Royal Academy of Dance), Joanne Pesusich (The Source Dance Company) and Tiffany Tregarthen (Modus Operandi/ OuterInner Space). She then moved on to dance in Josh Beamish’s Move: The Company, training and performing professionally in the Lower Mainland. Upon moving north with her family, Richardson noted the massive amounts of talented dance professionals in Prince George and realized the potential and need for a professional contemporary dance organization in region. By founding Method Dance Society, Richardson seeks to provide an opportunity for contemporary dancers to stay engaged in their regional community while pursuing a meaningful career in dance and the arts.
Prince George is a fantastic location to build out a new performing arts organization as the public is hungry for new community driven arts initiatives that support the local economy, she says.
“At this time, Prince George has a huge amount of local talent in the contemporary arts who are in need of a platform, especially in the context of COVID-19 restrictions,” she said. “We are in a time where we have the opportunity to delve deep into innovative strategies of artistic dissemination, including new methods of presentation and community engagement.”
For more details on dancers and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.methoddance.ca