In honour of Black History Month, we have compiled a list of resources which highlight voices of Black dancers and community leaders, and celebrate the experiences of Black artists who have played essential roles in shaping both the field of dance and the legacy of Ballet BC.

IN THE COMMUNITY

Visit the Vancouver Black Library during opening hours, located on the basement floor of the Sun Wah Centre at 072-268 Keefer.

VIFF presents a month of programming featuring Black film, Black film artists, Black thinkers, and activists.

On February 28, UBC in partnership with Simon Fraser University hosts “Empowering Black Entrepreneurs: Bridging Research, Policy, and Practice.” Bringing together business leaders, academics, and policy makers in Robson Square this free event is committed to ongoing advocacy for Black entrepreneurship.

Vancouver Public Library’s Central Brand will also host a variety of events throughout Black History Month, including African Fashion Week Vancouver: Heritage in Motion Fashion Show and Sounds & Pressure: Reggae in a Foreign Land. Events at VPL are free of charge but do require pre-registration.

Join Guilt & Company for ‘Underneath the Harlem Moon,‘ a smokey Soul-era Harlem cabaret in the heart of Gastown—curated and produced by local soul songstress Ms. Krystle Dos Santos.

Curator Natasha Tony hosts “A Night of Obsidian,” at the Rio Theatre on February 6, an unforgettable evening celebrating the brilliance of local Black filmmakers, creators, and musicians.

Queer and Trans run arts and event space The Birdhouse will host their OPEN DECKS NITE on February 21, for black, queer and trans DJs. Sign up to play or head down to watch!

READ + LISTEN

Read a brief overview of Black history through the lens of dance in America by the African American Registry exploring the origins of Black dance, dance during enslavement, and iconic Black dancers who have paved the way for others.

No Boundaries started as an evolving repertoire of solos choreographed by leading contemporary African American choreographers that Gesel Mason performed in one evening. Now it is an online exhibition and digital humanities archive, an innovative platform to disseminate, access, and interact with the legacies of African American choreographers.

Watch TESSEL, an initiative conceptualized by Dora-nominated choreographer and dancemaker Esie Mensah featuring the stories of 14 Black artists from across Canada including Ballet BC dancer Livona Ellis and exploring the complexities of diverse movement and voice as a form of resilience.​

Learn more about the Black history of British Columbia with this timeline of important moments and events since the Abolition of the Slavery Act.

As part of a series of 2020 panel conversations called This Is The Reset, moderator Kevin Ormsby sits down with Seika Boye and dancer Rachael McLaren to discuss the question: “How do we make dance, and Canadian dance institutions, safer for Black, Indigenous and POC artists?” Listen here.

Learn about 15 Black dancers who significantly impacted American dance, achieving incredible accomplishments in their lifetime and leaving a lasting legacy.

Watch an interview with former Ballet BC Artistic Director John Alleyne, part of the Amani Project which aims to share intergenerational wisdom among African Diasporic artists and educators while creating an enduring archive of their contributions to the cultural fabric of the world.  

Explore the archives of Dance Collection Danse, a Toronto-based organization dedicated to preserving Canada’s dance heritage and sharing it internationally through programming.

Discover how Arthur Mitchell, the first Black principal dancer of New York City Ballet, was inspired by the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to provide the children of Harlem with the opportunity to study dance, establishing the Dance Theatre of Harlem.

Learn about dance Immersion, a Toronto-based non-profit organization established by Vivine Scarlett in 1994 to produce, promote, and support dancers and dances of the African Diaspora. In January 2023, former Ballet BC Artistic Director John Alleyne received the Dunham/Primus International Acclaim Legendary Artist Award at dance Immersion’s 33rd Annual International Conference of Blacks in Dance.

BOOKS

Black Performance Theory | Various Authors (2014) 

In This Together: Blackness, Indigeneity and Hip Hop | Audrey Hudson, Awad Ibrahim, Karyn Recollet (2019)

A Little Devil In America: Notes In Praise Of Black Performance | Hanif Abdurraqib (2021)

Urban Bush Women: Twenty Years of African American Dance Theater, Community Engagement, and Working It Out | Nadine George-Graves (2010)

Katherine Dunham: Dance and the African Diaspora  | Joanna Dee Das (2017)

Dancing In Blackness: A Memoir  | Halifu Osumare (2018)

A selection of brilliant books by Black authors, compiled by Massy Books.

We encourage supporting local independent bookstores whenever possible.