Support for Ballet BC has been generously provided by:
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion,
and Accessibility
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion,
and Accessibility
In line with the company’s vision and strategic plan, Ballet BC is deeply committed to combating the systemic racism that exists within our society, and to being an organization that welcomes, amplifies, and celebrates all voices. We recognize that being an inclusive arts organization is a daily practice that requires reflection, evaluation, and accountability. It is an ongoing journey, and we are continually striving to learn from our mistakes or shortfalls.
Our company is dedicated to ensuring vital conversations surrounding equity and representation are actively occurring and that Ballet BC continues to pursue, embrace, and enact change within our company, industry, and society as a whole.
Through the initiatives described below, the company is continuing to develop meaningful ways to foster an inclusive community around its work and provide access to arts experiences and education.
Ballet BC has multiple channels for the leadership team and our employees to address human resource policies around fostering a sense of belonging, cultural safety, and creating a healthy, equitable and respectful workplace.
At the artistic and administrative level, the Ballet BC EDIA Committee is an open forum for dancers and staff to discuss issues, ideas, and ongoing engagement initiatives surrounding EDIA. Now in its fourth season, the volunteer committee seeks to source and offer company-wide workshops centred on topics such as bystander training, addressing inappropriate behaviour, and uncovering unconscious bias. The strategy will include company-wide workshops centred on topics such as shaping the workplace culture of Ballet BC’s new facility; addressing inappropriate behaviour; and reclaiming Black dance.
At the board level, the People and Culture Committee oversees the development and governance of Ballet BC’s people strategy, including policies and procedures, EDIA practices, and cultural initiatives. The committee, which consists of board members as well as the Managing and Artistic Directors, provides a mechanism for senior leadership to get expert advice on workplace issues, and empowers them to respond to issues in a timely and culturally sensitive manner.
BC-based Indigenous dance artists and choreographers Margaret Grenier and Starr Muranko are Ballet BC’s Artists in Residence. Margaret and Starr have collaborated with Ballet BC over the past four seasons as part of the company’s Choreographic Lab and AIR programs. We are grateful for the opportunity to deepen our relationship through the sharing of space, ideas, and practices.
“I have witnessed an immense shift in the world of dance as a result of our collective responsibilities to create space for Indigenous dance practices. It is my hope that every opportunity breathes strength into one another and our arts.”
– Margaret Grenier
Ballet BC’s outreach and engagement work aims to increase access to exceptional contemporary dance, empower embodied creativity in individuals and groups of all ages and abilities, support wellness through movement and self-expression, and cultivate a creative and dynamic dialogue between the company’s artistic work and the communities we engage with.
Through partnerships with the Vancouver School and Park Boards, Roundhouse Community Centre, TREES alternative school, Union Gospel Mission, Big Sisters, and more, the company strives to make Ballet BC and its programming a space of belonging for all and invites everyone to discover their own unique relationship to the universal language of dance.
Before each program at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Ballet BC curates a list of community groups to invite to the dress rehearsals, free of charge. This includes students, equity-seeking groups, senior’s groups, and others who may face barriers in attending one of our regular performances.
Striving toward a more equitable and diverse future in dance, Ballet BC’s Dancers of Today Scholarship aims to provide greater access to dance education, with the ultimate goal of creating a path accessible to all communities to feed into our professional company. The inaugural scholarship, generously supported by the Y.P. Heung Foundation and an anonymous donor, was awarded in the 2022/23 season to Nathan Bear, who went on to become an Emerging Artists at Ballet BC.
2022/23 | Nathan Bear
2023/24 | Nathan Bear
2024/25 | Elizabeth Louie
2025/26 | Louis Pineau
In an ongoing effort to reduce barriers to accessing the arts and make the theatre experience a safe and welcoming one, Ballet BC is committed to several audience-focused initiatives and partnerships. The company’s Arts for All Seating, generously supported by Simons, enables us to offer $19 seats in the QET balcony at performances throughout the season. Our Community Comps program identifies and engages local organizations doing great work with equity-seeking communities in the Vancouver area, inviting them to share a performance experience with us—on us.
“Ballet BC continues to innovate while combining an awareness of current social injustices and realities.”
– LA Dance Chronicle
