Our Mandate

Our core mandate is to build capacity and sustainability within the arts community by cultivating transformative professional pathways for early-career artists, especially those from equity-deserving communities. We achieve this by fostering a seamless connection between our high-quality training program and our professional dance company. As a recognized contributor to BC’s dance community, we actively promote equity and inclusion, ensuring our comprehensive programs—from training to performance—meet the needs of diverse and underrepresented groups, including BIPOC, low-income, 2SLGBTQIA+, First Nations, Urban Indigenous peoples, and ethnic minorities.

Our Mission

Our mission is to champion artistic excellence and the creation, production, and performance of contemporary dance. We foster a supportive, inclusive environment, challenging diverse artists to take creative risks and express their unique voices. By integrating training with professional opportunities, we prioritize equitable access and representation across the entire arts sector, from emerging students to established professionals within our company.

Our Vision

We envision contributing to vibrant local and provincial artistic communities through professional, high-level training and enriching performance opportunities with our dance company. Our commitment to impactful cultural exchanges inherently honors diversity. We ensure dance is accessible to all, bridging essential connections across communities within the province, the country, and globally, by nurturing talent from our program and showcasing their professional achievements.

Our Core Values

Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our identity. Our commitment connects individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities by providing equitable access to performances and nurturing entry points for emerging artists from underrepresented groups. Our values guide all our activities, from our training program to our professional company, and further encompass unwavering integrity, fairness, transparent accountability, collaborative teamwork, and a profound passion for quality. Since our inception in 2009, we have been devoted to championing inclusivity, actively uplifting artists from diverse and marginalized communities, thereby profoundly enriching the cultural landscape through shared artistic endeavors.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION (DEI) AT LAMONDANCE

Lamondance is committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion, where every individual feels a sense of belonging and is empowered to bring their authentic self to work. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce is essential for driving innovation, creativity, and business excellence.

Core Principles

This policy is guided by three core principles:

  • Diversity: We value and celebrate the unique qualities, backgrounds, and perspectives of all people. This includes, but is not limited to, differences in race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, physical and mental ability, socioeconomic status, and cultural background.

  • Equity: We are committed to identifying and removing systemic barriers that may prevent certain groups from achieving their full potential. We will create fair and just opportunities for all employees in areas such as recruitment, professional development, and promotion.

  • Inclusion: We will create a workplace where every individual is treated with respect and dignity. Our goal is to ensure that all voices are heard, valued, and integrated into our decision-making processes.

Our Commitments

Lamondance is committed to the following actions to support this policy:

  • Equal Opportunity: We will provide equal opportunities for all employees and job applicants, regardless of background or identity.

  • Zero Tolerance: We have a zero-tolerance policy for all forms of discrimination, harassment, bullying, and microaggressions.

  • Training and Education: We will provide ongoing training and education to raise awareness of unconscious bias and promote inclusive behaviors.

  • Accountability: Leadership and employees at all levels are responsible for upholding this policy. We will regularly review our progress and hold ourselves accountable to our DEI goals

History

In 2008, Lamondance performed as a collective for the very first time. Gisele Santoro, the esteemed artistic director of the International Dance Seminar in Brasília, commissioned Lamondance to create the show RED, which was performed at the National Claudio Santoro Theatre in Brasília, Brazil, one of the country's most important theatres.

The success of this performance prompted Hayley Walker (RNB Dance, Principal) and Charlie Costello (RNB Dance, President of the Board of Directors) to move forward with the idea of creating a dance training program. Mônica Proença and Lara Barclay then founded Lamondance in 2009 with the mission of helping emerging dancers transition into the professional dance world. The high quality of training, accompanied by unique choreography, provided the company with early stability.

From 2009 to 2014, the company's artistic direction was headed by Lara Barclay and Mônica Proença, with Davi Rodrigues joining in 2010 as co-director. In 2014, Davi Rodrigues assumed the position of Artistic Director and has since been responsible for the company's distinctive artistic identity.

Lamondance performed in Canada and Brazil with the shows RED (2009), Human, Angels (2013), and Spark (2016), as well as in Germany at the Tanzart Festival in Nordhausen in 2011, with the choreography Terra Arrida by Mônica Proença. In 2021, the company closed the Vancouver International Dance Festival in Vancouver and performed as guests at the Toronto Dance Festival, performing *Before Dawn* by Artistic Director Davi Rodrigues.

Lamondance is a place where art is nurtured at the highest calibre. With an emphasis on original choreographic voices comes the responsibility of presenting shows that leave a lasting imprint on the audience’s mind and connect them to the dance world. This is a responsibility that Lamondance upholds proudly.

For its first ten years, Lamondance operated under the umbrella of RNB Dance and Theatre Arts, a not-for-profit society based in North Vancouver. In June 2019, Lamondance was incorporated as Lamondance Arts Society to continue its mission of facilitating the evolution of contemporary dance as an art form and enhancing its presence within the community. Lamondance is registered as Lamondance Arts Society—charitable registration number: 78681 5274 RR0001.