Boston Dance Collective

Following updates on province wide restrictions, Boston Dance will temporarily be moving all classes to the online system. All classes for Tuesday, November 24th and Wednesday, November 25th will be online. Following Wednesday’s briefing with Dr. Bonnie Henry and Adrian Dix you will be updated. Thank you so much for your continued support and understanding. Stay strong and positive! https://www2.gov.bc.ca//covid-19-provincial-/restrictions

EMOTIONAL PHOTOSHOOT FOR DANCER WITH CANCER

We’ve missed you. With new safety protocols in place we are so excited to open the doors. We can’t wait to dance with you beginning tomorrow September 14th. Stay safe and healthy!

We have been waiting for this....

We are so lucky to have so many wonderful dancers, families and faculty members. @bostondance would like to take the time to thank everyone for their patience, understanding and cooperation throughout our first week back. Everyone was absolutely amazing adhering to our new protocols and procedures. Thank you for making our first week back a successful one. We appreciate every single one of you... #bostondance #danceinyyj

We are so excited to be welcoming our students back to the studio, one week from today. A huge thank you to all those dancers and families who continue to support us during these difficult times. We are forever grateful.... Classes begin September 14th. We can’t wait!! #danceinyyj #bostondancecollective

AN OPEN LETTER TO PARENTS AND THE MEDIA NOW is the time to register for extracurricular activities. Not next year, not "wait and see," but NOW. And here is WHY ...it should be your number one priority right now. To start, I know this is a difficult time for parenting, it has not been easy for anybody, ALWAYS do what is best for you and your family. Always. There are just a lot of people sitting on the fence about what they will do in 2020 with respect to youth activities and this open letter is for them - to help them see some angles of the situation they may not have thought of yet. Never do anything you aren’t comfortable with, this is just a reminder to go check things out and see what’s new..... ask questions, review safety procedures, you might be pleasantly surprised to see how much business has adapted to create safe spaces! This letter is also a call to the media who has not done a sufficient job of properly showcasing the amazing work happening in the community to provide safe progressive programs for children. 1) Friendship circles and bubbles Who are your closest mates in high school? The guys on your soccer team, the girls on your cheerleading squad, the fellow swimmers in your club. People heavily involved in extracurricular activities spend hours together each week, these friendships are longstanding, and they already exist. They are often like extended families. These bonds are deeply rooted, these people are already together. Take a sampling of the Instagram feed of 100 children and you will clearly see that they are already with those that they do extracurricular activities with. Consequently, these bubbles and connections already exist and will continue to exist when school goes back into session. Children will not simply feel I am now in school with a bunch of people I don’t know, I no longer need to see my friends.......... that is not how this will play out. So, with these circles already existing - and high probability they will continue to exist - cancelling extracurricular activities for a lot of these people actually does not make logical sense. 2) Mental, social and physical health Children are resilient but there are psycho-social consequences of what we have forced them to undergo the last few months. Suddenly they were told that they cannot do what they love to do, they cannot play at the park, no fun, no friends. And when they finally get some normalcy we’re gunna give them everything back except their friends and the fun? Rough. A lockdown was needed to prepare us, but now that we are planning for an effective reopening it is the time to deeply consider what our priorities should be. Are math fractions really the most important thing right now? Many children have been sedentary for months, our physical health and the extracurricular sports that provide a platform for that are fundamental. If we prioritize long division but cancel art, creative ventures and extracurricular activities - what is the cost to their mental, social and physical development? Of course we all respond to stress, change, and the unknown differently. Maybe you have noticed your child seems to have lost their zest and fire for life? Maybe you even feel that in yourself because the children have lost their forward momentum and stagnation falls into pattern easily when we aren’t challenged with production. Often, people NEED productive challenges. Building, moving, playing, learning, creating, doing. School is a wonderful place to learn but extracurricular activities are what enrich lives with joy and passion and cause us to radiate from within, we begin to really know ourselves more deeply and it is a healthy outlet when life is difficult. However your child has responded to this pandemic is absolutely ok, I’m just encouraging you to review what their hobbies bring into their life and how it might help them move forward. Not registering for activities may be stripping what your child needs most right now, and, they may not fully understand this at the moment or even feel motivated currently. When we lose our forward momentum it takes time to get it back. Children need to be reconnected with their friends and reignited with their passion so that they regain their forward momentum after this loss of routine. 3) Logistics and safety keep your distance As an educator in the school district and in community programs I can tell you first-hand that specialized programs in the community are a totally different experience than those that exist in schools, they are taught by professionals who do that specific craft for their career. I want to express that I strongly believe that professional coaches will have excellent success at keeping space and maintaining safe distances in their youth programs. For starters, extracurricular activities have small class sizes so it will not be a problem to keep them a safe distance apart - the structure is tightly defined. A group of girls entering karate class are there for the respect for discipline. A group of boys entering ballet class are there for the structure, focus and tradition of that classical form. Some people think that extracurricular activities involve children running around freely with no supervision, structure or boundaries, but that is not how these programs run. These are highly refined classes and trainings with like-minded individuals dedicated to their craft. The structure and coordination of a like-minded team simply cannot be compared to the free structure of unsupervised play. In team activities, there is a higher level of focus, preparation, dedication and commitment, in that environment people will do what it takes to continue their passion in a safe socially distanced manner. 4) The economic consequences of closed youth activities Youth sport and activity is a multibillion-dollar industry that employs a vast spider-web like network of support systems. This network supports hundreds of thousands of jobs and businesses. When you close the soccer training academy, you not only fold the coaching jobs and the office workers that support those jobs but you also fold the businesses that support those businesses such as the equipment manufacturers and the apparel companies that print the jerseys for those clubs. Right now, the economy needs a boost not a second crushing after a major blow. Music schools, figure skating clubs, gymnastics centres, hockey training clubs, dance studios, yoga studios, climbing gyms, etc have been closed for months. These are independent businesses without (or with severely limited) government aid, they are hanging on and taking on debt trying to save their businesses from bankruptcy. Youth programs create hundreds of thousands of jobs and we have the opportunity here to keep those jobs. By prioritizing extracurricular programming and providing resources for safe delivery (the government can be doing more to help here) we save the economic destruction that will happen if we lose them because of unnecessary consumer fear. The loss of youth programs will have astronomical devastation on the economy across many platforms of business not just the clubs themselves. Developing research suggests that that economic devastation already existing will have more significant years of lost life than Covid itself, increased suicide rates, increased child abuse and sky rocketing depression and mental health concerns. 5) Children are resilient to Covid-19 The recent figures suggest that the serious illness death probability in the age group of 1-19 years is 0.000783251%, which means there is significantly less than a 1% chance of serious illness from Covid-19 in youth. Children are resilient. If there is worry about elderly or immunocompromised populations within your household of course be careful, also check out the additional precautions you can take to protect these individuals and resources available to help you do that. As always, stay home if you are not comfortable, never do anything you are not comfortable with, I’m just encouraging you to do your research into safe programming if the only thing holding you back is uncertainty about the programs. Change is hard, children thrive with routine. We shouldn’t underestimate the emotional journey these children are on and how their normal activities are a positive grounding force in their lives. Competitive athletes need to be with their extended families training again, and can do this physically distanced. Kids who explore recreational activities need to be making new friends who share the same interests as them, particularly right now with changes to school structure. There are safe ways to reintroduce art, music, and sports to our youth. Why is the media not discussing how organized clubs are to increase consumer confidence? Because fear-based media sells. We never hear about the good safe things to do, do we? No. So this wait and see approach does not work, if you wait and see, and do not return to your activities for September enrollment - the programs will not exist next year, clubs cannot survive a year and a half without your support. They will not exist when you want to return. If you are worried about health and safety, absolutely do your research before enrolling. Go to your club and see what protocols they have in place. You will probably be surprised with how organized and efficient they have made it. Why? Because they have had months to prepare for this. They have been planning procedures, updating sanitation protocols and creating physically distanced facilities for you this entire time, they are ready to welcome you. Register your children where you feel comfortable, ask questions until you find what is right for you but please do not wait and see, you might be too late to save youth activity. Youth activities are already starting to close, and business needs your support, your tuition helps pay facility rentals that have continued to exist even during forced closure. Despite the current struggle small business in the youth sector keeps hundreds of thousands of workers employed, we cannot afford to lose these local jobs! Now is the time to think about this from the big picture perspective. These programs can exist safely. Take your life back, wash your hands frequently and get back out into the community doing the things that invigorate your soul. Revitalize your children, prioritize their physical, mental and social health and in the process - save small business and jobs in your community. Take a look and see what you are comfortable with, you will likely find activities in your area offering high quality youth programs with safety as their number one priority. They are ready for you. Thank you Sarah Reis, MEd

Congratulations to all dancers!!!

Thank you to @synergydanceco for creating a competition so our dancers could finally take the stage. @synergydanceco you did an amazing job!! We are forever grateful. Congratulations to @sydney.poland @mayasanchez5 @emily._morrow @sarrahcameron @jade_the_dancerrr @mackenziemekelburg for coming back to perform after so many months off. You accepted the challenge and danced beautifully. Lastly, thank you @christinealyseb and @leahlimaaaa for making time for rehearsals. We appreciate it! #bostondancecollective #bdc #danceinyyj

We’ve got the cutest hand sanitizers for you to keep yourself and your loved ones safe! They’re $6.50 and we’re happy to offer you free refills when you need them

Summer dance Intensive’s happening August 24-28 and August 31st to September 4th. All ages and levels now available for registration at www.bostondanceco.com #summerdanceinyyj #summerdanceintensives #bostondancecollective

Congratulations to this special group of graduates. Never did we think the year would end as it did. You made the best of it and we are so proud of you for that. All the best as you begin your next journey In life... Thank you for being a part of the BDC Family... @zoethebella @amandadhaliwal_ @violet.kiesman @timothycameron3 Things turn out best for people who make the best out of the way things turn out. Art Linkletter

#blackouttuesday

Thank you Peter and Armando for the beautiful memories....

Thank you so much to our BDCO and performance jazz class dancers. It was so great to see your smiling faces on what would have been our year end show. Sending virtual hugs to all.... #bostondancecollective #danceinyyj

Thank you so much to our BDCO and performance jazz dancers. So great to see all your smiling faces on what would have been our year end show. Virtual hugs to all.... #bostondancecollective #danceinyyj

Congratulations Lillia. She is our last stay strong winner. Thank you to everyone who participated, we loved seeing everyone’s artwork.... #bostondancecollective #bostondance #danceinyyj

Excited to announce our third #bdcstaystrong winner Amaya. Thank you Amaya. We are loving all the entries.... #bostondancecollective #danceinyyj #dancersinvictoria

Congratulations to this weeks stay strong winner Harlow! Loving the colours. Enjoy your pizza party... #bostondance #bostondancecollective #staystrong #danceinyyj

Congratulations to this little cutie. She is our week one winner for the BDC stay strong campaign. Thank you for sharing with us Isla. Week two starts today! Everyone send in your hearts for your chance to also win a gift card for a pizza party! #staystrong #bostondancecollective #danceinyyj

BDC is excited to announce our stay strong campaign. Please refer to your inboxes for further information. All participating dancers will be eligible for a pizza party with their family. We hope you will join us in sending love out to the world. #bostondancecollective #danceinyyj #bostondance

Wishing all our dancers and families a very Happy Easter! May your weekend be filled with love, laughter, happiness and of course good health....Hope everyone is keeping well!

Although not in person, we were still grateful to be able to see some of our BDCO dancers. We are truly missing everyone :(

Trying to avoid THE QUARANTINE 15?? Coming up at 8:10am it’s another QUARANTIP with Heather Cameron Nutritionist at Priority One Nutrition and Strength Grou...p. ASK YOURSELFwhat do I really need?? Is it more food.or maybe just a glass of water or a nap? Heather’s tips to save our waistlines during self-isolation are on the way on the Robin & AJ show! If you need any help with nutrition over the next couple of months, please contact Heather directly through the Crossfit Vic City website! https://www.crossfitviccity.com/ See more

Dear Families, during this time we kindly ask that you check your emails and our website for all information regarding the current COVID-19 situation as it pertains to the studio. We are thinking about our community during this difficult time, please stay safe and healthy. We will continue to keep you updated. #stayhealthy #sendinggoodvibes

@bostondance is looking forward to this wonderful event taking place March 8th. Thank you @dancers4kids for having us! We are grateful for the opportunity to help support today’s youth. #bostondancecollective #dancersforkids #danceinyyyj

We are looking forward to being a part of this wonderful event and cannot wait to share the stage with so many other dance studios in Victoria. Come support Victoria dancers Thank you @dancers4kids for including us.

Unfortunately, due to road conditions @bostondance will be closed today. All classes cancelled. Be safe and stay warm! Hopefully see everyone back in the studio tomorrow.

Congratulations to all our dancers that completed their first ever RAD ballet exam today. We are so proud of you! Huge thank you to our own ballerina Melissa @melissaburstall for all the time and dedication she put into making these exams happen! We are so lucky to have you.... @naimahzack @sydney.poland @angelinavblum @marielleachtem @freya.randall @parispelan @lillikorhonen

Congratulations to all our dancers that completed their first ever RAD ballet exams today. We are so proud of you! Huge thank you to our own ballerina Melissa @melissaburstall for all the time and dedication she put into making these exams happen! We are so lucky to have you.... @naimahzack @sydney.poland @angelinavblum @marielleachtem @freya.randall @parispelan @lillikorhonen @sarrahcameron @emily.clarke6

Back at it again for another year. Michael will be tapping for donations in support of dancer @emily._morrow and the Oak Bay High School’s Bail or Jail 2019. This program supports Oak Bay students traveling to Mexico during spring break 2020 to help build homes for families. If able, please consider donating. The easiest option is to donate on-line by clicking this link- please include #BAILOUTBOSTON - from jail in the notes section. Everyone is also welcome to visit Michael at the Bay Centre on Saturday from 2-3pm!

Looking forward to our annual Evening Of Dance featuring our BDCO, CREW and PTP dancers.

Thank you @dancers4kids for having us at last nights dance showcase. We were so grateful to be a part of such an wonderful cause... #dancers4kids #kidsrun

Working on installing the LED in a sign for Boston Dance Collective This amazing Sign was made by @urbansign with the LED’s coming from @FeroLED @janinebianca88... #kurvadesign #modernhome #contemporary #handmade #interiordesign #moderndesign #yvr #yyj #design #designers #madeinvictoria #lightingdesign #lighting #light #designerlighting #LED @ Kurva Design

Good luck to these beautiful ladies at the first group competition of the season @nuvodanceconvention . So proud of their hard work and dedication. #heaveniknow #mice #bostondance #danceinyyj @sydney.poland @mayasanchez5 @lillikorhonen @mak.full @angelinavblum @milasomogyi @marielle.dance @naimahzack @catthy.nguyen @emily._morrow @sarrahcameron @parispelan @mackenziemekelburg @sara.stewartt @freya.randall @milangiesbrecht @marleighmaclaren @emily.clarke6

A friendly reminder to all our wonderful dancers out there. Be grateful for the chance to dance! Don’t forget to thank your parents and guardians this holiday season. You are all very very lucky!!! #dancersinyyj #danceinyyj #bostondance

Happy Holidays to all our dancers and families. We are so grateful and proud of all our dancers and look forward to seeing everyone in the New Year. #bostondance #danceinyyj #danceinvictoria

Annual faculty dinner! Thank you to these amazing individuals. The most dedicated and supportive faculty we know. Missing a few but wish they were here.... #bostondancecollective #thankyoufaculty #danceinyyj

We can't believe we are here already! Viewing week begins tomorrow here @bostondance Throughout the week we will be accepting non perishable food items for the 1Up Victoria Single Parent Resource Centre. Look forward to seeing everyone this coming week. #bostondancecollective #danceinyyj #mostwonderfultimeoftheyear #viewingweek #1upcentre #bostondanceinyyj

All smiles at this years Island Farms Santa Claus Light Parade. So grateful to have so many participating dancers. Reminder to check out the photos from the APShutter website. Details available in the December Newsletter... Thank you to APShutter for capturing these special moments. #bostondancecollective #danceinyyj #danceinvictoria

Last Saturday’s Santa Lights #parade @ Victoria, British Columbia

Thank you Peter Oshkai for these and so many more amazing shots!!!

Happy Halloween everyone!!! #bostondancecollective #danceinyyj

Grateful for moments like this when our students can come together to support our own @leahlimaaaa and her family. Thank you to everyone that came out and for giving our @leahlimaaaa the best group hug ever!!! Of course thank you to the amazingly talented @dylan.ratzlaff for coming to share your talent with us. The dancers had an amazing experience with you! #teamadaea

We are excited to welcome @dylan.ratzlaff to @bostondance this Saturday from 3:30-5:00 for a intermediate/advanced contemporary workshop. Entry is by donation with all proceeds going to a young friend of ours going through Leukaemia. Thank you so much @dylan.ratzlaff for sharing your talent with our BDC dancers. #bostondance #danceinyyj

"#4. We're ALWAYS turned-out."

Never underestimate the power of dance and the impact it could have on you and your child’s life! Want smarter children? Enrol them in dance!

BACK TO CLASS SALE! Monday August 20th until Saturday August 25th. 20% off, store wide! (excluding consignment shoes and custom orders) We have gone "bagless", so please remember to bring a bag or you can purchase a paper bag for 35 cents!

Good luck to these two @naimahzack and @syd.poland as they head off to @radixdance nationals. Tune in to watch them live at 1:40 and 3:22 (approx) on Saturday. BDC will be supporting and thinking of you from Victoria.... #radixnationals #bostondancecollective #danceinyyj

New student registration begins tomorrow @bostondance 6pm - 9pm. Further details available from our website. We look forward to meeting everyone soon! Students interested in the BDCO program and our hip hop crews are welcome to email [email protected] to inquire. Lastly, happy Fathers Day to all those amazing dads out there!!!! #bostondancecollective #newstudentregistrationday #danceinyyj

Getting excited for crew auditions tomorrow for dancers 8 years old and up @bostondance. Registration online at www.bostondanceco.com. Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow! #hiphopinyyj #hiphopcrews #hiphopcrewsvictoria

Thank you @synergydanceco. All our dancers work so hard and are so appreciative of this opportunity. Beautiful dancers inside and out and we couldn't be prouder of them. We are getting excited.....

Audition day @bostondance. Cutest little dancers..... #jrbdco #danceinyyj #bostondance

BDCO auditions happening this Saturday! Registration @ www.bostondanceco.com. Crew auditions happening Monday, May 21st.

Victoria Tappers! In just over two weeks, on May 10th, WCTC will dance their way into Victoria city hall to try and have May 25th declared as Tap Dance Day in t...he City of Victoria. Four local Victoria tap dance professionals, including our Board Member, Kristen Low, will give a tap dance demonstration from 6-6:25 PM, prior to the council meeting at 6:30 PM. We would love for our Victoria tappers to come and support us. Until then, can you pick out these famous landmarks around Victoria where a couple of our current Board Members decided to do the Shim Sham?

Heartbreaking news! Sending love and strength to all those affected.

AUDITION NOTICE: Based on the success of the 2017 Choreographic Lab (http://bit.ly/2mARRRX), Dance Victoria is hosting a second lab July 16 through 28, 2018 at ...its studios on Quadra Street. Led by Artistic Director Wen Wei Wang, the lab will bring together 3 emerging choreographers and a company of 6 pre-professional dancers and 2 apprentices. The dancer’s commitment is full-time over the two weeks. Each day will start at 9:30 AM with a 1.5-hour technique class led by Wen Wei. After class, each choreographer will be assigned a task. The dancers, apprentices and choreographers will retreat to one of the three studios at Dance Victoria to develop material based on the task. At the end of the day, each choreographer will share their work and engage in a discussion about the work. **Dancers for this audition must be from Victoria.** The dancers: Will be paid a total honorarium of $1,000 for 2 weeks Must be fully committed to the 2 weeks Must be at a pre-professional level with at least 3 years of advanced training in contemporary/contemporary ballet Audition Information: Saturday, March 31, 2018 Dance Victoria Studios, 2750 Quadra Street 12:30PM 2:00PM Arrive at noon to register and warm up Pre-registration with a resumé detailing your training must be submitted no later than noon, Friday, March 30. Please send to: [email protected] (Photo: Wen Wei Wang by Chris Randle)

Road conditions are worsening. For the safety of all dancers and their families, the studio will close as of 6PM this evening. No classes will be in session. Thank you for your understanding.

Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for Greater Victoria.

February is faculty appreciation month at BDC! We are so grateful for these talented and dedicated individuals. You are appreciated more then you know. Thank you to all our faculty assistants as well who continue to inspire our youngest dancers. #bostondance #facultyappreciationmonth #danceinyyj

Still time to register for "Travelling Tap Jam" with West Coast Tap. To register, email [email protected].

Registration for our little dancers class on Friday mornings 9:30-10:00 is now available. Join us for this six week sessional class exploring ballet and creative movement for dancers 2-3 years of age. http://bostondanceco.com/little-dancers-registration/

Feeling very excited to be able to participate in the mini pop kids, "make it pop tour" here in Victoria. Come support our BDC dancers and the talented @minipopkids. #minipopkids #makeitpop

Congratulations Angela Mousseau! BDC is proud of you.