Dance Victoria

⭐️Award for Emerging Artists–Recipient Spotlight⭐️

Congratulations to Elizabeth Hrushowy (she/her), who received $3,000 through the CDP—Training to continue her dance training with Elephant in the Black Box (EBB) Junior Company in the south of France.

Elizabeth is a 22-year-old dancer originally from Vancouver, B.C., who previously trained in the Pre-Professional Program at Vanleena Dance Academy in North Vancouver. She has continued her development through numerous high-level programs and intensives across North America and Europe, including the Nacho Duato Trainee Program and Oregon Ballet Theatre School. Alongside her pre-professional studies at EBB, she is currently working toward her Diplomas of Choreographic Studies (D.E.C.) in both classical and contemporary dance through the Conservatory Pau-Béarn-Pyrénées.

Elizabeth shares, "I am overwhelmingly grateful for the support and honour of receiving this scholarship from Dance Victoria. I deeply appreciate the jury’s belief in me as an artist and their support of this next stage in my career."

📸 Elizabeth Hrushowy. Photo: Kehree Lacasse

This Saturday celebrate Indigenous History Month with free workshops hosted by Indigenous Artists in the DV Studios—registration still available!

Caregiver and Child Workshop with Olivia C. Davies 📅 June 20, 10–11:30 am

No dance experience necessary! Caregivers and their children explore the Seven Sacred Teachings through movement, storytelling, animal totems, and creative dance.

Choreographic Methods with Samantha Sutherland 📅 June 20, 1:30–2:30 pm

Advanced contemporary dance class exploring memory, cycles, connection to land, and embodied storytelling. Through embodied prompts and visceral imagery, participants will move and reflect in connection to the choreographic themes of Samantha Sutherland's work, naⱡa.

✨️ Tickets are also available for "Zaagi’idiwin: Our Mothering Heart", a triple-bill performance by Indigenous women choreographers, closing performance Saturday night!✨️

Dance Victoria is proud to present Matriarch’s Uprising, an annual festival celebrating Indigenous women nurturing the art of contemporary dance, in partnership with O.Dela Arts.

📸 "naⱡa" by Samantha Sutherland. Photo: Chris Randle

We are thrilled to announce this year's four recipients of the prestigious Chrystal Dance Prize (CDP) – Training and the Arabella and Robert Award for Dance (ARAD). These two annual awards support emerging dance artists in pursuing international training and professional development.

Congratulations to:

⭐️ Elizabeth Hrushowy (she/her) from Vancouver, B.C., who was awarded $3,000 through the CDP–Training. She will continue training with Elephant in the Black Box Junior Company (France).

⭐️ Clara Keefer-Urquhart (she/her) from Ladysmith, B.C., who was awarded $3,000 through the CDP–Training. She will continue her postgraduate studies at VERVE, Northern School of Contemporary Dance (United Kingdom).

⭐️ Amélie MacDonald (she/her) from Victoria, B.C., who was awarded $1,500 through the CDP–Training. She will continue training at Re.Search Professional Dance Program (Italy).

⭐️ Gemma Ritchie (she/her) from North Vancouver, B.C., who was awarded $4,800 through the ARAD to begin her Bachelor of Arts in Ballet and Contemporary Dance at The Rambert School of Contemporary Ballet (United Kingdom).

📸 2025/26 Emerging Artist Training Award winners (clockwise): (Left to right) Amélie MacDonald. Photo: Julian Hunt; Clara Keefer-Urquhart. Photo: Elly Welford; Elizabeth Hrushowy. Photo: Kehree Lacasse; Gemma Ritchie. Photo: Emilie Grace Media