Editor's Note

Welcome to the Winter 2024 issue of Dance Central.

Happy (Lunar) New Year and Black History Month! 2024 is going to be a special year; it is a leap year and the year of the Wood Dragon, a zodiac sign that is full of energy and dreams of changing the world.

In this first issue of 2024, I shared a heartfelt conversation with Andrea Nann about her zodiac sign, her grandmother and her work in Vancouver's Historic Chinatown. One of my biggest joys of being the editor is that I get to interview amazing artists like Andrea. Born in the year of the Fire Horse in Vancouver, Andrea’s luminous dance career which has spanned over 36 years defies the superstition of the Fire Horse girl as she continues to shine her bright light on dance in Canada and to inspire the next generation of artists.

I am also thrilled to welcome Tessa Perkins Deneault, who joins Dance Central for the first time as a contributor. She brings us an article about Salome Nieto on her MFA dance thesis, The 13th Chronicle, as a response to violence against women and femicide. Salome is no stranger to Dance Central and has graced the stage in Vancouver for decades as a butoh dance artist and long-time collaborator of Kokoro Dance.

Let us take the time to honour our female ancestors, grandmothers, mothers and all the tremendous work that has been done by activists, feminists, scholars and artists to raise awareness of gender-based violence. As we enter the Period 9 Feng Shui in Chinese astrology, the next twenty years (2024- 2043) will be ruled by the Fire element. It will be a time of great transformation, passion and dynamic energy. The time has come for women and girls to be seen, to be heard, to be loved and respected for who we are, and more importantly, to lead the world into a better future.

I hope Dance Central continues to be a platform for dance writing, and in a way, a place for archiving dance in Vancouver. We thank all the artists who have contributed, and we welcome new writing and project ideas at any time to make Dance Central a more vital link to the community. Please send materials by email to editor@thedancecentre.ca. We look forward to many more conversations!

Shanny Rann

Editor