other companies and presenters emerging across the province. As one outcome, Dancers’ Studio West decided to stop being a presenter and re-focus its energies and resources to offer a unique, holistic and diverse range of artist development opportunities. In the years between 2012 and 2018, Monk established many professional development, apprenticeship, and choreographic residency programs which exemplified the organization’s central purpose to encourage a deep investment from participating artists.
In August of 2018, Sasha Ivanochko took over the role of Artistic Director and has concentrated the organization’s commitment to supporting artists in developing their craft and careers. Ivanochko brings with her an insatiable curiosity, a rigorous intellect, and an expansive vision of contemporaneity. One of her main goals is to extend the reach of our programming to uplift our beautiful Alberta dance community as a whole. Our programming offers opportunities for artists to develop technical competency, the theoretical aspects of art-making, and new works. As a support service organization, we strive to provide an environment suitable for risk-taking, exchange, and reflection.
The values underpinning our choices are: curiosity, risk-taking and research, literacy, and empowerment for the individual and the community.
In April of 2019, we made our home-base/work-base at cSPACE King Edward. As an arts hub and space for innovation, we feel deeply aligned with its values of collaboration, change, creativity and community.