Sophie Dow. Photo: Audrianna Martin Del Campo
Thoughts from the conversation Topography of Dance in Canada
by Sophie Dow, Manager, Re-Centering/Margins Creative Residency, Dance West Network
with support from Jullianna Oke, Manager, DADAO: Des arts dehors/Arts outside, and General Admin, Dance West Network
How can a dance artist living in a rural or remote community develop a strong artistic career?
A question like this is particularly apt in a region like the Columbia Basin—and a recent online conversation helped participants consider the answers. (And if you’re not a dancer, read on, as the tips may be applicable to you, too!)
On February 10, 2026, Dance West Network presented its second annual online conversation entitled Topography of Dance in Canada with Sophie Dow, who is a professional touring dance artist, multidisciplinary creative and manager with Dance West Network.
Here are a few of the suggestions discussed:
Land yourself
To start with, land yourself where you are. This includes finding a deeper understanding of the place in which you reside and work, building relationships that could support the development of your work, and researching how you could make a deep local impact with your skills.
Find a deeper understanding of the place in which you reside and work.
This is also applicable while touring. Dow says, “For every place we tour to, we always schedule ‘water time’—which means a trip to find the closest body of water to our venue or accommodations, ideally within the early hours of arrival—in order to meet nature and pay our respects to the land we’re arriving upon. This was a key value that was shared with me by Santee Smith and that I have upheld within my own career of producing.”
(Note: Santee Smith, Tekaronhiáhkhwa, is a multidisciplinary artist from the Kahnyen’kehàka Nation, Ohswé:ken.)
Celebrate the 20th anniversary of Dance West Network by reading its book Conversations and Essays on Dance in British Columbia: A Dance West Network Anthology.
Trade stories
Focus on the reciprocal value of trading your stories with others. An artist is a storyteller, as well as a performer, and these exchanges are part of an artist’s touring experience.
An artist is a storyteller, as well as a performer.
Dow says, “We humans have been hosting each other and travelling guests around campfires forever. It is ingrained within us to share our stories in community. My experiences of touring feel like a contemporary model of this. It is always an honour to share our creations that we’ve spent years making. However, I often feel most grateful for the conversations and reflections shared with the presenters, or venue staff, or Elders in the community—all those who have connection to the place that we are coming to.”
Pitch your work
Pitch your work as a way to celebrate and promote it to a wide range of presenters. While there is a lot of focus on performance-ready work, pitches may also happen for workshops, a film series or a community engagement project.
“I like to consider the practice of pitching as a seed that I get to plant into the minds and hearts of those witnessing.”
Dow says, “I like to consider the practice of pitching as a seed that I get to plant into the minds and hearts of those witnessing. It gives me a chance to find the core of my artistry and a creative way to directly communicate it to presenters so that both the spirit and the logistics land with them succinctly. We spend so much time creating dance shows, and in older models, the piece gets shelved after its premiere. For me, pitching and touring feeds my motivation to give my creative work a longer and fuller lifespan.”
Dance West Network offers these pitching opportunities for dancers in rural and remote BC:
- Mainstage (applications due in July / pitches due in January): dancewest.net/mainstage-202526
- DADAO: Des arts dehors/Arts outside (applications due in late May): dancewest.net/dadao-2025/26
And keep in mind that, within many pitching and touring grant programs, rural artists are considered a priority group!
Benefit from support
If needed, get support. For example, here are a few resources for grant-writing or program/producer support:
- SmartGrant: smartgrant.ca
- New Works Dance Cohort Program: newworks.ca/cohort
- New Works Dance Help Desk: newworks.ca/help-desk
Seek inspiration
Look for inspiration on furthering your artistic career. For example, Dance West Network offers a free digital library of diverse voices from 14 dance artists. Listeners can learn from their reflections and stories about the important place dance has in their lives, and the role dance can play in all of our lives: dancewest.net/digital-library-artists-in-conversation
You can also be inspired—while celebrating Dance West Network’s 20th anniversary—by ordering its book Conversations and Essays on Dance in British Columbia: A Dance West Network Anthology: dcd.ca/product/conversations
Plus, consider these resources from the Dance Centre:
