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FootEdge Dance Company embraces diversity
Formed in 2005, FootEdge was the brainchild of five local women who had been dancing together for years. Their vision was clear — FootEdge would take South Asian dance to new heights in the Vancouver dance community.
And their motto was strikingly complimentary to that vision; FootEdge would “Challenge Dance with Ingenuity.” Today, FootEdge choreography is the fusion of various dance forms including bharatnatyam, bhangra, modern, kathak, ballet, tap, and bolly.
In keeping with the above motto, it is by no accident then that each production by FootEdge is an ingenious challenge to the conventional norms of dance. The result is a distinctive style that is brimming with energy, full of blockbuster entertainment and heart-pounding excitiment! FootEdge has earned both popular and critical acclaim as the company’s talented dancers have left audiences breathless, time and time again.
FootEdge can be seen around the Lower Mainland promoting cross-cultural collaboration with South Asian dance events.
They have become yearly favourites at festivals such as Sawan Mela, also the same festival where FootEdge made its debut. Watch out for this dynamic dance company which is already causing a storm.
Format FootEdge Dance meets weekly for technique improvement and choreography work. Dancers are expected to be dedicated to the practice for the two hours. Each practice begins with a cardio warm up and then moves into cross-the-floor work.
The dancers then move into learning new choreography or rehearsing routines learned previously. Practices are held at the South Asian Arts dance studio in Surrey.
Coming from such diverse, the goal of FootEdge is to continiously work on and improve technique in specific dance genres so that each dancer can pick up key technique to blend into the FootEdge style. Using everything from bhangra, kathak, bolly, tap and ballet, performances reflect the different backgrounds of every dancer.
The diverse resume of FootEdge is evidence of its various backgrounds and influences. Having started the Company by jumping into their “From Kathak to Bollywood” performance as part of the All Over the Map series, FootEdge showcased their various styles.
Dancers performed everything from Bharatnatyam to Kathak to Giddha to Bhangra and Bolly pieces! Performances since then have encompassed classical dance, the traditional folk dance of bhangra, fusion pieces with hip hop and bolly.
Not afraid to take a risk, FootEdge works with the tradional Indian drums, and the tabla and the dhol, even stepped in on contemporary Christmas pieces by Ashley Simpson and Mariah Carey.
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