Dance

LATE HOURS: Western Canada Tour 2025

Date & Time: Wednesday, March 5, 2025 @ 7:00 - 8:30PM

Location: Garneau Theatre/Metro Cinema - 8712 109 Street, Edmonton

Tickets: $18-20 @ metrocinema.org/production/late-hours

An evening of live music and experimental film with Karl Hirzer (piano/synthesizer) and Josué Valdepeñas (cello), featuring the premiere of Braden Dereniwski’s music film, Crystal Clear, and Vicki Van Chau’s award-winning short film, In Tandem.

Prominent figures in the Canadian classical music scene, Karl Hirzer and Josué Valdepeñas perform standard works from the modern and classical repertoire in addition to original songs, mixing electronic and acoustic instruments. Drawing from a wide variety of influences, their music has been described as “heady and psychedelic” and “Satie meets Radiohead”.

Based on Hirzer and Valdepeñas’ track of the same name, Crystal Clear is an innovative and gripping music and dance film. It follows a young woman who undertakes a visceral journey through her own psyche as she reflects on both her actions and the events that will decide her fate. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Braden Dereniwski, it features captivating performances by Kelsie Vanstone and Ashley Mae Johnston, with choreography by Yukichi Hattori. We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and Calgary Arts Development for this film.

​​Featuring and inspired by Hirzer's track Daphne and Desmond, off his new album Relaxer Distractor, In Tandem is a short film shot on Super 8 by award-winning filmmaker Vicki Van Chau, and is a love letter to the meaningful spaces between two cities, where Hirzer found sources of inspiration, nostalgia and the feeling of home. It recently received the ‘Best Experimental’ award at the 2024 Edmonton Short Film Festival. This film is supported by the Alberta Media Arts Alliance Society and the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers.

For more info, go to:  https://metrocinema.org/production/late-hours/

Somewhere in America, an army of pre-teen competitive dancers navigate ambition, friendship and desire, as they plot to take over the world. And if their new routine is good enough, they’ll claw their way to the top at Nationals in Tampa Bay. Each plié and jeté puts them one step further from childhood and one step closer to discovering their own identities.

The Alberta premiere of Clare Barron’s Dance Nation follows a group of girls as they fight to find themselves and be heard in a world that wants to pin them against each other. In the midst of turmoil, these characters are confronted with an important question: what does it take to win? And what are they willing to sacrifice to become victorious?

It is intended for ages 13+. Visit SkirtsAfire.com for a list of content warnings. 

Dance Nation is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

March 6 - 16 at the Gateway Theatre, Edmonton
Tickets and more information at skirtsafire.com/dance-nation

This research was conducted in six waves over the course of 2020 and 2021. This is a community resource that is FREE to access and results from the sixth wave of research are now available.

Findings for Alberta organizations from Wave 6 results include:

• Comfort has developed into a very predictable pattern that follows case numbers and now vaccine rates.
• Albertans will return at their own pace; participation hinges on personal comfort but also personal risk tolerance.
• There is a consensus that there will be less of a return to “normal” but rather a new way of doing things moving forward.
• Because Albertans have spent the past year and half discovering new things to do, the selection of what they can choose from now is quite vast.
• Spending habits are in flux, and at this point it is difficult to predict where Albertans will direct their money in the short term.

What are the implications for Alberta organizations?

• Even as restrictions have been removed, organizations still need to deal with comfort. As it stands, there is clear hesitancy in the audience and it will be important to communicate safety measures to make audiences comfortable when re-engaging.
• Organizations should keep in mind that public sentiment is a more useful barometer over government announcements. Gauging expectations for increased participation to occur will be based on a combination of comfort and risk tolerance.
• Organizations should expect more permanent (structural) changes to stick around – specifically related to organizational transparency, flexibility with refunds, new payment options, etc. These should be things that organizations consider keeping even if they are no longer required by the government.
• The main consideration for organizations remains flexibility – in terms of payment options, participation options, etc. This will allow for consideration on different levels as Albertans suss out how they want to direct their spending.

Download the reports:

• Alberta Report
• Calgary Report
• Edmonton Report

About the project

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts is pleased to be a funding partner in this collaboration with Stone-Olafson and other community leaders to develop a long-term research investigation and evaluate how current conditions will reshape Albertans’ attitudes and behaviours towards social and group activities, across a variety of sectors. The purpose of this work is to give leaders of community sports, recreation, arts and culture, professional sports, active living, heritage, tourism or hospitality sectors relevant facts about local audiences that they will need to bring life back to our communities.

The initiative was funded by:

• ActiveCITY Collective
• Alberta Foundation for the Arts
• Angus Reid
• ATB
• Calgary Arts Development
• Calgary Foundation
• Edmonton Arts Council
• Edmonton Community Foundation
• Rozsa Foundation
• Stone-Olafson
• Travel Alberta

Like the rest of the world, Alberta is navigating a new reality brought by a pandemic that is changing public life and re-shaping our economy. Organizations in the arts, culture, sports, recreation, tourism and hospitality sectors, all which rely on live, group experiences, are grappling with new challenges. Organizations need to be prepared for a change in audience behaviour. The question is what that will look like, now and over the coming months.

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts is pleased to be a funding partner in this collaboration with Stone-Olafson and other community leaders to develop a long-term research investigation and evaluate how current conditions will reshape Albertans’ attitudes and behaviours towards social and group activities, across a variety of sectors. The purpose of this work is to give leaders of community sports, recreation, arts and culture, professional sports, active living, heritage, tourism or hospitality sectors relevant facts about local audiences that they will need to bring life back to our communities.

The initiative is being funded by: 

• ActiveCITY Collective
• Alberta Foundation for the Arts 
• Angus Reid
• ATB
• Calgary Arts Development 
• Calgary Foundation
• Edmonton Arts Council
• Edmonton Community Foundation
• Rozsa Foundation
• Stone-Olafson
• Travel Alberta

​This research is being conducted in six waves over the course of the next year with the first wave of results (based on surveys conducted between May 21 and June 2, 2020) now available.

This is a community resource that is FREE to access and results from the first wave of research are now available.

Download the reports:

• Alberta Report
• Calgary Report
• Edmonton Report

You can subscribe to receive notifications when the new reports are available by visiting stone-olafson.com.