Vancouver, B.C.
Ralph Escamillan one of eight dancers featured by CBC
Watch as 8 incredible Canadian dancers spread good vibes for International Dance Day
Vancouver, B.C.
Teodoro ‘Ted’ Alcuitas
Editor, Philippine Canadian news.Com
Vancouver’s Ralph Escamillan is one of eight dancers across Canada that continue to motivate others amidst the pandemic despite studios and stages being closed.
The founder and artistic director of Van Vogue Jam, a non-profit organization that hosts weekly by-donation dance events, has moved his classes online since the pandemic.
Called a ‘shining light’ in the Vancouver Kiki ballroom scene by CBC, the young dancer, along with other guest instructors, teaches weekly free/by donation classes, like “vogue femme class,” “runway class” and “ultra beginning hands class.”
“Growing up with an immigrant mother, having a street dance background and a freelance artist, not being able to have resources and space is not a new story for me … so the pandemic has only really shifted the type of opportunities I can create/look for,” Escamillan told CBC. “I luckily have been afforded with a lot of opportunities during this time, which I cannot say the same for some of my other peers, and [which] has me thinking how to give back and support my community.”
He says the pandemic has deepened his desire to support and create opportunities for artists of colour in the queer community. “It’s made me think about the discrepancies of institutionalized dance forms like ballet, contemporary, modern — and how truly inaccessible these forms are from the BIPOC folks. I’ve also thought about how these forms have infrastructure to survive this pandemic, while other dance communities, like street dance, don’t or have never even been acknowledged in the funding systems and have not been cared for during these times. I have been inspired to find more ways to support artists that do not come from the balletic cannon of dance, and moreover how I can create opportunities to support QTBIPOC artists in Canada.”
A message from Ralph on International Dance Day:
“I hope this is a day for you to learn more about the dances close to home, learn about the multitude of beautiful dance communities and people that exist where you live. Please go out, take a risk, learn more, experience more, try more, be more, and [know] that dance doesn’t just happen on a stage or in a studio — it’s truly everywhere. Dance lives in all of us.”
Other dancers featured include Gurdeep Pandher from Whitehorse with his Bhangra once videos which has gone viral, Choreographer and dancer Brandon Bizzy Owusu from Toronto has performed for artists such as Ariana Grande, Drake.
Raqueel Smith has been teaching online dance classes and staging outdoor performances for in Charlottetown, Sabrina Naz Comănescu from Calgary is a quadruple threat performer, choreographer, dance instructor and filmmaker — and she’s been putting all of these talents to good use over the last year.
17-year-old traditional singer and grass and hoop dancer Theland Kicknosway, from The Algonguin
Territory in Ottawa is dedicated to sharing Indigenous culture and has amassed a big following on social media.
“Before the pandemic, I was horrible with all that stuff,” says Vanesa G.R. Montoya from Montreal about sharing her creative work on social media.