Get Cultured! Vancouver Edition
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Vancouver is my home. This beautiful city is located on the west coast of Canada in the province of British Columbia. It is the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. From the incredible mountains of Whistler to the beaches of English Bay. It really is the land of Sea to Sky.
It may not be New York or London when it comes to arts & culture but we have a few things going on here and I would like to share some of my favourites with you.
My top 5 arts & cultural things to do in Vancouver, BC (in no particular order):
#1 For Dance: Ballet BC or Dancehouse.
If you know me, then you know that I absolutely love dance & movement in all its forms. When Crystal Pite - one of the most renowned Choreographers in the world -calls Vancouver home you know we must be doing something right in this city. In fact, she is choreographing one of Ballet BC’s upcoming pieces for their production of Dawn at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre November 7, 8 & 9. I highly recommend you check it out.d out
Or, alternatively check out the Dancehouse presentation of Montreal’s Compagnie Catherine Maudet production of Les jolies choses (The Pretty Things) on at the Vancouver Playhouse November 22 & 23. What I love about Dancehouse is that they bring to Vancouver incredible dance, circus (more on that in a bit), and even ice skating from all over the world.
#2 For Classical Music: Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
From Beethoven to Broadway, there is quite literally something for everyone. I subscribe every year to the VSO Pops series because it’s fun, different and it gets me out of the house doing something I probably wouldn’t do if I didn’t subscribe. Upcoming is Gene Kelly: A Life in Music on November 15 & 16. I mean who doesn’t know the iconic scene from Singing in the Rain?!
If you don’t know what I’m talking about please do yourself a favour and watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swloMVFALXw. Feeling down by the rain in Vancouver?! Take some inspiration from Gene Kelly’s performance.
#3 For Opera: Vancouver Opera
I have been going to the opera since I was 12 years old. Growing up with a dad who is a bass opera singer definitely helped me become immersed in arts & culture from a young age. I recently attended the Vancouver Opera production of Die Fledermaus directed by Ashlie Corcoran, Artistic Director of Vancouver’s Arts Club Theatre Company. It was a fun, silly & entertaining evening but I am most looking forward to the spring production of Madama Butterfly.
Madama is probably my favourite opera of all time. I cry, tears-streaming-down-my-face crying, every single time. If you’ve never seen opera before in your life but want to try something new, start with anything by Puccini, particularly La Boheme (which is what the musical Rent is based on) or Madama Butterfly (what the musical Miss Saigon is based on).
#4 For Theatre: The Cultch
For homegrown local Vancouver theatre to acclaimed productions from around the world, this is the place to see a variety of theatre in Vancouver. Without a doubt, I see something at the Cultch every theatre season and I am picky about my theatre (I hate to admit it but its true. I have been doing theatre for too long not to be a little bit judgy about it. Let’s be real.) The one thing I absolutely love about the Cultch (often in collaboration with Dancehouse [see above]) is that they bring in Contemporary Circus from around the world every year. You will not get the opportunity to see anything this incredible anywhere else in the city (well besides Cirque du Soliel but that’s a whole other thing in its own right).
On January 22 - 25, 2025, The Cultch in collaboration with Dancehouse is bringing Duck Pond, the ballet Swan Lake re-imagined as a circus spectacular, to Vancouver. This production comes from the Australian company Circa and is not to be missed. Circa is one of the world’s leading Contemporary Circus companies. Their productions will knock your socks off!!
#5 Visual Arts: Vancouver Art Gallery or Museum of Anthropology
We may not have the MOMA or the Tate Modern but we certainly have some pretty cool visual arts by local Canadian artists that you should definitely check out. The Vancouver Art Gallery usually has some cool exhibit happening plus you can almost always see the work of Emily Carr, the Canadian Artist from Vancouver Island, on display. Until January 25, 2025 you can check out Emily Carr: A Room of Her Own.
Then last but absolutely not the least, you can take yourself on a date out to the Museum of Anthropology and check out the incredible collection of art & artifacts from the First Nations peoples of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest including the famous Bill Reid. If you truly want to know and understand the rich cultural heritage of the lands we now call Vancouver, please take a trip out to UBC to take it all in and be inspired.
Looking for more fun arts activities to do this fall? Check out one of my Intuitive Painting classes! Click here for more info: https://www.firepotexat.com/workshops
