Arts Umbrella’s Season Finale Is Bringing World-Class Contemporary Dance to Vancouver

One of Vancouver’s most anticipated dance performances of the year is about to take the stage.

From May 21 to 23, Arts Umbrella Dance Company returns to the Vancouver Playhouse with Memento Mori—a breathtaking season finale performance exploring movement, memory, transformation, and the quiet beauty of impermanence.

Equal parts emotional and visually striking, the production brings together works from more than 15 internationally acclaimed choreographers, including contemporary dance icons Crystal Pite, Marcos Morau, Sharon Eyal, James Kudelka, and Medhi Walerski.

The result is a powerful series of performances that feel both intimate and cinematic—marking the end of one artistic cycle while quietly ushering in another.

Known internationally for producing some of the country’s most extraordinary emerging dancers, Arts Umbrella Dance Company has become a global launchpad for elite young talent, with alumni going on to perform with companies around the world. And every year, the season finale becomes a rare opportunity for Vancouver audiences to experience that calibre of artistry up close.

Beyond the performance itself, Memento Mori also reflects the larger mission of Arts Umbrella, Canada’s leading non-profit arts education centre for children and youth. Through programs spanning dance, theatre, film, music, design, and visual arts, the organization serves roughly 20,000 young people annually—many through subsidized or no-cost programming made possible through donor support.

In other words: this is more than a dance performance. It’s a glimpse into the future of Canadian arts and culture.

And judging by the trailer alone, it’s going to be stunning. —Noa Nichol

Win! 4 Tickets To Memento Mori!

Congrats Stacy T. of Vancouver, BC, who will receive 4 Tickets To Memento Mori (approximate value $220)! Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadailymedia. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding. Full contest rules/regulations here.