大象传媒

Led by artistic co-directors Lisa Gelley and Josh Martin, Company 605 is an arts organization based in Vancouver, on the unceded Indigenous territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Producing various dance projects and performances through shared creative process, the artists place emphasis on movement invention and physically demanding works, juxtaposing raw with precision, and highlighting effort, risk and interconnection. 605 is an ongoing exchange between separate people, bodies and ideas, recognizing and celebrating the unique possibilities created in their attempt to co-exist. Valuing collaboration as an essential tool for new directions in dance, Company 605 continues to awaken a fresh and ever-evolving aesthetic, together building a highly athletic art form derived from the human experience.

With roots as a dance collective, the company was founded in 2009, and now has an expanding repertoire of diverse works and interdisciplinary collaborations. 605 has performed from coast to coast in over 30 cities across Canada, as well as in the US, Central America, Europe, Asia and Australia, presented at many notable festivals and venues such as: American Dance Festival (Durham, NC), New York City Center鈥檚 Fall for Dance Festival, Usine-C (Montr茅al), L鈥橝gora de la Danse (Montr茅al), La Rotonde (Qu茅bec City), DanceWorks (Toronto), Live Art Dance (Halifax), The Banff Centre, On The Boards (Seattle), Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (San Francisco), Bumbershoot Festival (Seattle), Festival PRISMA (Panama), HebelHalle Heidelberg, Tempel Kulturzentrum (Karlsruhe, Germany), and Sydney Festival (Australia).

605鈥檚 co-directors have also created commissioned works for several other dance companies, including Vancouver鈥檚 acclaimed Ballet BC (Anthem, 2017), and their collaborations with filmmakers have allowed 605鈥檚 work to be shared globally, with award-winning short dance films shown at over 45 dance-on-screen festivals around the world.

OURO Collective (OURO) creates and produces new dance works on the unceded territories of the xwm蓹胃kw蓹y虛蓹m (Musqueam), Skwxw煤7mesh (Squamish) and S蓹l虛铆lw蓹ta蕯/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations and the City of Vancouver. We wish to express our gratitude to the Indigenous people who have ties to this territory and acknowledge that we are guests on this land we work, play and live in as artists and settlers.

OURO was founded by Cristina Bucci, Rina Pellerin, Maiko Miyauchi, Dean Placzek, and Mark Siller in 2014. Fusing hip-hop, waacking, breaking, popping, house, and contemporary dance as their foundation, each street dancer has trained with the original founders of their respective dance styles and brings specific knowledge to the group aesthetic.

Since 2014, the collective has created over ten digital and live works which have been presented across Canada and internationally at festivals and venues including Dancing on the Edge (CA), Dance Allsorts (CA), Vancouver International Dance Festival (CA), Guelph Dance Festival (CA), CypherFest (CA), Seattle International Dance Festival (US), Yachioza Kabuki Theatre (JP) and Machida Shimin Hall (JP), Quinzena de Dan莽a de Almada (PT), and Frei Art Festival (DE).

The collective has also been featured in CBC Arts鈥� Exhibitionists and participated in and developed various outreach initiatives, including Share Dance Outreach Program, Immigrant Services Society, and The Power of Dance through The Dance Centre. OURO鈥檚 outreach activities have engaged with communities in the city of Revelstoke, Nelson, Trail, Nanaimo, Smithers, and included a tour to Campbell River, Alert Bay, and Sointula, through BC Movement Arts Society. Notable collaborations include a commission by Yarita Yu Ballet Company (Tokyo) to create a new work with 50 youth dancers and CLAY, a large-scale piece created in partnership with the KMA Orchestra (Kumamoto). OURO鈥檚 multidisciplinary creation HAKO, developed with public installation artists Tangible, premiered in a sold-out run at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts and was later remounted for Dance in Vancouver, Shambhala Music Festival, and the Vancouver Street Dance Festival.

In 2021, OURO received the Chrystal Dance Prize to collaborate with international artist Rauf Yasit (RubberLegz). The resulting work, 7y98D, includes a short film鈥攑remiered on NOWNESS and screened at Lago Film Fest (IT), Cinedans (NL), TANZAHOi (DE), and Mignolo International Screendance Festival (US) 鈥攁nd a full-length stage production performed at Fall for Dance North, La Serre, Vancouver Art Gallery, The Polygon Gallery, and OFF-DIV.

In 2024, OURO marked its 10th anniversary with the inaugural edition of OUROFEST鈥攁 free/by-donation four-day festival celebrating local and national street dance communities through performances, workshops, and community events. Through creation, presentation, and collaboration, OURO continues to expand the possibilities of street dance, championing its relevance in both contemporary performance and cultural dialogue.

Anya Allegra Saugstad is a dancer and choreographer based in Vancouver BC, on the unceded territory of the S岣祑x瘫 w煤7mesh', St贸:l艒 and S蓹l铆lw蓹ta蕯/ Selilwitulh, and xwm蓹胃kw蓹y蓹虛 m First Nations. 

Anya trained at ArtsUmbrella, and has a BFA in Dance from 大象传媒. As a dancer, Anya has toured with Action at a Distance / Vanessa Goodman through the USA, Canada, and Germany performing 鈥淕raveyards and Gardens鈥� and 鈥淐ore/Us鈥� (2021-2023). 

Anya Saugstad is the Artistic Director of Furious Grace Dance Theatre, (originally Judith Garay鈥檚 company Dancers Dancing). Furious Grace / Anya Saugstad create live collaborative performance works in theaters and outdoors. Anya builds vigorous and physical ensemble choreography to express stories that encompass strength, celebration, and yearning. Her work is often inspired by nature and animals. 

Anya has created works for Ballet Edmonton, ArtsUmbrella, LamonDance, 大象传媒, Method Dance Company, and Coastal City Ballet. Anya鈥檚 work has been presented through The Scotiabank Dance Centre (Dance in Vancouver), Dance Deck (Belle Spirale), Dance West Network, Crimson Coast Dance, The Rotary Center for the Arts, and has had her work presented throughout BC, in Montreal, Edmonton, and Toronto. Anya Saugstad is the recipient of the Iris Garland Emerging Choreographer Award for 2023/24.