Dance & Theatre
From our recently renovated Jubilee Auditorium to urban parks, barns, and rodeo grounds—on stages indoor and out, grand and humble—dance and theatre share the limelight in Alberta’s cultural scene.Dance Scene
The long-lived Brian Web Dance Company performs at a variety of venues including the John L. Haar Theatre at Grant MacEwan College, the Westbury Theatre and the Jubilee. The Edmonton Dance Factory also performs at the Jubilee. Mile Zero is devoted to exploring leading-edge contemporary dance forms and have their own performance space at the Landing Pad.
Performances that reflect our multicultural roots in dance take place during the Pysanka Festival at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, east of Edmonton. And for three days in August, you can visit Hawrelak Park to watch traditional dancing from around the globe at the Edmonton Heritage Festival, one of the world’s oldest and largest outdoor multicultural festivals.
Theatre Scene
Edmonton has a long and storied history as a centre for the performing arts. The Citadel Theatre, a professional company in the downtown Arts District, houses the largest theatre complex in the city with five performance spaces. Among regular season offerings there’s a host of productions for young people including the KidsPlay Series for children and a theatre festival for teens and by teens. Northern Light Theatre is another professional theatre company with a long history in Edmonton.
The 11-day Edmonton Fringe Festival is in a class by itself. Held at a number of venues every August, it is internationally recognized as introducing some of the most innovative theatrical productions in North America and has spawned fringe festivals in many other cities.
Edmonton’s Jubilee Auditorium, like its sister in Calgary, is home for touring productions and local companies such as the Edmonton Opera. Recent renovations have won the praise of guests such as Alberta Ballet and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.
In the heart of the city’s Old Strathcona district you will find the Walterdale Playhouse. A former firehall, it houses Canada’s oldest amateur theatre group. Across the street is another former firehall, the New Varscona Theatre. The original home of the Fringe Festival, it now plays host to a number of theatre companies, including Die-Nasty Theatre, Teatro La Quindicina, Rapid Fire Theatre and Shadow Theatre.
Other theatre companies in Edmonton include Catalyst Theatre, Concrete Theatre, Sound and Fury Theatre and Westbury Theatre.
Every year in May, the Arden Theatre in nearby St. Albert hosts the Northern Alberta International Children’s Festival. Throughout the year, the Arden hosts a steady stream of touring artists, dance and theatrical companies.
From the end of June through July, the Free Will Players present the outdoor River City Shakespeare Festival at the Heritage Amphitheatre in Hawrelak Park. The 1,100-seat amphitheatre is the largest live Edmonton theatre venue. Ticket prices are among the lowest in professional theatre, with sizeable discounts for students and seniors. Youth aged 8 to 18 interested in the world of classical theatre will have an excellent adventure at Camp Shakespeare, a summer camp run by professional instructors and members of the acting company.
More Info...
To access a comprehensive list of dance and theatre opportunities in Alberta, click on Advanced under the Search window in the top right corner of this page. Select the Category tab, click on Events and choose Theatre/Performance.
