With rugged terrain and a reputation for raising athletes and adventurers, Squamish But there鈥檚 more to this mountain town. Upon closer inspection, it鈥檚 clear the community is simultaneously undergoing a slow and steady shift toward becoming just as big a hub for performing arts. These days, you鈥檙e as likely to spot Squamish kids onstage as you are to see them on the slopes. So what is on offer in town for those interested in music, theatre or dance? If music is calling, the (better known to locals as SAM) has the answer.
There, students of all ages can learn how to play a wide array of instruments in group or private settings, or participate in its popular musical theatre program and productions.
Now in its ninth season, SAM鈥檚 students are beginning to spread their wings, attending summer intensive programs across the country, showcasing their skills during local performances and even heading off to study music at the post-secondary level.
The space frequently hosts jam nights and also offers acting classes through a partnership with . The local community theatre society, which has frequently taken home the top prize at community theatre festivals, is currently in its 26th year. This season, you can catch three Between Shifts productions: The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe will serve as Between Shifts annual Christmas production, while Sexy Laundry and Dead Man鈥檚 Cell Phone 鈥� one production artistic director Kathy Daniels calls 鈥渕ore contemporary and a little more experimental鈥濃�� are both scheduled to hit the stage in the spring. You can also find local performers showcasing their talents throughout town at events like Amped in the Park, the annual outdoor performance summer series put on by the Squamish Arts Council, the yearly Howe Sound Music Festival (an initiative of the Howe Sound Performing Arts Association) and other community events.
GROWTH SPURT
It鈥檚 no secret that a booming population that is straining our housing stock is partly responsible for the similar uptick Squamish鈥檚 performing arts scene is currently experiencing.
As families head up the Sea to Sky highway in search of a smaller community, an active lifestyle and semi-affordable housing, they鈥檙e also seeking artistic opportunities for their children. Up-and-coming local performers now have a vast range of options when it comes to exploring their creativity. Whether it鈥檚 ballet, jazz, hip-hop or acrobatics that piques your interest, you can find hundreds of dancers honing their craft at three local studios 鈥� ), and .
鈥淔or my business, it鈥檚 more the young families that are being attracted to Squamish,鈥� said Sara Constantin, owner and director of Squamish Dance Centre. The studio, which caters to dancers looking for a fun, recreational atmosphere, opened its doors in January 2016.
聽鈥淥ur biggest group right now is ages two to seven; it鈥檚 our bread and butter,鈥� Constantin continued. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to stay with us for a while, which is expanding horizons.鈥� When Melissa Braun founded SAM in 2011, the music academy had five teachers. Now, it has 14 鈥� not to mention over 400 students. While beautiful places like Squamish have historically attracted artists searching for inspiration, 鈥淎s people move here who have maybe lived in urban areas, they鈥檙e accustomed to having access to [the performing arts] so they鈥檙e seeking out those opportunities,鈥� Braun added. 鈥淥ver the last two years, the demand has increased significantly, especially at the six-to-10 age range.鈥�
QUALITY AND QUANTITY
Despite the fact that Howe Sound Dance Academy tends to focus its efforts on competitions and examinations 鈥� about half of its 200 students are committed members of HSDA鈥檚 competition team, according to studio director Alicia Fortin 鈥� her students 鈥渂ike, they ski, they are doing all these different types of activities outside of dance.鈥�
鈥淧arents want their kids to have more experiences, not one specific thing, which I think is so great,鈥� continued Fortin, who purchased the studio in July after 12 years with the 22-year-old academy.
鈥淚t鈥檚 opening the door for their kids to find their true passion, and it鈥檚 making them better, too. These dancers are true athletes. They鈥檙e strong.鈥� That athleticism contributes to the impressive level of professionalism Fortin鈥檚 students bring to the stage, she said. Jennifer Carney, director of The Performing Arts Academy, views the numerous other activities her students participate in as 鈥渃ross-training.鈥�
While she strives to help develop 鈥渄ynamic and diverse dancers鈥� when her students are in class at TPAC鈥檚 downtown Squamish studio, 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to be able to dip your paintbrush, so to speak, in every colour without feeling like 鈥極h, I can鈥檛 be a part of this,鈥� or 鈥楾his isn鈥檛 going to help me with that,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so much that dance has to offer.鈥�
SEARCHING FOR SPACE
As Squamish鈥檚 performing arts scene continues to blossom, the community鈥檚 lack of a common, multipurpose performance space is becoming more and more apparent. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been an uphill struggle trying to get people in the community to realize there is a theatre in this town,鈥� said Daniels of Between Shifts. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no main box office, there鈥檚 no art entre.
There鈥檚 nothing like that here. Everyone in Squamish tends to work in satellites; quite isolated and we鈥檝e been trying to bring people together. 鈥淚 do find there鈥檚 a lot鈥攁 lot鈥攐f musicians here in Squamish,鈥� Daniels continued. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so many musicians and painters and dancers. Everybody鈥檚 looking for an outlet or a venue or some way to explore and show people the stories they want to tell ... I do feel like Squamish could be 鈥� could be 鈥� on the verge of sort of a renaissance of arts, but it really needs some political will and leadership to help everybody come together and start working together as an arts community.
Eventually, Constantin too would like to see the community continue to work together to create 鈥渁 proper performing arts theatre,鈥� and rehearsal space, something she thinks would be integral in supporting the arts鈥� continued growth in Squamish. Currently, local performing arts businesses share use of the Eagle Eye Theatre at Howe Sound Secondary School with the school district, which can be logistically challenging when taking into account the theatre鈥檚 limited capacity and high demand. In the meantime, 鈥渁 bit of a community hub鈥� is something Braun has been striving to foster at SAM鈥檚 brick-and-mortar space. 鈥淚 think it allows people to find one another a little bit more.
Even just the jam nights, for example. It鈥檚 a place where sometimes people will come because they鈥檙e newer to town and they鈥檙e looking for a place where they can meet other people,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to bring in all the elements of a space where artists can connect and be supported.
