Method Dance

CHAR is a study of land, fire, and duration. The work emerges from ongoing wildfire conditions in Northern BC, approaching fire not as event but as extended state. Movement operates through accumulation, interruption, and drift, attending to shifts in tempo, density, and ground. Sound functions alongside the body, not as accompaniment but as parallel structure. Rather than staging representation, CHAR situates the performer within a set of conditions—exposure, persistence, and uneven recovery. The work holds on duration as material, asking how bodies register and continue within environments that are already in process.

Choreography: Shelby Richardson and Dancers

Sound Designer and creative collaborator: Nancy Tam

Lighting Designer: Ray Morgan

Performers: Lauren Fisher, Sara McGowan, Shayla Dyble, Sam Presley, Katie LeBlanc

Field Collaborator: Keli Watson

Cultural Consultants: Elder Darlene McIntosh and Chief Dolleen Logan

Shelby Richardson: Shelby Richardson is a choreographer, curator, and arts leader based in Prince George, working across performance, community-engaged practice, and cultural infrastructure. As Artistic Director of Method Dance Society, she develops new work and platforms that support contemporary dance in Northern and rural contexts. Her choreography investigates land, duration, and embodied response, often in relation to environmental and social conditions. Richardson’s dance and curatorial practice has taken her across Canada and internationally. Alongside her artistic practice, she leads projects that expand access to dance and support the development of regional arts communities.

Nancy Tam: Nancy Tam (譚亦斯) lives and works on the unceded territories of the Sḵwx̱ x̱ wú7mesh, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. She is spirited by experimentation with form and rigorous dramaturgy to create immersive sonic designs and performances for on-stage and on-screen media indoor and outdoor. Her current research triangulates between sound, space, and body to examine the uncanny valley of haptics. Nancy has a penchant toward listening to quiet sounds and observing quotidian performances. Her compositions, performances, and collaborations have toured Europe, Asia, and North America. She was a featured artist at Prague Quadrennial 2023 for the Canadian exhibition. With Daniel O'Shea and Conor Wylie, Nancy runs the interdisciplinary performance collective A Wake of Vultures. She leads the performance collective Five Blessings with Derek Chan, Jasmine Chen, Robyn Jacob, and Howards Dai. She participates in the artist collective Fathom Sounds with whom she shows gallery-based work. Collective members Jay White, Alana Bartol, Genevive Robertson, and Kat Morris recently built the collective's latest work ritualzzz.com, a web-based application that invites audiences to contemplate on their existence in the physical and hyper presents.

Ray Morgan: With over two decades of experience in audio technology, Raymond has expertly mixed sound for a diverse array of events, including live concerts, festivals, theatres, corporate functions, and live television broadcasts. Since 2014, he has also been involved in lighting and staging for theatre productions such as dance, musicals, and Chinese Opera, bringing a unique perspective and collaborating effectively with cultural groups worldwide.Each of these environments presents unique challenges, and Raymond’s technical skills have been finely tuned to meet them. He excels under pressure, delivering exceptional customer service through quick problem-solving. Raymond approaches every project with passion and takes great pride in the quality of his work.

Lauren Fisher: Lauren Fisher is a dance artist originally from Prince George. She began her training locally before continuing her studies at École de danse contemporaine de Montréal, where she worked with a range of influential teachers and choreographers. Following her graduation, she remained in Montréal, collaborating and developing work with fellow artists.Since returning to Prince George in 2023, Lauren has been engaged with Method Dance Society, contributing to both creation and performance. Her practice is grounded in collaboration and ongoing research, shaped by experiences across Northern and urban contexts. She continues to develop her work in dialogue with the artists and community around her.

Shayla Dyble: Shayla Dyble is a contemporary dance artist based on the traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh in Prince George. A graduate of Conteur Dance Academy, she has continued her training, performance, and creation with Method Dance Society. Her practice is shaped through collaboration with a range of artists and choreographers, as well as ongoing engagement with her local community. Alongside performing, Shayla develops her own choreographic work, often working across disciplines and with multigenerational participants. Her approach is rooted in collaboration, curiosity, and a sustained interest in how dance operates within community contexts.

Sara McGowan: Sara McGowan is a dance artist and instructor based in Prince George. Since 2020, she has been engaged with Method Dance Society as both a performer and educator, contributing to a range of creation processes and community-based work. Her practice is grounded in collaboration, having participated in projects with artists including Shelby Richardson, Giselle Liu, Anya Saugstad, Amber Downie-Back, and Melissa McCracken. Alongside her performance work, Sara teaches locally, supporting the development of emerging dancers and contributing to the broader dance community in Northern BC.

Samantha Presley: Sam is a dance artist originally from the lower mainland who is currently training, creating, teaching, and performing on the ancestral and unceded territories of the Lhtako Dene Nation also known as Quesnel BC. Her work is focused in contemporary dance forms that include, but are not limited to: floor based release technique, modern dance, hip hop, theatre and contact dance.In 2017 Sam earned her BFA in Contemporary Dance from Simon Fraser University. There, she was fortunate to be the recipient of scholarships that allowed her to participate in dance intensives lead by Helen Walkley, EDAM, Modus Operandi and the Training Society of Vancouver. Sam has also pursued professional development abroad and was an attendee at the 2024 Impulstanz Vienna International Dance Festival in Austria. Sam has interpreted works professionally across Canada and Australia for various independent artists and collectives in choreographic series and festivals including: 12 Minutes Max, The Fringe Festival, BLOOM, Dancing On The Edge, LAUNCH, BIMBY Body-Un-knowledge Conference and Shambhala Music Festival. She is currently in her 3rd season as a company member with Method Dance Society where she hopes to continue to refine her unique artistic voice and collaborate with other creatives in northern BC.

Katie LeBlanc: Katie LeBlanc is an emerging dance artist based in Prince George. A recent graduate of Method Dance Society’s Junction Program, her practice is grounded in process-based training and collaborative creation. She has performed in works by Giselle Liu and Shelby Richardson, and continues to develop her practice through ongoing research and movement study. Over the past six months, she has been training in Vancouver, participating in the Modus Operandi LINK Program alongside independent contemporary classes. Her work is shaped through continued engagement across Northern and urban dance contexts.