Decidedly Jazz Danceworks

Decidedly Jazz Danceworks (DJD) is a Canadian jazz dance company and dance school based in Calgary, Alberta. Since 1984, DJD has been keeping the spirit of jazz alive by bringing jazz dance and its related forms to audiences and students across Canada, the U.S., and around the world.
==History==
In 1984, University of Calgary jazz dance department head, Vicki Adams Willis, was joined by two graduating students, Michèle Moss and Hannah Stilwell, to help reignite the traditional values of jazz dance and create a concert jazz dance company. Under the newly formed Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, the three set out to explore, evolve, and promote the spirit of jazz by going back to its roots, and presenting annual works of original jazz dance. 
Since then, DJD has grown to become Canada’s foremost professional jazz dance company—presenting annual productions of new jazz dance works and live original music, training dance students of all ages and abilities, and acting as a respected pillar in the Canadian arts scene.
After nearly 30 years at the helm, Artistic Director, Adams Willis, appointed longtime company dancer, Kimberley Cooper, as her successor in 2013. While Cooper assumed the position of Artistic Director, Adams Willis transitioned to Founder in Residence.
==Style==
The DJD style has evolved over time and is characterized by a movement aesthetic that’s African-rooted and swing-based, with jazz music at its core. The company’s distinct style has been called “music for the eyes,” mixing groove with rhythm and highlighting improvisation and interplay with its live musicians.
==DJD Company==
DJD’s professional company is the heart of the organization, respected for its pioneering work in evolving the art of jazz dance, and known for innovative choreography and musical compositions. DJD is a creation-based company and has created over 70 original works since inception. The DJD Company is made up of 8-12 dancers who work full time and perform locally, nationally, and internationally. A typical season lasts 36-42 weeks and includes two new works, with at least one accompanied by live music. 
====2023/24 Company====
* Shahrzad Ahmadi
* Thys Armstrong
* Cassandra Bowerman
* Sabrina Comănescu
* Catherine Hayward
* Shemar Herbert (apprentice)
* Kaja Irwin
* Mara Liao Esnard
* Simeon Peters
==DJD Classes & Training==
DJD is dedicated to fostering future jazz dancers through its Professional Training Program (PTP). The PTP is an audition-based 10-month program for dance students ages 18 and up. This program includes intensive training opportunities dedicated to the development of skilled and knowledgeable jazz dance artists.
As Calgary’s largest dance school—with 50+ weekly classes for adults and youth—DJD’s educational arm seeks to share how music shapes movement and feeling while promoting the connection between personal expression and collaboration through movement. In addition to weekly classes in jazz, West African, hip hop, and tap, the DJD school offers other dance styles including ballet, dancehall, Soca, Bollywood, and more. 
==DJD Dance Centre==
The DJD Dance Centre is DJD’s permanent home, having opened in 2016 in downtown Calgary. It spans several levels, with 7 dance studios, a 230-seat black box theatre, costume storage and office space, and a 2500 sq. foot community living room. As the community’s dance hub—and home of the DJD Company and dance school—the DJD Dance Centre offers space for performance, training, outreach, creation, and socialization, both within the DJD organization and for outside performing arts groups and independent artists as well.
==Touring==
The DJD Company has toured extensively throughout its history, traveling within Canada as well as internationally to perform selected works. The professional company has been featured in several International Jazz Festivals (Montreal, Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg), in addition to the Havana International Jazz Festival in Cuba. Over the course of the last three decades, DJD has also toured to the Turks & Caicos Islands, Japan, Chicago, and most recently to Jacob's Pillow, where the DJD Company performed its production entitled Family of Jazz in 2023.
==Outreach==
Outreach is a vital component of DJD. Its outreach programs seek to teach the community about the rich history and importance of jazz in North American culture.
====Arts in Education====
DJD is committed to sharing its love of jazz music and dance with school-aged students through school performances, artists in residence workshops, field trips to DJD, student matinees, and more. The company also presents workshops, lectures, and opportunities for co-education with post-secondary institutions, including the University of Calgary and Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University).
====Creative Residency Program====
The residency program offers free studio space to independent artists and choreographers to support the development of specific, self-directed projects.
====Dancing Parkinson’s YYC====
This program provides in-studio and online dance classes for people with Parkinson’s disease. It was born in 2013 from the collaboration of Vicki Adams Willis and University of Calgary Professor Emerita–Dance, Anne Flynn. Research has shown that gentle dance and rhythmic movement is helpful in improving motor and cognitive functions—as well as overall quality of life—for Parkinson’s patients. Dance classes are uplifting and restorative, focusing on body awareness and muscle development as well as rhythm, coordination, and socialization. These classes are approached through a jazz lens and include live music. 
Category:Jazz dance
Category:Companies based in Calgary
Category:Companies established in 1984