1. Pushing the boundaries of contemporary dance, the 28th annual Dancing on the Edge Festival features more than 30 innovative choreographers and more than 80 dance artists leaping and rolling across local stages July 7 to 16. The 10-day live performance festival features Montreal’s Frédérick Gravel and Étienne Lepage, Belgium’s German Jauregui, Ottawa’s DORSALE Danse, Toronto’s Adelheid Dance Projects, Victoria’s Constance Cooke and Vancouver’s Tara Cheyenne Performance, MascallDance, Wen Wei Dance, Amber Funk Barton’s the response and two works from Joshua Beamish/MOVE: the company, among others. Details at dancingontheedge.org.
2. Local singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist dude Jay Arner is back with his appropriately- titled sophomore album on Mint Records, Jay II. The press bumph says inspirations on Arner’s latest range from Spark, Roxy Music, Fleetwood Mac to La Dusseldorf. And who are we to doubt a press release. Arner celebrates his new creation and all that is good in this world at The Lido, July 11 with Mint label mates Supermoon.
3. James Solomon’s enthralling documentary The Witness follows the investigative efforts of Bill Genovese, whose sister Kitty was murdered outside her New York apartment building in 1964 while 38 witnesses allegedly did nothing to help her. The incident became known as the bystander effect. It screens July 8 to 10 at the Rio Theatre. Details at riotheatre.ca.
4. West Fourth Avenue’s annual Khatsahlano Street Party takes over the blocks between MacDonald and Burrard July 9, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with food, artisans, activities and music from the likes Hannah Georgas, Mounties, We are the City, Jordan Klassen, Gang Signs, Rodney DeCroo, Twin River and Milk, among others. And it’s free. Details at khatsahlano.com.
