History

Since its founding, in 1987 by Wendy de la Harpe and Jan Asai, Columbia Dance Company has been engaged in bringing quality dance to the greater Vancouver Washington area.

This valuable cultural resource not only offers a variety of training and performing experiences for aspiring dancers, but also reaches into the community by providing outreach and community service. Our school provides professional quality instruction in classical ballet and other pertinent dance forms in an environment that nurtures technical excellence and artistic sensibilities in a rigorous and supportive atmosphere. The Company maintains two performing ensembles determined by appropriate age and technical ability.

Under the direction of Artistic Director, Jan Hurst, Columbia Dance Company celebrates its fifteenth season. Columbia Dance excels in offering a positive, rigorous and nurturing environment where young artists will be inspired to fully embrace their creative potential.  Standards of excellence in teaching and performance create an atmosphere for life enrichment through developing every dancer’s unique artistic voice.

Every year, Columbia Dance Company stages a full length Nutcracker as well as their Spring Gala which features choreographic premiers and the restaging of classical ballets as well as Columbia Dance Presents!, our annual school performance.  In addition to its public performances, over 2,000 school children annually attend the Nutcracker. The Choreographer’s Showcase, designed to encourage pre-professional choreographers, has been hosted by Columbia Dance for the past seventeen years.

Columbia Dance Company is a proud member of the Regional Dance America/Pacific Region, which annually presents a Festival of some of the finest dance companies from across the Western United States.

Both the School and the Company of Columbia Dance are non-profit organizations. Our performances and scholarship program are made possible through the generous support of our volunteers and donors.