REVERIES | A FUNDRAISER CELEBRATION FOR SOMA ANIMA ARTS
A night of live-music, dance, poetry + making a difference
May 29th, 2026, 6:30-10:30PM @ St. James Community Square
Join us in supporting soma anima arts, a Vancouver-based interdisciplinary arts organization dedicated to fostering compassion, liberation, and community through dance and interdisciplinary live performance art. Your generosity sustains our vital work: from innovative performances to inclusive outreach all grounded in creative liberation, collaboration, compassion and community.
WHAT TO EXPECT: an evening of celebration, creativity, and connection, including live music, dance, and poetry, a cash bar and grazing food, and opportunities to support soma anima arts through donations, a silent auction, and door prizes.
ABOUT: SOMA ANIMA ARTS & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR – RACHEL HELTEN
soma anima arts, aka Kinesis Dance Society, has evolved since its founding in 1986 by Greek-Canadian Paraskevas Terezakis. In 2024, Vancouver-based interdisciplinary artist Rachel Helten became Artistic Director.
Rachel is a multidisciplinary artist, dancer, choreographer, teacher, writer, and performer, and settler on the stolen and unceded ancestral lands of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō, and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. With a BFA in Dance from Simon Fraser University, Rachel’s work emphasizes deep listening, collaboration, interdisciplinary methods, and storytelling through movement. Her practice explores interactions with real and imagined worlds, focusing on how vulnerability can lead to transformation and liberation. She has collaborated with many heart-led, inspiring artists, presenting her original works locally and internationally.
soma anima arts cultivates exploration of creative liberation through education, community engagement, research, creation, and performance. We foster dialogue across cultural boundaries, presenting original interdisciplinary works in diverse venues to engage and connect communities. Our vision is a world where everyone can access the transformative and healing power of art. We are committed to decolonizing consciousness and practices in the arts, advocating for a more just, loving, and equitable world that honors the interconnectedness of all, while prioritizing accessibility, equity, and radical care.
WHAT YOUR SUPPORT WILL HELP US CONTINUE AND GROW:
COMMUNITY OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT
Your support enables diverse programs that bring movement and creativity to all ages and abilities, including:
Weekly dance workshops for youth at École des Colibris, École Rose-des-Vents, and Annexe Queen Elizabeth, fostering expression and cultural connection through movement.
Generations Program: Workshops and pop-up performances in care facilities for seniors and community members with chronic illness or mobility challenges, offering moments of joy and creative connection.
Freedom Floor: Dance improv workshops for at-risk youth navigating mental health and addiction challenges, offering a safe space for self-expression, creative exploration, and connection.
Vortex | 4D sound + dance jams at Lobe: A 4D sound and dance jam that invites inclusive participation and sensory exploration.
Flowing Verse: poetry and dance workshops cultivating voice, presence, and community.
Seniors’ creative dance classes promoting health, connection, and well-being.
Flash mobs designed to spark joy and engagement for children, seniors, and the wider community.
INTEDISIPLINARY PRODUCTIONS
Bright Shadow
An exploration of the tension between utopia and dystopia, this work weaves contemporary dance, live music, text, and interactive technology. Inspired by Carl Jung’s “Golden Shadow” concept, Bright Shadow highlights humanity’s hidden potential and asks: “What kind of world do we hope to build together?” Originally rooted in Rachel’s personal healing journey, it now integrates voices from collaborators and audiences, encouraging imagination and hope in a chaotic world.
Gentle Glory
A solo work-in-progress by Rachel Helten, Gentle Glory explores gentleness and empathy as pathways to liberation. Drawing from Rachel’s experience navigating mental health challenges, it honors the healing power of emotional intelligence, vulnerability, and connection—to self, Mother Earth, and animist wisdom—offering a call to care deeply in a sometimes violent world.
Reverence for the Rebels
This interdisciplinary dance research project honors stories of rebels within ancestral lineages—family members, historical figures, or icons whose courageous dissent inspires resistance and change. Combining dance, spoken word, and music, the project brings embodied storytelling to life, reclaiming autonomy and ancestral wisdom. Rooted in justice, compassion, and ancestral resilience, it is both a tribute and a call to action in the face of today’s urgent social and ecological crises.
What is Us & Eternal (in development)
An interdisciplinary work exploring the fluid, multidimensional nature of love—el amor—as a cosmic, transformative force transcending time and space. Using movement, text, and spirit, it reflects on love as metamorphosis, memory, and eternal presence.
BEYOND!
WHY YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS:
With rising costs and competitive funding landscapes, your contribution sustains our artists, staff, and volunteers. Together, we ensure continued access to transformative art that nurtures mind, body, and spirit, building a more compassionate, inclusive, and connected world—one movement at a time.
