TSV Scholarship Program

Former Scholarship Recipients: Kaili Che & Brianne Chan
Photography by: Carla Alcántara

Call for Applications - Now Closed

Training Period: January 19 - April 10, 2026

The Training Society of Vancouver (TSV) is offering two scholarship opportunities for dance artists on the unceded & stolen territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱w.7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, colonially known as Vancouver. TSV offers consistent dance training with a wide range of teachers throughout the program. TSV accepts anyone who is on their dance movement journey, whether they are emerging artists, mid-career artists, established artists or anyone who is dedicating themselves in expanding their knowledge in dance. TSV's goal is to cultivate a welcoming community and provide opportunities for growth.

*TSV currently does not receive any funding and have been dealing with some financial constraints this past year. There may be an occasional week or day without programming in our Winter 2026 season.

2026 Scholarship Recipients

We are thrilled to welcome these scholarship recipients for Winter 2026:

Coming from a farm in Alberta, Benedict Quedenbaum started dancing at the age of 3 at Footworks Dance Academy. With this studio, he travelled and performed for resorts and community centers throughout the Dominican Republic and Mexico. In 2017 and 2018, Benedict attended the Alberta Ballet summer school and was offered a scholarship for the professional division program in 2018.

While there, he trained under Graham McKelvie, Sasha Ivanochko, Ashley McNeil, and Edmund Stripe and attended masterclasses from Jean Grand Maître, Christiana Bennett, and Christopher Anderson. He remained at the school for 3 years until graduating in 2021, after which he moved to Vancouver to join the Lamondance training program and company soon after. Throughout his time in Vancouver, Benedict has had the opportunity to work with prominent names in the Vancouver dance community, such as Joshua Beamish, Margarida Maciera, Vanessa Goodman, Dance//Novella, and Davi Rodrigues, as well as working with Blackout Theatre on City of Tales.

Camila Silva is a Colombian contemporary dance artist currently based in Vancouver, Canada. Her artistic practice explores the relationship between movement, memory, and presence, understanding the body as a site of lived experience and transformation.

From 2020 to 2025, she was a performer and co-creator with Cuerpo de Indias, the professional company of El Colegio del Cuerpo in Cartagena, Colombia—one of the country’s leading contemporary dance institutions. Through this collaborative process, she performed in theatres across Colombia and internationally, including in the United States, Mexico, and France, developing a strong stage presence and a poetic approach to movement.

In 2019, Camila completed Lamondance Training & Performing Company (Season 10) in Vancouver. She is currently focused on continuing her training, building community, and developing an independent practice within the Vancouver dance scene, while sharing and expanding her Latin American artistic perspective

TESTIMONIALS

“I think the scholarship program is a great opportunity to go after if you’re wanting to train consistently, get to know people in the community, and want to learn about different approaches to contemporary dance. I think it’s especially excellent if you yourself are not quite sure how to approach your personal practice since you’ll be able to try on so many and see the nuances in how people build their approach.” — Anna Wang-Albini, Spring 2024 Scholarship Recipient

“I am very grateful for this opportunity to train regularly and meet amazing artists through this program. This program provided me with the consistency I desired while I transition into being a freelance dancer and consider what training is beneficial for me now.” — Kaya Tsurumi, Winter 2024 Scholarship Recipient

“The TSV is a safe and welcoming environment to train, explore, and discover movement and the Vancouver dance company” — Renata Monteón, Spring 2024 Scholarship Recipient

“The TSV scholarship program was great! It was exciting to try on a new class every week and have the space to work on my interests. The community is very supportive and there were lots of opportunities to connect and grow relationships. I really enjoyed this opportunity and can’t wait to take classes with TSV soon!” — Nicole Pavia, Fall 2023 Scholarship Recipient

“This was one of the most memorable and supportive experiences I’ve encountered! This scholarship program truly encouraged and created time for self-directed practicing and learning. I appreciate the enthusiasm, care, and passion from this organization and their ability to continue fostering the growth of artists within the dance community.” — Kaili Che, Winter 2023 Scholarship Recipient

“As a recent graduate Modus Operandi, the TSV Scholarship program gave me the privilege to keep learning and has helped me with transitioning from a student to a professional dance artist. It gave me a wonderful way to engage myself with new artistic and physical practices while also connecting with members of the dance community from all over the world. I had a great experience working with the TSV team and can't wait to keep taking class.” — Brianne Chan, Winter 2023 Scholarship Recipient

“Highly recommend this program! It was a great way to meet new people and build connections in the community. The variety instructors was very beneficial to my training in finding different approaches to movement. Would do it all over again if I could!” — Oksana Augustine, Fall 2022 Scholarship Recipient

“I've never experienced such diversity in dance. Through the different styles and teachers I got to explore my body in new ways, but also my mentality concerning movement in general.” — Dror Manuel Zipori, Fall 2022 Scholarship Recipient