Rianne Švelnis (she/they)

Facilitator

Rianne Svelnis is a queer dance artist and settler of European descent living on stolen + occupied Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil- Waututh), and xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) territories.

Rianne dances to attend to the moment, to access pleasure and to co-create community bonds. She is currently co-facilitating All Bodies community dance classes at Carnegie Community Centre in the Downtown Eastside.

Before starting her path in dance, Rianne worked in support, advocacy and organizing in the DTES and in Theatre of the Oppressed/Theatre for Living. Since graduating from Modus Operandi Contemporary Dance Program in 2016, Rianne has continued technical training with Peter Bingham, Helen Walkley, Justine Chambers, Emmalena Fredriksson and at La Cantera studio in Mexico City. She has danced in works by Justine Chambers, MACHiNENOiSY, Emmalena Fredriksson, Sasha Kleinplatz, Daisy Thompson, Olivia Davies and Naomi Brand, among others. Rianne has also presented her own choreographic work in collaboration with All Bodies Dance, Zahra Shahab, Kelly McInnes and Areli Moran (Mexico) and Andrea Cownden with Layla Marcelle.

Photo credit: K Ho A portrait of Rianne (she/they), a white person with a warm skin tone, brown eyes, and long dark brown hair in a braid draped over their shoulder. Rianne is wearing a white sports shirt with dark blue accents, small gold hoop earrings, and is looking intently at the camera with an expression of contemplation.