Just Dance! About

In May 1993, a dance lover freshly relocated from Quebec was feeling his disillusionment with the downtown club scene and decided that it was time to take a positive action. Envisioning an alternative to the overcrowded, well-behaved, “meat market” atmosphere prevalent in most clubs, Abheeru was inspired to create Just Dance. His vision was to offer an innovative dance event with music from around the world in a smoke and alcohol free environment. He also wanted Just Dance to be a non-profit event that would donate its proceeds to local charities. At the time, Abheeru had no background in dj-ing or organizing events but took the plunge anyway. He joyfully began reinventing himself and learned all the skills needed to perform the tasks that would support Just Dance for the years to come. And so, Just Dance was born.

Kushad, a like-minded spirit, later joined him in this adventure by offering support in the many tasks involved. A year later with fear and excitement, he began dj-ing the first hour of, what was then, a monthly dance. Soon he built up confidence and his own distinct style. This led to the creation of a second monthly dance, which at the time was called Just Dance World Rhythms. Kushad also had his own distinct way of being which brought a perfect complement to Abheeru. These two friends had enough in common to harmoniously run this event; while also offering something bigger than what they could have created individually.

We then found our first long term venue; the Odd Fellows Hall. There, Just Dance quickly grew in numbers and became a well-known and established event. The next five years were full of memorable moments. We had several live performances by very happening bands, unique theme nights, some of our biggest crowds, our fifth anniversary party, and plenty of juicy, wild, expressive dancing. Then, with three days notice to an upcoming dance, the hall’s new management informed us they did not want any more dances in their hall…

The next few days and well into the next year saw us scrambling to keep our dance going. We hopped from halls to halls, none of which served us very well. It was a chaotic time that dispersed our regular attendees and the magical energy that had been created.

Year seven began in our current locale, the Russian Community Hall. Thrilled with our new venue and its location in the heart of Kitsilano, we resolved to bring Just Dance back to its juicier self. But it turned out to be easier said than done. The following years were somewhat of a puzzle to us. We were in a see-saw ride that saw crowds and energy shifting back and forth from being large and happening to scarce and all too quiet. Our feelings for the dance also shifted from being totally excited to at times, contemplating letting it go.

Then came a turning point: our upcoming Ten Year Anniversary. Abheeru saw in this landmark the opportunity to bring Just Dance to the next level. Months in the making, and supported by a new team of fabulous volunteers, he spearheaded many behind-the-scene changes (a new elist, press kit, articles, website…) while envisioning a huge celebration (big prizes, hall lights, the most amazing cake, special guests…). While it was a great opportunity to celebrate ten years of dancing and community building, it was also an occasion worth sharing with the Vancouver community. The success of that BIG night was way beyond any of our wildest dream. We printed an optimistic 180 tickets for a crowd that turned out to be over 350 people! This allowed us to make a large donation of our proceeds to KindActs, a great local charity. The whole night was a fabulous and wonderful success for which we will gratefully be keeping precious memories.

In the years following that big splash, Just Dance has kept changing and evolving. We have upgraded all our sound and DJ equipment, a big step for us as we long wanted to offer a better sound to our dancers. Also, after months of dreaming, meeting and planning, Abheeru and a new team from different dance communities have launched the new monthly Just Dance Journeys. While Journeys builds on the regular Just Dance format, it expands it by providing a more intentional space for the dancer to connect with spirit, prayer and Journeying.

At the end of year thirteen, Kushad took a bow and decided to move on to a different life on Pender Island. We will miss him and his big heartful and joyful presence as well as his passion for a wide variety of ethnic music that kept the crowds hopping. His dedication to creating warm and connected communities (through his work as a group leader or as a DJ) have contributed tremendously to Just Dance over the thirteen he was with us. A BIG Thank You from all of us, best of luck and be sure to come and visit often!

So here we are on year fourteen and still enjoying bringing magical moments to the dance floor by offering a broad range of grooves from around the world to our great crowd of dancers. Just Dance keeps expanding its presence in the Vancouver community in ways that have touched many lives, opened many hearts and polished many dancing shoes…


September 10 First dance of the season