Join us for an exceptional party as Just Dance will be celebrating:
30 seasons... 700+ events... 30,000+ tracks played... 65,000+ dancers... thousands and thousands of dollars donated to local charities!
This will be a blast of an evening as we welcome 24 ARTISTS including Perspectiv, Batucada Abrace, Kirtan Vancouver, JD co-resident DJs Abheeru & Raghunath Khe and VJ Kashub! Plus $1,200 in prizes, our Chai Bar, huge celebratory cake, lavish decorations,... All in an extended 5+ hour event!!
Just Dance started with Abheeru's desire to create small dance evenings where he and his friends could dance freely. No one could have predicted that over the next 30 years, it would have grown into an amazing dance event; a place for music, community, expression, gifting (JD is nonprofit and has been donating its proceeds) and of course... dancing!
The evening will feature:
PERSPECTIV is the dynamic duo of Shamil & Jason, originally hailing from Moçambique. Well-known for stellar performances both locally and around the globe, they weave their multicultural backgrounds into a story that takes audiences traveling through the diverse sounds of the world without leaving the dancefloor.
Navigating through frequencies that merge organic instruments with deep electronic elements, they skillfully infuse funky rhythms that span from Latin America to their mother continent of Africa. Perspectiv reveals a wild passion for transcending the boundaries of different genres, all the while keeping the sweet vibe high!
Beyond their renowned DJ sets, Perspectiv has also produced a copious amount of music that has been released on several recording labels. Additionally, they have created a flourishing dance event brand; Crossing Worlds.
BATUCADA ABRACE a collective of 15 Brazilian drummers, musicians and singers! Batucada's gatherings are dynamic events that weave joy and musical expressions with infectious drums and voices that resonate powerfully and move dancers to a frenzy! Their performances are interactive as audiences are moved to dance, sing along and even to play with them.
They use the universal language of rhythm to forge connections that transcend cultures. Their music celebrates and amplifies a message of joy that extends beyond art as drumming is not just about rhythm; it’s about community, memory, and the power of collective sound.
KIRTAN VANCOUVER & RISING SUN. Following the optional early active meditation and before the dance, 4 members of two kirtan collectives will offer us a chanting experience. A kirtan is a musical form of sacred mantras chanting accompanied by instruments with optional audience participation that can open the heart and evoke feelings of compassion, joy and inner peace.
(more info in the Detailed Bios below)
See you on the dance floor!
The Just Dance Team
PS please consider supporting JD and sharing this event with your friends and community
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7:30 :: Optional Active Meditation
8:35 :: Kirtan Vancouver
9:10 :: DJ Abheeru
10:00 :: Celebratory Cake + $800 in prizes
10:10 :: Batucada Abrace
11:10 :: Perspectiv
12:10 :: DJ Raghunath Khe
1:00 :: Closing
Cost: $30 cash at the door (low income $20)
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** DETAILED BIOS **
PERSPECTIV
Childhood friends Shamil & Jason from Moçambique are the spirited DJ and producer duo Perspectiv. They’ve become known for electrifying dancefloors with a rich blend of afro-house and organic grooves. Founders of the Crossing Worlds events brand, they are storytellers of sound, drawing deep inspiration from their multicultural heritage.
Founders of Crossing Worlds, and Rewire open-air events, they also have their own music releases on labels such as 3000 Grad, Cafe De Anatolia, Lump, and Inward. They are familiar performers at events such as Hausparty, Leave Us Lost, and Harem, in addition to international festivals.
The duo’s name, Perspectiv, reflects their passion for shifting viewpoints through music—inviting listeners to experience the world from new angles with every beat. Their sets and productions weave vibrant sonic landscapes that journey from the rhythms of Latin America to the ancestral echoes of Africa, always driven by a mission to connect hearts and minds through a shared, universal pulse.
BATUCADA ABRACE
Their story is deeply connected to the Abrace collective, a group of Brazilian immigrants. From those roots, they formed a musical collective that features the passion of Brazilian rhythms and an enthusiasm for building stronger communities.
Trough their music, Batucada shares joy intertwine with the beats of their drums. Their rich cultural heritage continuously shapes their music as each rhythm carries the stories of our past. Through drumming, those are kept alive in movement and sound.
They have performed at many cultural events, including Carnaval del Sol, Santi’s Love & Country County Fair, The Parade of Lost Souls, Vancouver Latin American Film Festival Fuego/Fuego closing event, Vancouver Pride, just to name a few.
KIRTAN VANCOUVER & RISING SUN
Kirtan Vancouver is a non-profit organization created as an initiative to meet and chant together. Since 2010, they have grown a whole community of people who meet regularly for different types of Kirtan events. Kirtan Vancouver has collaborated with Kirtan friends from major cities around the world such as London, Moscow, Brisbane, Dubai, Sydney and many others in order to create a consistent experience for travellers wanting to be part of this global family.
ABHEERU
Originally from Quebec City, Abheeru discovered World Music firsthand during his many travels to over 45 countries. After settling in Vancouver, he was inspired by the community and environment, and created Just Dance.
Since then, he has cultivated a profound and rapturous relationship to Global Fusion music, DJing, community service and dancing. He has organized, promoted and DJed more than 700 events for over 65,000 dancers, all in the spirit of service as he has always wanted for JD to donate all of its proceeds to local charities and nonprofit groups. Despite many changes and challenges over the last three decades, he continues to inspire and promote new ideas and musical concepts to the Vancouver dance community.
As a DJ, Abheeru is known for tapping into an extensive palette of genres and styles from far-reaching locations around the world. His main passion is to infuse and mix a wide-range of musical organic elements and instruments from many diverse cultures and to blend those with delectable modern dance beats. The results are exquisitely creative dance sets that will keep your dancing soul and shoes happy.
RAGHUNATH KHE
Raghunath Khe has been an intrinsic part of the evolving conscious dance culture for more than 25 years. An innovative composer, producer, and DJ, they are interested in the transformational properties of music, movement, bhajan, and community. They have previously released four albums under the moniker Haitchc, and have composed multiple original film scores.
Raghunath is a formal brahmana initiate within the brahma-madhva-gaudiya sampradaya lineage, having spent several uninterrupted years as a monk studying and serving in temples both in Canada and India. They belong to the sodalities of bhakti, tantra, and ashtanga, and through familial succession, draoidh healing practice.
Regularly performing, teaching, and orchestrating events, they are affiliated with Full Moon Medicine, Back Beyond, Waxing Moon, and Intention Gathering, and are a co-resident dj and organizer at Vancouver's long-running Just Dance night. In addition, Raghunath contributes musically and otherwise to various festivals and gatherings locally and internationally. A long-time radio presence, they are currently the host and producer of Mantra Radio on CiTR 101.9fm in Vancouver.
KASHUB
Kashub's name stems from the tribe of his ancestry situated along what is now the Baltic Coast of Poland. The tribe, now dispersed and displaced, lived peacefully isolated amidst sand dunes and swamps along the Baltic since before the dawn of the State of the Teutonic Order some 800 years ago. VJ Kashub brings powerful visual projections to induce a spiritual scene so as to reacquaint long lost souls of his ancestry onto our dance floor.
ABOUT JUST DANCE
Just Dance is a positive party community event. It offers a unique opportunity to dance to an eclectic selection of music from around the world. Held the first and third Friday of each month, Just Dance can be described as a refreshing alternative to the bar and club scene. It is a alcohol and drug free place where you are free to be yourself, connect with a vibrant community and Just Dance!
Learn more on our website: www.justdance.ca
Also check out other Entertainment events in Vancouver, Nonprofit events in Vancouver, Arts events in Vancouver.
