Assistant Choreographer Opportunity

Company Overview

The Arts Club Theatre Company, founded in 1964, is one of Canada’s largest not-for-profit year-round theatre companies. Led by Artistic Director Ashlie Corcoran and Executive Director Peter Cathie White, it offers professional theatre at three venues—the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, Granville Island Stage, and Newmont Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre, all situated on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xmθkym (Musqueam), Swxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Selílwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

Job Description

The Arts Club is currently looking to hire the position of Assistant Choreographer for our upcoming production of Guys & Dolls, which will be performed at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage spring/summer 2024. The creative team includes Ashlie Corcoran (director), Shelley Stewart Hunt (choreographer), Ken Cormier (Music Director). 

This position is fully funded by the Denis Simpson Fund – an endowment started in 2020 that supports equality, diversity, and inclusion at the Arts Club. Each summer, we undertake a fundraising campaign that contributes directly to the growth of this fund, ensuring future opportunities for emerging artists.  This endowment, which funds ongoing apprenticeships, internships, and much more, supports the continued decolonization of our institution. For more information on the Fund, please visit https://artsclub.com/artistic-programs/denis-simpson-fund

The Assistant Choreographer will be paid an honorarium of $5,000, which encompasses an expected total work time of approx. 220 hours over the total engagement (TBD between the Choreographer and selected candidate). The Assistant Choreographer will contribute to the process during pre-production, prep week, rehearsals, production meetings, tech, and preview week, and understudy rehearsals. They will learn from and work alongside the Choreographer. Opportunities may include: working on prep, creating, teaching & cleaning choreography, working with designers, actors, and stage management to execute the overall artistic vision of the piece.  

The goal of this internship is to invite emerging artists into our spaces, and to give them a chance to learn from industry professionals while on the job, while we also learn from them. We strongly encourage applications from communities that experience marginalization and underrepresentation, and those who are new to the Arts Club or who haven’t had the chance to ‘get in the room’ before. Prior assistant experience is an asset, but not a requirement.

Engagement Dates (subject to change):

SM Prep Week: Thursday, April 11, 2024

Rehearsal Starts: Thursday, April 18, 2024

Tech: Thursday, May 9, 2024

Dress: Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Preview: Thursday, May 16, 2024

Opening: Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Closing: Sunday, June 30, 2024

Potential Holdover Until: Sunday, July 14, 2024

*The Assistant Choreographer will be engaged until the Understudy Run on Sunday, May 26.