DJD celebrates 40 years with live music, legacy, and a tribute to a blues legend

What does it mean to mark 40 years in dance? For Calgary’s Decidedly Jazz Danceworks (DJD), it means returning to the roots — and the rhythm — that built the company in the first place.

Reminiscing in Tempo, running April 24 to May 11 at the DJD Dance Centre, is a retrospective of some of the company’s most beloved works — and a full-bodied celebration of four decades of jazz, memory, and movement.

“It’s our 40th anniversary, which is kind of miraculous for an arts organization,” says artistic director Kimberley Cooper. “I wanted to create something that felt personal — that looked back at some of the pieces that meant the most to us.”

The show includes choreography from DJD’s founding artists: Vicki Adams Willis, Hannah Stilwell, and Michèle Moss — alongside work by longtime collaborators Jamie Freeman Cormack and Sarisa Figueroa de Toledo. Cooper has also woven in new connective material of her own to create a full arc.

But one of the most powerful moments in the show doesn’t come from a dancer — it comes from a voice.

A legend remembered

In the early 1990s, DJD was preparing a new show in collaboration with American blues singer Clarence “Big” Miller — one of the last Kansas City blues shouters, who had settled in Edmonton after a winding career that took him across North America.

Big was set to sing, narrate, and become the centrepiece of the performance.

Then, just nine days before opening night, he died.

“It was devastating,” Cooper says. “But the work had to go on — and it became something else entirely.”

Instead of shelving the show, DJD founder Vicki Adams Willis and musical director Sean McAnally dug into CBC archives and salvaged every recording they could find. With only rough rehearsal demos to work from, they rebuilt the piece as a tribute — one that still lives in DJD’s repertoire.

In Reminiscing in Tempo, that tribute comes back — with Big’s voice pulled from a rehearsal take, isolated through modern sound technology, and layered over live music from a band that plays alongside him in real time.

“It’s not polished — it’s Big hearing the music for the first time,” Cooper explains. “But he still sounds like a champ. It gives the moment this otherworldly feeling.”

Three of the blues numbers in the suite use original recordings; one features just Big’s voice; another allows the live band to shine. It’s a testament to the company’s respect for their history — and their ingenuity in keeping it alive.

A dancer’s eye view

This anniversary isn’t Cooper’s first with DJD — it’s her 40th too. She’s grown from company dancer to choreographer to artistic director, and Reminiscing in Tempo reflects that journey.

“Some of these pieces were my favourites to dance,” she says. “They’re not just crowd favourites — they’re the ones that felt amazing from the inside out.”

The selection is also practical. Without a current in-house singer, some vocal-heavy shows couldn’t be remounted. But the chosen repertoire includes everything from blues and spoken word to contemporary jazz suites and even a comedic piece for five women — Sophisticated Ladies, choreographed by Adams Willis in 1986 to the music of Duke Ellington.

“It’s funny, it’s fierce, and it’s one of my favourite things to watch come alive again,” says Cooper.

Adams Willis — now DJD’s founder-in-residence — has been closely involved in remounting that piece. At 75, she still teaches weekly improvisation classes, works with the company’s professional training program, and even leads a dance program for people with Parkinson’s.

“Vicki is a master teacher and a master choreographer,” Cooper says. “It’s a gift to have her in the room, especially for this.”

Jazz, then and now

Live music has always been at the core of DJD’s identity. This show is no exception, with a full band led by longtime DJD collaborator Kristian Alexandrov on keys and percussion — marking his 17th show with the company.

“The music stretches in all directions — blues, Ellington, everything in between,” Cooper says. “And the dancers are in top form. It’s energetic, it’s explosive, it’s deeply nuanced.”

For those who’ve followed DJD from its earliest days, Reminiscing in Tempo will feel like a reunion. For new audiences, it’s a vibrant introduction to one of Canada’s most distinctive dance voices.

“It’s a jazz history lesson. A DJD history lesson. And a reminder that dance can tell stories that stick with you,” Cooper says.

Reminiscing in Tempo runs April 24–May 11 at the DJD Dance Centre.

Tickets and info can be found at at decidedlyjazz.com