Caulfield School of Dance is thrilled to announce that Amber Funk Barton will be teaching the Contemporary component of our Ballet and Contemporary Dance Half Day Training, starting September 2017.
Amber Funk Barton is well known as one of Vancouver’s most dynamic performers. She has worked with most of Vancouver’s most popular and respected contemporary dance companies, and she is also the artistic director of her own company, the response. Amber’s work has been presented in various venues in Vancouver, across Canada, and internationally at the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff, Wales, and the NW New Works Festival in Seattle, WA. She is also in demand as a teacher who is as technically demanding as she is warm and encouraging.
Born and raised in Vancouver, Amber trained with Goh Ballet Academy, Arts Umbrella, The Banff Centre Dance Training, and Ballet British Columbia’s Mentor Program. Upon completion of her training, she established herself as a professional dance artist in Vancouver and has danced for various companies and choreographers, including: Joe Laughlin (Joe INK), Gail Lotenberg (LINK dance), Judith Marcuse (Judith Marcuse Projects), Lola MacLaughlin (Lola Dance), Martha Carter (Marta Marta Productions), Jennifer Mascall (Mascall Dance), Day Helesic (MovEnt), Lee Su-Feh (battery opera), Karen Jamieson (Karen Jamieson) Dance Company), Josh Beamish (MOVE: the company), Dana Gingras (Animals of Distinction), Ruckus Company Productions, Adam Shankman, Mark Godden, Marla Eist, Jennifer Clarke, Emily Molnar, Wen Wei Wang, Cori Caulfield, Lina Fitzner, and Heather Laura Gray. She has also been featured as a guest artist with 605 Collective/Company 605.
Amber has been a guest teacher for Drive Dance Centre’s Scholarship Program, Harbour Dance, iNDUSTRY Dance Training Program, the Training Society of Vancouver (Working Class), Arts Umbrella, Victoria Academy of Dance, The Landing Dance Centre, Richmond Academy of Dance, and Avant Dance Company. She was also a mentor for The Cultch’s IGNITE! Youth Mentorship Program in dance from 2012-2014. Amber has been invited to set works for the students of Dancestreams, Modus Operandi, Arts Umbrella, Pro Arte Dance, The Landing Dance Centre, Simon Fraser University’s School of Contemporary Arts, and Coastal City Ballet.
In 2005, Amber was named the inaugural recipient of the Iris Garland Emerging Choreographer Award. Recently, Amber had the immense privilege of collaborating with Director Mindy Parfitt and the theatre company Horseshoes & Hand Grenades to choreograph the Jessie Award winning production of “This Stays in the Room”. In 2017 Amber and Mindy premiered a collaborative theatre production called “am a” which was also nominated for a Jesse Award and presented by The Cultch.
We are so excited to have Amber Funk Barton instructing the Contemporary component of the Caulfield School of Dance Ballet and Contemporary Dance Half Day Training program, and to have the connection to her company the response with its vibrant apprentice program.
Welcome Ms. Amber!