the response. aims to tell stories and spark people’s imaginations. It is a reaction: to what we see, feel and hear...

Dedicated to pushing the physical and emotional boundaries of dance, the response. (AKA The Response Dance Society) is a Vancouver-based contemporary dance company founded in 2008 by Amber Funk Barton, an emerging choreographer with a reputation for athletic hybrid movement.

The inspiration for the response. lies in the ability of the human body, its capacity and its physical potential and its emotional make-up. To explore this, the response. challenges the form of contemporary technique with the energy and dynamic of an urban aesthetic. Its performances are marked by a unique vulnerability and sensitivity, but are concerned with bridging the gap between art and entertainment.

As a non-ensemble company, the response. works project-to-project with recurring collaborators that shift for each unique creation.

Relationship with New Works
the response.’s Artistic Director, Amber Funk Barton, and New Works’ Executive Director, Joyce Rosario, are contemporaries in Vancouver’s arts scene. They are both mentorship progeny of New Works’ founder and the two first met in 2003 during the Vancouver Dance Platform in Zagreb, Croatia. Back then, Amber had plans of starting her own company, which came to fruition in 2008. Joyce has supported Amber’s work as an independent manager and is thrilled to continue the relationship under the auspices of New Works.