Curriculum Vitae

Rachel Helten is a dance artist, choreographer, and teacher currently based on the unceded indigenous land belonging to the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō (Stolo), and Səl̓ílwəta/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. (Vancouver, B.C.). In 2016, she completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance at Simon Fraser University. The cornerstones of Rachel Helten's creative practice are found in deep listening, collaboration, interdisciplinary methods and unearthing the stories that live within our bodies. Her work is often charged with a curiosity of how we interact and respond to our real and imagined worlds and how vulnerable states can transform and liberate us.

In like manner, Rachel has been blessed to be a part of processes that nurture these fascinations with a vast array of artists. In her experience as a student, she has worked with Judith Garay, Rob Kitsos, Dorotea Saykaly, Vanessa Goodman, Heather Myers, Gioconda Barbuto, Emmalena Fredriksson, Peter Bingham, Sarah Chase, and Crystal Pite. Her select credits as an independent artist are working with Desirée Dunbar, Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg, The Plastic Orchid Factory, The East Vancouver Opera, Voirelia: Psychology, Philosophy and Dance Hub, Kinesis, Chaos Emblematic and Okams Racer. Her work has been presented at Goldcorp Centre for The Arts, Frederic Wood Theatre at UBC with Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg, Moberly Arts & Cultural Centre with Dezza Dance, Aberthau with Dezza Dance, The Dance Centre with Voirelia and 12 Minutes Max, The Cultch with Alley Theatre and 45 W where she co-produced a fundraiser for The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.

Rachel’s intention to aid in the emancipation and healing of herself and others has intimately transformed her artistic practice and has led her to various corners of the earth. Rachel gleaned insight from teaching dance at an art therapy centre in Quito, Ecuador. In addition, she has trained in Florence, Italy; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cascais, Portugal, and Brooklyn, USA. She is currently collaborating with and a member of Berlin based arts collective CHAOS EMBLEMATIC under the direction of Britt Angus and Vancouver based arts collective Okams Racer under the direction of Ana Sosa. Rachel looks forward to continuing to breathe life into the seed of creation within her and to honour our interconnectedness, and the poetry of nature through her work.

"My desire to liberate myself and others fuels my artistic practice. I am a dance artist, choreographer, teacher and interdisciplinary creator. My process often incorporates found text, poetry, personal reflections, movement generation in the wilderness, voice, gestural  and highly physical movement, intimacy and a great deal of play. I have an eagerness to establish meaningful connections with my collaborators, audiences and students in the pursuit of, facilitating presence, vulnerability and catharsis. While supporting safe spaces to analyze what exists in our universal consciousness. Through deep listening I hope to honour the voices of each collaborator. While utilizing the power of movement and conception as a path towards releasing generational, cultural and societal programming. Through interdisciplinary methods and contact with nature I intend to unearth and explore the stories that live within our bodies."

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Upcoming projects. 

Post-Truth, Okams Racer 
April 29th + 30th Presented by Dance West Network 

Sirens, Chaos Emblematic Residency 
Spring / Summer 2023 

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Learn more. 

To learn more about Rachel's work as a healing facilitator and mentor.
Visit the following sites: 
ZENDEN 
WAVES WITHIN | Coming Soon