Grace MacDonald

Grace Macdonald is remembered as a dance teacher, choreographer and an inspiration to young performers in Vancouver. She holds a special place in the history of musical theatre in this city with her contributions to many theatre companies.  She also choreographed intricate dance routines for the B.C. Lions Cheerleaders. She taught and encourage students who went on to have successful careers in dance, theatre, television and movies.  Grace was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  At the age of 12, she studied dance in Chicago and New York.  She then moved to British Columbia at the age of 14.  Dance Educators of America and the National Association of Dance Artists asked Grace, the only Canadian to be hired, to join their faculties for summer conventions. She would travel to New York, Boston, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago meeting many well-known teachers whom she would invite to guest teach in her Vancouver school.  She also worked with numerous well known artists as a choreographer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. She choreographed for the Vancouver Opera Association for a number of productions and was best known for her tireless work and dedication to MUSSOC (The Musical Society of the University of British Columbia).  A number of theatre awards dedicated to Grace MacDonald have been created in the Province as well as a documentary film entitled “Tap That”.