Artistic Director

Yvonne Chartrand is a contemporary choreographer and dancer as well as a national award-winning master Métis jigger. Her ancestors come from the Michif (Métis) settlement of St. Laurent, Manitoba. She is the Artistic Director of V’ni Dansi, whose name translates as “Come and Dance” in Michif. Dancers perform traditional Métis dance under the name - the Louis Riel Métis Dancers and contemporary works as V'ni Dansi. The company is dedicated to sharing the stories and culture of the Métis for Indigenous and audiences of all nations. Yvonne received the 2011 Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award from the Canada Council for the Arts. Yvonne's most recent creation "Eagle Spirit" premiered in Vancouver in November 2016. 

General Manager

Amy Wertz has over 15 years administrative experience. Originally from Regina, Saskatchewan and of Saulteaux-Cree-Scottish decent, Amy has worked with V'ni Dansi for 6 years and before that as General Manager of dance-presentation-company, New Dance Horizons Inc. Amy graduated with a Masters degree in English literature in 2007 having written her thesis on representations of the body as sacred space in the poetry of Métis poet, Gregory Scofield. Amy is thrilled to work with V’ni Dansi and to support Yvonne’s artistic vision.

Event Coordinator/Artistic Associate

Eloi Homier is a dancer and versatile artist who has performed across Canada and the United States, with companies and choreographers including Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, Ballet Kelowna, Judith Garay, Henry Daniel, and Roxey Ballet. Specializing in improvisation, he has recently started to explore choreography, presenting his first work 3 ways to kill a dancer which mixed all of the different elements of his dance background. Eloi joined the Louis Riel Métis Dancers to learn the jig, reconnecting with his roots, and has been performing in numerous events with Compaigni V'ni Dansi since the summer of 2012.