ON SECOND THOUGHT is a vibrant ensemble dance work by choreographer Bret Easterling that invites audiences inside the creative process. Playful, athletic, and brimming with queer joy, the piece asks a simple but radical question: What might happen if we chose our second thought instead of our first instinct? As dancers pause, reconsider, and move from that impulse, surprising and inventive choreography unfolds in real time, creating a spontaneous and unrepeatable performance that feels alive, collaborative, and full of possibility.

The presentation is the second of two performances in the First Looks series, culminating this summer’s Dance Production Residency. After three weeks of development, experimentation, and technical fine-tuning, a pair of unique pieces will meet audiences, capping off the participants’ creative journey.

It’s a rare chance to see the next great dance show before they hit international stages—don't miss yours.

See the other piece in Dance: Waihona Kino (Body Archive)

Dance is generously supported by the Alice and Betty Schultz Scholarships Endowment Fund for Dance and Music and the Arnold Spohr Distinguished Guest Artist Endowment for Dance.

Have you heard this one? A group of opera singers, a pianist, and an eager audience walk into a bar. Everyone has a great time.

Your favourite arias and ensembles are on tap at this casual, wild night, featuring performances from this year’s participants in Summer Opera, a program that offers skill-building and practical experience for singers, composers, conductors, and more.

As in past years, Opera Pub will inject the Banff Legion with a lively, cabaret-style atmosphere—not to mention unforgettable high notes. It’s the perfect introduction for newcomers, and a refreshing new take for opera vets who want something a little different.

Have you heard this one? A group of opera singers, a pianist, and an eager audience walk into a bar. Everyone has a great time.

Your favourite arias and ensembles are on tap at this casual, wild night, featuring performances from this year’s participants in Summer Opera, a program that offers skill-building and practical experience for singers, composers, conductors, and more.

As in past years, Opera Pub will inject the Banff Legion with a lively, cabaret-style atmosphere—not to mention unforgettable high notes. It’s the perfect introduction for newcomers, and a refreshing new take for opera vets who want something a little different.

Presented in collaboration with Toronto’s Tapestry Opera—the country's leading producer of new opera—this dazzling contemporary opera tangos with the ethics of A.I.

Inspired by Karel Čapek’s 1920’s science-fiction play Rossum’s Universal Robots, which introduced the word “robot” to the English language, R.U.R. A Torrent of Light offers a look into the near future, where humanoid bots start to prioritize their own learning over their creators’ instructions. Tech mogul inventors Helena and Dom soon realize they’ve reached a turning point in the A.I. tech race. But is humanity ready?

With compositions by the highly innovative JUNO-nominated Nicole Lizée and a libretto by award-winning writer Nicolas Billon, the opera made its Dora Award-winning world premiere at Tapestry Opera in 2022. It was the first Canadian work to win the best new opera award from the Music Critics Association of North America. Four years since its world premiere, this workshop presents updates to the piece’s A.I. language, incorporates motion capture, and new sections of movement and choreography.

With its daring, electronic-infused score and its complex reflections on the risks of A.I., R.U.R. A Torrent of Light couldn’t be timelier.

Opera is generously supported by the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund and the Maria Francisca Josepha Brouwer Scholarship Fund for Dutch Artists.

After each Jazz & Sonic Arts concert, follow the artists to CLVB ’33 for a free, informal jam.

These chill, spontaneity-filled evenings are structured like jazz itself: nothing is planned, and improvisation is king. It’s a casual, late-night atmosphere that fosters creativity and collaboration in the moment. Grab a drink, strike up a chat, and enjoy some freewheeling tunes.

The two-and-a-half-week Jazz & Sonic Arts residency is an innovative artistic development opportunity for jazz and sound musicians. The program encourages participants to engage with sound in innovative ways, using improvisation, experimentation, and technology to expand the sonic possibilities of music. 

Please note that performing is limited to Jazz & Sonic Arts 2026 program participants.

Music is generously supported by the Alice and Betty Schultz Scholarships Endowment Fund for Dance and Music, the Maria Francisca Josepha Brouwer Scholarship Fund for Dutch Artists, and the Yolande Freeze Master Artists in Music Fund.

After each Jazz & Sonic Arts concert, follow the artists to CLVB ’33 for a free, informal jam.

These chill, spontaneity-filled evenings are structured like jazz itself: nothing is planned, and improvisation is king. It’s a casual, late-night atmosphere that fosters creativity and collaboration in the moment. Grab a drink, strike up a chat, and enjoy some freewheeling tunes.

The two-and-a-half-week Jazz & Sonic Arts residency is an innovative artistic development opportunity for jazz and sound musicians. The program encourages participants to engage with sound in innovative ways, using improvisation, experimentation, and technology to expand the sonic possibilities of music. 

Please note that performing is limited to Jazz & Sonic Arts 2026 program participants.

Music is generously supported by the Alice and Betty Schultz Scholarships Endowment Fund for Dance and Music, the Maria Francisca Josepha Brouwer Scholarship Fund for Dutch Artists, and the Yolande Freeze Master Artists in Music Fund.

After each Jazz & Sonic Arts concert, follow the artists to CLVB ’33 for a free, informal jam.

These chill, spontaneity-filled evenings are structured like jazz itself: nothing is planned, and improvisation is king. It’s a casual, late-night atmosphere that fosters creativity and collaboration in the moment. Grab a drink, strike up a chat, and enjoy some freewheeling tunes.

The two-and-a-half-week Jazz & Sonic Arts residency is an innovative artistic development opportunity for jazz and sound musicians. The program encourages participants to engage with sound in innovative ways, using improvisation, experimentation, and technology to expand the sonic possibilities of music. 

Please note that performing is limited to Jazz & Sonic Arts 2026 program participants.

Music is generously supported by the Alice and Betty Schultz Scholarships Endowment Fund for Dance and Music, the Maria Francisca Josepha Brouwer Scholarship Fund for Dutch Artists, and the Yolande Freeze Master Artists in Music Fund.

After each Jazz & Sonic Arts concert, follow the artists to CLVB ’33 for a free, informal jam.

These chill, spontaneity-filled evenings are structured like jazz itself: nothing is planned, and improvisation is king. It’s a casual, late-night atmosphere that fosters creativity and collaboration in the moment. Grab a drink, strike up a chat, and enjoy some freewheeling tunes.

The two-and-a-half-week Jazz & Sonic Arts residency is an innovative artistic development opportunity for jazz and sound musicians. The program encourages participants to engage with sound in innovative ways, using improvisation, experimentation, and technology to expand the sonic possibilities of music.

Please note that performing is limited to Jazz & Sonic Arts 2026 program participants.

Music is generously supported by the Alice and Betty Schultz Scholarships Endowment Fund for Dance and Music, the Maria Francisca Josepha Brouwer Scholarship Fund for Dutch Artists, and the Yolande Freeze Master Artists in Music Fund.

After each Jazz & Sonic Arts concert, follow the artists to CLVB ’33 for a free, informal jam.

These chill, spontaneity-filled evenings are structured like jazz itself: nothing is planned, and improvisation is king. It’s a casual, late-night atmosphere that fosters creativity and collaboration in the moment. Grab a drink, strike up a chat, and enjoy some freewheeling tunes.

The two-and-a-half-week Jazz & Sonic Arts residency is an innovative artistic development opportunity for jazz and sound musicians. The program encourages participants to engage with sound in innovative ways, using improvisation, experimentation, and technology to expand the sonic possibilities of music.

Please note that performing is limited to Jazz & Sonic Arts 2026 program participants.

Music is generously supported by the Alice and Betty Schultz Scholarships Endowment Fund for Dance and Music, the Maria Francisca Josepha Brouwer Scholarship Fund for Dutch Artists, and the Yolande Freeze Master Artists in Music Fund.

Participants and faculty from this year’s Chamber Music residency perform intimate concerts celebrating the future of chamber music.  

Experience these blended faculty and participant concerts in two remarkable venues: the Rolston Recital Hall on campus, and St. George’s Anglican Church in town.

This two-week collaborative residency is aimed at classically trained musicians and composers committed to chamber music. With the guidance of world-class faculty, participants explore the rich history and contemporary evolution of chamber music, from classical compositions to bold new works, including pieces created in collaboration with participant composers.

Faculty includes the Parker Quartet (strings), Joel Brennan (trumpet), Lee Allen (trombone), Dai Fujikura (composer), Andrew Johnson (percussion), Nicolas Baldeyrou (clarinet), Olivier Doise (oboe), and Allie Su (piano).

Music is generously supported by the Alice and Betty Schultz Scholarships Endowment Fund for Dance and Music, the Maria Francisca Josepha Brouwer Scholarship Fund for Dutch Artists, and the Yolande Freeze Master Artists in Music Fund.