DJD Founder in Residence, Vicki Adams Willis, has been appointed to the Order of Canada

We are thrilled to share some exciting news with you. Our very own Vicki Adams Willis has been appointed to the Order of Canada, which recognizes trailblazers who have enriched the lives of others and made a difference to this country.

We are overjoyed with this appointment! Vicki’s deep knowledge and respect for the authentic roots of jazz coupled with her curiosity in exploring the boundless future of the form have made her a leading force in the Canadian dance scene.

– Kathi Sundstrom, Executive Director

Vicki has made huge contributions to the art in Canada. She is a remarkable and unique jazz artist with a rich and varied body of work. She is a choreographer, director, mentor, teacher, writer, and has had a huge impact on the lives of thousands of people; dancers, choreographers, musicians, directors, technicians, dance teachers and students, and of course, tens of thousands of fans. We feel her incredible influence and contributions, and we are ecstatic that she is being recognized nationally with this prestigious award!

– Kimberley Cooper, Artistic Director

Vicki was born and raised in Calgary and continues a family legacy of dance. Her mother Alice (Murdoch) Adams opened one of the first dance schools in the city of Calgary in the 1920s. Vicki began her formal studies with her aunt Jean (Murdoch) Simpson (Alice’s sister) when she was a very young girl.

Vicki’s initial studies focused primarily on ballet, but as a teenager, when she met her mentor Margot McDermott, nee Gooder, she became interested in jazz. Soon that interest grew into a passion and Vicki realized that her calling in life would have something to do with jazz. But little did Vicki know back in the days of her early teens that she would become a true leader, an acclaimed ground-breaking choreographer, co-founder of one of the most unique jazz dance companies in the world, and the key person to ensure that Calgary would be a viable centre for serious jazz dancers.

Vicki graduated from the University of Calgary with a BFA in 1972 and, almost immediately, was offered a teaching post at the U of C within the Drama Department. In 1978 Vicki introduced the first Jazz course at the U of C, an elective class that became so popular that she ended up developing four levels of jazz plus special summer programming. The U of C made an historic and bold step when it created the first and only Jazz Dance Program in a Canadian University or College with Vicki as its founder and head where she remained until 1989.

Vicki’s deep knowledge of jazz stemmed from her intense curiosity about the roots of the art form. After studying and researching historic jazz dance forms and African-American vernacular dance styles, Vicki and two of her former students Hannah Stilwell and Michèle Moss, co-founded Decidedly Jazz Danceworks in 1984 on a part-time basis.

In 1989 Vicki left her position at the University of Calgary to dedicate 100% of her time to DJD. She remained the company’s Artistic Director until 2013 when Kimberley Cooper succeeded her in the role. Vicki has created more than 35 original productions for DJD over the years and remains part of the company today as Founder in Residence, focusing on teaching, mentoring, advising, and leading the Dancing Parkinson’s YYC program.

Please join us in congratulating Vicki on this amazing appointment! To find out more, visit the Governor General’s media centre.