Vancouver Bandits Announce Choreographer, Auditions for 2023 Dance Team

Bandits Staff • March 22, 2023

LANGLEY, B.C., March 22, 2023 – The Vancouver Bandits announced Wednesday that the club has partnered with renowned choreographer Francis Aranton to launch a brand new dance team and to open registration for auditions that will be hosted on Sunday, April 23 at Studio North Dance Complex.


Registration for auditions is now live and dancers ages 18 and up interested in registering are encouraged to learn more and register for free at www.thebandits.ca/dance-team.


Led by Aranton, the dance team will be a key facet of the Bandits’ 2023 game day experience at Langley Events Centre (LEC). Representing the intersection of fashion, hoops, and music, the team will energize the crowd and will perform at all 10 of the Bandits’ Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) home games throughout the regular season and at Championship Weekend, which is also hosted at LEC. 


A total of 15 dancers will be chosen to be part of the dance team following auditions. The official name of the group will be announced at a later date. 


Aranton’s decorated resumé includes being a member of esteemed local dance group Brotherhood Dance Crew since 2011 – the group’s accolades include two World Hip Hop Dance championships, three World of Dance championships and a feature on season two of NBC’s World of Dance.


Further bolstering Aranton’s choreography experience are previous performances as part of Brotherhood at a Dallas Mavericks game and as a member of the BC Lions’ Uproar Dance Team.


“As a professional who is experienced performing on NBA and CFL stages, I am eager to provide the opportunity to bridge Vancouver’s dance and sports communities. It is a privilege to help build a basis for future generations of dancers and artists to aspire toward as part of their dreams of showcasing their talents on some of the biggest platforms in the entertainment industry,” Aranton said.


“I want to grow this collaboration with the Bandits to a point where fans not only come to watch a professional basketball game but are excited to watch our dance team perform and hype up the crowd. I am excited to work with 15 of Vancouver’s best dancers to perform and enhance the game day experience.”


The Bandits tip-off the 2023 CEBL campaign on Saturday, May 27 when the club takes on the Winnipeg Sea Bears at Canada Life Centre. Fans will have their first chance to watch the Bandits on home soil at 7 p.m. PT on Saturday, June 3 when Vancouver welcomes the Calgary Surge for its first-ever visit to LEC.


Season tickets for the fifth season of Bandits Basketball are available for purchase and can be accessed by clicking here. A full seat map, price chart breakdown, season schedule and a complete list of season ticket holder benefits can be found by clicking here.


Individuals interested in learning more about tickets for the Vancouver Bandits’ 2023 season are kindly asked to call (604) 455-8881 or email tickets@thebandits.ca. A complete regular season schedule can be found by clicking here. More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter.

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