Our Story
Founder & Artistic Director
Founded in Vancouver, British Columbia by Shivani Sen, Rise Arts Company was created with a simple vision: to provide children and youth with a fun, welcoming and professional environment where they can explore their creativity, build confidence and discover a lifelong love for the arts.
Rise first began as Rise Dance Company in 2020, rooted in Shivani’s own passion for movement and performing arts. As that vision grew, so did Rise. In 2021, the company expanded beyond dance to embrace visual arts, theatre, ceramics and other creative disciplines, becoming the multidisciplinary arts organization it is today.
Born and raised in Vancouver, Shivani discovered her love for dance at the age of 11. Growing up as a competitive athlete, cheerleader and dancer, she developed a strong connection to movement, performance and creative expression. Over the years, she trained at Studio 604 and Harbour Dance Centre and performed with Lux Dance Company, Endangered Dance Company, Self Made Crew, Dream Dance Studio and Shiamak Davar Indo-Jazz Company, training across a variety of street, commercial and traditional dance styles.
Her performance experience has taken her throughout North America for showcases, competitions, festivals and parades. Career highlights include performing at the Times of India Film Awards and dancing alongside internationally recognized Bollywood artists including Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma.
Shivani’s love of movement also shaped her education, leading her to complete a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology and Sociology from the University of British Columbia. Her professional background includes more than 15 years of experience in recreation and program development for children and youth across the Lower Mainland, along with seven years of experience in marketing.
But performing arts have always been only one part of her creative world. Shivani also has a deep love for visual arts, beginning with sketching and drawing and eventually expanding into illustration, graphic design and ceramics.
It was through the intersection of these passions — the arts, education, recreation and working with young people — that Rise Arts Company truly took shape.
Today, Rise brings visual and performing arts programming to children and youth across Metro Vancouver through schools, community spaces, camps, workshops and ongoing programs. At the heart of it all remains the same belief Rise was built on: the arts should be a place where young people feel welcome to create, explore, grow and, most importantly, have fun.
Our team is at the heart of everything we do at Rise Arts Company. We’re proud to bring together a diverse group of educators, professional and emerging artists, dancers, actors, social workers and creatives who share one thing in common: a genuine love for the arts and for working with children and youth.
Each member of our team brings their own unique experiences, skills and creative perspective into the classroom. Some come from professional performing and visual arts backgrounds, while others bring experience in education, recreation, child development and social services. Together, this creates a team that understands that a great arts program is about so much more than learning a new skill — it’s about creating an environment where every child feels welcomed, encouraged and excited to participate.
We believe the people children learn from can have a lasting impact. That’s why we look for instructors who are not only passionate about their craft, but who are also kind, energetic, dependable and positive role models for the young people in our programs.
Whether we're painting, creating with clay, learning choreography, stepping onto the stage or trying something completely new, our team is there to encourage creativity, celebrate individuality and make the experience FUN!
At Rise, we take great pride in creating spaces where children can be themselves, build confidence, make connections and discover what they love — all while being surrounded by mentors who are cheering them on every step of the way.
OUR TEAM & FACULTY
