Katie Wertz (she/her) is an emerging dance artist and choreographer based on Gidimt’en clan territory of the Wet’suwet’en Nation (Smithers, BC).
Katie has had a multi-faceted relationship to dance since a young child. Her professional aspirations lead to her acceptance into the Arts Umbrella Professional Dance Program in Vancouver, BC (2012) where she studied classical ballet, Limon modern dance, and various contemporary dance modalities including Contact Improvisation and Gaga. Her love of the North brought her pursuits back to Smithers, where she has been working in performance, community engagement and raising her two children. Katie’s practice is greatly informed by remoteness and she is dedicated to advocating for equity and inclusivity in the arts/greater community in Smithers. As a mixed heritage settler, Katie’s artistic lens deepens around an exploration of embodied movement, land/body relationship and (re)connecting to her Latinx Colombian roots. Her practice is committed to creating accessible community dance spaces that are sensitive to culture, place and identity.