Puerto Vallarta, México – We’re excited to introduce Brent Lott, the creative force behind this year’s Showcase Production – bringing a lifetime of artistry, teaching, and innovation to the What A Drag! stage.
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba – straight north of Acapulco, he likes to point out – Brent grew up on the Canadian prairies before eventually moving to an old oak forest on four acres at the edge of the Canadian Shield. These days, he lives about an hour outside Winnipeg, surrounded by wildlife, towering trees, and the kind of silence that choreographers dream about.
Brent may be a world-class choreographer, but he also grew up spending summers at a rustic cabin deep in the Canadian Shield with his grandfather, learning how to live off the land. We’re talking fishing, hunting, building, foraging – no electricity, no running water, no shortcuts. He’ll tell you he’s reasonably butch, but make no mistake: if you ever need a guide for a multi-week canoe trip through untouched northern lake country, he’s your guy.
Brent spent 30 years dancing professionally, beginning in ballet before moving into modern dance. In 2000, he became the Assistant Artistic Director of Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers (WCD) – Canada’s oldest modern dance company – and, in 2005, stepped into the Artistic Director role. During his leadership, he choreographed more than twenty full-length productions and over 50 shorter works, shaping WCD’s artistic vision for nearly 2 decades.
He has taught dancers from all over the world, serving on the faculty of the Professional Program of Contemporary Dancers, and teaching modern for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Professional Program, where he began his own training in 1985. Throughout his career, he has sought out opportunities to collaborate with an extraordinarily wide range of artists and communities: untrained dancers, actors, poets, symphonies, choirs, youth at risk, and performers of every stripe. Though he retired from WCD in 2017, he continues to teach and choreograph as a master guest artist.
Away from the studio, Brent loves to write. He and his partner have fostered four teenagers – an experience full of growth, challenge, and deep love, though heartbreakingly, one did not make it to adulthood.
He discovered What A Drag! last year when a friend brought him and his partner to the show, and they were instantly hooked. This year, he joins us as a contributing choreographer, excited to help our non-dancers find confidence, joy, and that spark of magic that happens when someone realizes their body is capable of more than they imagined.
As for the downside? He’s staying in Yelapa this season, which means a lot of boat rides back and forth. But he insists he doesn’t mind – he actually enjoys being on the water – so he’s choosing to see it as part of the fun. We’re thrilled to have Brent shaping this year’s showcase with skill, humor, and heart.
Don’t wait – tickets are on sale now! Secure your seats early for the best views in the house and help us make this a complete sellout. Every peso raised goes directly to Casa Esperanza, providing safety, shelter, and new beginnings for women and children escaping domestic violence. Last year alone, What A Drag helped fund more than half of Casa Esperanza’s annual budget – proof that laughter and compassion truly change lives.
Join the fun. Make this the best year yet!
- Date: Sunday, March 8, 2026
- Time: 8:00 pm
- Venue: Teatro Vallarta, Uruguay 184, Puerto Vallarta, México
- Tickets: eventsprout.com
About The Casa Esperanza Women’s Shelter
Operated by Compassion for the Family Inc, a US 501c3 charitable organization, the Casa Esperanza Women’s Shelter provides beaten, emotionally abused and broken women and their children with a warm caring place to live, food, emotional counseling, nursing care, child care, child counseling, job training, life training and, most of all, a second chance at life – free of violence. When each of these women and their children are ready to embark on their new lives, they are provided with a minimum of six-month follow-up support. For more information, please visit CompassionForTheFamily.com.