CELEBRATE HERITAGE MONTHS
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Empty Pages (TouchX) filmshoot. Artist - Mio Sakamoto. Choreography and Image by Karen Kaeja. Image Description: A woman with long black hair laying on a plastic sheet and flowers.
Celebrate Heritage Months
Kaeja d’Dance has and continues to prioritize and amplify representation. We commemorate heritage months and recognize artists and arts workers we collaborate with in our monthly newsletters and social media. This is an opportunity for ourselves and the community to learn more about their history and current experiences. We are delighted to invite you to connect with these incredible collaborators.
October 2024
Latin American Heritage Month
Irma Villafuerte is a Central American dance artist, emerging choreographer and educator based in Tkaronto (the place in the water where the trees are standing) located in Turtle Island. She is a first-generation of refugees from Nahuat Pipil Territory Kuskatan (place of Jewel necklaces), post-colonial El Salvador.
Irma has been immersed into her choreographic practice and development; through mentorships and dance residencies for emerging choreographers with Dance Makers through their Peer Learning Network Program, Toronto Dance Theatre’s Emerging Voices Program, George Brown Dance, and as of late with Aluna Theatre. Her artistic mission is embodying cultural, social-political and migrant narratives of oppressed communities. As a daughter of refugee, her passion for social justice, human rights, and political art making, is the driving force for creation in Irma’s choreographic and performance work. In 2017, she premiered a new work in progress “Desconocida” at Aluna Theatre’s Caminos Festival - New Works in Progress by Latin American artists in dance and theatre, which was one of the groundbreaking creative moments that set her choreographic journey. Most recently she has presented a new solo in process, “nudoDESnudo”; which at its developed stage has had the honour to present in Austin, Texas, El Salvador and recently in Toronto through Citadel & Co Nigh Shift 2020 Festival. She is graduate of George Brown Dance from the Dance Performance Studies program. Her experience and training extends to Latin, Caribbean and Cuban Contemporary technique.
Instagram: @southofyourfeet @cinnamoon.collective
(Photo of Irma by Kevin Jones)
Irma Villafuerte
Edgardo Moreno is a Chilean born, Hamilton based sound artist who has worked as a composer and sound designer for many choreographers touring internationally. Edgardo has been commissioned for projects in Canada, Venezuela, Mexico, Sweden, Argentina, England and USA. He has written scores for films produced by CBC, Bravo, City TV, NFB, OMNI, Ontario Arts Council, History Channel, TVO. He has worked extensively with contemporary dance choreographers creating sound design and musical scores. He is presently working in creating video and live sound pieces that are part of his Fireflyproject. Hi Film Double Exposure has screened in various film festival across Canada and South America. Edgardo has completed and LP of Electro-Acoustic pieces entitled 'El Piano De Raquel'. He has worked with contemporary dance choreographers and artists including Allen and Karen Kaeja, Penny Couchie, Alejandro Ronceria, Olga Barrios, Rulan Tangen, Starr Muranko, Carlos Rivera, Sara Roque, Clayton Windatt, Justyn Manyfingers, Tasha Faye Evans, Jannette Kotowich, Diana Lopez. He is a recipient of a DORA award for his sound and music composition for Diana Lopez's NOMADA.
Instagram: @edgardomorenomusic
Edgardo Moreno
Victoria Mata is a Toronto-based Canadian-Venezuelan dance artist, choreographer, director, and activist. In each of these, she combines an evolving feminism with her passion for expressive arts therapy. Mata’s sensibility to inclusion and the nuances of border stories is rooted in her eclectic upbringing in Venezuela, France, United States and Canada. Since completing her Masters of Fine Arts in Contemporary Choreography at York University, Mata continues to be a catalyst for artistic curiosity and the unpacking the diasporic experience in her exploration of the constructions and deconstructions of settlement, displacement and migrant identities. Mata has been an active member of Toronto’s progressive arts and activist community for nearly fifteen years. She was one of the co-founders of MataDanZe Collective (a dance-theater collective with a mission to empower womyn through movement and conSECUENCIAS. ConSECUENCIAS is an artist network aimed to support and to inspire young Latinas to exhibit and produce their own critical art. Mata is an audacious visionary rooted in community. Mata is a beneficiary of the Metcalf Foundation. She was an Emerging Artist finalist for the Toronto Arts Foundation and a grantee of all three levels of government Arts funding over the past twelve years. Her creative pursuits are grounded in traditional Afro-Venezuelan genres that are rooted in coastal cacao-farming regions in Venezuela. Her background in Expressive Arts Therapy facilitates Mata’s creative processes, a spectrum of techniques that include dance-installation, improvisation, contact, narrative composition and collective creation.
Instagram: @victoriamataproductions
Victoria Mata
June 21, 2024
National Indigenous Peoples Day
“Karen and I first met Sophie in our Kaeja Intensive 7 years ago as well as Karen being Sophie’s mentor during New Blue that year. Sophie is also a Certified Kaeja Elevation teacher and an incredibly talented choreographer and performer. Sophie’s laughter, enthusiasm and kinetic prowess has always been a light in our community.” -Allen
Kaeja: What are a few of the exciting projects you are working on? (perhaps, even a well needed rest)
Sophie: Exciting projects I am currently working on include from my own repertoire: Agrimony - a 55-minute dance/music collaboration with composer Laura Reznek, with it’s full world premiere September 20 - 21, 2024 at The Dance Centre, Vancouver BC. (Follow the creative journey on IG @agrimony.arts). journals of adoption - a solo work that I am in residence with at Shadbolt Centre for the Arts (Burnaby, BC), expanding from it’s current 16 minutes, to a ~40 minute production.
As a performer & collaborator in the repertoire of others:
-SKéN:NEN by: Kaha:wi Dance Theatre (I dance the role of Tsitsoh: a feral 8-year-old that believes she’s a fox)
-Maamawi: Together Through the Fire by: O.Dela Arts (Olivia C Davies) & Pepper’s Ghost Collective - an immersive live dance x VR experience, illustrating the Anishinabe Fire Prophecies - next performance: Nanaimo, BC - July 10 - 14, 2024)
-La Mitchin di Mitchif by: Compagni V’ni Dansi (Yvonne Chartrand) - a contemporary & traditional Métis dance performance inspired by cultural ancestral knowledge of Mitchif plant medicines - next performances: November 16 - 25, 2024 - Vancouver & Regina + Spring tour June 14 - July 15, 2025)
K: Tell us about you, your organization if applicable, and personal reflections S: I mostly identify as a multidisciplinary creative, inspired by dance, music, film, collaboration and my Michif/Assiniboine + French/Ukrainian roots. I adore busking and traveling and am occasionally informed by my studies in Dance Performance and Choreography at York University. I presently fulfills roles as: the artistic associate of O.Dela Arts, The Chimera Project & V’ni Dansi/Louis Riel Métis Dancers, residency coordinator at Dance West Network, fire spinner/choreographer with Ember Arts Fire Society, a licensed practitioner of Traditional Thai Massage, a trained facilitator & student of BreathWave, a freelance dancer/choreographer/sound designer and a puddle jumping trickster.
K: What do you love about dance in Toronto? Internationally? S: I love the community crossover of the artists & culture in Tkaronto. It is SO cool and grounding to run into each other in the city or all over the globe sometimes. Tkaronto is truly a hub for artists all across the country, which builds this unique and magical network of some relationships that have lasted over 10 years in my own life. Even if we have a shared distaste for the urbanity, we cannot deny its traditional namesake as The Gathering Place and the energy that it attracts us all together, catalyzing some of the most meaningful projects in my life.
K: What are any of your achievements? S: In life: as a child that was adopted and not raised within any of my Michif traditions, I am the first in three generations of my birth/blood family, to reconnect to our dances and language. It is not a perfect journey, but I’m doing my best. :) Within the scope of “work”: I believe the greatest achievement is to have the honour of crafting meaningful ideas with friends, family and beautiful humans that are incredibly dear in my heart. (I honestly don’t think there is anybody I work with that I’m not in love with!) I am also pleased to maintain a career that invites a lot of travel from coast to coast of Turtle Island with ample opportunity to spend time outdoors and near several bodies of water. On a “business” scale, I am grateful to sustain myself on the continued support from several arts councils & awards. I also received my first Dora nomination this year, for Outstanding Ensemble Performance w/ Kaha:wi Dance Theatre.
Follow Sophie!
Facebook: @Sophie Dow (www.facebook.com/sophie.dow.3/
Website: sophiedow.com
(Photo of Sophie by Tracey Lynne)
Sophie Dow
“Jim has been an integral part of our Kaeja family since he first performed in Porch View Dances 2017 (with choreographer Allison Cummings). He has been part of every PVD since then, gifting us with his Land Gratitude short film and his creative brilliance during our online and live PVD’s. We’re excited to have Jim back with his creative partner from last year’s PVD Heryka Miranda in this July’s PVD!!!” - Allen
Kaeja: What are a few of the exciting projects you are working on? (perhaps, even a well needed rest)
Jim: Currently Heryka and I have been working on a collaborative project that focuses on social and environmental justice, and how industrial pollution if left unregulated can erode the quality of life for humans and the environment. This particular workshop was a signature event for Hamilton's Arts Week, and features an ensemble of dancers, musicians and poets and Indigenous artists. It was a highly interactive and experiential workshop that invites the audience to become the narrative of their own story about the impacts of sound pollution. We are also working on a piece that we will be workshopping at Porch View Dances 2024. It is tentatively called Dodem Aki - Mother Earth, and it explores the relationship erosion between mother earth and the humans that depend on the earth for their very existence.
K: Tell us about you, your organization if applicable, and personal reflections J: I have been part of Red Bear for over fifteen years. Red Bear is my tiny Indigenous arts based company that explores the use of Indigenous stories and narratives as a means of recon-ciliaction.
K: Are there any current curiosities you have? J: I am curious about mind/body connections and how we as humans have lost the ability to listen to our bodies and our spirits.
Heryka Miranda: My curiosity to my spirit name "Blue Hummingbird" continues...I was gifted my spirit name in October 2022 in a beautiful ceremony. I ask "Blue Hummingbird" and pollinators of all kinds to provide me with guidance and wisdom so that I enter into relationships with the environment and individuals in a good way, which includes artistic collaborations. I am curious about developing relationships with the stories of this land through sensory based and embodied approaches so that I may connect authentically - receive them and give back. It's also the best way that I learn.
I am grateful to be learning about some stories through my friendship and artistic collaboration with Jim, who incorporates the arts in everything that he teaches and shares.
K: What do you love about arts in Toronto? Internationally? J: There is just so much. I don't live in the GTA anymore and I am delighted with the amount of artisitc activity that can be found in Dundas, Waterdown, Ancaster, and Hamilton.
K: What is one of your highlights of your career? J: Performing in four Porch View Dance seasons with my son.
K: What is one of your significant relationships you have built in your career? J: Working with the Kaeja's, Working with Guatemalan American artist Heryka Miranda, being able to use the teachings and life experiences I have access to while spending time on the land with my grandfather, uncles, aunites, grandmother and of course my father.
K: What are any of your achievements? J: It may sound trite but being a father and grandfather.
Follow Jim!
Facebook @Giizik
Twitter @coyotekid
Follow Heryka!
Instagram @thedanceinside
Jim Adams
June 2024
Filipino Heritage Month
“I first met Romeo, when he was composing the original score for Stratford Festival’s “Wendy and Peter Pan”, directed by Keira Loughran in 2020, just before the pandemic shut down the festival. As the choreographer, I was so thrilled to be creating and bonding with Romeo. We found inspiration in each other’s artistry, humour, passion and intuition. Though Keira and I have moved on from WPP, Romeo’s gorgeous music will be filling the Avon Theatre when the production opens tonight (June 15, 2024).”
- Allen Kaeja
Kaeja: What are a few of the exciting projects you are working on? (perhaps, even a well needed rest) Romeo: Just finished composing for Wendy And Peter at the Stratford Festival. Currently Co-Showrunning The Next Step for BBC. Preparing Prison Dancer : The Musical, a musical I am the composer / lyricist / co-book writer for our US debut in Boston.
K: Tell us about you, your organization if applicable, and personal reflections R: I'm a proud Filipino Canadian who has a career as a writer, director and composer. Writing and directing has been primarily in Film and Television. Oh, also nominated for an Emmy the last year for my directing work on a show called Circuit Breakers for Apple TV.
K: Are there any current curiosities you have? R: Mostly the new AI tech and how it will impact our world in the coming years.
K: What do you love about dance in Toronto? Internationally? R: I love how diverse dance is in Toronto and how you can literally travel the world by watching dancers in the city.
K: What is one of your highlights of your career? R: Highlights of my career always revolve around the discovery of new talent and watching them unfold and grow in their power. Nothing beats that.
K: What is one of your significant relationships you have built in your career? R: I think I'm always checking in with my younger self and making sure that I keep humble and that I check him when he has imposter syndrome.
K: What are any of your achievements? R: Being a Filipino and making a living writing, directing, and composing is a testament of me sticking it out despite all the rejections and doors closed in my face.
(Photo of Romeo by CJ Cromwell)
Romeo Candido
“Ebullient, generous, infectious laughter, and an AMAZING dancer and choreographer, I’ve known AJ for the past four years, when I met him during Karen’s dance film mentorship of Kin, his beautiful life partner. KinAJ, is a powerhouse of talent. We can’t wait to be immersed in AJ and Kin’s next production.”
- Allen Kaeja
Kaeja: What are a few of the exciting projects you are working on?
AJ: Currently, I am taking some much-needed rest and traveling to the west, connecting with both familiar and new faces. Additionally, I am enjoying delicious cuisines and seeking new experiences.
K: Tell us about you, your organization if applicable, and personal reflections
AJ: I am a first-generation Filipino Canadian choreographer, performer, and creative director from Toronto, Canada. Known for my playful and conceptual approach to choreography, I aim to create work that empowers, uplifts, and educates. I am currently the co-artistic director and choreographer for the artistic duo KINAJ.co, which I founded with my dance partner and wife, Kin Nguien.
K: Are there any current curiosities you have?
AJ: At the moment, I am deeply curious about traveling and seeking new experiences, which supports my creative process.
K: What do you love about the arts in Toronto? Internationally?
AJ: I love being surrounded by the rich and diverse art scene in Toronto and feel very blessed to experience art internationally. Art has a unique way of connecting us, making us feel, think, and celebrate. It is a universal language that fosters communication and understanding among people from all walks of life.
K: What is one of your highlights of your career?
AJ: A highlight of my career has been starting my creative journey alongside my dance partner and wife, Kin Nguien, with KINAJ.co. It is also one of the significant relationships I continue to build throughout my career. This highlight has been a life changing, fun and rewarding experience, and I look forward to the new adventures we will embark on together.
K: What are any of your achievements?
AJ: Co-choreographer for TDT Spring Double Bill 2024 - "ALIENS”; Recipient of the MARTY's Established Dancer Award from the Mississauga Arts Council in 2022; Winner of the Narrative/Storyline Award for Project Lullaby CHOICE at the Homescreen Movement Film Festival in 2022.
Follow AJ!
Website: www.kinaj.co
Instagram:
(personal) https://www.instagram.com/a.j.velasco/
(company) https://www.instagram.com/kinaj.co/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kinaj.co
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjlrEIUpcMPrRAO8HDnU2Rw
(Photo of AJ by Monography)
AJ Velasco
May 2024
Asian Heritage Month
"We invited Mio to assist with Kaeja Elevations after she graduated from DAI (former STDT) in 2017 and she is now Certified in Levels I and II. Mio has worked with us as principal dancer in several of our stage and film performances including a tour to Japan and our recent productions of TouchX and “I am the Child of…” at Harbourfront Centre’s TORQUE and the upcoming Empty Pages film that we recently shot in Iceland.” -Karen and Allen
(Mio is also the Administrative Assistant this summer, funded by the Canada Summer Jobs. Follow Mio on Instagram @amomiohk)
I am based in Toronto, originally from Japan. I am a performer, choreographer, dance educator and Co-Founder of MillO Dance Projects. Since last year, I am feeling the post pandemic atmosphere and am deeply grateful and excited about all the amazing projects I get to be part of.
Currently, I am taking part as a dancer in "Architecture of Violence," a newly commissioned work for Jaberi Dance Theatre by Scenkonst Sörmland (Sweden), co-choreographed by Roshanak Jaberi and Karen Kaeja, and featured as part of their 2024/2025 MainStage Season. Additionally, as I write this note, I am wrapping up the "Empty Pages" (TouchX) music video shoot in Iceland, directed and choreographed by Karen Kaeja. Upon my return to Toronto this spring, I am excited to be working with Maxine Heppner and Yui Ugai. Furthermore, supported by the OAC, I am currently refining my choreographic voice in a multidisciplinary project with Karen Kaeja as my mentor and the Bow Echo Collective as my collaborators.
Currently, I am curious about the intersection of design and dance, encompassing costume design, stage design, projection design, and sound design. Additionally, I am intrigued by how emerging technologies such as virtual reality or motion capture can enhance or redefine choreographic processes and performance experiences. I believe that exploring this realm presents exciting possibilities for innovation and collaboration within the dance community.
What I cherish about the dance scene in Toronto is its dynamic freelance nature, providing me the opportunity to collaborate with diverse dancers and choreographers, each offering unique perspectives and I always learn something new from each project.
One of the defining moments in my career was receiving the Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship from the Toronto Arts Council in 2019. With Karen Kaeja as my mentor, I believe that much of my career's growth stems from the invaluable learnings and the bond we forged during this mentorship.
(Photo of Mio by Karen Kaeja)
Mio Sakamoto
"We are so grateful for Jessica’s warmth and wonderfulness on our Marketing team, as we ramp up for PVD together!" -Karen and Allen
(Jessica started working at Kaeja as the Social Media and Marketing Coordinator in January and her position this summer is also funded by the Canada Summer Jobs.)
I am a multidisciplinary arts worker and administrator, working with arts and culture organizations across the GTA. I'm a queer second-generation settler of Chinese descent from Scarborough. My work from my specialized and conservatory style training in theatre expands across stage and production management, arts administration, operations, marketing, and creation. I often work with interdisciplinary artists in site-specific spaces with a focus on placemaking, community service, and social justice.
Since graduating from TMU, I've had the honor of collaborating with artists and contributing to their creations of intersectional spaces and transcendant immersive experiences. As an arts worker, my curiosities are to find dynamic ways to streamline project processes and administration while maintaining the creative spirit and a team-building, human-centered approach.
I'm excited to work on Frog in Hand's 7th year of the emerging artist program, the Summer Company, especially now on-site at their newly-built creative hub, the Art Shelter. I'm looking forward to project coordinating with Jaberi Dance Theatre to support the world premiere of a new work, Architecture of Violence, in Sweden this fall. Last but certainly not least, I'm honored to be a part of Kaeja’s 13th annual Porch View Dances 2024. I've always wanted to be a part of a beloved community-family event that emphasizes that dance is for everyone.
During this busy time, I am adamant on continuing my personal work. I am encouraging myself with compassion to take a moment to pause, break, and simply breathe; check in with myself. The best investment I've ever made in my life has been therapy.
Some highlights of my arts work thus far have been contributing to Frog in Hand receiving Charitable Status earlier this year and project managing the making of the dance film, Slipping, with Jaberi Dance Theatre and Karen Kaeja in a two-week residency in Quebec in 2022.
(Photo of Jessica by Colleen Snell)
Jessica Cen
“We are so thrilled to have Mayumi as part of our PVD 2024 team. Our connection to artists, community and care is so well held in Mayumi’s hands.” -Karen and Allen
This time last year I was premiering a full-length work, Enemy Lines, which looks at my family's history during the Japanese Canadian internment and how that history shapes my life today. Choreographing that work was deeply personal and gratifying as it has such a wide social impact. I was supported with dramaturgy by Japanese Canadian dance artist Denise Fujiwara in the creation of Enemy Lines. This May I am honoured to be performing in her work Eunoia, May 8-11 in Vancouver and May 31-Jun 2 at Guelph Dance Festival. Our relationship has been incredibly nourishing, artistically stimulating and provides continual challenges to my choreographic and performative process. I've found profound relationships and commonalities within the Japanese Canadian community, working with groups like the National Association of Japanese Canadian Young Leaders Committee and Kyodai Arts Collective.
I've been working away on Porch View Dances with Kaeja d'Dance which brings forth my passion for creating healthy ecologies for dance to be made in. I bring my experiences within underrepresented communities to this work, aiming to amplify and share the richness of diverse perspectives. I remember admiring the Kaeja's, Denise Fujiwara and so many other active dance organizations in the city when I was starting out as a dance artist. It is an honour to be able to be part of their work and share my skills and perspective that help shape dance in Canada. If I could have told my younger self this was what I'd be doing, I wouldn't have believed it.
(Photo of Mayumi by MP Photography)
Mayumi Lashbrook
“We have known Kunji for years and first met them a decade ago while we were teaching a Contact Improv/Kaeja Elevation workshop in Lesquiti Island, Levathian studios, off Vancouver Island in 2014. We are super excited to have them as part of our PVD 2024 team - bringing their Tour Guide fun and frolic to the hood!” -Karen and Allen
My company, Cloudsway Dance Theatre, is dedicated to bring wellbeing through the training and performance of dance theatre. Cloudsway welcomes the investigation of what can be said without words, and the ways we can heal, grow, and take space both in creative spaces and in our everyday life.
I'm reworking my dance theatre adaptation of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment in Calgary; performance testing a new solo, Full Circle Joy!, at the Calgary and Edmonton Fringe Festivals; and preparing to guide the wonderful tour of Porch View Dances this year! Crime and Punishment is aiming to offer the basics of the masterful narrative, while digging into current issues that are still at play - censorship, egocentrism, and systemic oppression. Full Circle Joy invites audiences into an exploration of joy, humour, and participation all in the time it takes for a pot of rice to cook onstage! What can Audience Participation look like while using a trauma-informed lens?
I'm really proud of my dramaturgical work in dance and theatre. After a crash course with the world-renowned Ruth Little & Liz Lermon, my thinking around narrative, meaning, and audience perspective was revolutionized. Over the years I have been lucky to be a go-to outside eye for multiple works at Dancers' Studio West.
I'm curious about the state of dance in Toronto! As a newly landed Torontonian, I am delighted to see the vast number of creative folks and audiences that are engaged in the dance community. Coming from a much smaller location where artforms needed each other to survive, I am curious about the nature of integration, cross-pollination, and multidisciplinary work in this fair city!
I am deeply thankful for the ongoing creative support I've received from One Yellow Rabbit - my sexy, punk rock, artistic godparents. From performing the album In Rainbows cover-to-cover in Radioheaded 2, Assistant Directing numerous Denise Clarke creations, to mentoring the next generation of BeautifulYoungArtists this organization has given me space to explore my aesthetic and my voice.
I'd also love to send some love to Alliance of Asian Canadian Performing Artists (AACPA) who I am affiliated with and are doing some great advocacy work. Please go to stopasianhate.ca
(Photo of Kunji by Marc J Chalifoux)
Kunji Ikeda
May 2024
Jewish Heritage Month
For Jewish Heritage month, I would like to honour my father and his family. Our ancestors are the direct connection to our identity and through my decades of stage and film creation that have toured the world, I’m hoping that I have created a monument to my family and their memories.
Last year, I was invited to write a chapter in a new anthology of the Holocaust and am including it in this years post:
The Holocaust: Remembrance, Respect, Resilience anthology is now available for free online! I am just one of many international and multidisciplinary authors to contribute to this textbook, which is a resource for Holocaust educators and students and considers the Holocaust and genocide from many perspectives.
(Photo portrait of the Nosal family taken in their living room sometime in the 1930’s. The two individuals seated in the front are Maurycy Nosal and Berzia Nosal (née Kashub), in the middle row are Maurycy’s parents, Chaim Nosal (bearded man on the right) and Ruszia Nosal (née Kashub) (on Chiams right side). The other individuals are Maurycy’s siblings (four of them, names unknown) with two of their spouses / photographer unknown.)
Allen Kaeja
February 2024
Black Futures Month
dance Immersion is celebrating their 30th Anniversary and for their remarkable 2023-2024 season, they have assembled projects that move beautifully through deeply-researched ancestral legacies to healing to reclamation of unapologetic self-expression. Established in 1994 by Vivine Scarlett, dance Immersion is a charitable non-profit organization to produce, promote, and support dancers and dances of the African Diaspora. For 30 years, they have been connecting with national and international dance artists with their award-winning programs that offer presentation, artistic skill development, education, incubation of choreography, and networking opportunities for Black folx in dance, serving artists who practice contemporary and traditional movement forms from African, the Caribbean, North/South America, and Europe. View their programs here.
Founder & Global Engagement Advisor Vivine Scarlett says, "My journey has been one of service to my love of dance and the excellence of who we are. The organization has created space for dancers to work from their own experiences and environment; to be exposed to new experiences, gain development opportunities, and expand their networks and much more, all while acquiring tools that enhance and support careers in dance. dance Immersion has witnessed the growth, expansion and contributions of many artists who have connected with the organization over the past 30 years. Throughout the years I have gained a deeper understanding of self and community, and as I reflect on the positive experiences that have shaped my reality, I am ready to pass the torch over to the next generation in Timea Wharton-Suri. What a blessing to know that dance Immersion will continue to impact communities with positive activities that heighten, question, and nourish our connective love to dance. As I pass the torch, I am filled with joy knowing that we continue to dance into the future with positive direction, resources and hope."
Curator and Executive Director Timea Wharton-Suri says, "Our work connecting people is founded in the intergenerational nature of learning, sharing, and community. May everyone touched by our work dance to the music of these universal rhythms. Vivine and dance Immersion have witnessed and encouraged my development as a dancer, choreographer, administrator, programmer, and curator for 29 years. What an honour to be invited to continue Vivine’s legacy by serving as dance Immersion’s Executive Director beginning in 2024. The threads weaving my work together are in harmony with those that dance Immersion has sewn through communities over the years: Walk with integrity; create space for others to spread their wings; keep your eyes, ears, and spirit open; share knowledge; and never stop learning. I am stepping into the position with a passionate vision to develop and present the work of African and African Diasporic artists who aspire to move us forward with thoroughlyresearched, rigorouslycrafted art; and provide more resources for dance artists at all levels to support them in reaching this goal."
“I begun a beautiful new partnership with dance Immersion this year. Having known Timea Wharton-Suri and Vivine Scarlett for decades and witnessing the incredible work they have brought to Toronto’s ecosphere producing, promoting, and supporting dancers and dances of the African Diaspora, I proposed to Timea in a collaborative conversation, to bring two of our long-time KAIR artists - Nickeshia Garrick and Irma Villafuerte of CinnaMoon Collective, towards a presentation of their interest. dance Immersion and Kaeja d’Dance soon became Curatorial and Producing Partners for CinnaMoon’s upcoming new duet “Surrendered Spirits” on May 2-4, 2024 at CanStage in dance Immersion’s 30th Anniversary Season. It’s been a wonderful journey and we celebrate and congratulate Timea, Vivine, and dance Immersion on an incredible 30 years! Check out their full season of performances and workshops on their website linked in the Donate button.” -Karen
dance Immersion
Nickeshia Garrick is a settler on the stolen land of Tkarón:to (Toronto) and has performed on this land for over 25 years. They are unapologetically a Black, Queer Artist, who believes in the healing power of breath through raw emotion and movement. Nickeshia received their dance training at the Carousel Dance Centre (Kitchener), the NYIDE (New York Institution of Dance and Education), the National Ballet School of Canada (Tkarón:to), Toronto Dance Theatre (Tkarón:to), and Simon Fraser University (Vancouver). Nickeshia has received the privilege of performing in pieces by TDT, Tara Butler, Kaeja d’ Dance, Serge Bennathan, James Kudelka, Ballet Jorgen, the Newton Moraes Dance Theatre and Kaha:wi Dance Theatre.
Nickeshia is a Dora Mavor Moore, winning and multi-nominated artist who holds a BFA in Dance from Simon Fraser University and is a Co-Founder of CinnaMoon Collective, a Central American and Afro-Caribbean contemporary dance duo that is dedicated to reclaiming and honouring ancestral stories from a decolonial perspective. CinnaMoon Collective is currently working on their premiere piece, Surrendered Spirits, to be presented in May 2024 at Canadian Stage (Tkarón:to).
Nickeshia says, "I am excited about the solo work and choreographic opportunities I currently have upcoming. Women From Space Festival on March 10th at the 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture, Arts, Media and Education, and CinnaMoon Collective's premiere show of Surrendered Spirits on May 1st to 4th 2024 at Canadian Stage." Follow Nickeshia on Instagram @justkeelie; Facebook at Nickeshia Garrick; and Tik Tok: @nickeshiagarrickk
“Nickeshia Garrick is an artist to watch, and to get to know. Fierce and sensitive, they have been taking the city by storm. Embarking on solo and duet adventures over the past few years, we are honoured by Nickeshia’s artistry in our company works over the past 6 years. Nickeshia brings breadth and depth of engagement to their stunning performances in Kaeja productions like TouchX, I am the Child of…, Laneway ARTery Dances, In Case of Fire, and two film projects including In Case of Emergency and the upcoming Hidden Entrance. An incredible teacher, their sharing over the pandemic in our Moving Connections Project gave so much joy to hundreds of zoom participants. We are super excited by the duet that Nickeshia and their creative collaborator Irma Villafuerte of CinnaMoon Collective are launching into the world called “Surrendered Spirits” May 2-4, 2024 at CanStage in dance Immersion’s 30th Anniversary Season (dance Immersion and Kaeja d’Dance: Curatorial and Producing Partners). Catch the heart and soul, and raw emotion that these two beautiful artists are bringing to Toronto audiences this spring - get transported! Please consider donating to CinnaMoon by email at info@cinnamooncollective.com. Please note, CinnaMoon is not a charity, so they cannot provide tax receipts. Thank you in advance for your support.” -Karen and Allen
(Photo of Nickeshia by Colin Boyd Shafer)
Nickeshia Garrick
Lua Shayenne, intricately weaves contemporary narratives through dance, song, and storytelling, drawing from her African roots and her faith - the Baha'i Faith. Her art aims to stir hearts and consciences while actively engaging with audiences and communities, advocating for social justice, and spiritual progress. As a nominee for the K.M. Hunter Dance award and recipient of the BMO Seeds Fund Award, Lua is currently touring her children’s theatre multidisciplinary show "Yassama and The Beaded Calabash”. In 2024, Lua Shayenne choreographed and premiered two new works for her dance company, Lua Shayenne Dance Company: "WATER SPIRIT" and "FRONTIERS | FRONTIÈRES."
In 2022, she spearheaded the launch of the YENSA Festival through LSDC, providing a platform to celebrate and recognize the diverse talents of black women dance practitioners. Luashayenne.com & luashayennedancecompany.com / IG & FB - @luashayenne & @luashayennedancecompany
Lua says, "I'm thrilled to announce that I'll be touring my children’s show "Yassama and The Beaded Calabash" across multiple Canadian cities, including Vancouver, starting this May. Additionally, I'm honored to curate YENSA Festival 2024, this coming August. For LSDC, I will be choreographing and filming a new project this coming summer! But before diving into these exciting ventures, I plan to take a well-deserved break and rejuvenate this February."
“Kaeja has been honoured to be in relationship with and following Lua’s work for well over a decade. Lua has made a foot print on this city bringing forward indelible contemporary narratives through dance, song and storytelling. Lua was our glorious ‘Just Dance Jane Finch’ Tour Guide (Porch View Dances 2012 in Jane/Finch) and she created beautiful vignettes for ‘Porch View Dances 2017’. Allen collaborates his partnering insight with LSDC, including her newest work - ‘Frontiers’. We are so excited about what Lua is bringing to the world at Lua Shayenne Dance Company and her Yensa Festival where she highlights the expensive multiplicity of black women dance practitioners. Look out for Lua, as one of Tkaronto’s change-making artists, and all that she brings to the world!" -Karen and Allen
(Photo of Lua by Dahlia Katz)
