The best way to know each other is to spend time together.
The only way for art to flourish is to do it.
This is an invitation
In gaming, CrossPlay refers to the ability for players on different systems to come together and play simultaneously, expanding possibilities and creating new shared worlds.
In that spirit…
Our CrossPlay is for dance and music artists to be in the game of creating shared worlds. They are a cohort who are curious about how sound and movement live in their forms and influence each other, excited to connect with other artists across disciplines, across generations, across backgrounds, and open to improvisation, dialogue and experimentation.
This 2-month residency in 2026 will open doors to find new partners, provide studio-space to work together, and facilitate sharing of discoveries.
This is a paid opportunity. More details are included in the application form.
Expressions of Interest will be open until Friday December 19 2025.
Artists
acCessibilIty
Is the venue wheelchair accessible?
Both studios are fully wheelchair accssible.
Will the event be ASL Interpreted?
All live events will offer ASL interpretation (upon request). Please contact us to request ASL Interpretation.
Will the event be described for Blind and low vision audiences?
This performance does not include audio description.
In partnership with
A year-long working group exploring Dance Curation as a practice and role.
This group of independent dance curators will attend all of Dancemakers’ programming as well as other relevant programs across the GTA to experience, reflect, discuss and engage with dance curators working in the field.
Throughout the year, they will work with invited guests to discuss various emergent practices found within dance curation.
These dance curators were selected by our Call for Curators selection committee.
Artists
Kaili Che
Kaili Che 謝祖弘 is a Vancouver-based interdisciplinary artist, choreographer, and movement educator.
Shalon T. Webber-Heffernan
Dr. Shalon T. Webber-Heffernan is an independent curator and writer.
Aisha Sasha John
Aisha Sasha John is a performer, choreographer and poet.
Megha Subramanian
A multi-disciplinary artist, Megha Subramanian practices several forms of storty-telling, constantly engaging with diverse thoughts that question her conditioning.
Wai Liu
Wai Liu is a Hong Kong-born movement artist based in Toronto.
Ralph Escamillan
Ralph Escamillan is a queer, Canadian-Filipinx performance artist, teacher and community leader based on the unceded territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh, Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh Nations – on so called Vancouver, BC.
Tia Kushniruk
Tia Ashley Kushniruk (亚 女弟) is a Chinese-Ukrainian Queer dance/theatre artist based in ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ (Amiskwacîwâskahikan) Treaty 6/Métis Territory of Edmonton AB.
Rachana Joshi
Rachana Josh i is an independent dance artist based in Tkaronto. She completed her Bharatanatyam arangetram under the tutelage of Lata Pada in 2017 and is currently a company dancer and teacher at Sampradaya Dance Centre.
Dhvani Ramanujam
Dhvani Ramanujam is a writer and emerging curator currently pursuing a PhD in Cinema and Media Studies at York University
Brianna Maltais
Brianna is a tap dance-based artist whose work explores textural soundscapes, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and fosters opportunities for youth in her hometown of Barrie.
Roxy Menzies
Roxy Menzies seamlessly weaves the disciplines of dance, writing, and healing arts.
Ranganathan Rajan
Ranganathan Rajan (He/Him) is originally from India and is currently based in Tkaronto.
acCessibilIty
Is the venue wheelchair accessible?
Yes, the venue is wheelchair accessible including ramps into the building, elevators and wheelchair accessible washrooms.
Will the event be ASL Interpreted?
All live events will offer ASL interpretation (upon request). Please contact us to request ASL Interpretation.
Will the event be described for Blind and low vision audiences?
This performance does not include audio description.
In partnership with
What if improvisational musicians and freestyle streetdancers had a conversation in their own languages – and we were invited to watch?
Dancemakers Guest Curator Abel Hagos selects Toronto’s finest musicians, pairing them established Canadian dancers to explore the themes of play that thread through both improvisational music and dance.
Expect a night of stylish vignettes, inventive pairings and live battle culture. Witness technical explorations with lighting design from Emerson Kafarowski and James Feenstra, and projections from Brigita Gedgaudas and Nathan Bruce.
Notes about the location:
The Bentway’s Strachan Gate is located outside and is open to the elements. We ask folks to check the weather forecast and dress accordingly.
The majority of seating at Strachan Gate is on a grass hill. We encourage bringing blankets or small camping chairs for your comfort!
Artists
Abel Hagos
As a Street Dance artist and community advocate, my work is rooted in the belief that dance is a powerful tool for expression, storytelling, and cultural preservation.
Roshane Wright
Roshane Wright is a dynamic percussionist, drummer, composer, and educator hailing from Portmore, Jamaica.
Kosi Eze
Kosi seeks to promote a healthy knowledge of self and emotional intelligence – as it impacts the ways we engage within street dance culture as messengers, leaders and mentors for the generation to come – through her art.
Daniel Chang
Daniel is an eclectic and committed performer whose work spans dance, clown, and character-driven storytelling.
Anh Phung
Anh Phung takes the flute to space as she continually dives deep into the capabilities of the instrument.
Marc Manhertz
Marc Manhertz is a 35-year-old musician from the Greater Toronto Area.
Joanna Majoko
Joanna Majoko is a Toronto-based vocalist, composer, and lyricist known for her distinctive sound and dynamic presence.
Ash Chawla
Ash Chawla is a dancer
Caleb Klager
Caleb Klager has solidified his place in Toronto’s rich electronic music scene performing machine – driven techno, electro, and experimental live sets.
Kwasi Obeng Adjei
Kwasi Obeng Adjei is a Canadian multidisciplinary artist, emerging choreographer, and dance educator based in Brampton, Ontario.
acCessibilIty
Is the venue wheelchair accessible?
Yes, the venue is wheelchair accessible including ramps into the building, elevators and wheelchair accessible washrooms.
Will the event be ASL Interpreted?
All live events will offer ASL interpretation (upon request). Please contact us to request ASL Interpretation.
Will the event be described for Blind and low vision audiences?
This performance does not include universal audio description. If you are interested in a whisper-guide experience, please email artistic@dancemakers.org.
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Inspiration includes:
Artists
acCessibilIty
Is the venue wheelchair accessible?
Yes, the venue is wheelchair accessible including ramps into the building, elevators and wheelchair accessible washrooms.
Will the event be ASL Interpreted?
All live events will offer ASL interpretation (upon request). Please contact us to request ASL Interpretation.
Will the event be described for Blind and low vision audiences?
This performance does not include audio description.
A year-long working group exploring Dance Curation as a practice and role.
This group of independent dance curators will attend all of Dancemakers’ programming as well as other relevant programs across the GTA to experience, reflect, discuss and engage with dance curators working in the field. Throughout the year, they will work with invited guests to discuss various emergent practices found within dance curation.
These dance curators were selected by our Call for Curators selection committee.
Artists
Lukas Malkowski
Lukas Malkowski (he/they) is a CODA(Child of Deaf Adult), performance maker and Aquarius based between Canada/Germany.
abisola oni
abisola oni is a performance artist, writer, and curator based in Tkaronto.
Natalia Arancibia
Natalia Arancibia (she/her) is a Chilean performer / educator based in Tkaronto.
Wai Liu
Wai Liu is a Hong Kong-born movement artist based in Toronto.
Keira Marie Forde
Keira Marie Forde is a multidisciplinary performer, creator, and community arts producer.
Kin Nguien
Kin Nguien is an award-winning choreographer and performer, originally from Ukraine and now based in Toronto.
Roxy Menzies
Roxy Menzies seamlessly weaves the disciplines of dance, writing, and healing arts.
Sarah Koekkoek
sarah koekkoek is an ecology focused multidisciplinary artist working with movement, dance, flora and biomaterials from Tkarón:to (Toronto).
Holly Chang
Holly Chang is an artist and curator based in Toronto/Tkaronto.
Kage Wolfe
Kage Wolfe is a Boylesque performer and the Director of the QTBIPOC production brand Kreative Kulture.
Meek
Meek currently centers their practice on embodied movement, spiritual healing, truth and storytelling.
Bryce Taylor
Bryce Taylor (They/He) is a Breaker, Dancer/Choreographer originally from Colebrook, ON, currently based in Tkaronto (Toronto).
acCessibilIty
Is the venue wheelchair accessible?
Yes, the venue is wheelchair accessible including ramps into the building, elevators and wheelchair accessible washrooms.
Will the event be ASL Interpreted?
All live events will offer ASL interpretation (upon request). Please contact us to request ASL Interpretation.
Will the event be described for Blind and low vision audiences?
This performance does not include audio description.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
self checkout is based on a collaborative structure that enables participants to feel a collective belonging
self checkout intensive is for queer performing artists between 14-20 years old interested in committing to a series of creative workshops at George Chuvalo Neighbourhood Centre on the weekend of July 5-6 2025! These workshops offer an inviting mix of movement games, dance, sharing circles, writing, crafts, and more. All levels are welcome—come explore, connect, and develop your artistic voice! An intimate showing will take place at the end of the weekend !
The intensive is open to anyone who identifies as part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and their allies and has been created to be a safer space for young people to explore their artistic curiosities.
Lead facilitators, Lamont (they/them) and Rowan Dorian (he/they), are dedicated to cultivating a space where community can grow, queer joy is celebrated, and creative expression in youth is sparked through the performing arts. Rooted in a shared belief in the transformative power of self-expression, they hold faith that this work helps strengthen and uplift the queer community !
self checkout is based on a collaborative structure that enables participants to feel a collective belonging and will include delicious snacks daily! Please wear comfortable clothes to move in !
Registration is FREE !
Artists
acCessibilIty
Is the venue wheelchair accessible?
Yes, the venue is wheelchair accessible including ramps into the building, elevators and wheelchair accessible washrooms.
Will the event be ASL Interpreted?
All live events will offer ASL interpretation (upon request). Please contact us to request ASL Interpretation.
Will the event be described for Blind and low vision audiences?
This performance does not include audio description.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Cultural loss, retention and creation.
Curator Bageshree Vaze selected Kate Kamo McHugh’s project ’20 Grains of Rice’ for a technical residency and development period.
Kate and her collaborator Meghan Cheng integrated projection mapping, storytelling and dance to tell the story of Kate’s family history with the Japanese interment camps in Canada.
The team worked with dramaturg Intisar Awisse, creative instigator Andrea Nann and outside eye Denise Fujiwara.
This residency was supported in part by The National Ballet of Canada’s Open Space program with additional support fromThe Region of Waterloo Arts Fund and Green Light Arts.
Artists
SUPPORTED BY
The first manual wheelchair dance training in Canada
Dance Curator Shay Erlich and Dancemakers have received a substantial grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to develop Canada’s first manual wheelchair dance online training module!
Stay tuned for more details about this project as well as a project launch date!
Creative Leads: Shay Erlich & Paulina Drohomyrecky
Dancers: Kristen Schneider, Artrude Porte, Madeline Corkum and Cassandra Mazariegos
Film and Editing: Cinematoscope
Project Support: Rose Goodwin & Whimble
Artists
Shay Erlich
Shay Erlich (they/them) is a disability justice world builder living in Tkaronto.
Paulina Drohomyrecky
Paulina Drohomyrecky (they/them) is a disability justice focused multidisciplinary artist and patient partner.
Artrude Porte
Artrude Porte is a performer using movement and humour to explore disability, storytelling and mental health.
Kristen Schneider
Kristen Schneider (she/her) lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
acCessibilIty
Is the venue wheelchair accessible?
Yes, the venue is wheelchair accessible including ramps into the building, elevators and wheelchair accessible washrooms.
Will the event be ASL Interpreted?
All live events will offer ASL interpretation (upon request). Please contact us to request ASL Interpretation.
Will the event be described for Blind and low vision audiences?
This performance does not include audio description.
Focusing on the necessary act of breath that bodies unconsciously choreograph is a way to reveal how bodies have been interrupted by eugenics insistence to “return to normal”.
Wheezy Breezy is a self-directed residency by dancers jes sachse & Sarah Wong welcomed by personal invitation through support in access & incubation during the 2023-2024 season by Arts Assembly.
Arts Assembly was chosen as one of the Guest Curators for Dancemakers Centre for Creation 2023-2024 season, and Dancemakers is excited to support Wheezy Breezy‘s further development and public presentation in the summer of 2024 in Toronto.
From jes and Sarah:
“Our collaborative research sits in the complexities of navigating our dance practices as disabled artists breathing through the ongoing pandemic. Focusing on the necessary act of breath that bodies unconsciously choreograph is a way to reveal how bodies have been interrupted by eugenics insistence to “return to normal”. Leaning into accessibility interrupts capital procedure by nurturing creative adaptation of one moment to the next. We are experimenting with dancing in relationship with the medical, with aesthetic, with public space, and with the improvisations of sonic accompaniment, looking to traditions of busking and jazz music.
As we move in step with grief, we make space for candid conversations of coexisting with ghosts, aesthetics of ease vs. effort, community and site-specificity, the found & the fallow. We find deep joy in the solidarity we have found in each other knowing in our creature-bodies that breathing is the circadian recalibration of the collective.”
Choreographers: jes Sache & Sarah Wong
Inspiration for this work includes:
Artists
Arts Assembly
Arts Assembly is a not-for-profit, community-centric arts organization that emphasizes artistic collaboration.
jes sache
jes sachse is an artist, writer and dancer who addresses the negotiations of bodies moving in public/private space and the work of their care.
Sarah Wong
Sarah Wong is an emerging writer, choreographer, and interdisciplinary artist based in Vancouver, Canada.
SUPPORTED BY
“What dance gives, can also be received”
Showtime at Shops was a pop-up performance organized at an outdoor shopping space that is frequented by many people including youth.
Melissa Hart wanted to create a performance experience for the average passersby to remind audiences that dance is essential to human existence and that “what dance gives can also be received.”
By choosing Shops at Don Mills as the location of Showtime at Shops, not only does Melissa want to activate a frequently visited space in their neighbourhood, but also present an opportunity for diverse audiences of all ages outside of the downtown core to experience the incredible vibrant energy of artists who are making waves in the dance community!
As part of Showtime at Shops Melissa has commissioned a new work by Raoul Wilke and will also feature emerging dancers from School of Groove.
For this commission, Raoul has created A product of my environment which gives insight into the underground clubs of Chicago and New York in the late 1970s and early 1980s where House Dance originated. This piece explores those communal spaces where house music and the people were as one and features Miha Matevzic and Caroline Fraser.
Curated by: Melissa Hart
Featuring newly commissioned work by choreographer: Raoul Wilke
Performed by: Raoul Wilke, Miha Matevzic and Caroline Fraser
Also featuring opening act performances by: School of Groove
Choreographed by: Kelly Gammie & Queenie Vicente
Sound Technician: Kit Norman
Inspiration for this event came from local youth
Artists
acCessibilIty
Is the venue wheelchair accessible?
Yes, the venue is wheelchair accessible including ramps into the building, elevators and wheelchair accessible washrooms.
Will the event be ASL Interpreted?
All live events will offer ASL interpretation (upon request). Please contact us to request ASL Interpretation.
Will the event be described for Blind and low vision audiences?
This performance does not include audio description.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
