Performance Archives - Dancemakers

As a child, Dana Michel would drape a yellow towel on her head in an attempt to become blonde and to be othered. In YELLOW TOWEL, she revisits this escapist world of alteregos in a performative ritual free longing to be free of censorship.

By Dana Michel
Curated by Emi Forster & Benjamin Kamino
Presented by Dancemakers

more here

Benjamin Kamino

Benjamin Kamino was a company dancer under the direction of Serge Bennethan and Michael Trent. In 2014, he transitioned into the role of Co-Curator alongside Emi Forster.

Emi Forster

From 2014-2015 Emi Forster was Co-Curator at Dancemakers alongside Benjamin Kamino, successfully implementing the inaugural year of the Incubation Production House Model, designed by Michael Trent.

Dana Michel

Dana Michel is a live artist.

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.

It’s [1976] almost a character study, except that from its intense inward focus you sense it is deeply, almost unsettlingly personal.” – Michael Crab, The Toronto Star

By Dana Michel
Curated by Emi Forster & Benjamin Kamino
Presented by Dancemakers

1976, have several by DANA MICHEL
Over her first four weeks in residence, Dana Michel has worked with the artistic team at Dancemakers to revisit, transmit, and blow apart 1976 – making a group piece from the rubble.

Dancemakers company dancers Robert Abubo, Amanda Acorn, Ellen Furey, and Simon Portigal all have their own artistic practices and voices. Michel’s risky proposal is to invoke these voices to re-imagine her previous work, opening herself to the processes of other artists and intentionally seeking out a vulnerable space for working- not an easy task!

We are excited about this precarious investigation: a dance that interrogates itself both in its construction and presentation. Asking what might happen if we decide not to begin again, 1976, have several questions our addiction to the new.

PERFORMANCES
Wednesday, JAN 28 2015 | 8PM (PWYC Preview)
Thursday, JAN 29 2015 | 8PM (Opening Night)
Friday, JAN 30 2015 | 8PM
Saturday, JAN 31 | 8PM (Closing Night)

THEATRE
Dancemakers Centre for Creation
Distillery District, 9 Trinity Street, Studio 313
Toronto, ON M5A 3C4

Benjamin Kamino

Benjamin Kamino was a company dancer under the direction of Serge Bennethan and Michael Trent. In 2014, he transitioned into the role of Co-Curator alongside Emi Forster.

Emi Forster

From 2014-2015 Emi Forster was Co-Curator at Dancemakers alongside Benjamin Kamino, successfully implementing the inaugural year of the Incubation Production House Model, designed by Michael Trent.

Dana Michel

Dana Michel is a live artist.

Rob Abubo

Robert Abubo was a member of Dancemakers since September 2008.

Amanda Acorn

Amanda Acorn is a dance artist, researcher and choreographer currently based in Toronto, Canada.

Ellen Furey

Ellen Furey is a performer, choreographer, facilitator, spiritual psychic and death doula.

Simon Portigal

I’m Simon Portigal, a Montréal-based contemporary dance artist with a research-based choreographic practice.

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.

Choreography Serge Bennathan

The original cast included: Dan Wild, Shannon Cooney, Carolyn Woods, Jay Gower Taylor, Julia Aplin, Marvin Vergara, Susie Burpee, and Hope Terry

2000

Serge Bennathan

Serge Bennathan was the artistic director of Toronto’s Dancemakers from 1990 to 2006.

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

“the tragedy that destroyed a full generation in
dance”

“I created [Chronicles] because a person very close to me died of AIDS, and because of our closeness and the look it forced me to have on the tragedy that destroyed a full generation in dance, and all arts. Seeing this person I loved so much go through the horrible times – we forget that there was no cure then, [the medical field and the public were] so discriminatory, and the disease, the suffering, was terrible. It was horrendous. I wanted to honour the life and courage of this person and, through this person, the millions of people who went through it, who suffered not just the disease, but also the look of society on them. We forget now how it was truly, truly a plague. I wanted to honour their courage. The absolute courage. My friend was so generous in his turmoil. It was incredible. Chronicles came from that. It was no effort – the piece just came out of me. After it was done, I felt a connection to him through it. A true connection, not just thinking of him.” – Serge Bennathan

Choreography Serge Bennathan

Music, Arne Eigenfeldt

Scenery Nancy Bryant

The original cast included: Julia Aplin, Marie-Josée Chartier, Learie
McNicholls, Jackie Nell, Julia Sasso, Gary Tai, Gerry Trentham, and Carolyn Woods.

(Later casts included Shannon Cooney, Ken Cunningham and Hope Terry.)

First performance: Toronto, Premiere Dance Theatre, January 26, 1993; Dancemakers

Serge Bennathan

Serge Bennathan was the artistic director of Toronto’s Dancemakers from 1990 to 2006.

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

Inspired by Virginia Woolf’s suicide note

1975

Choreographed by Anna Blewchamp

Performed by William Douglas, Carol Anderson, and Pat Fraser

Inspiration for this includes:

Performance

Anna Blewchamp

Anna was an associate artistic director from 1977-1978 at Dancemakers

Carol Anderson

Carol Anderson was a founding member of Dancemakers in 1974 and she performed with the company for 15 years.

Is the venue wheelchair accessible?

Will the event be ASL Interpreted?

Will the event be described for Blind and low vision audiences?

“Garba is more than a dance—it is a moving meditation. With every turn of the circle, we release, reconnect, and rediscover our place within a larger community.”

Fri Sept 4 2026

4pm | workshop

5pm | showcase & party

Small Arms Inspection Building

(1352 Lakeshore Rd E #1352 Mississauga)

read the article here

RangaMandal is a participatory dance and visual art experience inspired by the Gujarati folk tradition of Garba. Blending community gathering, movement, and collective artmaking, the project transforms a simple circle dance into a living canvas.

Throughout the evening, participants dance on a large canvas with paint-covered feet, creating layers of colour, pattern, and texture through their movement. As the circular pathways of Garba unfold, individual traces merge into a vibrant mandala—a collective artwork shaped by rhythm, repetition, and shared intention.

Rooted in the spiritual and communal foundations of Garba, RangaMandal explores the circle as a symbol of connection, renewal, and belonging. The project reimagines ritual as contemporary participatory art, blurring the boundaries between performer and audience, dance and visual art, individual expression and collective creation.

The resulting artwork serves as both a record of the gathering and a reflection of the community that created it while capturing a fleeting moment of movement in a lasting visual form.

Curator: Purawai Vyas

Workshop Leader: Shivani Joshi

Garba Performance Artists: Anjali Tanna, Team Nritya and Omkara Dance

Live Music: Vrunda Upadhyay Garba Ensemble

Production Team: Rajvi Dedhia, Bistro Renwarin, Anisha Manyal, Parth Ganatra, Helee Mehta, Dhruv Naik, Jay Patel

Sound Technician: Gandhaar Amin

Lighting Designer: Emerson Kafarowski

Photographer: Abhishek R.Drone

Videographer: Aditya Rajendra

Inspiration for this includes:

Performance, community, Garba, Guest Curators

Purawai Vyas

Purawai Vyas is a Canadian dance artist based in Toronto, with a practice rooted in over two decades of Bharatanatyam training under Guru Lata Pada at Sampradaya Dance Academy.

Vrunda Upadhyay’s Garba Ensemble

An energetic Gujarati folk ensemble presenting authentic live Garba and Raas through powerful vocals, traditional rhythms, and vibrant musicianship.

Shivani Joshi

Shivani Joshi is an Indian Classical and Folk dancer, exploring form with pieces that incorporate fragmented narratives, prop work, and cultural ritual as practice.

Team Nritya

Team Nritya is Canada’s versatile Indian dance school and production team, proudly preserving culture through authentic performances.

Gandhaar Amin

Gandhaar Amin is a music composer and producer, known for his innovative reimagining of the Indian fusion music genre.

Rajvi Dedhia

Rajvi Dedhia is a Toronto-based dancer, choreographer, educator, and arts administrator from India, dedicated to cultural sharing and community engagement.

Bristo Renwarin

Toronto-trained dancer blending hip hop foundations with Bollywood, Afro, and Latin dance team performances across shows, weddings, and competitions.

Anisha Manyal

Anisha is a Bharatanatyam-trained choreographer working across South Asian and contemporary collaborative performance in Toronto.

Parth Ganatra

Real estate agent by profession, dancer by heart, always chasing the feeling that only music and movement can bring.

Helee Mehta

Helee Mehta has participated in various Garba competitions and dance performances, immersing herself in the joyful and energetic rhythms of this traditional folk dance.

Is the venue wheelchair accessible?

We prioritize wheelchair accessible spaces for all of our events. The Small Arms Inspection Building is wheelchair accessible.

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 can include audio description upon request.

Tales of those who move.

A dialogue between music and dance.

Connecting. Reconnecting.

A community call.

Sat Aug 29 2026

7pm

Underpass Park

(29 Lower River Street)

NKABOM, Choreographic Works that push the boundaries of movement, culture, and community.

A dynamic dialogue between tradition and innovation, individual expression and collective experience.

Connecting. Reconnecting. Building community through movement

NKABOM brings together artists from Toronto and Montreal to support and celebrate African street dance in Canada, fostering collective expression through the blending of diverse movement forms and perspectives.

The local artists involved in NKABOM will engage in a residency that promotes the exploration of movement, with each artist contributing their individual expression rooted in African street dance to a collective choreographic work. Drawing from their unique movement languages and personal experiences, the artists will collaboratively develop a shared creation that explores themes of re-connection while pushing the boundaries of their creative journeys and artistic practices.

Curator Kwasi Obeng-Adeji

Dancers Athena Lucie Assamba & Leah Danga

Dancer Rose-Mary Harbans

Drummer Amosun Adeifa

DJ TrayBaby

Local Dancer Martin Prempeh

Local Dancer Monique Pascall

Local Dancer Janice Ellis

Local Dancer Bairen Oluwashola

Sound Technician Lamar Ferguson

Lighting Designer Theo Belc

Technical Assistants Jason Ball, Husseine Esmail & Rowan Campbell

Inspiration for this includes:

Performance, African Street Dance, Guest Curators, residency, Street Dance

Kwasi Obeng-Adjei

Kwasi Obeng-Adjei is a Canadian multidisciplinary artist, emerging choreographer, and dance educator based in Brampton, Ontario.

Athena Lucie Assamba

Athena Lucie Assamba Montreal based interdisciplinary artist exploring dances of African source as living practices of ancestral memory, liberation, healing, and collective transformation.

Leah Danga

Leah Danga is a multidisciplinary artist based in Montreal, specializing in contemporary and traditional African dances, with a background in hip-hop and popping.

Rose-Mary Harbans

Rose-Mary “Rosie” Harbans is a Dora-nominated performer, choreographer, and dance educator based in Toronto. Rosie’s practice approaches movement as a vessel for liberation, healing, and storytelling.

Bairen Oluwashola

Nigerian-born Afro Fusion choreographer and educator inspiring global connection through movement, culture, and authentic African dance.

Janice Ellis

Janice Ellis is a first-generation artist of Jamaican and Ghanaian descent whose practice is rooted in African diasporic dance forms, including Azonto, Nigerian street styles, and traditional African dance.

Martin Prempeh

Born in Kumasi, Ghana and raised in Toronto, Canada, King Martin Luther Prempeh also known as PREMPZ.

Monique Pascall

Monique Pascall is a Toronto-born performer, choreographer, and educator

Is the venue wheelchair accessible?

We prioritize wheelchair accessible spaces for all of our events. This venue is outdoors and is wheelchair accessible.

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 can include audio description upon request.

Night Shift is a durational performance inspired by Le Ballet de la Nuit, a 13-hour court ballet that was most notable for the involvement of the young Louis XIV.

Night Shift is a durational performance inspired by Le Ballet de la Nuit, a 13-hour court ballet that was most notable for the involvement of the young Louis XIV, who performed many roles, including the title of the Sun King.

Danced throughout the night, the ballet acted as a performance with night (darkness) cast as a metaphoric plague on society. The dance is performed as an offering to call upon daylight, when the Sun King exiles the darkness, and the dawn (light) signifies a new beginning through the start of a new day.

Brendan Fernandes has re-contextualized the ballet into a contemporary dance performance in which dancers endure from dusk until dawn, dancing and making gold confetti in anticipation of the new tomorrow. At dawn in celebration of the new day, the accumulated piles of gold confetti will be thrown into the air and the piece ends.

Night Shift questions notions of labour and time within the context of night changing into day as the dancer’s body endures and asserts itself while in the process of performing.

Choreography by Brendan Fernandez

In collaboration with Michael Trent

Performed by Michael Trent, Robert Abubo, Amanda Acorn, Joanie Audet, Austin Fagan, Sky Fairchild Waller, Kate Holden, Ame Henderson, Ellen Furey, Benjamin Kamino, Cyril Limousin, Simon Portigal, Jolyane Langlois, Simon Renaud, Colleen Snell, Andrea Spaziani, Cara Spooner, Christopher Willes and Jacob Zimmer

Original Score by Thomas Ian Campbell

Costume design by Vanessa Fischer

Performance

Michael Trent

Michael Trent was the Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer of Toronto’s Dancemakers from 2006 – 2014.

Amanda Acorn

Amanda Acorn is a dance artist, researcher and choreographer currently based in Toronto, Canada.

Rob Abubo

Robert Abubo was a member of Dancemakers since September 2008.

Benjamin Kamino

Benjamin Kamino was a company dancer under the direction of Serge Bennethan and Michael Trent. In 2014, he transitioned into the role of Co-Curator alongside Emi Forster.

Ellen Furey

Ellen Furey is a performer, choreographer, facilitator, spiritual psychic and death doula.

Andrea Spaziani

Canadian contemporary choreographer and performer, holds an MFA from the Transart Institute/ Plymouth University.

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.

“The land is to the people what blood is to the body” – Tránsito Amaguaña (1909-2009)

Sat May 30 2026 | 7pm | High Park

Sun May 31 2026 | 3pm | High Park + post show discussion

Read the essay here

Soil Study (2024) is an ongoing series by artist sarah koekkoek of discursive experiments, processes, interventions and conversations between the human body and soil/soil memory.

sarah has been deeply engaged in these explorations over the past 3 years, working through an array of artistic mediums including sculpture, photography, screen printing, movement, choreography, digital GIFs and ASCII art. Much like our bodies, soil hosts ecological life, political struggles and cultural memory through slow accumulation, care and violence. This presentation of a process based performance is situated on the ancestral lands of many First Nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat. The audience is invited to witness a weaving together of personal memories etched into mine and the performers bodies together with 9,000 years of collective, historical and biological narratives of soil bodies. These memories, embedded in both human and soil archives, collide, converge, resist, mourn, celebrate and repair in unison.

Engaging with soil in this way means confronting questions of repair, responsibility, and futurity. Together we resist the damage of industrial, agricultural and colonial extraction. Manifesting alternative time scales, where like the soil, we accumulate memory through repetition, sedimentation and decay.

Curated by Holly Chang

Choreographed by sarah koekkoek

Performed by sarah koekkeok & Eve Tagny

Sound design by Eva Lev Myers & Julian Myers

Outside eye support by Amanda Acorn & Aisha Sasha John

Indigenous Consultation by Alex Jacobs-Blum

Essay by Heather Canlas-Rigg

read the Resource list here

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