About
This event has been cancelled due to inclement weather.
The evening starts with Lua Shayenne Dance Company’s (LSDC) riveting show, Journey to the Motherland, which takes audiences on an immersive journey through Africa. With traditional songs, dances and live percussion, LSDC’s talented artists bring to life the experiences of market women in Ghana, sing the praises of the brave fishermen of the Kasai River in Congo, embody the warrior spirit of the Malinke people and celebrate life with an infectious Soussou rhythm from Guinea.
The event continues with a workshop around the Dances & Rhythms of Africa, led by Lua Shayenne. Shayenne is a dedicated student of traditional Mandé dances and rhythms. Her dance workshops are a unique experience, with the vibrant energy of live percussion accompanying every move. These workshops seamlessly integrate song, cultural insights and live percussion, catering to participants of all skill levels. Through the grounded movement of African dances, Shayenne, accompanied by live percussions, invites you to celebrate your body as the Temple of the Spirit, intimately connected to Mother Earth. Together, you will explore breath, ground, inner rhythm and current.
About Lua Shayenne
As the Artistic Director, choreographer, curator and producer of LSDC, Lua Shayenne’s creative leadership has been recognized with a K.M. Hunter Dance Award nomination and the 2013 BMO Seeds Fund Award for Artists working in the community. She is the creator and interpreter of the dance theatre children’s series Tales and Dances Around the Baobab, of which Yassama and The Beaded Calabash is the fourth tale.
Through LSDC, Shayenne boldly envisioned and launched the YENSA Festival in 2022, a biennial festival highlighting the incredible multiplicity of Black women dance practitioners and nurturing an environment where they can have substantive conversations, take risks and be given due recognition.
Her performing highlights include HOLOSCENES tours in the United States, the UK, Abu Dhabi, Australia, Italy and Toronto. She teaches at Toronto Metropolitan University’s dance program and brings African dance, music, storytelling and culture to grassroots organizations and schools across Canada and Europe.
Dates & Times
Tickets
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