Fall for Dance North’s October festival lineup reflects its commitment to pluralism. To that end, the 11th annual event features three signature programs, which each present broadly diverse artists.
Running from October 15 to 18, Afrofusion: Signature Programme 1 is anchored by artist-in-residence Esie Mensah’s new large-scale commission, ESHI. In the same program, Fall for Dance North artistic director Robert Binet and Mensah will curate works by international artists Dickson Mbi (Cameroon/U.K.) and Sekou McMiller (U.S.). The program incorporates a wide array of forms, including traditional and contemporary West African dance, street dance, and Afro-Latin dance. In addition, audiences can enjoy modern, jazz, and salsa.
Homegrown: Signature Programme 2 runs from October 18 to 19, featuring four works celebrating “the global connectivity of Toronto choreographers and artists”. One of these works is Ethan Colangelo’s Reverence for The National Ballet of Canada; another is street dance artist Caroline “Lady C” Fraser’s Dora Award-winning solo CYMATIX. In addition, Lula Shayenne Dance Company will perform traditional West African dance. And Canadian and Nigerian African street dance collaborators Kwasi Obeng Adjei and Ambrose Tjark will perform a cross-cultural world premiere.
Meanwhile, duets, solos, and ensemble works will all be part of Kathak & Ballet: Signature Perogramme 3, which runs from October 23 to 25. Co-curated by Tanveer Alam and Binet, it will explore commonalities between two classical dance forms from eastern and western traditions. The Royal Ballet from the U.K. will perform solos and pas de deux. In addition, the program will feature Alam with Barkha Patel, as well as India’s Nad-Roop and Dheerendra Tiwari.
“Every program is an invitation into the joy and community dance creates,” said Binet.
For more information, visit the Fall for Dance North website. Learn more about the communities that make up Canada on the Toronto Spark website. Find the Toronto Spark on Bluesky @torontospark.bsky.social.
