Sunday August 2, 2009
4:00 PM – 5: 00 PM
Free
Queens Park 671 University Ave., Toronto
www.danceimmersion.ca
Contact Person: Cassandra Belafonte (416) 203-0666
dance Immersion’s Summer Showcase presentation at the Irie Music Festival is as exciting as it is diverse. This celebration of dance has been presented at this festival now in its 8th year, providing audiences with a glimpse of the exciting and vibrant dance that lives in this Country. The Irie Festival is a free event that celebrates music, dance, art and culture, providing an opportunity to promote a greater understanding between the diverse cultures and traditions of our world class city.
This year’s performers include: Akwaba Cultural Exchange, ASM Dance, Movements from Edmonton and V-Dance.
dance Immersion celebrates its 15th year of supporting, producing, and presenting dancers and dances of the African Diaspora with programs that offer its audiences and participants a variety of activities that evoke diverse artistic experiences.
Artists Brief Biography
Akwaba Cultural Exchange - Akwaba Cultural Exchange is founded in Ontario (Canada) by Jean Assamoa in July 2008 as an educational and cultural exchange organization. Akwaba is a commonly-used word in Ivory Coast by Akan people, meaning Welcome. Akwaba reflects the philosophy of this organization whose goal is to raise awareness of West Africa’s rich histories of dance and music, and to bring people together through the common appreciation of African cultural resources. Jean Assamoa is a Professional dancer, musician, choreographer and Instructor-Lecturer, performer, comedian and actor from Abidjan, Ivory Coast of West Africa. He has dedicated himself to the promotion of cultural literacy by sharing his ancestral legacy worldwide, using the colorful, intriguing and often arresting traditional dance and masks of Ivory Coast in many of his performances.
ASM Dance (As the Spirit Moves) was founded in September 2007 by Jasmyn Fyffe. This company performs modern-contemporary dance. They seek to do all their creative work with artistic integrity in the hope that it will awaken the hearts and minds of the audience. Attentive to the depth and diversity of human experience, sensitive to social issues it is art which is able to impact the human spirit through its meaning and transforming power.
Movements is an Afro-Caribbean Dance Ensemble is a company based in Edmonton, Alberta. They educate and inspire the public about dance, African and Caribbean cultures, and multiculturalism. Founded in 1990 on the day former South African President Nelson Mandela was freed from prison. Movement strives to be an all-inclusive multicultural company. They have built a reputation on the same foundation of strength and hope share by Mandela himself. Sharlene Thomas is Movements’ Founder and Artistic Director. Her vision of unity through diversity has become an integral part of the company’s work. A renowned speaker, producer, and community leader, Sharlene was named Global TV’s Woman of Vision in 1998.
|
