Our Team

Andrew Tay was born in Windsor, Ontario where he attended the Walkerville Centre for the Creative Arts. Since finishing his B.F.A in contemporary dance at Concordia University, Andrew has presented his work at venues and festivals throughout Canada, New York and Europe. His work has appeared in films, installations and multimedia projects for companies such as Moment Factory, Bravo! and Gentilhomme. He has worked with well-known choreographer Doris Ulhich (Vienna) in the creation of More than Naked, which toured extensively throughout Europe.

In 2005 Andrew co-founded (with collaborator Sasha Kleinplatz) the company Wants&Needs Danse.  Since then the company has produced the wildly popular dance events Piss in the Pool, Short&Sweet and Involved in Montreal. In June 2012, the duo choreographed the Cirque du Soleil show Les Frontieres de Pixels and were nominated for a Quebec Notables award in the Arts&Culture category.

Residencies have included the Foundation Jean-Pierre Perrault, the summer artist in residency program at studio 303, Usine C (Montreal), Montreal Danse Choreographic Atelier, The Harbourfront Centre (Toronto), the K3 centre for choreographic research (Hamburg), sign 6 (Brussels) and Skånes Konstförening (Malmo, Sweden).

Andrew was awarded the Dance WEB scholarship in May 2012 (Vienna, Impulstanz festival). In 2013 he was chosen to participate in the Rencontres internationales de jeunes créateurs (Montreal, Festival TransAmériques 2013) and 8 Days, an annual intergenerational meeting of dance artists from across Canada organized by the company Public Recordings. He has also participated in The Copycat Academy (as part of the Luminato Festival, Toronto) curated by Hannah Hurtzig (Berlin) for two editions, and created work with dancers at Toronto Dance Theatre through the company’s inaugural Emerging Voices Project in 2015. He has served as a board member of ELAN (the English Language Artists Network in Quebec) and the RQD – le Regroupement québécois de la danse.

In 2016, his work Fame Prayer / EATING was awarded the Vanguard Award for Risk and Innovation from the Summerworks Performance Festival Toronto. Fame Prayer was subsequently presented at Fierce UK (Birmingham) 2017 Theatre La Chapelle (Montreal) 2018 and Diver Festival (Tel Aviv) 2019. Make Banana Cry (co-authored with Stephen Thompson) premiered at the M.A.I in 2017, and was later presented La Galerie de l’UQAM in the context of the exhibit Refus Contraire 2018 as well as the Nottdance Festival and Fierce UK in 2019. The work will continue to tour internationally for 2020.

Before relocating to Toronto in August 2020 to begin his leadership at TDT, Andrew was the Artistic Curator of the O Vertigo Centre for Creation in Montreal since January 2017, reimagining the company’s activities in its new mandate as a choreographic centre and artist incubator. He actively thinks about community, irreverence and resistance in both his performance and curatorial practices.

As a cultural worker, Michael Toppings has worked for some 25 years in both the visual and performing arts in several provinces such as Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, and for organizations such as New Dance Horizons in Regina, Dancing on the Edge in Vancouver, the Banff Centre, PPS Danse & Sinha Danse in Montreal. Toppings was the Executive and Artistic Director at MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels) where he worked from 2009 through to 2022. Most recently, he has held the position of artistic advisor with La Machinerie.

Toppings is also an interdisciplinary artist who was born and raised in Quebec, although he has lived nearly half of his life elsewhere. He has created works that attempt to modify the reading experience in order to transform the reader’s role to one of spectator, listener and active participant. His artistic practice also, therefore, blur boundaries between publication and exhibition and production. His works are brews of varnish and raw, popular cultural references and social realism, oscillating between the sublime and the pedestrian, between the factual and the fictional.

Rosemary James assumed the role of Rehearsal Director in 1992 after a successful career performing with Toronto Dance Theatre. Among many responsibilities, she was pivotal in remounting the choreography of Christopher House, former Artistic Director of TDT (1994-2020). Since 1987, James has taught in the Professional Training Program at The School of TDT and was the Training and Performing Associate from 2009-2021, under the expert leadership of Patricia Fraser (1993-2021). She has taught modern dance courses at York University and is currently a contract lecturer at Toronto Metropolitan University. James is passionate about sharing the Martha Graham Technique to future generations of dancers. She is also teaching this valuable and foundational movement vocabulary at Performing Dance Arts. In 2021, she initiated and interviewed former TDT colleagues for an audio series entitled, Reconnecting with Black Dancers from the 80’s and Early 90’s. As well in 2021, James collaborated with Mary Jane Warner to produce the film tribute, Celebrating Patricia Beatty: Artist, Choreographer, Teacher. In 2022, she was the rehearsal director for Christopher House’s solo evening work entitled New Tricks, and the rehearsal director/dramaturge for 100 Years of Cinematic Solitude in 300 Moving Pieces for the Immer Collective. James holds a Bachelor and Master of Arts in dance from York University.

Sara Khajeh was born and raised in Iran and moved to Toronto at the age of 19. The city’s vibrant multicultural environment ignited her passion for volunteer work and deepened her commitment to community engagement. She earned a degree in Business Management and Entrepreneurship from TMU in Toronto and brings over 15 years of experience in event production and operations, driven by a passion for teamwork and cultural impact.

Since joining Toronto Dance Theatre as an Associate Producer in March 2024, she has been inspired by the organization’s significant contributions to the arts community. She is currently working as an Associate Producer for the Toronto Dance Theatre’s 2024-2025 season and as Project Lead for the Global Toronto Music Festival 2024. Her extensive experience includes roles such as Deputy Operations Director at Tirgan Festival since 2020, Site Manager at Distillery District for Tirgan Festival in 2017 and 2019, Volunteer Coordinator for Small World Music’s Global Toronto Conference since 2022, and Project Coordinator for the City of Toronto’s Nuit Blanche in 2022 and 2023, overseeing the Agha Khan Museum and part of the Humber College site.

Sara’s journey as an immigrant has profoundly shaped her values, culture, and identity, enriching her perspective and enhancing her dedication to creating inclusive and impactful cultural events. She continues to leverage her producing skills and entrepreneurial spirit to celebrate and share diverse cultural experiences with the community.

Katrina Medalle, a Tkaronto-born, Mississauga-raised multidisciplinary artist, navigates the dynamic artistic and digital market with resilience and ingenuity. Emerging from limited resources, she founded a thriving creative consultancy, evolving into a skilled Unit Production Manager and Producer, and demonstrates adaptability in screenwriting and independent filmmaking. As an artist, writer, curator, and filmmaker, Katrina cultivates inclusive communities and expertly assembles teams across Pilot Programs, TV Series, Short Films, Editorial Photography, Runway Production, Dance, and Brand Strategy. She embraces transformative leadership, advocating for inclusion and representation in the arts, and sets higher production standards while promoting diversity.

Based in Toronto, Aden is a dynamic, hands-on production manager with an ingrained passion for the performing arts. After receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance Production from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2021, Aden jumped straight into Toronto’s vibrant performing arts scene, getting his hands dirty and learning the ropes.

Navigating the intricacies of the city’s bustling arts scene, Aden has successfully donned the hat of an independent production manager. His journey in the arts has given him the opportunity to work with some of the most exciting performance companies in Toronto. These collaborations include time spent with Holla Jazz, Fall For Dance North, Talk is Free Theatre, Volcano Theatre, and the TranscenDance Project, each offering unique experiences and learnings in the vast landscape of the arts.

Aden is excited to bring his knowledge and skills honed during his time as an independent production manager to this latest venture with Toronto Dance Theatre! He takes on the role of production manager for TDT, excited for the endless possibilities and eager to contribute to the ever-evolving world of performance.

Vickie Fagan is an award-winning filmmaker and writer. She launched Fagan Media Group in 2010. Vickie’s media background includes over fifteen years with Chum Television, where she worked as a producer of arts documentaries, short films, and series television.

Fagan acted as creator, producer, and co-writer on the holiday film” The Curse of Clara, A Holiday Tale,” based on a short story written by Fagan. A co-production with Smiley Guy Studios and Veronica Tennant Productions, the animated film premiered on CBC Television in December 2015 and continues to air annually. The Curse of Clara won the 2017 Canadian Screen Award for Best Animated Series or Program.

Her extensive communications background encompasses work as an interviewer, writer, and producer. Her writing has been featured in the Globe and Mail, TVO digital, Descant Literary Journal, Dance Collection Danse Magazine, and Zoomer online.

Fagan is the Director of Development for Dance Collection Dance and Producer of the annual DCD Hall of Fame event.

Based in Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyang/Montreal and Tkaronto/Toronto, Camil Bellefleur is an emerging contemporary dance artist. They completed their training at the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal in 2020 and have danced with Daina Ashbee, Charlie Prince, Jean Benoit-Labrecque, LA TRESSE Collective and Le Radeau. They completed their training in inclusive dance approaches with Corpuscule Danse. Camil’s solo work entitled First Layers was presented at Tangente in 2022 and at the first edition of the Mauricie Arts Vivants festival in 2023, for which they were a finalist for the Creative Momentum award of Culture Mauricie. They are currently working on their next creation, Queer Core – Embodiment.

To deepen their artistic approach oriented towards social change, Camil completed a cumulative bachelor’s degree at UQÀM in 2023, which includes a certificate in Critical Sexuality Studies, a second in Feminist Studies, and a third in Sociology.

They wish to make their bodily practice a space for emancipatory healing, liberation, transformation, risk-taking, and a safe space for growing together.

Brayden Jamil Cairns (he/they) is a Toronto-based performance artist, costume designer, and long time lover. Bray left rural Ontario in 2015 to train at Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Performance. Since his training, Bray has worked with the likes of Alyssa Martin, Rodney Diverlus and many of his peers in collaborative processes. Bray is interested in movement that can be enjoyed by people from all walks of life. He binds dance and lived experience to create tantalizing works of art; combining media such as writing and film to create a living collage. Many of these ideas come from a powerful need to uplift the queer and BIPOC communities. Bray will often be found researching what it is to feel pleasure and what can come from self-exploration.

Millina Fletcher (any pronouns) is a Tkaronto based dance artist who infuses her queer and Barbadian/French roots in both her creative work and her everyday life. Millina is a well versed, expressive, outgoing and open minded individual who sees the world as an abundant site for colour and creativity. She identifies as a dancer, choreographer, music enthusiast, and an extrovert who enjoys expressing her identity and queerness through dance and fashion. Millina recently obtained her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Performance Dance at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), where she trained intensively in a wide range of styles. Millina has had the great pleasure of working with many choreographers including but not limited to; Guillaume Côté, David Norsworthy, Valerie Calam, Hanna Kiel, Ingrid Fiksdale and Yvonne Coutts. Millina premiered a self-choreographed piece titled Phoney at the TMU (IN) momentum student-produced program showcased at The Citadel (2024). Millina is adamant that in every artistic endeavor she pursues, her art will reflect her identity and bring awareness to the challenges of race and gender in society. She is open, audacious, and always eager to learn about new ways to create impactful art through the medium of her greatest passion, movement.

Megumi Kokuba was born on the southernmost island of Japan, Okinawa. She studied ballet with joy from the age of two. After graduating from College in Okinawa, Megumi came across contemporary dance and was smitten. She moved to Toronto to train in dance and is a proud graduate of The School of Toronto Dance Theatre (now Dance Arts Institute). Megumi joined the company as a TD Dance Intern in 2012/2013, and she has had many inspiring creation and performance opportunities in Toronto ever since. As a dance artist, her main focus is to help the environment. Actions like listening, holding space and prioritizing active communication are at the forefront of her personal practice.

Ryan Kostyniuk is a queer artist born and raised in Sylvan Lake, Alberta and is currently based in Tkaronto/Toronto. They are a graduate from The School of Toronto Dance Theatre (2019) and have been a guest artist with Toronto Dance Theatre since the 2019/2020 season. They have performed works by many acclaimed choreographers across Canada as well as international choreographers Emese Nagy (MA•ZE) and Shannon Gillen (VimVigor). Ryan has choreographed solo/duet works which have been performed in Toronto, and toured internationally. They currently find inspiration from the queer nightlife and rave scene, and continue to explore themes in their work based around sexuality, and gender expression.

Roberto is the new era no longer restricted by time she walks the earth with patience noticing how all is changing he doesn’t interfere she listens he watches ready for nothing yet it all shows it’s true colours the sun and the moon have her life and it’s the random that keeps him alive.

I am Roberto Soria, and as a seeker of pleasure it only makes sense that movement has been a part of my life for so many years.

I am:
a raver
a dj/creator of noise
a lover
a skater
a photographer/filmmaker
a sagittarius
a company dancer for toronto dance theatre
and friendly so if you see me in the street come say hi!

Elizabeth Yip 葉倩儀 (b. 2001) is a contemporary dance artist from Vancouver, Canada. Her dance practice is grounded in passion, dynamics, and emotion. She is a graduate of Modus Operandi under the direction of Kate Franklin, Tiffany Tregarthen, and David Raymond and received the Fall 2023 EDAM Training Scholarship in contact improvisation. Elizabeth has performed and originated roles in work by Yin Yue Dance, Shay Kuebler/RSA, b. solomon, Nicolas Ventura, Khoudia Touré, and Zahra Shahab. Elizabeth pursues work that is that is theatrical, virtuosic, and tender. Her past artistic choreographic residencies include the Scotiabank Dance Centre, Boombox, and Vines Art Festival. Before joining TDT, she was an apprentice with Shay Kuebler/RSA.