Pilot Episodes
An Experimental Lab

Rodney Diverlus is a Haitian-Canadian multi-hyphenate artist and artivist who uses the body & voice as sites to host movement, text, and protest. His work samples from the realms of contemporary and afrikanic movement & dance practices, physical theatre, mass mobilization, and public arts-based interventions. A vagabond, his work presents, at times flaunts emergent representations of blackness, and weaves in ancestral, diasporic, and queer narratives of life and freedom.

He has created and interpreted works at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, Stratford Festival, SummerWorks Festival, Irie Music Festival, Canadian Opera Company, and Tableau d’Hôte Theatre, and KasheDance. Rodney is the recipient of the 2019 Canadian Stage Award for Direction and a 2019 Montreal English Theatre Choreography Award nominee.

Beyond his artistic practice, he moonlights as a community activator and writer. He is the co-founder of Black Lives Matter – Canada and co-creator of Wildseed Centre for Art & Activism.

Bradley Eng is an emerging choreographer and interpreter based in Toronto and Montreal. Bradley has worked as an interpreter and trampoline coach for the project R(e)bound choreographed by Caroline Laurin-Beaucage, (Montreal Danse, 2018). He is currently working for Compagnie Virginie Brunelle as an interpreter for her creation, Les Corps Avales.

Bradley is developing a movement methodology called “Break Even”, researching new possibilities of contact dance by deconstructing the foundations of Latin ballroom partnering to enhance communication to allow greater movement capacities for dancers to explore and create choreography. Bradley’s movement is influenced by multiple practices including gymnastics, breakdance, contemporary, martial arts, and Latin ballroom which affects his choreography, interpretations, and teachings.

He continues to search for new movement inspirations to challenge and further his growth as a movement artist.

I am Canadian born, Queer, Filipino/a/x diasporic creator based in Vancouver, BC. The work I create questions my fascination with identity, traditions, clothing and the influence of pop culture in a globalising society. My experience in a multitude of rooms as a dancer, choreographer and community leader – has lent me the opportunity to see the discrepancy of privilege in society, and hope to shift this narrative in my work. I believe the body is powerful and important in communicating these ideas, and we should support the bodies autonomy/agency, political values, and ancestral legacy. For more about me, please visit www.ralphescamillan.com

Celia Green is a queer and genderqueer performer, performance creator, and choreographer working at the intersection of dance and theatre. Their growth and learning as an artist has been greatly shaped by training at The Paprika Festival, the AMY Project, La Pocha Nostra, and the P.A.R.T.S summerschool in contemporary dance. Their solo show, Wah Wah Wah, had its premiere at SummerWorks in 2019, where they received the Theatre Centre Emerging Artist Award. Celia was recently involved as a choreographer in Adelheid Dance’s 2021 iteration of re:research. Currently, they are developing a new performance work called SOWWY. Celia is also a birthworker.

Syreeta Hector is a dance artist and educator in Toronto, Ontario. As a highly accomplished performer, Syreeta has worked for internationally recognized companies like Adelheid Dance Projects, Danny Grossman Dance Company, Political Movement, and Toronto Dance Theatre. She is a proud graduate of The National Ballet School’s Teacher Training Program, The School of Toronto Dance Theatre, and has achieved her Master of Arts in Dance Studies from York University.

Her work called “Black Ballerina” focuses on the dualities within ones identity, along with Syreeta’s blackness and indigeneity in relationship to classical ballet. The development of the full length version of “Black Ballerina” is taking place through the support of the Citadel+ Compagnie, Canadian Stage, and the Kaaitheater. Syreeta is currently one of the Luminato Artists in Residence for the 2020-2021 season.

Jennifer Laiwint (she/her) is a Tkaronto based interdisciplinary artist and DJ, also known as Hadara. Her practice is grounded in a collaborative approach with a focus on merging the worlds of contemporary and nightclub dance forms, experimental sound and video art. Jennifer’s current work is guided by a curiosity about what can be heard in the body during transformative states, and how dance can mediate connections between physical rhythms, electronic music and psycho-spiritual practices. She developed work at the Banff Centre and NARS Foundation in New York and has presented in galleries and festivals such as Xpace, the Art Gallery of Mississauga and SummerWorks. In 2020, Jennifer was accepted into the Dancemakers Peer Learning Network and the DOC Breakthrough Program to develop new projects in the fields of dance and documentary film. She recently participated in the TO Community Love-In “Practice Lab” series and presented new video work for Long Winter Television and the plumb gallery. Jennifer is a board member at Pleasure Dome, where she recently curated “Measures of Motion,” a program of experimental dance films. Jennifer is currently an MFA candidate in the department of Film at York University.

Collette “Coco” Murray is a dance educator and cultural arts programmer. Her performance background ranged in Caribbean Folk, traditional West African and other diasporic dance styles. Her artistry includes performance, teaching, arts education, mentorship, research, and writing. This award- winning artist is recognized as one of 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women honouree in 2020 and the 2019 recipient of the Toronto Arts Foundation’s Community Arts Award. Murray pursues a PhD in Dance Studies at York University. Along with Miss Coco Murray, her mobile, dance education business, Murray also is the Artistic Director of Coco Collective offering culturally-responsive projects connecting participants to African and Caribbean arts.

zac is Sylv Myst.

Sylv Myst is AIRWITCH.
Sylv Myst has been FIREWITCH.
Sylv Myst has also been WATERWITCH.
Sylv Myst in time shall be EARTHWITCH.

AIRWITCH is the SENSING DANCE.
FIREWITCH was the FEELING DANCE.
WATERWITCH was the THINKING DANCE.
EARTHWITCH shall be the BEING DANCE.

circumstances have required Sylv Myst to keep secrets about AIRWITCH.
secrets can be sensed.
this is where the dance begins.

zac as Sylv Myst is practicing dance as an exploration of corporeal witchcraft.
these particular dances are expressions of the mythology of Sylv Myst.
the myths spawned from the tragicomic (& mundane) life experiences of zac.
zac is curious about the mystic potential of timespace and neo-atavistic performance.
all is offered forth with the intent to instigate and venerate Shadow Goddexx energy.

Atri Nundy started learning Bharatanatyam at Sampradaya Dance Academy under her teacher Lata Pada at the age of 4. After completing her arangetram in 2005, she continues to work as a teacher at the Academy and as a Company dancer and choreographer at Sampradaya Dance Creations.

While training in Bharatanatyam, Atri was fortunate enough to be able to train in various dance forms. This combination has given her the interest to explore beyond the traditional realms of Bharatanatyam. She has had the opportunity to work with Nova Bhattacharya at NovaDance and Brandy Leary at Anandam Dancetheatre. Currently, she is focusing on creating her first ensemble choreography, Mindful Chatter. It is a piece commissioned by Anandam Dancetheatre and supported by the Toronto Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts.

Camille Rojas (b. 1993 Toronto; lives and works in Toronto) is a multidisciplinary artist working with film, photography and dance. Her work uses movement as the primary vehicle to dissect ideas and emotions, most of which address experiences of gender, race and class within life and the art institution. Using her own presence in her work – sometimes through a persona – offers the opportunity to delve deeper within various concepts whether it is by herself or as part of an ensemble. She received her BFA in Photography Studies at Ryerson University’s School of Image Arts (2017) and has recently exhibited her work at Gallery 44, Gallery TPW, Critical Distance Centre for Curators, Erin Stump Projects and Ryerson image Centre.

Angela Schubot is from Berlin, choreographer, dancer, researcher and bodyworker/healer, with roots in Peru and Toronto, works since 2009 with Jared Gradinger, creating works on the debordering of the body and plant consciousness. She develops methods of “Radical Softness” and “Flow Work” and is certified practitioner of perceptive pedagogy and fascia therapy/Method Danis Bois. Since 2012 her artistic practice has been researching and developing methods and possibilities to acknowledge non-human principles and beings and to interact with them. These practices include solo works, a.o. the trilogy “Körper ohne Macht” (body without power) 2015, and long term research works, a.o MOSSBELLY in collaboration with Shelley Etkin, developing “bodies of multiplicity” in deep communion with plant nature.

Multi-award nominated, winner and loser, creator b solomon is of mixed Anishinaabe and Irish heritage, born in Shebahonaning on the North Channel of Lake Huron. As a creator his multidisciplinary work is raw, challenging and full of spirit. His commissions (dance, visual & media arts) have been presented and toured across Turtle Island and abroad. With social advocacy at the core, he is passionate about helping people relearn the nature of their ancient bodies, and take back the space those bodies occupy. More at: electricmoose.ca

Tyra Temple-Smith was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. She is a multi-disciplinary artist working with sculpture, video, illustration, and dance. In 2018, Temple-Smith graduated from The School of Toronto Dance Theatre. In 2019, she participated in the Counter Technique intensive in Montreal. She went on to produce a show titled Fuse alongside peers, Olivia Arcangeli and Sasha Speed; with a commissioned piece by Katherine Semchuk. Temple-Smith also performed in a work titled (In)Sight choreographed by Nina Milanovski in her show What Comes Next in 2019, going on to have an iteration in Milanovski’s video journey How did we get here? that premiered July 31, 2021. She has assisted in the Young Dancers’ Program, as well as assisting teaching classes with WeDance at the National Ballet School of Canada.