Featuring Caroline ‘Lady C’ Fraser, The National Ballet of Canada, Lua Shayenne Dance Company, and Ambrose Tjark & Kwasi Obeng Adjei.
Curated by Fall for Dance North in collaboration with Esie Mensah
October 18, 19 @ 7:30PM October 19 @ 2:00 PM* Bluma Appel Theatre
*Please note that on October 19 there will be a pre-show artist talk.
Running Time: 90 minutes, including one 20 minute intermission
Generously Supported by Leading Donor Sandra Simpson
Co-presented with
Caroline "Lady C" Fraser
CYMATIX
With CYMATIX, Lady C seeks to give the audience what her grandmother would call, “Something they can FEEL.” CYMATIX takes its name from the study of visible sound. As a dancer and recording artist, Lady C combines her visual interpretation of sound with her sonic interpretation of movement to amaze audiences with a seamless audio-visual experience.
FFDN's presentation of Caroline "Lady C" Fraser is generously supported by Karen Sparks and John and Claudine Bailey.
Music Credits: ‘Rate’ by Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet (Drum intro) ‘What It Do’ by Nate Smith (Drum solo) All other sound design/vocal composition produced, written & performed by Caroline ‘Lady C’ Fraser
Running Time: 20 minutes
Lady C would like to extend her deepest gratitude for the initial support for the creation of CYMATIX to Citadel + Compagnie and The National Ballet of Canada’s Creative Action Programme
Known internationally by her stage name, Lady C, Caroline Fraser is a unique artist from a long lineage of musicians, dancers and entertainers. Her main focus is in Street Dance culture and, although she has made her mark in this global community, her training includes a background in Ballet, Contemporary, Tap and Jazz Dance. Caroline is the recipient of 4 Dora Mavor Moore Awards (most recently in 2024) for her performance and choreography, the Gadfly Canadian Dancer of the Year Award (2015), and a music recording artist with multiple digital and vinyl releases on various record labels.
Reverence, choreographed by Ethan Colangelo and performed by The National Ballet of Canada, is a work inspired by the Hieronymus Bosch painting The Garden of Earthly Delights. It explores how contrasting emotions like anxiety and euphoria can coexist in the body. Colangelo balances moments of extreme virtuosity and subtlety in both the movement and the music, which is an original score from his frequent collaborator, Ben Waters.
Choreographer: Ethan Colangelo Original Music: Ben Waters Costume Designer: Elena Velez Lighting Designer: Jeff Logue Rehearsal Director: Lise-Marie Jourdain Stage Manager: Alex Wommack
Casting: Jason Ferro, Christopher Gerty, Spencer Hack, Josh Hall, Connor Hamilton, Keaton Leier, Arielle Miralles, Isabella Kinch, Noah Parets, Alexander Skinner, Tene Ward, Oliver Yonick
Running Time: 23 minutes
World Premiere: The National Ballet of Canada, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, May 30, 2025
Produced and commissioned by The National Ballet of Canada.
One of the top international ballet companies, The National Ballet of Canada was founded in 1951 by Celia Franca. Today, the company is among the world’s finest, with 70 dancers and its own orchestra. The National Ballet has a history of pre-eminent Artistic Directors and in January 2022, welcomed Hope Muir to the role. Renowned for its diverse repertoire, the company performs traditional full-length classics, embraces contemporary work and encourages the creation of new ballets as well as the development of Canadian choreographers.
Lua Shayenne Dance Company is “fearlessly energetic” (Toronto Star) and noted for its “riveting” choreography (Globe and Mail). In Journey to the Motherland, the company offers audiences a panoramic experience of Africa, showcasing traditional songs, dances, and live percussion.
FFDN's presentation of Lua Shayenne Dance Company is generously supported by Mary and Robert Gore and Robert Gore & Associates CPA
Choreographer and Songwriter (Africa yé): Lua Shayenne Dancers and Singers: Miranda Liverpool, Amelie Giusta, Lua Shayenne Musicians: Fara Tolno, Yohance Francis Parsons, Cécé Haba, Kemar Scarlett Composer: Fara Tolno Vocal Mentor and Coach: Fides Krucker Costume Coordinator: Courtney Roy Costume Designers: Robyn MacDonald (Men’s costumes),LuaShayenne (Women’s skirts and cauri bra tops), local Malian sewer (Women’s top)
Running Time: 10 minutes
With gratitude, we thank LSDC's incredible artists, staff, collaborators, and community for bringing this work to life. Special thanks to our generous donors, funders and partners whose belief in our vision makes our work possible. We also extend heartfelt appreciation to Fall for Dance North for providing a platform that celebrates and amplifies diverse voices in dance.
LSDC is generously funded by the Government of Canada, Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the TD Ready Commitment.
A finalist for the 2024 Muriel Sherrin Award and the 2025 Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize, Lua Shayenne, is a dynamic creator who intertwines contemporary narratives through dance, song, and storytelling. Inspired by her African heritage and the Baha'i Faith, her art aims to ignite hearts and stir consciences. Lua is the artistic director and choreographer of Lua Shayenne Dance Company where she envisioned and launched the YENSA Festival, a biennial celebration of the diversity of Black women dance practitioners. Lua teaches at Toronto Metropolitan University/The Creative School and shares African dance, music, storytelling, and culture with organizations and schools across Canada.
United by Roots Tied in essence Split by flags Walled by politics Stranded by fate Bound in spirit Carried by ancestors Close in heart One in Vision
Two dancers, born of the same earth, walk parallel paths shaped by distantborders. Brothers by land, divided by nations, they move in dialogue throughmovement—an unspoken language bridging space and silence. Whileopportunity has kept them apart, their art becomes a meeting place: a stagewhere boundaries blur, and kinship moves freely. Through rhythm and gesture,they explore identity, separation, and the invisible threads that tie us together.
World Premiere FFDN's presentation of Kwasi Obeng Adjei and Ambrose Tjark is generously supported by Anne-Marie Canning
Kwasi Obeng Adjei is a Canadian multidisciplinary artist, emerging choreographer, and dance educator based in Brampton, Ontario. His dance journey began at the age of 14 when he was accepted into the regional arts program at St. Roch Catholic Secondary School. Kwasi went on to train with renowned choreographers and artistic directors such as Esie Mensah, Lua Shayenne, Ronald Taylor, Mark Sameuls, Rodney Diverlus and more. He credits these mentors with encouraging him to pursue formative performance opportunities with the Pan-American Games, the Toronto Raptors' halftime show, and the productions Kira, The Path | La Voie (Luminato 2019) and Zayo.
Ambrose Tjark is a Nigerian-born dance / performance artist, choreographer, fashion stylist / designer, and community organizer. He is currently touring Europe as a member of the trio The Supa Rich Kids performing their futuristic Oulouy’s Afrikan Party.
Ambrose is a founding member of Westsyde Lifestyle where he promotes Afro Urban culture. He is a recipient of the MacDowell Fellowship and has collaborated with artists Skepta, Davido, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Olamide, Tiwa Savage, Asake and Major Lazer. His kinetic art piece, Soot Yourself, premiered in Toronto with Dance Immersion at FFDN’s International Presenters Program 2024.
Director of Design:Simon Rossiter Director of Production:Barney Bayliss Production Manager:Brianne Gwartz Associate Lighting Designer:Noah Feaver Stage Manager:Janelle Rainville* Assistant Stage Manager: Liliane Stilwell* Assistant Lighting Designers:Sruthi Suresan,Mathilda Kane
Bluma Appel Theatre: Senior Producer: Ariana Shaw Production Manager: Chris Carlton Head Electrician: Giulia D’Amanzo Head Carpenter: Jay Blencowe Head of Audio: Keijo Makela Head of Props: Wes Allen Head of Wardrobe: Susan Batchelor
*The participation of these Artists is arranged by permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association under the provisions of the Dance Opera Theatre Policy (DOT).
Fall for Dance North Team
Leadership
Robert Binet - Artistic Director & Co-CEO
Lily Sutherland - Festival Director & Co-CEO
Aviva Fleising - General Manager
Melissa Forstner - Director of Advancement and Communications
Milana Glumicic - Director of Marketing
Melina Osorio - Finance Officer
Simon Rossiter - Director of Design
Barney Bayliss - Director of Production
Felicia Myronyk - Manager of Advancement
Markéta Tokova - Senior Producer
Julia Mak - Festival and Volunteer Coordinator
Seasonal Staff
Zita Nyarady - Company Manager
Angela Xu - Company Manager
Charlotte Cain - Content Creator
Lucy Rupert - Education and Engagement Coordinator
Cass Cabral Pucci - Community Arts Coordinator
Noah Feaver - Associate Lighting Designer
Jon Reid - Marketing Coordinator
Maria Al Sa'di - Patrons Services and Administrative Coordinator
Year-Round Collaborators
Web Development & Graphic Design Team -Mouth Media
Publicity & Communications -Murray Patterson Marketing Group
Financial Services -Robert Gore and Associates
To read more about our team and their bios, please visit theOur Team page on the FFDN website.
Celebrate our 11th festival with us at Up Next, our closing festival program, Oct 25-26 at OCAD U!
FFDN is Toronto’s premier professional international dance festival that exists to break boundaries and remove barriers.
With pluralism and affordability at its core, FFDN celebrates, nurtures and amplifies established and emerging Canadian dance artists, creates global connections, and inspires future audiences to sustain the artform.
