ARISE:
2022 Signature Programme

Music’s powerful ability to connect human beings is at the centre of Dianne Montgomery’s artistic practice as choreographer, dancer and composer. Her values deeply align with the traditional tenets of tap dance---community building, perseverance, innovation, generational sharing, physicality, intellect, playfulness and mindfulness.

Recent projects include commissions from the Toronto International Tap Dance Festival and Citadel + Compagnie, artist-in-residence appointments for companies in Ottawa, Calgary and Washington D.C, collaborations with Juno Award winner Ron Davis and with the We Are One Jazz Project. Other notable work includes contributions to television (SNL, Warehouse 13), film (Gunless), music (Down and Out in Upalong) and live concert work (Feist). 

Kaleo Trinidad holds the prestigious position of Kumu Hula at Hawaii’s notable private learning institution for those of Native Hawaiian descents, the KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS. Kaleo founded Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La, where he has been Kumu Hula since 2004. He holds diverse skills in Hula Kahiko, Hula Awana, singing with a broad repertoire of songs, both traditional and modern and playing the ukulele. He is a multi-award winning choreographer in the International Merrie Monarch Hula competition, where he has won top honours for several consecutive years. Kaleo has performed, directed and produced on an international stage, including performances for President Obama, the United Nations, Disney and Fall for Dance in New York City.

Michael Greyeyes is a Nêhiyaw actor, choreographer and director from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. Greyeyes is the first Indigenous student to graduate from Canada’s National Ballet School and join The National Ballet of Canada. He was also a soloist in the company of American choreographer, Eliot Feld, before beginning his own work as a choreographer and then actor. As a choreographer and director, his work has been seen across Canada and internationally, including: Pimooteewin, the first Cree language opera, with libretto by Tomson Highway (Soundstreams) and Almighty Voice and his Wife (Native Earth Performing Arts). In 2010, he founded Signal Theatre and premiered several full-length dance theatre works, including from thine eyes (Harbourfront Centre), A Soldier’s Tale (National Arts Centre) and Bearing for the Luminato Festival, a searing examination of Canada’s Indian residential school legacy. As an actor, he has appeared in numerous roles across stage and screen, including acclaimed performances in Woman Walks Ahead (A24), HBO’s third season of True Detective, and as Traylor in Jeff Barnaby’s feature film, Blood Quantum (Elevation Pictures) for which he was awarded a Canadian Screen Award for Best Actor. He also appeared in the Emmy-winning HBO series Know This Much Is True and can currently be seen as Terry Thomas in Rutherford Falls, a new comedy series on Peacock and Showcase in Canada. Most recently he can be seen starring in Lyle Mitchell Corbine’s debut feature Wild Indian, which premiered in competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.

Born in Tkaronto (Toronto), Jera Wolfe is a choreographer and performer of Métis heritage.

His captivating choreography has awarded him the 2019 Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Original Choreography for Trace by Red Sky Performance. He has demonstrated an impressive repertoire of works presented by Canadian Stage, Fall For Dance North, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Festival des arts de Saint-Sauveur, Danse Danse and Jacob's Pillow.

His choreographic works include creations with the National Ballet of Canada, Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Canada's National Ballet School, Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers and Red Sky Performance. Recently, Jera performed and choreographed for Buffy Sainte-Marie’s Moonshot as part of her Starwalker concert at the NAC.