2025 Choreographers & Performers

Photo by Justin Eduave

Blessyl Buan

Choreographer & Performer - BaBAelan

Blessyl Buan is a Toronto-based choreographer, performer, and multidisciplinary artist working at the intersection of movement, ritual, and cultural storytelling. With an eclectic foundation in ballet, tap, jazz, and contemporary—alongside house and hip hop as cultural practices—her choreography is rooted in Philippine ancestral memory and diasporic resilience. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and a Doctorate of Chiropractic, she brings kinesthetic intelligence and lived experience as a healer to her work. BABAElan was originally commissioned by the Art Gallery of Ontario and is now reimagined for Dusk Dances 2025. She continues to create through her studio, Blessyl Buan Studios.

Photo by Alexandre Frenette

LiNA Cruz

Choreographer & Performer - Portrait

Montreal choreographer Lina Cruz is a two-time Dora Mavor Moore Award recipient for Outstanding Original Choreography (2012 and 2017) and was nominated for the same award in 2015. She has recently received the news of her 2025 Dora nomination for Outstanding Original Choreography and Outstanding Performance by an Individual, the ceremony will take place in Toronto on June 30. Earlier in her career, she received a second place award in the 1998 international choreographic competition of the St-Sauveur Arts Festival (Quebec). Cruz has a background in ballet as much as modern/contemporary styles and takes interest in martial arts and various forms of stage expression. She has created works for independent artists as well as dance companies and institutions of professional dance training. Cruz is also often involved in theatre and opera projects. In her works, she explores detailed body language, sound and vocal expression, composing characters and sketches which portray an unsettling strangeness, but always hand in hand with a mischievous playfulness. Originally from Colombia, Cruz began her dance career in Spain at 16 years old and came to Canada in 1989. Dedicated to choreographing for Fila 13 and after many years of not performing herself, at 68 years old, Lina recently reconnected with the pleasures and challenges of the stage, performing a solo in Toronto, presented by Moonhorse Dance Theatre in the Older & Reckless Series. She is presently in the process of developing works for herself in solo and duet formats, exciting new adventures to come in 2025 and 2026! Recent and upcoming activities - A 2024 Vernon Performing Arts Centre residency gave way to the creation of Tunnel 9, a duet for Claudia Moore and Sean Ling, to be premiered in Vancouver’s Dancing on the Edge 2025. Fila 13 will be in residency at Iro Tembeck’s Hall in Montreal in September 2025 for a creation residency of a modular group piece allowing shorter individual pieces to be derived from it and presented autonomously. The full length group piece will have a future premiere in 2026/2027.

Janice, a Black woman with long twists, leans in front over the back of a black leather armchair and looks to the camera in front of a brown velvety background.

Janice Ellis

Performer - Sweet Mother

Janice Ellis was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, growing up, she was a very out spoken, shy and quiet girl. She has been dancing since a child and over time realized it is what she wanted to do as a profession. Janice first started her dance journey in high school trying out and being a part of dance teams. In high school, she became a part of a dance group called S.T.O.P.P (Student Triumph Over Peer Pressure) that specialized in traditional African dance. Janice went on to graduate and attend York University’s dance program. During her time in university, she started to branch off and touch other styles of dance a bit more seriously, like hip hop, ballet and afro. She then realized where her heart and love for dance was. It was afro. Fast forward to now, she has had the blessing of working with many artists including Asake, Baby Cham, Drake, Yemi Alade, Mr. Eazi and many more. She has also opened for Burna Boy, Davido and Kizz Daniel.

Roweena, a South Asian woman with long straight hair, smiles warmly in a color photo. She is wearing a white embroidered outfit and traditional earrings, turning slightly to face the camera.

Roweena James

Performer - Re-Imagining Bhamakalapam

Roweena James is an emerging South Asian artist from Kerala, India, trained in Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Mohiniyattam, Kerala folk dance, and Monoact. She has received accolades such as the CBSE Kerala State Kalathilakam (three years), Aththa Chamayam Kalathilakam (eight years), and the Kerala State Youth Festival Kalathilakam. She holds a postgraduate degree in Bharatanatyam from Annamalai University. Roweena performed in Salaam Rahman by Sampradaya Dance Creations, with choreography by Harikishan S. Nair and Tanveer Alam. Now based in Canada, she continues to perform and evolve her artistic journey under the guidance of Harikishan S. Nair, engaging closely with the South Asian diaspora.

Candace Kumar

Performer - Babaelan

Candace Kumar is a cultural dance artist from born in Mississauga, Ontario. She specializes in Filipino cultural dance, researching and performing dance styles from all across the Philippines. In her artistry, Candace reimagines traditional dance forms from the Canadian diaspora to tell stories about what she envisions as past, present and future. She believes traditional dance can guide us through the future as we navigate life on land that is not our ancestral home. She was recently awarded the Mississauga Arts Council 2023 Established Artist Award and the City of Mississauga Civic Recognition Award for her achievements in Filipino arts.

Hari, an Indian man, smiles softly to the camera while glancing upwards. He is wearing a high-collar black button down shirt.

Harikishan S Nair

Choreographer - Re-Imagining Bhamakalapam

Hari is the Founder and Artistic Director of Regatta Kala Kendra. He is active in the community as a dancer, theatre artist, teacher, choreographer, mentor, dramaturge and rehearsal director. He is a passionate and critical advocate for equity within the dance sector for practitioners of South Asian dance and a community leader in articulating issues on how these performance aesthetics interface with established institutions of dominant dance presenting/curation in Canada.
Born and raised in Kerala (India) he has been dancing since age 3 and is fluently trained in Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam and Kuchipudi. He tours new choreographic works and conducts teaching workshops and master classes extensively across North America. He has gone on to collaborate, perform, and present his work at numerous dance festivals in India, UK, Canada, and the USA. He is the Co-Founder of Atam Arts Collective- a Malayalam theatre group based in Toronto, Co Director of SADAC- South Asian Dance Alliance of Canada and also the Associate Artistic Director of ĀNANDAṀ Dancetheatre.
Harikishan has been generously supported through the Metcalf Foundation, Canada Council for the Arts, Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council to continue building his artistic practice and skills as a leader and maker in this sector.

Prince Kofi Nkrumah , a young dark boy with black short hair. Wearing a cap and a white with a black banana at the color.

Prince Nkrumah

Alt Performer - Sweet Mother

Prince Blessing Kofi Nkrumah (aka Kofie Webbie) is a vibrant dance artist, choreographer, and teacher from Ghana, West Africa. Kofi’s dynamic movements reflect the continent’s rich cultural diversity. His goal is to bridge cultural gaps and promote cross-cultural understanding through the universal language of dance while inspiring a new generation of dance enthusiasts to embrace their African heritage. He serves as the president and instructor of the Afro Dance Club at at Seneca College. Through his leadership and instruction, Kofi continues to share his passion for African dance and culture with the world.

Photo by Alexandre Frenette

Kwasi Obeng-Adjei

Choreographer & Performer - Sweet Mother

Baffour Obeng Adjei is Canadian multidisciplinary artist, emerging choreographer and dance educator based in Brampton, Ontario. Baffour worked in the dance industry for more than 10 years, working in projects that include, Pan Am Games, Giants of Africa Gala, Raptors Half time show, Asake Canadian Tour, AfroFest, Luminato Festival, Kultureland Festival and many more. Baffour has a strong commitment and dedication to promoting and sharing African culture through dance. He has taught in over 20+ schools in the GTA and has facilitated dance workshops across Canada and in the Caribbean.

Martin, a Black woman with short curly black hair soflty smiling, in front of charcoal white backdrop, wearing a black graphic t shirt and and two necklaces..

Martin Prempeh

Performer - Sweet Mother

Born in Kumasi, Ghana and raised in Toronto, Canada, King Martin Luther Prempeh also known as PREMPZ is Toronto most notable dancer and choreographer you’ve ever seen. Dancing is something he lives, breathes and loves to do and has high hopes in becoming more sucessful. With the ability to move his waist in different directions and his non-stop flips, he never fails to grasp an audiences attention. His notable classes called "PrempzWednesdays" A place to learn, share and exchange positive energy no matter what age or level. His talent and passion has lead him to many opportunities of working with and opening for artists like Ruff N' Smooth, kiss Daniels , Yemi Alade, French Montana, Davido, Burna Boy , and and recently toured with One of the biggest Afrobeat artist in world, ‘Mr money with the vibes’ ASAKE on his lungu boy USA TOUR 2024

Danah, a filipinx with black hair, smiling while parting her hair in a black leather trench coat, brown top and gold accessories.

Danah rosales

Performer - Babaelan

Danah Rosales, known as Maldita Siriano 007 in the ballroom scene, is a Tkaronto based queer millennial; 2nd-gen Canadian-Filipinx; a daughta; a cister; a solo parent of two humans; legendary women’s performance motha of the kiki house of siriano; and a 3-time Dora nominated artist in which her work encompasses dancing, teaching, coaching, mentoring, consulting, producing, collaborative and interdisciplinary choreography and performance. Danah has worked with artists, Tanisha Scott, Leeroy New, William Yong, Matthew Cuff, Ralph Escamillan, Justin De Luna, Francesca Chudnoff, Ceréna, Diséiye, Vivek Shreya, Aiza, Myst Milano, Dorian Electra, Jenn Goodwin, Tanya Lukin Linklater, Kent Monkman, Mix Mix Dance Collective, and more.

Cassandra a Black woman with shoulder length straight black hair soflty glancing, in front of charcoal grey backdrop, wearing camouflage pants and black top with two thin straps.

Cassandra Toutou

Performer - Sweet Mother

Cassandra Toutou is a Cameroonian Montréal-born, Brampton-based dance artist and choreographer inspired by her roots. Ambasse Bey, Ndombolo and Coupé Décalé are influential to her artistic style. She’s featured on CBC Kids’s *Come Dance With Me* and performed with Esie Mensah’s Black Stars T.O. at Afro Fest and Raptors halftime shows. Her work includes Nightshift with Citadel + Compagnie and training at OYOFE’s African Street Dance Festival in Barcelona. Passionate about Afro-dance’s cultural depth, Cassandra champions its global rise as a dancer, choreographer, and movement director.

Arathi, an Indian girl is wearing a bright pink saree with an intricately embroidered blouse. Her long, dark hair is left open, and she has styled her look with a small green bindi, statement earrings, and a natural makeup with smile on her face.

Arathi Venugopal

Performer - Re-Imagining Bhamakalapam

Arathi Venugopal is a dedicated South Asian classical dancer from Kerala, India, with over 24 years of training in Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam, Kuchipudi, Kerala Nadanam, Folk Dance, and Kathakali. A committed performer for more than 16 years, Arathi continues to evolve artistically under the mentorship of Harikishan Nair, founder of Regatta Kala Kendra. Now based in Canada, she is an active voice in the South Asian diaspora arts community. She has participated in performances hosted by Sampradaya Dance Creations and Regatta Kala Kendra. Arathi is also the co-founder of Thrayambaka, a collective that presents Indian classical and semi-classical dance across numerous festivals in the Greater Toronto Area.