Year-In-Review 2024
Here are our highlights from 2024:
10 Ragas to a Disco Beat in collaboration with The Music Gallery: Rajvi Dedhia and Dainty Smith performed Nova Bhattacharya’s choreography at The Music Gallery’s What is Spirituality festival to rapturous response from the sold-out house.
Baycrest Seniors Project: In partnership with Baycrest@Home, Nova Bhattacharya and Neena Jayarajan designed and facilitated movement workshops for seniors. Art was shared, stories were told and hearts were connected over 6 sessions with the community through the virtual space.
Theatre Centre Gala: As one of The Theatre Centre’s LTR (Long Term Relationship) Company’s, we were thrilled to celebrate their 10 year anniversary at 1115 Queen Street West. Performing an excerpt of Svāhā! the dancers wowed the crowd with their rhythm, energy and joyous spirit.
Rest and Reflection Retreat: In July, we hosted a retreat on Ohswé:ken / Six Nations of the Grand River where our host, Kahnyen’kehàka multidisciplinary artist of the Turtle Clan, Santee Smith, invited us to accept Rotinonshón:ni values of Fairness, Sharing, Honesty, Kindness, Confidentiality, Consistency, Integrity, Responsibility, Responsiveness, Cooperation, Openness, and Trustworthiness. Supported by the Metcalf Foundation, we shared time and space with creative powerhouses and commissioned art works to thank our host.
Name of Artists: Emilie Jabouin, Blessyl Buan, Nova Bhattacharya, Irma Villafuerte, Victoria Mata, Andrea Nann, Vivine Scarlett, Mel Hart, Santee Smith
Premiered two new solos: Created in collaboration with Dainty Smith, Metal Queen a confluence of Bharatnatyam and Burlesque paints an evocative portrait of the erotic and macabre imagery of the Bengali Mother Goddess Kali; Love Becomes Her, was presented at the Furies Festival on the banks of the St. Laurence River.
Offerings at Ishpadinaa: In August, our incredible creative team of Mushtari Afroz, Nova Bhattacharya, Dhaivat Jani, Neena Jayarajan, Candace Kumar, Dainty Smith, Ravyn Wngz and Thrasher honoured the land with transformative land activations; connecting with community through movement, flower making and the ritual of dance.
Deep End Week: Our annual Deep End Week embraced the theme of Rest and Reflection. The Guest Artist Series featured Yolanda Bonnell, Blessyl Buan, Angie Cheng, Rebecca Singh and Justine Woods. Additionally, therapeutic art sessions with Rachel Robbins, Body Unbreak sessions with Neena Jayarajan, and a resting in repertoire with Nova, provided participants with community, connections and artistic immersion.
Community Collaboration: This year’s collaboration with our friends at Jamii on the Esplanade took shape as three weeks of curation by Nova on the theme of “Storybeing”; "Storybeing expresses the power of art to connect, heal, and change us. It reminds us that we are actively shaping our stories through our creative expressions.” NB.
Nova, Aparita Bhandari, Blessyl Buan, Ganesh Iyer, Neena Jayarajan, Brannavy Jeyasundaram, Rachana Joshi, Asha Ponnachan and Justine Woods brought dance, music, writing, painting, crocheting and conversation to the Jamii hub and wonderful memories were made!
Newfoundland Tour: Nova Dance rocked The Rock with three shows at the Festival of New Dance, including presentations of Metal Queen, Svāhā! on the Land, and Decoded Dances!
Cinars in Montreal: In November Nidhi Baadkar, Neena Jayarajan and Rachana Joshi shared a studio presentation of Calm Abiding Ensemble a reconfiguration of Nova’s iconic choreographed by José Navas. José was there! and it was a magical moment as he watched the transmission of his work onto new generations of dancers.
