Sonia St. Michel (she/her)

Sonia St-Michel is a dancer, choreographer and arts educator. She is the artistic director of Sonia St-Michel Creations. Her Odissi practice began in 2000 with Upasana and Anjali Academy, then traveling regularly to India for choreographic research, to perform and for training with Aloka Panikar, Sujata Mohapatra, and Rekha Tandon. Sonia was initiated to western classical singing by Stephanie Piercey and Jonathan Voyer. Her art finds grounding in yoga and the Alexander technique, somatic approaches that have been part of her life for 20 years. At the heart of her practice is an ever-renewed dialogue between traditional Odissi repertoire and the creation of contemporary works. She creates contemplative and enveloping works nourished by interdisciplinary influences like visual art and storytelling. She presents in theatres, festivals and art galleries in Canada and abroad in venues such as Tangente, Festival Accès Asie and the Kabir Centre, Kalanidhi Fine Arts festival, the National Arts Centre, the Ottawa Dance Directive, and the Odissi International festival.
An active arts educator she is engaged in artistic experimentation opportunities across schools and communities in Quebec and Ontario. Sonia has been a board member of the production center L’Avant-Première, co-founder of the housing cooperative Les Artistes du Ruisseau and co-producer of Canada Yuva Mahotsav, a festival dedicated to youth engaged in the practice of Indian dances.

What do you love about dance? I love dance because it brings me closer to everyday consciousness through attention and intention.

How have you stayed connected to dance during the pandemic? Long walks in nature alone. Phone calls and zooms with close colleagues for mutual encouragement, inspiration and support. Online classes with my students, creative projects online, online professional development projects.

Projects with Nova Dance: Svāhā