Irma Villafuerte

Artist-in-Residence (2023/2024)

Irma Villafuerte is a Tkaronto based dance artist, educator, emerging choreographer and first-generation daughter of refugees from Nahuat Territory Kuskatan, post-colonial El Salvador. She is a Toronto Arts Foundation 2021 Emerging Artist Finalist. She’s had the honor to be part of festivals such as Night Shift 2020 Presented by the Citadel & Compagnie, Fall for Dance North’s Open Studio, The Rhubarb Festival, DanceWeekend Ontario, Aluna Theatre’s Panamerican Routes Festival, Panamania 2015, 12th Bienal de la Habana 2015, Vanguardia Dance Projects Festival, International Dance Meeting in Guantanamo, CounterPulse Performing Diaspora in San Francisco, etc. She’s been part of works by Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, Jaberi Dance Theatre, Kaeja d’Dance, Victoria Mata, Aria Evans, Alejandro Ronceria, Arsenio Andrade and Michael Caldwell. Since 2017, she has led a journey nurturing her choreographic development through residencies with Dance Makers, TDT’s Emerging Voices, George Brown Dance and Aluna Theatre; currently developing two important works nudoDESnudo and Siwat Piedra. As a Latin American woman, her passion for social justice and human rights is the driving force for creation in Irma’s choreographic and performance work. She is a dance instructor at Casa Maiz’ Semillas Latinas program for Latin American children; in 2019, she joined the faculty of the Theatre Department at Randolph College for the Performing Arts.

Irma was presented at our 2022 and 2023 seasons of Discover Dance. Read company dancer, Rachana Joshi's reflection of the 2022 season here! Read host, Dainty Smith's reflection from 2023 here!