Engaging with Dance this Summer
Toronto is soaking up the sunshine this summer! The warm weather invites a variety of dance festivals, performances and events for the public to enjoy. Here are a few to check out in the next months:
YENSA Festival: A Celebration of Black Women in Dance
Aug 13 – 28
Daniels Spectrum
YENSA Festival, produced by Lua Shayenne Dance Company, is an international biennial festival that celebrates the work of women in dance, from African and Afro-diasporic culture. YENSA Festival invites audiences to engage and celebrate with us the incredible evolution of Black dance, have conversations about the diversity of African Diasporic aesthetics, its histories and politics from a female perspective.
Photo Courtesy: YENSA Festival
Mississauga Multilingual Fringe Festival
Aug 15 - 21, 6:00 pm EDT
Small Arms Inspection Building
The Mississauga Multilingual Fringe Festival is the first multilingual fringe festival in Canada and the US. MMFF is an uncensored, non-juried theatre festival, bringing together emerging and established artists alike to tell their stories on stage. This year features theatre performances in English, Hindi and Cantonese. For more information and tickets, check out this link!
Dis/Mantle
Aug 5 – Dec 31
Spadina House Museum
Dis/Mantle, an art exhibit inspired by the efforts of Black abolitionists, reimagines Spadina Museum using an Afrofuturism narrative: where Mrs. Pipkin is now the homeowner and the house is a safe haven for those seeking freedom through the Underground Railroad. The group show includes soundscapes, ceramics and visual art from Canadian artists from the Afro Caribbean diaspora, including an iconic portrait of Louisa Pipkin and a series of new portraits of members of the Black community by lead artist Gordon Shadrach. Visit the Spadina House Museum to catch this exhibit.
Toronto Diversity Festival
Aug 27, 11:00am – 10:00pm
Nathan Phillips Square
The Toronto Diversity Festival is a major showcase event that reflects and celebrates our cultural diversity and heritage, while also removing barriers to ethnic food, music, crafts, and art in order to promote intercultural, inter-generational understanding. The festival celebrates harmony through different multicultural performances. Exhibitors will be selling clothing, jewelry, paintings, handicrafts, and food.
Photo Courtesy: Toronto Diversity Festival