NBS Sharing Dance Day

Shanley Spence is an international world class Indigenous performer. She comes from the stars and a long line of matriarchs. Nihithaw (Swampy Cree) from Pukatawagan and Anishinaabe from Lake St. Martin First Nation. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Development Studies from the University of Winnipeg. She began her hoop dancing career at the age of 13 and has been graced with the opportunity to perform at a variety of nationwide and international events, daycare and school institutions of all ages, conferences and interactive workshops with the Walking Wolf Singers and Dancers, Folklorama and independently.

Performing Artist, Choreographer, and Director of Bharathalaya Dance Academy, Nivedha Ramalingam commenced her journey 16 years ago under the guidance of her mother and later completed her Arangetram in 2003. She obtained her Diploma in Bharathanatyam, “Natiyakalaimani” title, Bachelor’s in Bharathanatyam, and is currently in the process of completing her Master’s in Bharathanatyam from Annamalai University (India). She has since participated in many learning intensives under lead artists in India though she remains primarily self-taught and self-trained. 

Nivedha founded Bharathalaya Dance Academy in 2006. Through the academy she has been instructing Bharathanatyam to students. Nivedha is the first Bharathanatya Dance instructor at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus to instruct classes for university students.

In 2013, Nivedha Ramalingam was selected as the Grand Prize Winner of the Cleveland Thayagaraja Dance Competition, winning over Bharathanatyam dancers from India. She is the recipient of the ‘ Vazhavoor Ramaiya Pillai’ Endowment award from the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhan and the ‘Guru Subbaraya Pillai Endowment award from Sri Kirshna Gana Sabha in Chennai. She currently works as a lead company dancer for the Menaka Thakkar Dance Company. She has performed in many international dance festivals, and has been invited to showcase her work at schools in Vancouver, San Antonio, Chicago,and New York. 
 
As a keen artist, Nivedha continues to learn and discover the intricacies of Bharathanatyam and strives to adhere to its aesthetic beauty and balances a career as a Registered Kinesiologist.

De la nation Huronne-Wendat, Aïcha est initiée au mouvement par la danse traditionnelle de la Guinée tout en grandissant sur le territoire de la communauté de Wendake. Créant instinctivement un mélange homogène entre deux fortes cultures, son engouement pour la physicalité et l’expressivité de la danse la guidera vers la formation professionnelle de L’École de danse de Québec. Créant des unions entre différents styles de danse et d’expression, elle présente l’art chorégraphique en abolissant frontières et stéréotypes. Artiste en danse, productrice de contenu, militante et adepte des mots, Aïcha considère l’art comme un médium proactif pour générer changements et réflexions.

Quoi de mieux que d’orchestrer une symphonie corporelle pour combattre l’ignorance?
 

Jacqui Ladwig is a leading light in the field of understanding dance, disability, and accessibility. A graduate of Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Professional Division, Ms. Ladwig has gone on to share her knowledge with students at every level of the RWB School and Teacher Training Program, as well as reaching into the community to share her expertise. Ms. Ladwig held the position of Principal of the Recreational Division from 1998 to 2005, and currently teaches adults, teens, as well as the RWB ExplorAbility programs. Ms. Ladwig has also filled the role of sessional instructor at both the University of Winnipeg’s Department of Kinesiology and Applied Health and the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management.

In 2009 Ms. Ladwig developed the ExplorAbility movement program for adults with disabilities for the RWB School. This program incorporates dance, music and fitness in a program designed for individuals with varying movement abilities. Ms. Ladwig has also offered this specialized programming to children, youth and adults through her own community programs for S.P.I.K.E., Trailblazers Life Choices, Inc., and Options, Pathways, and Transitions, Inc. day programs, as well as the Pembina Trails School Division, Rehabilitation Centre for Children, and the Manitoba Wheelchair Sport Association.

A life-long learner, Ms. Ladwig holds an Associate Diploma with the Cecchetti Society of Canada and is currently pursuing a PhD. in Applied Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba with a focus on Motor Learning and Control in relation to dance and disability. Her research expands on her experience teaching the ExplorAbility programs.

Dancer, Choreographer, Teacher, Rohan D’Silva has been spreading the joy of dance for over 25 years.

Rohan trained with India’s entertainment icon Shiamak Davar and has performed globally with the Shiamak Davar Dance Company, alongside Bollywood actors such Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Shahid Kapoor, Riteish Deshmukh, Rani Mukherji, Madhuri Dixit, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif and many others.

He has assisted Shiamak and performed for various events including IIFA awards (International Indian Film Academy Awards), TOIFA Awards (Times of India Film Awards), Filmfare, We Day and musical productions including Yes! The Spirit of Triumph, I Believe and Selcouth.

Rohan can be seen dancing in blockbuster Bollywood films Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Taal, Dhoom 2, Bunty aur Babli, Kisna and I See You.

Rohan heads the SHIAMAK Vancouver office and specializes in teaching Bollywood Jazz, Bollywood Workout and Indo Jazz. He also empowers individuals with special needs through the ‘dance as therapy’ and ‘dance for good’ programs run by Shiamak’s Victory Arts Foundation.

Tyler Hall (he/him) is originally from Alliston ON. Tyler has been teaching, choreographing, and performing in Halifax NS for the last 14 years. Tyler started out teaching and dancing with Dal Dance (2007-2020), a part of Dalhouise University. Tyler has been lucky to choreograph for the competitive Black and Gold Dance Team (2016-2017), perform as a soloist and principal in the Cadance Academy's production of The Nutcracker (2014-2017), and currently teach in the Intensive Training Program at Halifax Dance (2018-present). Tyler is grateful to be able to work and live in K'jipuktuk, the unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq, and move with folks from all ages, abilities and experiences. 

Rena Narumi was born in Tokyo, Japan. She trained at Centre d’artchoregraphique Franco-Japonais in Paris, France and Arts Umbrella dance graduate program in Vancouver, BC under the direction of Artemis Gordon and Lynn Shepard. After her graduation, she has performed with ProArteDanza, Kidd Pivot (apprentice), Hessischen Staatstheaters Wiesbaden, Royal Swedish Ballet (RSB), Nederlands Dans Theater 1 (NDT1).

She has worked with renowned choreographers such as Mats Ek, Crystal Pite, Ohad Naharin, Sol Leon/Paul Lightfoot, Johan Ingar, Alexander Ekman, Orjan Andersson, Sharon Eyal, Franck Chartier/Gabriela Carrizo (Peeping Tom) and more.

With RSB in Sweden, she performed the main role of Juliet in “Julia and Romeo” by Mats Ek in many theaters, including Paris Opera Garnier in Paris and Sadler’s Welles Theater in London. With NDT1, she traveled all over the world to perform.

Since 2018, she became freelance based in Netherlands, and rejoining with Kidd Pivot for new creation of “Revisor” by Crsytal Pite and Jonathon Young.

Currently She is joining 2020/21 season at Ballet British Colombia (Ballet BC) as a guest artist.

Julia-Maude Cloutier est interprète, chorégraphe et enseignante. Elle est directrice de l’école de danse Samba Québec et enseigne les danses afro-brésiliennes depuis 2008. Elle est aussi cofondatrice du collectif Le CRue avec Amélie Gagnon qui a comme mandat de rendre la danse accessible au plus grand nombre. On la voit évoluer autant en tant que créatrice qu’interprète dans des projets in situ, films de danse et performances multidisciplinaires entre autres avec les compagnies Danse K par K et Fleuve Espace Danse.