CanAsian &
Anti-Racism
Photo of David Norsworthy-Shibatani from Magic Mixing Montreal 2026 by Fran ChudnoffFrom our inception, we have been painfully aware that opportunities for choreographers of Asian descent in Canada have been systemically limited. We also recognized however, that to restrict participation in our activities on the basis of race would be exclusionary and unethical. Consequently, we formed the vision of the organization around our commitments to Asian-based ideas, practices and aesthetics, the cultivation and sharing of those ideas, and the support of new creations that incorporated them.
At this moment of great change in the world, we are examining our ethos again. While CanAsian Dance stands with those working to fight systemic racism, and in particular, anti-Black and anti-indigenous racism, we are re-examining our programs and procedures to ensure that we are part of progressive change and not part of the problem. We are exploring how we can make tangible contributions to the movement. We join those who are amplifying knowledge of the history of oppression and of racial injustice.
We encourage you to join us by reading, watching, listening, learning, self-examining, speaking out and voting.
Photo of Megumi Kokuba and Tanveer Alam at In Good Time 2025 by Fran ChudnoffA Torontonian’s perspective on anti-black racism in our city
A powerful perspective on 'walking while black' by a man for whom walking is an essential practice. He is a performer of sorts, although not by choice. The stakes of his performance are life and death - "A pantomime undertaken to avoid the choreography of criminality."
Historian Kyle G. Brown on the impact of slavery in Canada - CBC Ideas
How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion”: Peggy McIntosh
CanAsian Dance is situated in Tkaronto, a Mohawk word meaning “the place in the water where the trees are standing.” It is the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples, and it continues to be the home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
This land is under the Dish with One Spoon covenant, an agreement between the Anishinaabeg and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. This land is a dish to be shared and cared for and we all share one spoon; the spoon is to be used to take only what is needed and to leave enough for others, thus ensuring a viable and abundant future. We recognize the enduring resilience of Indigenous peoples and we acknowledge that we are accountable to these relationships and these agreements.
We carry these values of responsibility in sharing and caring in abundance with consideration of not only ourselves but of our communities that we share together.
Land Acknowledgement
We are grateful to the following funding partners for their ongoing support
