Candace Kumar
Filipino folkloric dance practitioner, researcher, community organizer
What the Nominator shared: Candace's research intensive dance practice is bringing a depth and a rigour to Filipino folkloric dance in Toronto that is so beneficial to both the dance community and the Filipino diasporic community in Toronto I wish for her commitment to cultural sensitivity to be celebrated and acknowledged as an inspiration and learning tool for the rest of the dance community. She's also so kind and generous with sharing about her knowledge, after returning from the Philippines she has hosted a number of free classes and conversations to share what she has learned.
Photo by @belgbelgicaIn their own words: My journey as a Filipino cultural dance practitioner has taught me that our traditions are vibrant and evolving, meant to be shared with all of our Kapwa. Kapwa, meaning a shared sense of identity and purpose, extends to all life around us. Dance connects us as Kapwa, and as we navigate life on land that is not our ancestral home, our cultural dance forms can guide us into the future here.
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.
