Mohammadreza Akrami
Dancer, choreographer, and teacher
What the Nominator shared: A critical thinker and strives for social justice, equity as a human and as an artist.
In their own words: I am an Iranian born dance/Interdisciplinary artist working on choreographing, dancing, and teaching. I see the Asian diaspora and Canadian born Asians as a big family with their similarities and differences that need to be acknowledged and embraced.
I wish that: Asian art, Asian ideas, and Asian identities are any Asians’ art, Asians’ ideas, and Asians’ identities solely defined by Asians. I would like Asian artists to be able to make art without the need to make it “Asian enough” for anyone else to be called art or Asian art.
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.
