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Older News June 24, 2022 CANASIAN DANCE ANNOUNCES A YEAR OF CHANGE CanAsian Dance recently celebrated 25 years as an organization dedicated to supporting, developing and presenting choreographic works from artists working with/in Asian concepts, aesthetic practices and identity explorations. The organization has been led and evolved by the skill, wisdom, heart, integrity, curiosity and artistry of our co-founder Denise Fujiwara. As Denise transitions from her Artistic Director role, she leaves the organization with an impressive history of artistic accomplishments as well as stabilized relationships and resources. In the coming year, Ariana Shaw will continue supporting the organization with finely honed leadership skills, sectoral knowledge, strategic planning and collaborative vision as our Managing Director. As we move forward we are taking the time to deeply consider our relationship to artists, audiences, communities and ecologies locally, nationally and internationally. The experience of the past two years has, and will, continue to deeply affect the cultural sector. It brought many long standing societal and sectoral conversations to the forefront. We wish to honour this as a fertile place of incubation and growth. To facilitate this, the organization is taking a transition year to engage in spaces of imagination, deep conversation and professional consultation. This process will be both formal and informal, involving artists, funders, stakeholders and audiences. We desire to examine our contributions, our relationships to the communities of practice we serve and to learn further about communities we are not reaching. This will help us create an informed, relational and responsive path forward. It will inform us of possibilities for what leadership roles and structures can look like for CanAsian Dance. We desire to continue learning through generous and generative artistic spaces to further support artistic development and discourse as we look toward the future. If you’re interested in participating in this process, please stay tuned for invitations in your inbox and on social media. For this year we will invigorate our programming through the exciting engagement of Artistic Associates who will shepherd the artistic programming already planned and in-process. We are honoured to welcome Gitanjali Kolanad as our first Artistic Associate for CanAsian Dance’s Kickstart program and festival. Gitanjali brings 5 decades of professional practice as a performer, choreographer, writer, kalaripayattu practitioner and teacher spanning across North America, Europe, and India. Furthermore, we are announcing a public call for another Artistic Associate who will bring forth an additional CanAsian Dance program. We are proud of the work and impact of CanAsian Dance over the past quarter century and equally excited and optimistic about the future. This transition year is about learning how CanAsian Dance can evolve, grow, and be in conversations that deepen relationships in order to continue cultivating a multiplicity of aesthetics and experimentation for artists and audiences. Sincerely, CanAsian Dance Board & Staff Coman Poon, Board President David Norsworthy, Treasurer and Secretary Brandy Leary, Board Member Ariana Shaw, Managing Director ____________________________________________________________________ November 19, 2021 CANASIAN DANCE ANNOUNCES NEW TD SPONSORSHIP! Toronto, ON – CanAsian Dance is thrilled to announce that TD Bank Group is now the exclusive Diamond Sponsor of the CanAsian Dance Festival 25! TD has generously donated $10,000.00 in support of the New Moves: Short Digital Dance Works aspect of CanAsian Dance Festival 25! This program will invest in three outstanding and talented artists creating work that integrates an Asian idea or practice. TD funding will directly support these emerging choreographers with their dance research and creation, provide dramaturgy, promotion, and support the presentation of their new dance films. CanAsian Dance sincerely thanks TD for choosing to work with us. Their support for the New Moves program means increased artist capacity and greater impact for our community! CanAsian Dance Ariana Shaw, General Manager Denise Fujiwara, Artistic Director ____________________________________________________________________ July 13, 2021 CANASIAN DANCE ANNOUNCES NEW GENERAL MANAGER Toronto, ON - Following a lengthy search and thorough recruitment process, CanAsian Dance is pleased to announce our new General Manager: Ariana Shaw. Ariana comes to CanAsian Dance with a strong background in programming and producing, with previous roles at TO Live (the organization that manages Meridian Hall, Meridian Arts Centre, and St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts), the International Market of Contemporary Circus, and Fall for Dance North Festival. She also has had extensive experience as a circus creative and coach. We are excited for her to bring her knowledge and passion for the performing arts and arts management to CanAsian Dance. Artistic Director, Denise Fujiwara and the CanAsian Dance Board of Directors extend a warm welcome to Ariana and look forward to supporting her work and success as the new General Manager. "The Board of CanAsian Dance is excited and honoured to welcome Ariana as our new General Manager. She is a dedicated and impeccable organizer and producer with the complementary mix of creative, cultural and business acumen that we are seeking as we head into our 25th year. I look forward to working with her as we embark on envisioning and planning for what the start of our next quarter century looks and feels like." says Board President Coman Poon. CanAsian Dance will continue to create opportunities for artistic development by commissioning choreography and performances from artists investigating Asian ideas and practices. Along with a planned visioning and strategic planning process, the Board of Directors has begun its recruitment of new Board members who will continue to champion this new vision for CanAsian Dance along with its staff. CanAsian Dance Denise Fujiwara, Artistic Director Coman Poon, President, Board of Directors David Norsworthy, Treasurer, Board of Directors David Gonzales, Secretary, Board of Directors ____________________________________________________________________ March 3, 2021 CANASIAN DANCE UNDERGOING A MANAGEMENT TRANSITION Toronto, ON - Following a remarkable era in the evolution of CanAsian Dance, Adina Herling will step down from the position of General Manager on June 30, 2021. Over the past 20 years, Adina has produced CanAsian Dance’s events including 11 CanAsian International Dance Festivals, 4 KickStart Festivals and will launch our newest project, GRIT: Short Dances in May 2021. She has managed projects that have seen the commissioning of 32 international, national and Ontario-based choreographers. “I am deeply grateful for my long partnership with Adina. I have witnessed Adina’s remarkable skill in managing the organization and producing the events that touched the lives of so many dance artists and members of the public.” says Artistic Director Denise Fujiwara The Board of Directors of CanAsian Dance thanks Adina for her commitment to the development of the organization and wishes her the best in her continuing endeavours. CanAsian Dance will continue its work of supporting artistic development by commissioning performances by artists seeking to create dance that investigates Asian ideas and practices. Along with a planned visioning and strategic planning process, the Board of Directors has begun its recruitment of a new General Manager who will work to realize programming for CanAsian Dance’s 25th anniversary in 2022 amongst other exciting initiatives. CanAsian Dance Denise Fujiwara, Artistic Director Coman Poon, President, Board of Directors David Norsworthy, Treasurer, Board of Directors David Gonzales, Secretary, Board of Directors
Our Organizational Rejuvenation Continues with a New Artistic Lead and General Manager
CanAsian Dance is thrilled to warmly welcome Angie Cheng and Candice Falby as the new Artistic Lead and General Manager, respectively, to our new co-leadership team.
Angie and Candice are bringing their expertise, passion and relationships, as CanAsian Dance transitions to a new co-leadership structure and sharpens the activist dimension of our role. With Angie based in Montreal, expanding our artistic reach while nurturing our roots in Toronto, and Candice's dedication to administrative excellence within Toronto’s local dance community, we're poised for an exciting year ahead.
Their fresh perspectives and energy will be pivotal to CanAsian Dance’s organizational rejuvenation, as the board continues implementing the recommendations from our recent organizational review. Working collaboratively with the board, Angie and Candice will revise our organization’s vision, mission, and values, and co-create CanAsian Dance’s strategic plan.
Angie and Candice’s commitment to inclusion, empathy, care and empowerment will also drive CanAsian Dance’s artistic programming. As a foundation of their approach, they will foster community and spend time being in community—both in person and online—with local Asian diasporic dance practitioners.
Welcome aboard, Angie and Candice—we can't wait to see where this journey takes us!
The selection committee was made up of Board Members Tom Cho, Linda Zhang, Brandy Leary and external consultant Suma Nair. We also thank everyone who applied and contributed to our search and invites all to stay tuned in the coming months as we hire three part-time Curatorial Committee Members to complete our new co-leadership team.
Meet Our Artistic Lead
photo by Angie Cheng
CanAsian came about as a response to the needs of that time. In its 25 years of contribution to the landscape of Asian Dance in Toronto, it has made several shifts and changes in format and programming. We are now again in a time of change both in the structure of the organization as well as what it has to offer. I am excited for this opportunity to contribute to CanAsian as Artistic Lead. I am looking forward to fostering collaborative relationships while we build on our efforts to be a place of change and responsiveness to be in line with the needs of today.
I value and prioritize: curatorial care, recognition for the intersections of (dance) practice, celebrating process equally to production, advocating for the value of artists in our local and national contexts and advocate for accountable, sustainable, transparent and healthy spaces for dance.
In the coming months, I envision moments focused on bringing people together both virtually and live with artistic and knowledge-sharing gatherings and projects. Facilitating meaningful conversations to share knowledge and resources, be in conversation, learn, and create together. Hosting and creating occasions that nourishes creativity and solidarity. Check out our first action for Asian Heritage Month, where we call for nominations for our daily spotlight of a community member.
While I join Candice (GM), and the board to build out our team with the curatorial committee, I am excited to meet the different artists of the Toronto Asian Dance community. I can not wait to build our relationship and explore the possibilities of how we can best serve you.
- Angie Cheng, Artistic Lead
Angie Cheng is an independent artist in dance. Collaborative creation processes ground her ongoing research in performance; investigating the liminal space between the creative process and performance event, between spectator and performer. The embodied and specific understandings that arise from these investigations shape her current questions and engagements both in her own work and with others. She is also an advocate and has also been actively engaged in the conversations of inclusivity, diversity and accessibility as well as participating, in and co-leading collective actions and activities. It’s not just what we make as artists but how. She is committed to ongoing learning and practicing consent, respect and accessibility: care in how we are together in all that she is engaged in.
She is an associate artist of MAI and co-curator for their 25th anniversary, along with Alexandra “Spicey” Landé and Lara Kramer.
The vice president on the board of ELAN (English Language Arts Network).
Meet Our General Manager
photo by Candice Falby
Excited to accept the position of General Manager, I am eager to bring my experience and passion to CanAsian Dance, aligning seamlessly with the organization's mission and inspired by its rich history within the dance sector. With my background in dance studio management, coupled with advocacy initiatives for BIPOC and the LGBTQ2S+ community, I am committed to fostering inclusive spaces and amplifying diverse voices within the arts.
My vision for CanAsian is centered around creating more opportunities for artists and expanding representation across the sector. Together, with Angie and the board, we will ensure that CanAsian Dance remains a vibrant platform for diverse artistic expression and community collaboration.
- Candice Falby, General Manager
Drawing on a lifetime of dance expertise as a professional dancer and teacher, Candice Falby eagerly merges her artistic background with a deep commitment to non-profit work. Her journey, which began in dance with an early education in jazz, ballet, and musical theatre, took her into teaching and performing Latin and Ballroom dance for over a decade. Life and motherhood lead her to managerial support services for Indigenous women and children, and sex and sexuality organizations in Toronto.
Rooted in a tapestry of dance education and academic pursuits, Candice also has a BA in Behavioral Science, which brings a perspective of non-verbal communication and storytelling with the body. She also holds the position of GM at Anandam Dance Theatre. Her unwavering commitment to integrity and equity, Candice eagerly anticipates contributing to CanAsian Dance's mission, poised to collaborate with the CanAsian team to uphold, support, and promote representation within the artistic realms of movement and creativity.
Ongoing: Seeking CanAsian Dance board members
CanAsian Dance is expanding its Board of Directors and seeking new members with diverse perspectives and backgrounds to join our collaborative leadership team. We are seeking candidates for the Board of Directors who are strategic thinkers and community-minded individuals with a passion for dance, performing arts, and the Asian Diaspora dance community.
In 2022, we engaged consultants to consult with community members, including our core contributors. Among our aims? To investigate models of co-leadership in which the artistic vision does not rest with a singular individual.
During this historic time for the organization, we implement co-leadership approaches and sharpen the activist dimension of our role. We will be expanding our board so that it can properly support these changes. Now is an opportunity to contribute and support the work in revisiting our vision, mission, and values, taking an activist turn in keeping with the urgencies of our time
We are committed to building a board that reflects the diversity of the community we serve and beyond. We recognize, respect and value that diverse life experiences, perspectives, and viewpoints can only bring more to our organization. We actively encourage and welcome diverse candidates, with a broad range of experience, even those without previous board experience. We look forward to reviewing applications from a wide range of qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity, and inclusion.
We welcome all enquiries. We're also especially interested to hear from you if:
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you have expertise in the dance sector, human resources, fundraising, strategic planning, and/or finance
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you have past experience engaging with CanAsian Dance (e.g., as a collaborator or program participant)
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you're a member of any Asian communities and/or a practitioner of Asian dance forms that we’ve yet to strongly engage with.
For queries info@canasiandance.com
Further details coming soon.
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WE ARE HIRING! Read our latest news
At CanAsian Dance, we're capping off a year of change with some of our biggest developments yet. Most importantly, we're hiring! In 2024, as we begin to implement co-leadership approaches, CanAsian Dance will be led by a Curatorial Committee comprising an Artistic Lead, a General Manager, and three Curatorial Committee Members.
As well as hiring, we're planning our transition to co-leadership—and we're seeking new board members to join us. Read on for these and other news items.
We're hiring: Artistic Lead and General Manager
CanAsian Dance is seeking an Artistic Lead and a General Manager. Successful candidates will contribute to a historic time for the organization, as we implement co-leadership approaches to our work and sharpen the activist dimension of our role.
We are accepting individual applications for each role or alternatively, joint applications from duos who are applying for both roles. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis, and will close by end of day, Friday January 26, 2024.
For queries and to request accommodations during the hiring process, please contact admin@canasiandance.com
We're planning: Our transition to co-leadership
What’s co-leadership and what might it look like for CanAsian Dance?
Earlier this year, we engaged two consultants to answer this question, among others. They consulted with dance community members, including our core contributors. We recently released their final report.
As we begin implementing the report’s recommendations, here are some things we’re keeping in mind.
For CanAsian Dance, co-leadership is not "how many people"; it's "how we want to work." Co-leadership is a methodology outside of singular leader models. In the arts, it bridges administrative and artistic structures.
Transitioning to co-leadership is also a long game. To realize this transition under conducive and compassionate conditions, the organization needs the right resources. We'll honour the wisdom in the consultants' report by realizing its recommendations over time, as we gather these resources.
Heading into 2024, CanAsian Dance is seeking new staff. We're currently hiring for the two positions of Artistic Lead and General Manager. We anticipate that we'll call for further curatorial committee members in the spring. We're also seeking board members. Together, staff and board will incrementally transition CanAsian Dance to co-leadership.
In embarking on this transition, we want CanAsian Dance to have a long life—and to lead with empathy and radicality.
We're seeking: CanAsian Dance board members
Want to join the CanAsian Dance board as the organization transitions to working within a co-leadership structure? With our incoming leadership staff and existing board members, you’ll co-create our strategic directions and shape our evolving role.
We welcome all enquiries. We're also especially interested to hear from you if:
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you have expertise in the dance sector, human resources, fundraising, strategic planning, and/or finance
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you have past experience engaging with CanAsian Dance (e.g., as a collaborator or program participant)
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you're a member of any Asian communities and/or a practitioner of Asian dance forms that we’ve yet to strongly engage with.
For queries and applications, contact admin@canasiandance.com. To apply, please submit your CV, along with a cover letter (max. one page) about your interest in the role and in CanAsian Dance. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis, and will close by end of day, Wednesday January 31, 2024.
We're appreciating: Coman Poon and Ariana Shaw
As we start the next stage of the CanAsian Dance story, we’re profoundly grateful to Coman Poon and Ariana Shaw. Our now former board president, Coman joined the board in January 2016. Ariana, our outgoing Managing Director, became General Manager in June 2021.
Coman and Ariana have steered CanAsian Dance during a testing time. They’ve led our response to the departure of founding Artistic Director Denise Fujiwara. They also ensured the organization's survival during the early stages of the pandemic.
All of this required an incredible amount of work. What's more, Coman and Ariana did this work while juggling other arts jobs and commitments—as is so often the case in the arts sector.
During this often tiring time, Coman and Ariana went above and beyond to help guide CanAsian Dance in shifting to co-leadership, whilst maintaining the stability of the organization.
Coman and Ariana, thank you for giving your time and talent. We wish you all the best in the next stages of your stories.
January 30, 2024—CanAsian Dance will feature in a Creative Champions Network event
Creative Champions Network helps arts board members to learn about good governance. Its case-based learning series highlights selected Toronto arts organizations.
Join us on January 30 when CanAsian Dance features as one of the case studies. You’ll learn about our ongoing transition to co-leadership. And you’ll be better prepared to navigate challenges at your own organization.
Tuesday January 30, 2024
5:30 PM to 7:30 PM EST
Adaptavist Offices, 4th Floor
45 Front St E, Toronto, ON
Attendance is free
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September 5, 2022
TEDD ROBINSON, 1952-2022
We mourn the passing of Tedd Robinson with heavy hearts. He brought to CanAsian; dances, teaching, and mentorship imbued with his practice of dance both as a choreographer and as a Zen monk. His work had the quality of Zen koans; mysterious, profound, droll and skillful.
He was loved and will be deeply missed.
– Denise Fujiwara, Artistic Director Emerita
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August 24, 2022
CANASIAN DANCE ANNOUNCES TWO ARTISTIC ASSOCIATES
TO CO-LEAD TO BE DANCED
CanAsian Dance has decided on a path forward by bringing two Artistic Associates to pilot To Be Danced (TBD), an artistic (creation and curation) experiment that offers an intimate cohort an open-ended, critically rigourous and care-centred co-learning and co-mentoring opportunity. This begins with the appointment of both Mayumi Lashbrook and Michael Caldwell to be our inaugural Co-Artistic Associates for TBD. This proposal seeks a generative environment that seeds CanAsian’s commitment to exploring alternative models of cultivating artistic thought, process and action. In addition to the two Artistic Associates, there will be a public call-to-artists to join Mayumi and Michael in a co-curatorial and works-in-development process that is seeking alternative structures for the field.
This combination of two Artistic Associates will enhance the experience of the artists selected and enable an exchange of the Artistic Associates’ distinct, overlapping and complementary capacities.
The Artistic Associates bring expertise in community outreach and engagement, critical exchange, lived understanding of ecosystemic pressures and imbalances, knowledge and skills for rigourous thinking, as well as curatorial and development practices for artistic works. Their candidacy allows CanAsian Dance to support emergent processes not only for artists but also for curators interested in exploring shared and collective models.
Sincerely,
CanAsian Dance Board & Staff
Coman Poon, Board President
Brandy Leary, Board Member
David Norsworthy, Treasurer and Secretary
Ariana Shaw, Managing Director
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