Photo of Aryana Malekzadeh and collaborator during Entry Waves 2025 by Fran Chudnoff

Past Programs

CanAsian Dance is always looking for ways to collaborate with other arts organizations within their programs to support Asian Canadian artists.

In Good Time

Photo of Susan Lee during In Good Time by Fran Chudnoff

In Good Time is a residency program that breathes life into movements, concepts, and themes that were once set aside.

3 established/elder artists were invited by CanAsian Dance’s Curatorial Committee to explore a previously discarded idea and share their thinking and first draft of an idea in motion. In Good Time is a residency program that breathes life into movements, concepts, and themes that were once set aside. Giving established artists the time to take care of the seedling of an idea, with no risk of blooming too late. The end of week presentation was a part of Dance Works Unfinished/Unfurl mini festival.

Partner — DanceWorks

Photos of Chantelle Mostacho, Susan Lee, and Deepti Gupta during In Good Time by Fran Chudnoff

CLEaR Forum

Photos of CLEaR Forum 2025 participants by Bethany McMorine

A residency-based choreographic research lab that takes place in rural Nova Scotia. The program is a place for artists to gather to question their making practices and explore new ideas with a supportive cohort.

Presented by Mocean Dance in partnership with the Ross Creek Centre for the Arts, CLEaR Forum - Choreographic Lab, Exploration and Research, is a residency-based choreographic research lab that takes place in rural Nova Scotia. The program is a place for artist to gather to question their making practices and explore new ideas with a supportive cohort.

The lab offers a skilled-support team, a forum for dialogue and exchange, studio space for the duration of the week, housing with meals, and a stipend for the week. The program is able to support a variety of research frames such as; two researching choreographers and four interpreters; those interested in working collectively, exchanging the roles of maker and mover daily; or a dedicated small group of 2 to 3 people who want to dive into a research question together. Performing artists of all dance forms or practices based in the body, physical theatre, or interdisciplinary artists with a strong movement component are welcome to apply.

CanAsian Dance Artistic Lead was invited to co-facilitate with Program Director Sara Coffin. In this partnership, CanAsian was also able to support the four participating Asian Canadian Dance artists with their travels.

Presented by Mocean Dance in partnership with the Ross Creek Centre for the Arts

Photos of CLEaR Forum 2025 participants by Bethany McMorine

Arcadia Community Activations

Photo Arcadia Community Activation participants by Fran Chudnoff

CanAsian Dance Artistic Associates were invited to facilitate multiple artistic proposals in the Arcadia Gallery and Theatre space.

With the support Coman Poon (CAD past board president and the Arcadia Co-op Art Gallery, CAD Associate Artists Rachana Joshi, Megumi Kokuba, and Wai Sin Lui proposed different activities and activations for their communities and the public. Inviting different artists to share and activate the space of the Gallery and the Dance space. Some of the activities included an invitation to Dance Arts Institute graduates - hosted by Megumi, Prep & Practice *open to observers - hosted by Rachana

Support from Coman Poon (CAD past board president and the Arcadia Co-op Art Gallery)

Photo Arcadia Community Activation participants by Fran Chudnoff

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.