allies and friends (May)

… with her powerful reggae dub poetry/spoken word recordings including her latest single Woken & Unbroken (2018), album ANXIETY (2012), her groundbreaking first solo Juno awardwinning album Revolutionary Tea Party, a Ms. Magazine Landmark Album, followed by another Juno winner, Conditions Critical. Her third album, Freedom & Dance and her recording for children and young people, Nothing But a Hero, were released to critical acclaim. 

Allen’s debut book of poetry, Rhythm An’ Hardtimes became a Canadian best seller, blazing new trails for poetic expression and opened up the form. Lillian Allen’s latest collection Make the World New: The Poetry of Lillian Allen, edited by Ronald Cummings was published in Spring 2021 and is part of the Laurier Poetry Series. Her other collections, Women Do This Everyday and Psychic Unrest are studied across the educational spectrum. Her literary work for young people includes three books: Why Me, If You See Truth, and Nothing But a Hero. Multi-disciplinary and experimental, Allen’s creativity crosses many genres including radio, theatre, music and film; as writer, featured artist and producer/director and national radio show host. She co-produced/co-directed Blak Wi Blak, a film documentary on Jamaican dub poet Mutabaruka which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

While based in Trinidad until 2019, Jillia was a international touring dancer for major soca bands Machel Montano and Kes the Band for 12 years, Stage Manager for the National Theatre Arts Company of Trinidad and Tobago and led a Children’s Theatre Camp catering to over 300 children for 3 years under the auspices of the Patrons of the Arts Foundation in Trinidad and Tobago. She also worked in film, featured in numerous music videos and video ads, was nominated for Best Crossover Artist by the Trinidad and Tobago Caribbean Music Awards (2017) and released her Debut album ‘Black Cinderella’ in December 2019. Since moving to Toronto in 2020 she has worked with not only KasheDance and Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) but also as a dance artist with Kaeja d’Dance, Wind in the Leaves Collective (WITL), Jumblies Theatre, Luminato, Hart House at University of Toronto, Sensorium at York University and Etobicoke School of the Arts and Kinetic Dance (Halifax, NS). You can find her most recent digital works in “In Case of Emergency” Kaeja d’ Dance (dance artist), ‘Searching for Eastman Series’ – WITL (dance artist), ‘Covid Creations Film’ – WITL (Production Manager), and ‘Konversations Series’ – KasheDance (Project Coordinator). 

He co-founded COBA Collective Of Black Artists in 1993, and danced for the Danny Grossman Dance Company (Canada), Jubilation Dance Co (USA), Toronto Dance Theatre (Canada), Artcho Danse Repertoire (Haiti) and several independent choreographers in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean. BaKari also appeared as an original cast member of Disney’s The Lion King from 2000 to 2002. BaKari was nominated for Dora Mavor Award in Best Male Dance Performance in 2017. 

With Montes Namuli/Shakespeare Link Canada, he performed in several shows in venues in Toronto and Mozambique. When Montes Namuli returned to Mozambique, Muchochoma stayed in Toronto to study at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre where he  had  a chance to work with many choreographers like Coralee McLaren, D.A. Hoskins, Danny Grossman, Darrryl Tracy, James Kudelka, Massimo Agostinelli, Peggy Baker, Peter Chin, Sasha Ivanochko, Sharon Moore, William Yong and Christopher House. 

In his time with TDT he has had the pleasure of working and collaborating with local and international choreographers such as Christopher House, Ame Anderson, Veronica Tennant, Susie Burpee, Peter Chin, Tawiah Ben McCart, Patricia Beaty, Thomas Hauert, Heidi Strauss, Estelle Clareton, Deborah Dunn, Deborah Hay, Simone Orlando, Josh Beamish, Alban Richard, Jean-Paul Kelly, Alicia Grant and more. 

In addition during his time with TDT, Pulga participated in the 2015 Opening ceremony of the Toronto Panam Games, Cirque do Soleil and NBS. He’s also the creator and the founder Pulga Dance and also African Dance and Fitness with Pulga since 2015.

Mr. Ormsby was featured in more than 17 of the company’s choreographed works many of which toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. He has also presented a paper on Dance in the Diaspora at the 1st Biannual Conference, Visualizing / Performing Africa at Ohio University and has conducted for three years an intensive dance workshop in Grenada as well as a master class in Vancouver, British Columbia and substitute teacher at St. Lawrence College in Brockville, ON and served as a Juror on the Ontario Arts Council in the Dance Section. In addition to producing a production Love ‘n Movement, he has self published a photography book “Dance Through Life” and is the Dance Writer for Expose Entertainment Magazine, written for the Dance Current Magazine and was recently commissioned to write a paper for the Canada Dance Festival 2009. In Toronto, Mr. Ormsby has performed with Ballet Creole and was also the Associate Artistic Director of Caribbean Folk Performers. He has worked with Canboulay Dance Theatre, Up from the Roots Entertainment, Menaka Thakur, Caribbean Dance Theatre and Dance Caribe Performing Company. Kevin has served as choreographer at Scarborough Caribbean Youth Dance Ensemble from 1994-1998 and co-founded the Lester B.Pearson Collegiate Dance Troupe. In April 2008, Mr. Ormsby launched his company, KASHEDANCE. 

Irma has been immersed into her choreographic practice and development; through mentorships and dance residencies for emerging choreographers with Dance Makers through their Peer Learning Network Program, Toronto Dance Theatre’s Emerging Voices Program, George Brown Dance, and as of late with Aluna Theatre. Her artistic mission is embodying cultural, social-political and migrant narratives of oppressed communities. As a daughter of refugee, her passion for social justice, human rights, and political art making, is the driving force for creation in Irma’s choreographic and performance work. In 2017, she premiered a new work in progress “Desconocida” at Aluna Theatre’s Caminos Festival – New Works in Progress by Latin American artists in dance and theatre, which was one of the groundbreaking creative moments that set her choreographic journey. Most recently she has presented a new solo in process, “nudoDESnudo”; which at its developed stage has had the honour to present in Austin, Texas, El Salvador and in Toronto through Citadel + Compagnie’s Night Shift 2020.  
 
https://www.irmavillafuerte.com/