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Co-presented with Fall For Dance North
Night/Shift Presents
Alireza Keymanesh, Maria Serrano and Shameka Blake
Join us for night one of our late-night dance fest, featuring three unique works celebrating the preservation of cultural practices in the face of resistance, the importance of identity and self-worth, and the positive impact of human connection.
Approximate run time is 15 minutes per work.
Meet the Artists
Photo by Sepideh Sadati
Alireza Keymanesh
Alireza Keymanesh is a choreographer, filmmaker, actor, writer, and teacher. In 2009, he graduated from Tehran University of Arts’ acting program, before undertaking one year of practical dance-theatre research as a guest at ArtEZ University of Arts in the Netherlands in 2013. Currently he is studying his MFA in Film at York University in Toronto. He has won several awards at various film festivals around the world both as a filmmaker and actor.
Read more +Additionally, he has been introducing and developing the Ideokinesis method in Iran, by offering workshops, lectures, and translating André Bernard’s Ideokinesis book into the Persian language.
Photo by Eszter Czibok
Maria Serrano
Maria Serrano is a renowned flamenco dancer from Seville, Spain, who has travelled the world with famous ensembles and enchanted audiences with her sensitivity and power. She founded her own company, Compañia Maria Serrano, in 2000 and has produced several acclaimed shows, including FlamenTago and Intuición. Serrano has expanded her teachings to Canada with the launch of her dance studio in Toronto.
Read more +Her latest production, Alma de Mujeres, explores women’s experiences of loneliness, self-worth, and freedom inspired by the challenging circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo by Vita Cooper
Shameka Blake
Shameka Blake was born with an intrinsic desire to create. In her artistic practice, she is committed to shedding light on issues of social justice, as they relate to culture, gender, and ethnicity. Shameka’s work has been featured at the Association for the Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) Convention in New York City, the Pan Am Games, Roots Canada, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, in addition to local Toronto Festivals: Yensa, Dusk Dances, Dance Ontario DanceWeekend, TIFF, and Pride.
Read more +Shameka’s career began in the Commercial Dance field but has now evolved as she has found a new voice in the dance/theatre world. Recently she had the opportunity to present at the 33rd IABD International Conference and Festival of Blacks in Dance held in Toronto, and she will also be premiering her newest work Black in Canada this October at Fringe Next Stage.
Show Credits
A History of Silencing Dance
Choreographer: Alireza Keymanesh
“Tarantos” – Alma de Mujeres
Choreographer: Maria Serrano
SEED
Choreographer: Shameka Blake
Production Team
Lighting Designer: Emilie Trimbee
Production Stage Manager: Helin Gungoren
Production Manager: Mariana Rosato
Technical Director: Eliajah Stefura
Program
A History of Silencing Dance
A History of Silencing Dance is an artistic manifestation against inhumane efforts to eradicate cultural and natural human activities such as dance. This dance-installation was created in honour of all the people who kept the art of dance alive from the beginning of the 1979 Islamic Authoritarian Revolution in Iran until now.
“Tarantos” – Alma de Mujeres
An internal journey that has been difficult but long overdue: a personal exploration of identity, self-worth, and freedom through the lens of Flamenco. The Taranto allows Maria to explore her personal struggles as a woman, an artist, and a businessperson during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
SEED
A seed holds immeasurable potential, yet its growth is limited by the support it receives. Even the most vital seed will wither without proper nourishment. SEED is an exploration of how human connection can re-shape lives and provide a nurturing environment for growth, together and individually.
