Kala Dance Collective & KasheDance

Saturday, February 21 at 2 PM
at The Warkworth Town Hall, 40 Main Sreet, Warkworth

Westben in collaboration with the IBPOC Touring Network presents an unforgettable afternoon of dance performances.

Kala Dance Collective is a Toronto-based group of dancers rooted in the classical tradition of Bharatanatyam. Since its inception in 2019, the collective has been dedicated to exploring innovative and contemporary perspectives within the form, while honoring its classical integrity. Their work seeks to tell stories that resonate with the diasporic experience, celebrate shared heritage, and showcase the beauty and diversity of South Asian culture through dance.

KasheDance is a dance company that creates and presents Afro-contemporary performances, dance classes, and community engagements that give voice to the realities of Caribbean and African Diasporic experiences. Our work is rooted in KasheDanTek, a distinctive system that embodies the company’s philosophy, culture, and training.

Program:

• Kulu Devi by the Kala Dance Collective
• Recalcitrare by KasheDance
• UNTIL Then NOW by KasheDance

Program notes:

Kulu Devi
Kula Devi tells our stories as South-Asian diasporic women in Canada. Informed by our foundation in Bharatanatyam and our South Asian heritage, the work is an embodiment of our individual family goddesses/deities, or Kula Devis and is an homage to our ancestral lineage. Kula Devis are deities assigned to Hindu South Asian families. They are often regarded as the protector, guardian, and knowledge keeper of the family. Through processes of colonization, immigration, and forced homogenization, many families have lost their connection to their Kula Devi. This work is a reflection on the intertwining roles of deity and devotee and a reconnection to our own ancestry. Ritual and the significance of repetition are examined, revealing how caring for deity mirrors self-care. The piece celebrates the resilience and reverence of our heritage within a contemporary context.

Recalcitrare (2011)
To be recalcitrant is to resist and question authority. Kevin A. Ormsby explores this through dance, music, and art, examining the symbiosis between them. Recalcitrare is inspired by research at the National Gallery of Jamaica, particularly the poses of renowned Jamaican artist Edna Manley. Set to music by Ballake Sissoko and Vincent Segal, the work investigates the connections to the classical period through stringed instruments—Erhu, Cello, and Kora— from Africa, Europe, and Asia. This creates a sonic and visual juxtaposition, blending the instruments in a seamless cacophony with dance, questioning perceptions and traditions.

UNTIL Then NOW (2014)
... a combination of excerpts from Dreams, Desires, Possibilities (2008), In SEARCH of OURselves (2012) and Baraka (2010). In SEARCH of OURselves explores displacement, migration, and cultural identity, honoring the diaspora and the journeys we undertake in cosmopolitan cities. Inspired by the documentary War Dance, it reflects on the questions we ask ourselves, shaping our understanding of self and society. DREAMS, DESIRES, POSSIBILITIES examined how we manifest our dreams into actions. BARAKA, meaning "blessing" in Swahili, celebrates African diasporic traditions and their survival across the Jamaican, Caribbean, North American, and Canadian landscapes, highlighting the experience of living in the Western Hemisphere.