Kicking of 12 hours of dance with JUNTOS Programs Manager, Cristiana Cavallo. She will be covering information on the performing artists, organizations, and companies and the times they’ll all perform!

Community Workshop Series is an ongoing initiative to keep our Dance Volunteers connected to our Community Alliances abroad through virtual dance and movement workshops. In the fall of 2020, our CWS Dance Volunteers performed “De Lejos” and you’ll see that same performance during the Global Danza-Thon!

This is an excerpt of Frog in Hand’s dance film, cave forest river field. It was created and edited by Colleen Snell and Noelle Hamlyn. The original score is by Callahan Connor (AKA C-Command). Dancers in this feature are Clarke Blair (cave), Rohan Dhupar (forest), Samuel Davilmar (river), and Frances Samson (field). This film is supported by the Mississauga Arts Council and the City of Mississauga. 

In February 2020, absurdist dance theatre company, Rock Bottom Movement, had a one week residency at the Stratford Festival LAB where they began working on a brand new work. This was their last in person rehearsal pre-pandemic and they’ve never shown this footage to anyone. It’s rough, it’s research but it reminds them of laughing together in leather pants and making strange artistic choices. They hope it brings you some form of joy in all it’s unfinished glory!

The JUNTOS Alumni Board expands the JUNTOS mission by creating a network of engaged alumni. Through collaboration, networking, and mentorship we empower our alumni and current dance volunteers to become leaders in the global dance community. The 2021 Alumni Board members are Chelsea Hecht, JoVonna Parks, Zara Anwar, Esther Reilly, and Julia Horner.

Proyecto artístico y estudio de danza. Libertad de creación, inclusión social a traves del arte.

Megan Stricker is a long time member of the JUNTOS familia. She’s participated in trips abroad, as an Ambassador, and a Global teacher. Megan has performed in regional productions of Holiday Inn, The Will Rogers Follies, Annie, and White Christmas. She appeared off Broadway with Guilty Pleasures Cabaret, and toured the world with Mystic India and Magicians Kevin & Caruso. Throughout the pandemic she has reignited her love for teaching! Amber Parks is a graduate of the George Washington Carver Center for the Arts and Technology. She was a member of the All-County Dance Ensemble and had the honor of being awarded recognition as an All-State Maryland dancer. Amber is now a distinguished teacher and choreographer. She is passionate about guiding aspiring students to discover proper focus of their capabilities along with confidence to excel in mental and personal growth. Megan and Amber are both Maryland natives and are grateful for the opportunity to be home to create and perform together. They are thrilled to share the power, joy, and honesty of this beloved art with you!

The piece, “Hombre Honrado”, was a chance to reconnect to each other and find healing after the long isolation and struggles with the social unrest. We honored our emotions from the past year and stripped down to the natural and vulnerable to dance as an “honest man”. Song by Hermanos Gutierrez. Filmed by Abigail Stricker.

The mission of NicaPhoto is to empower disadvantaged children and their families living in the poorest barrios of Nicaragua, allowing them to reach their full potential, and in doing so, to break the cycle of extreme poverty. We do this in a holistic manner through educational support in the form of tutoring, art and enrichment to develop the creative spirit and critical thinking, as well as programs in health, nutrition and personal and community development.

Nailah Ramcharan-Gibbs (she/her) is a Toronto-based dance artist, known for her unique athleticism, inquisitive mindset, and engaging performance quality. A graduate of York University’s Dance program, her distinctive strength and spirited stage presence stems from a background in opera, musical theatre, and gymnastics and was further amplified through her training at The Ailey School. Since graduating, Nailah has had the opportunity to train and perform with choreographers and companies including VIM VIGOR, Helen Simoneau, and Buglisi Dance Theater before returning to Toronto in early 2020. She has since been the recipient of three choreographic residencies and has worked as a featured artist for various local companies, including Theatre Oculus; Expect Theatre; The And, Stage Company; and VIBE Arts. Her artistic process prioritizes interdisciplinary collaboration between visual, musical, and movement-based art forms, as well as transitional patterning and imagery, translated through a movement quality that is inspired and influenced by the extremes accessible to human physicality and the nuances of musicality. Outside of the studio, Nailah works as the Social Media and Marketing Associate for JUNTOS Collective, and is in the process of completing her bachelor’s degree in Athletic Therapy at Sheridan College in Toronto.

Founded in 1996, in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Fundación Salvación has been driven by their goal of providing a safe and secure home for up to 60 previously at-risk boys and girls. They aim to offer a nurturing and safe home with a family that encourages growth and development. Their work helps motivate youth to become productive members in their communities, by giving them the tools and opportunities they need to flourish and forge their own path to success. The incredible team at Fundación Salvación is committed to the protection, restoration, and transformation of vulnerable children and teens in the community. They hope to promote a better quality of life for the at-risk people and vulnerable communities in Huehuetenango through the use of inclusive programming, and educational projects and training that positively contribute to familial and social development.

Casa Alianza Nicaragua (CAN) opened in 1998 and was the fourth center in Latin America. Located in the capital of Managua, it has two residential centers and several programs that offer assistance to homeless children and teenagers in need of aid. Learn more by watching this video.

15 Emerging Artists in Toronto collaborated on a unique music and dance hybrid created during the Covid-19 lockdown in Toronto. Babble was created by the following

Rohan Dhupar, Sydney Keir, Carmen Leardi, Riley Martel, Nailah Ramcharan-Gibbs, Skye Rogers, Veronica Simpson, Kryslyne-Mai Ancheta, Mateo Chavez Lewis, Max Filazek, Stephen Ingram, Christina Litt Belch, Alecia Pagnotta, and Julia Sherwood.

CO-DIRECTED by Barbara Johnston, Nicola Pantin and Jackie Chau
MUSIC DIRECTOR Barbara Johnston
CHOREOGRAPHER Nicola Pantin
ART DIRECTOR Jackie Chau
ARTISTIC DIRECTORS AND PRODUCERS: Laura Mullin and Chris Tolley
VIDEO BY Eric Andrews

Co-Produced by Arts Etobicoke and funded by The Ontario Trillium Foundation, Canada Council of the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council.

Lilly Hunter is a highschool sophomore in Mill Valley, CA. She has been dancing at RoCo Dance since 2009, and has been taking classes in the Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop and Breaking programs ever since. In 2019 she joined RoCo’s modern company BodyLanguage and in 2021 joined the hip hop company New Constitution. She also teaches elementary and preschoolers Contemporary, Breaking and Hip Hop. Lilly was a part of the JUNTOS Youth trip in 2019 to Oaxaca and is excited to be working with JUNTOS again! Lilly Hunter’s piece titled “Air” is exploring the simultaneous connection your body has with the ground and the air above. Choreographed and performed by Lilly Hunter. The music is “F Major” by Hania Rani.

Campbell has been dancing for 10 years. With a variety of styles such as Hip-Hop, Ballet, Jazz, Breaking and an emphasis on Modern dance, Campbell has attended Roco dance and fitness for many years, as well as travelled for dance including to Interlochen Center for the Arts.

The second piece performed by both Lilly and Campbell is titled Tusk, music is Tusk by Fleetwood Mac, choreographed and preformed by Lilly Hunter and Campbell Willat. It explores the connection between two people and how two lives may live together but separate at the same time. Its light hearted and fun to remind us of the good times and good connections throughout the hard ships we’ve been facing globally.

Winnie Berger began her dance training in Tucson, Arizona, under the direction of Mary-Beth Cabana. She graduated from Fordham University and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s BFA program in 2014, with a dual degree in Dance and Theology. Although continuing to perform with Exit 12 Dance Company and other freelance projects, Winnie came to the realization that it was time to create a dance company. For her Senior Thesis, she created a 30-minute work dedicated to her sister, Violet, who was diagnosed with Autism in 2013. Since “Inside Chunks’ Head”, Winnie has been continuously supported by audience members with compassion, love, and a sense that what she produced was something incredibly significant. She has things to say and feelings to express, and sometimes dance is the only honest way of doing so. The importance of art and its transcendence to audience members has been a big revelation for her, and that’s what Mook Dance Company aims to do: create art that is inspiring, reflective, dynamic, ethereal, and relatable to all individuals.
Dance is oftentimes difficult to understand because of its dependent use of metaphor and evocation of an idea–often without an obvious subject matter or purpose. Yet, what Mook aims to accomplish is bridging the gap between metaphor and reality. Subjective instances in life are tangible, arduous, and experienced by all, and Mook uses dance as a form of discussion that dancers and non-dancers alike will recognize and comprehend. It is my goal as a choreographer to utilize my voice and tell my story. But if I aim to share with an audience, I feel it is important that my work is comprehensible to understand.

Mook’s company repertoire consists of real, palpable, and personal instances and elaborates on those ideas with movement that is both ethereal and literal. My choice to use authentic, natural movement alongside ornamented contemporary movement adds a criteria of relatability and human recognition, while still remaining evocative. I want to combine daily human perceptions with contemporary movement to narrate my own experiences–and these instances are almost always shared by others. https://www.mookdancecompany.com/fashion

Shelby is a student at the University of Utah. She has been a JUNTOSVirtual Global Teacher since February 2021, teaching virtual workshops for JUNTOS Community Alliances abroad in the JUNTOS pedagogy.

The title is Two Duets, music is played by Shelby Strickler and Sophia Lin, dancers are Anna Kazwell and Sophia Lin. This was the final project for a screen dance course Shelby took at University of Utah taught by Katrina McPherson.

DUAL RIVET is a women-led dance company focused on creating and sharing highly physical contemporary dance to a wide audience. Based in NYC, Dual Rivet creates work for stage and film that exchanges a cinematic and visceral language to influence both platforms. Directors Jessica Smith and Chelsea Ainsworth have been making and presenting work since 2017. They come from an international background of creating and performing work in places such as England, France, Germany, Japan, Philippines, West Africa, Canada, and the United States. Dual Rivet has performed at venues such as West End Theatre, Kittery Maine, Musikfest Pennsylvania, Peridance Capezio Center, CreateArt, and Arts On Site. The company teaches a myriad of classes, throughout the United States, with an emphasis on contemporary partnering and floorwork. They have set work on companies such as the Peridance Youth Ensemble and Mixt Company Connecticut. They are currently on faculty at Peridance and Steps. Chelsea and Jessica are also directors of a multi-disciplinary arts organization, Arts On Site in New York City. Dual Rivet aims to share what it means to be female leaders in the arts.

Errant Movement was founded in August 2015 by Rachel Turner in Washington, DC. The dancers started working together informally in early 2015, performing at the Jack Guidone Theater as part of the Joy of Motion Faculty/Workstudy Project in March and the Delta Chi Xi Showcase at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in May. Errant means “straying from the proper course or standards” and “traveling in search of adventure.” Both of these definitions fit the mission of Errant Movement to explore the world we live in through dance using unexpected movement patterns and ideas. Artistic director Rachel Turner’s choreographic style incorporates technical dance with pedestrian gestures to create dance that is visually pleasing and easy to connect with. In 2018, Errant Movement began to work in Los Angeles in addition to Washington DC, performing and creating work in both cities.

Shannon Gillen of VIM VIGOR DANCE COMPANY will lead a short movement exploration inviting participants through the physical architecture of the present moment. Psychological states and emotions will be integrated into the externalized textures of our bodies – welcoming pathways of connection, moments of inspired imagination, and surprise.

Kylie Thompson (She/her) is a contemporary Dance Artist and photographer residing in Toronto, Canada.  She holds an honours degree in Kinesiology from McMaster University. Some of her stage and screen performance credits include; Hanna Kiel (with the Garage), Gadfly Dance Company, Marie Lambin, Kiesza, Martin Huss, Jennifer Mote, Jenn Edwards, Patricia Allison, Valence Movement and more.  She continues to perform and also directs her project-based company, Kylie Thompson Dance.  The company’s short film “Versus” (2018) was an official selection at four festivals in North America.  Her stage work has been presented at Dance: Made in Canada, Toronto Fringe, TIFF programming, New Blue Festival, The Garage, The Canadian National Exhibition, Fresh Blood, Dance Matters and Toronto Original Choreographer’s Ball.  She has been serving on the CADA-East board of Directors since 2017 and is currently in the role of Vice President.  Besides dance, she loves her plants, watching youtube docs about abandoned places, interior design magazines, photography (@no_humansallowed) and cooking.

Founded in 2007, New Sanctuary Coalition (NSC) is a multi-faith immigrant-led organization that creates support systems for and empowers those navigating the immigration system. We do this by bringing together citizen volunteers and immigrants – our Friends – to achieve two primary goals: equip Friends with the knowledge they need to navigate the immigration system and lead the movement, and train and mobilize citizens and faith leaders to support and fight alongside our Friends, advocating for urgently needed changes to the system.

NSC’s grassroots programs are designed to shine a light on and disrupt the systems that criminalize immigrants’ existence. Core programs include the pro se immigration clinic, accompaniment, anti-detention, and community organizing and advocacy.

Toria Summerville is a professional circus performer from Ajax, Ontario. She specializes in a number of disciplines including contortion, acrobatics, and aerial silks. Also known as Flexy-T, Toria began her journey as an internationally acclaimed and award-winning dancer and has been treating audiences to memorable performances for most of her life. At a young age, she had discovered she possessed rare natural flexibility beyond that of the average person. By the age of 14, she was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. She expanded her training regimen to include gymnastics and other circus skills with the aim of developing her strength to control her frequent joint dislocations. Her career thus far has seen her performing across North America with a myriad of major talent companies (Hit and Run Dance Productions, A2D2 Circus, La Rouge Entertainment, Zacada Circus, Trellis Entertainment, Zero Gravity Circus, Illuminair Entertainment, among others). She has performed at high profile events such as Prince Amyn Aga Khan’s prestigious Lapis ball at the Aga Khan Museum, Archangel Summit, Mayors Evening for the Arts, Revlon’s Runway Show for New Colour Line “Excel”, MasterCard’s “Priceless Table” Event at the Sony Centre, Functions and tours for major companies such as BMO, Bruce Power and Honda, Multiple events at Casa Loma, as well as many other distinguished awards shows and exclusive events on Toronto’s social, arts, and entertainment scenes. In addition, Toria has also begun significant crossover into the realm of Film & Television with her most recent credits including contortion stunts in “American Gods – Season 3” [TV/Starz Network], “What We do in the Shadows – Season 2” [TV/FX Network], and the music video for Kandle Osborne’s indie-hit “Bender” [Sleepless Records].

The only constant for DancEthos is change. Since it’s founding in 2010 by Tiffany Haughn, every DancEthos performance has been entirely different than the previous one because we are committed to presenting a variety of artistic voices and visions; therefore, we collaborate with a number of different choreographers and guest artists on each performance. By making dances that reflect the beliefs and spirit of our culture, DancEthos works towards representing the true purpose of art in reducing the distance between two people. DancEthos hopes to foster dialogue through dance and broaden the DC metropolitan dance audience base by creating and performing work that is accessible to the non-dancer audience member. The company’s repertory is moving and high-spirited, and the full ensemble of 11 dancers perform their dynamic works with boundless energy and abandonment. DC Theatre Scene declares that DancEthos is where “imaginative choreography collides with extraordinary emotions” (2015) and The Washington City Paper states that our repertory “shows off not only the range of the dancers, but the range within contemporary dance itself” (2015). DC Metro Theater Arts proclaims that DancEthos is “a local treasure” (2015) and that our performances are “…stunning, captivating, relatable, romantic – everything I desire” (2013). To learn more about the company, please visit www.dancethos.org.

Jon Lehrer started his company in 2007 in Buffalo, NY and has received critical acclaim nationally and internationally. Under his artistic direction, the company showcases Jon’s unique choreography and embodies his definitive style. His extensive background in both the modern and jazz dance idioms fosters choreography that is organic, artistic, accessible and often humorous, reflecting life experience and the human condition. The company’s expressive style is based on three main elements of movement – Circularity, 3-Dimensionality, and Momentum -which combine to create a form that is best described as “Organically Athletic”. With creativity, athleticism, and the ability to make new and innovative modern and jazz dance accessible to all audiences, the company has made quite a name for themselves in the dance world. Striking the elusive balance between art and entertainment, Jon Lehrer Dance Company showcases unique choreography and a fun, distinctive style which fuses jazz and modern dance., creating a true spectacle onstage which can be enjoyed by dance experts and novices alike; The company tours extensively, bringing their trademark artistic, athletic, and accessible style to audiences worldwide. Dance Magazine praised “the company took the house not so much by storm as by quantum physics,” and Galerie Ortenau in Offenburg, Germany declares, “Dynamic, Powerful, Elegant – brings an absolute passion for the dance.” The company toured to Europe in 2013, 2016, 2018, and will return in 2020. They toured to Russia in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016, sponsored by the US State Department in order to, “bring the best in American modern dance to the people of Russia.”

Social Movement Contemporary Dance (SMCD) promotes social consciousness through creative arts and community engagement by expressing the breadth and depth of the human condition through dance and storytelling. Social Movement Contemporary Dance was founded under the artistic directorship of Elijah Alhadji Gibson. Gibson creates from the well of personal experiences, current issues, and systems that affect him. He has a passion for creating work that evokes thought and excites action. It is this passion that moved Gibson to start Social Movement Contemporary Dance the summer of 2018. The artists that comprise Social Movement Contemporary Dance (SMCD) embrace diversity and inclusivity. The members of the group possess a range of styles and techniques, through which they cultivate the company’s versatile aesthetic. Under the direction of Elijah Alhadji Gibson, the company performs original works that address cultural boundaries, and expectations of the human experience. SMCD focuses on presenting work to diverse audiences that reflect the historical ramifications of social injustices of all peoples, as well as their impact on contemporary social ideas and values. Social Movement Contemporary Dance’s performance will be closing out the Global Danza-Thon!