YENSA Festival E-Program
YENSA Festival 2026
PROGRAM
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR and CURATORS’s Note
YENSA Festival enters its third edition in August 2026 with both grounding and momentum. What began as a vision to carve out space for Black women’s artistry, inventiveness, and bold imagination has grown into a dynamic platform, one that continues to evolve in response to the needs of a thriving, interconnected dance community.
This year’s festival is not just a moment, but a culmination. It reflects two years of sustained programming led by Black women dance artists, including workshops, community gatherings, and creative exchanges that have deepened relationships and expanded YENSA’s network of participants, audiences, and supporters.
Under the resonant theme AS I AM, YENSA Festival 2026 honours Black women dance artists claiming space on their own terms. It celebrates emerging voices bringing forward new choreographic works, alongside established practitioners whose practices extend far beyond performance. These are artists who research, teach, preserve, and build. Artists who hold communities, carry lineages, and push their forms forward. Whether rooted in dancehall, vernacular jazz, African diasporic traditions, or contemporary expressions shaped by lived realities, their work reflects a commitment not only to creation, but to continuity, resistance, and care.
It is with immense pride that I invite you to join us for YENSA Festival 2026.
We begin with our pre-festival YENSA YENKA (Let’s Dance, Let’s Talk) Choreographers’ Lab, a space for process, exchange, and the nurturing of new ideas among Black women dance artists.
Our Black Flames performance program returns for two powerful nights, accompanied by pre-show conversations that offer audiences a deeper connection to the works and the five Black female choreographers behind them.
The wider community is warmly invited to move with us through YENSA’s Africa Vibes workshops, open to all and culminating in our beloved ATSIA dance and live drum circle.
We close the festival as we began, in connection and celebration, with our YENKA (Let’s Talk) Social.
Lua Shayenne
Artistic Director, Curator, Producer
Message from MPP Krysten Wong-Tam
“It is a pleasure to extend my warmest congratulations to Lua Shayenne Dance Company and the organizers, artists, and community partners of YENSA Festival 2026. Now in its third edition, YENSA Festival is an important celebration of the contributions of Black women choreographers and dance artists.
This year’s theme, AS I AM, is a powerful affirmation of the importance of creating space for Black women artists to express themselves fully, boldly, and on their own terms. Through BLACK FLAMES, the festival brings together movement, dialogue, and cultural exchange, enriching Toronto’s vibrant arts and cultural landscape. I am honored to celebrate this year’s festival and wish all the artists, audiences, and organizers a memorable and inspiring YENSA Festival.”
PROGRAM: BLACK FLAMES PERFORMANCES
THE ROOM UPSTAIRS
Holla Jazz presents an adapted excerpt of their latest Dora nominated work, The Room Upstairs. Inspired by the life and music of American musician John Coltrane, the work explores themes of devotion, creative practice, and doubt.
Choreographer: Natasha Powell
Performer: Raoul Wilke
Lighting Design: Emerson Kafarowski
Scenic Design: James Kendal
Costume Design: Valerie Calam
HOLLA JAZZ
Holla Jazz is an award-winning dance company based in Toronto that explores contemporary approaches to authentic jazz dances. The Holla Jazz experience is marked by their cool and contemporary way of producing fresh dance works, all while inspiring a lasting love and appreciation for jazz dance and music. Established in 2016 by Artistic Director Natasha Powell, Holla Jazz was founded as a forum for developing and presenting artists that work and improvise together, to create harmonious and transformative experiences. The company aims to reinvigorate jazz dance with various forms of Black-American vernacular dances, as innovative and important vehicles for expression, while showcasing freedom and one’s own identity through the spirit of jazz.
NO MATTER WHAT
NO MATTER WHAT is a social commentary explored through 3 acts.
ACT 1 “The Man” explores how the patriarchy also impacts men and how a man must explore what truly defines masculinity.
ACT 2 “The Women” addresses ‘The Man” through a telling of how the patriarchy impacts women on a greater scale and how women support one another through this.
ACT 3 “The Community” highlights how both men and women must listen to and support one another through varying experiences as victims of the patriarchy.
Choreographer: Liyah Simbulan
Performers: Myles Jordan, Keira Bandele, Sarah Dewdney, Victoria Elia, Ajani Hastings, Harry Halpin.
Sound designer: Damon Cooney
Music: Mannish Boy by Muddy Waters, Mood Indigo by Nina Simone, Why you worried bout me? By Rebirth Brass Band.
LIYAH SIMBULAN
Liyah Simbulan is a Toronto based dance artist, choreographer and dance educator. Liyah’s work through dance and choreography engages with social issues, specifically racial and feminist movements.
Ms. Simbulan collaborates with fellow black North American creatives such as Pulga Muchochoma, Raoul Pillay, Kahvontay Slaughter, Clarence Ford & Sekou McMiller.
She holds a BFA for Performance Dance from Toronto Metropolitan University. Liyah pushes social boundaries through the art of dance and upholds the importance of representation by proudly claiming her Jamaican & Filipino heritage.
APRIL 7, 2020
April 7, 2020, is a in-progress ensemble work choreographed by Ern that explores intimacy beyond romantic connection, centering the evolving relationship between self, spirit, and community. Rooted in Dancehall, Afro-Caribbean and Contemporary movement languages, the work engages the body as archive, memory, and guide. This piece lives in the moments where one is called to face themselves — to unlearn, to listen, and to surrender. It reflects the quiet and disruptive encounters with self, where internal shifts begin, and where the presence of others becomes both mirror and support. As each performer navigates their own process, the work asks: what does it look like, feel like, and move like to be seen while becoming?” Through rhythm, resistance, vulnerability, and release, the dancers move between individuality and collective experience, holding space for transformation as it unfolds in real time. This work exists as an ongoing research practice grounded in cultural memory, spiritual awareness, and the lived realities that shape how we connect, evolve, and return to ourselves.
Choreographer: E.R.N. in Motion, pronounced Ern
Performed by: Michael Mortley, Shaiann Roach, Kay-Ann Ward, Dwauntea Chambers
Sound: Mix Done by The Vibes Curator
Costume Design: E.R.N. in Motion
E.R.N IN MOTION
E.R.N. in Motion is a Toronto-based multidisciplinary dance company and creative direction platform led by Ern (pronounced “earn”), an award-winning dance artist, choreographer, and movement director. Rooted in Afro-Caribbean movement languages and grounded in Dancehall culture, the company creates work that bridges performance, collaboration, and embodied research. Ern’s work has been presented nationally and internationally, including collaborations with Toronto Dance Theatre, Myst Milano, Nuit Blanche, and the Polaris Music Prize Awards, alongside work with artists such as Sean Paul and Machel Montano. E.R.N. in Motion cultivates spaces where artists can develop, experiment, and deepen their connection to craft and culture. Guided by dedication, ambition, and collective growth, the company centers authenticity, cultural integrity, and lived experience, holding space for artists to create without limitation while honouring the roots that shape the work.
Beauty and The Beat : Masked
Beauty and the Beat : A Warrior Reborn
(Excerpts)
Ayodele Drum & Dance brings an electrifying celebration of traditional African dance and live drumming to YENSA Festival 2026. Rooted in cultural storytelling, rhythm, and community, the performance journeys through a vibrant tapestry of West African dance traditions from Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Ivory Coast. Through powerful movement, dynamic percussion, and collective energy, the work honours ancestral memory and the enduring cultural practices that bring people together through weddings, harvests, music, ritual, spiritual cleansing, and collective joy. Inviting audiences into an immersive experience of connection and ancestral resonance, Ayodele Drum & Dance celebrates dance as both cultural preservation and a living force of resilience, transformation, and community spirit.
Lead Choreographer: T. Ayo Alston
Choreographic contributions by: Imania Fatima Detry, Souleymane Sano and Ayinde Von Hendricks.
Performed by: Ayodele Queens; T. Ayo Alston, Imania Fatima Detry, Maanami Naomi Philips, Tredena Danielle Sanders, Brittany Nicole Walker, Candice Alexis Igeleke, Asmina Nzinga Turner, Victoria Mansa Boateng.
Live music
AYODELE DRUM & DANCE
In 2007, seven African dancers came together to learn the art of the drum to enhance and improve their dancing. The sisters were led by Tosha ‘Ayo’ Alston and the seed of Ayodele Drum & Dance was planted.
Ayodele, a Yoruba word meaning “Joy in the home”, is now a diverse sister-circle of performing artists committed to studying and performing drum and dance as a wellness modality. We’ve grown from that circle of seven to over twenty Queens who use African drum and dance to educate and motivate young women and children through performances, community engagement, and our youth program.
Whether we’re teaching children, healing the community with classes, producing sold out concerts, studying with female Samba Masters in Brazil, Master Djembe and Dununfolas of West Africa or spreading our healing energy through performances; Ayodele Drum & Dance remains an unending circle firmly rooted in joy.
RHYTHMS
Lamban/Diansa: Choreography: T. Ayo Alston and Imania Fatima Detry.
A universal rhythm honoring the Djeli, performed in Guinea, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Mali. Diansa is traditional to the Kassonke people of Mali for weddings and celebrations.
Sewourba: Music composed by Sekou Samounka (Les Merveilles de Guinée), Choreography: T. Ayo Alston, inspired by Bountou Kouyate
Kassa: Choreography: T. Ayo Alston.
An exploration of harvest preparation and community within the Maninka Village.
Drum call and response with Audience: Victoria and Ayo
Sweet Suite Mali: Choreography Vocabulary & Music Composition: Souleymane Sano and Ayinde Von Hendricks, Spatial Design: T. Ayo Alston.
A presentation of Didadi, Dansa, and Tissamba rhythms.
Yamama: Choreography: T. Ayo Alston.
A mask dance of the Temine and Mandinye people (Guinea and Sierra Leone) used to remove negativity.
WAVES
WAVES, Lua Shayenne Dance Company’s (LSDC) new dance film, follows Ancestor in the Ancestral Realm and the Waves, who are sent to the human world, the Realm of the Living, with a mission to ignite humanity with spiritual energy. Through text inspired by the Bahá’í Writings and traditional Ghanaian spirituality, original choreography, and rhythms and dances from Guinea, WAVES immerses us in the metaphysical realm, reminding us of our deep connection to the spiritual realm. WAVES invites viewers to contemplate the choice to rise and “safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race” (Bahá’í Writings).
Director & Choreographer: Lua Shayenne
Cast: Pulga Muchochoma, Miranda Liverpool, Olivia Okonkwo, Lua Shayenne
Line Producer: Sara Fakhr
Assistant Director: Kim Kirton
Director of Photography & Steadicam Operator & Editor: Miha Matevzic
Gaffer: Jason D’souza
Music & Score: Connor “Chino” Chang, Cécé Haba, Yohance Francis Parsons
Costume Designer: Courtney Roy
BALANTA
Lua Shayenne Dance Company (LSDC) is thrilled to make a guest appearance alongside Ayodele Drum & Dance!
This dance and drum piece is the culmination of three years of training, artistic exchange, and cultural learning with Chicago-based Ayodele Drum & Dance.
We are deeply grateful to our teachers and choreographers, Imania Fatima Detry and T. Ayo Alston, for generously sharing their knowledge, artistry, and traditions with us.
The Balanta, meaning literally “those who resist”, are an ethnic group found in Guinea-Bissau, Senegal particularly in the Casamance , and Gambia. The tabanka of the Balanta, performed during the harvest season, expresses gratitude for agricultural abundance.
Choreography: Imania Fatima Detry, T. Ayo Alston
Performed by: Liyah Simbulan, Amelie Giusta, Nicole Powlette, Lua Shayenne
A special thank to Miranda Liverpool for and musician Cécé Haba for begin apart of the creative and rehearsal process.
LUA SHAYENNE DANCE COMPANY
Lua Shayenne Dance Company (LSDC) has been a vital force in the Canadian contemporary dance scene, bringing the vibrant, diverse energy of its African heritage to stages around the world. Through dance, music, and storytelling rooted in West African culture, the company creates work that is both deeply rooted and powerfully present, blending tradition with contemporary art forms and bold social commentary.
From six full-length productions to the biennial YENSA Festival spotlighting Black female dance artists, LSDC has built an extraordinary legacy of artistry and community. They have been featured at major venues and festivals including Fall for Dance North, Dancing on the Edge in Vancouver, Moving Inspiration Dance Festival in Winnipeg, and the International Conference and Festival of Blacks in Dance.
YENSA FESTIVAL 2026
Presented by Lua Shayenne Dance Company
LUA SHAYENNE DANCE COMPANY
Lua Shayenne: Artistic Director, Curator & Producer
Monica Pain del Rio: Administrator
Heidi MacDonald: Associate & Festival Administrator
Marc Terrance: Accounting Manager
YENSA FESTIVAL
Adriana Montes: Associate Producer & Social Media Coordinator
Natalie Buckley: Volunteer Coordinator
Damien Nelson: Publicist
Lua Shayenne: Marketing
A.J. Morra: Production Manager & Stage Manager
Arun Srinivasan: Lighting Designer
Miha Matevzic: Videographer
Dahlia Katz: Photographer
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
CANADA’S NATIONAL BALLET SCHOOL
Margaret Tracey: Artistic Director
John Dalrymple: Executive Director
Susan Worthington: Production & Theatre Operations Manager
Paolo Collantes: Technical Director
Sharlanne McStay: Assistant Technical Director
Amanda Camilleri: Manager, Venue & Food Operations
Tristan Tye: Venue Services Manager
dance Immersion
dance Immersion is proud to partner with YENSA Festival on the 2026 Choreographer’s Lab.
Immersion Festival
November 8 – 22, 2026
Don’t miss out on the Immersion Festival with 3 distinct stage performances, 12 workshops, a dance education roundtable, and community gatherings!
THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDERS
YENSA’s programming, events and Festival are generously funded by:
Toronto Arts Council
Ontario Arts Council
Canada Council for the Arts
Government of Canada
TD Bank Group through the TD Ready Commitment
WITH GRATITUDE TO OUR VOLUNTEERS
We extend our heartfelt thanks to our dedicated volunteers, whose time, energy, and care helped make YENSA Festival possible: Destiny Savary, Tatiane Sant Ana Coelho Reis, Maya Tsipe, Victor Opaluwa, Jaime Miao, Maria Carla Cortes Calle, Erika I. Chisica Obando
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS
YENSA exists because people believe that Black women’s voices, stories, and artistic practices deserve space to be seen, heard, and experienced.
We are grateful to the individuals who help make this work possible. Every contribution helps us continue creating opportunities for Black women in dance, supporting artists, and building spaces for artistic exchange and community.
Want to help sustain this work?
Your support makes a difference.
Visit Lua Shayenne Dance Company to learn more about YENSA and view our list of donors and supporters.
www.luashayenne.com → Support / Donate
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We acknowledge that Lua Shayenne Dance Company is on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Wendat peoples. We recognize the ongoing presence of diverse Indigenous communities and the historical and present-day impact of Treaty 13. We commit to respectful engagement and learning towards reconciliation.
Additionally, we honor the first Black people in colonial Canada, who, despite being brought by force and facing enslavement, fought for freedom and left a lasting legacy.
