Lua Shayenne and Company to Present World Premiere of cos.mo.pol.i.tan, 29-31 May

Lua Shayenne and Company will present the World premiere of cos.mo.pol.i.tan, a DANCEWORKS CoWorks Series Event and part of NextSteps 2013/14 at Harbourfront Centre's Studio Theatre from May 29 to 31, 2014.

cos.mo.pol.i.tan is a 90-minute program of riveting African dance - in both its contemporary and traditional forms, live drumming and original composition. The presentation features two compelling works choreographed by Toronto-based dance artist Lua Shayenne. Landed Immigrant takes the audience on an absurd and, at times, humorous journey in the world of new immigrants and their experiences. This piece seeks to encapsulate the emotional roller coaster an immigrant rides in trying to find a new place to call home. Hybrid, a collaboration with visual art collective 3MW Collective, explores identity through a fast-growing multiracial and multicultural prism. This first phase of development celebrates the beauty of cultural intermixing and tackles assumptions aboutrace, belonging as well as accepted norms regulating cultural and social relationships.

Choreographed by Lua Shayenne. Featuring Miranda Liverpool, Melissa Noventa, Natasha Phanor, Lua Shayenne, Brandon Owusu, Esie Mensah.

Lighting design: Sharon Di Genova; Rehearsal direction: Debbie Wilson; Composer: Reza Moghaddas; Musical Director: Amadou Kienou; Percussionists: Amadou Kienou, Derek Thorne and Walter Maclean; Costume design: Susan Kendal-Urbach, Set Design (Hybrid): 3MW Collective

Lua Shayenne and Company presents African dance works that explore current subject matters with the aim to be a vehicle for spiritual and social progress. Since its inception in 2011, the company has presented Departure 00:00 (Lower Ossington Theatre - 2012) and Djaa (Festival International Danse Encore, Québec - 2013). The company has also been featured in major venues and festivals such as Dusk Dances, Dance ON Dance Weekend, Amnesty International's Dance for Justice (Enwave Theatre), Kuumba, Afrofest and more.

One of 6 finalists nominated for the 2013 TELUS newcomer Artist award, Lua Shayenne has choreographed for Dusk Dances, Porch View Dances, Iona Css, No Man's Land and NIA centre and worked with choreographers Dalia El Abad, Christina Towle, Mziyanda Mancam, Karen Kaeja, Bakari E. Lindsay, Kevin Ormsby, De-Napoli Clarke, Chester Whitmore, and the late Eleo Pomare. Lua facilitates dance/theatre workshops for many organizations and schools and is a 2013 Neighbourhood Arts Network BMO Seeds Fund recipient. She frequently travels to research and train: Ghana, Mali, Senegal, Guinea, with Vincent Mantsoe in France and recently Crossings #3, a 10 day international artistic workshop in South Africa under the direction of Vincent Mantsoe,Germaine Acogny, James Webb and Floriaan Ganzevoort. Shayenne is a graduate of Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts and COBA's apprenticeship program.

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