Lua Shayenne Performs at This Year's Arts in the Parks

Shayenne Productions is thrilled to present Tales & Dances Around the Baobab as a part of this year's Arts in the Parks programming. Tales & Dances Around the Baobab will be performed on July 21st and 22nd at 7:00pm at Thomson Memorial Park on Scarborough Museum Grounds. At this family friendly event, audience members are encouraged to bring a blanket, sunscreen, and picnic to enjoy a delightful evening of music and dance.

Tales & Dances Around the Baobab tells the story of the brave Sunsum Dua and his faithful companions through storytelling, dancing, and music. This odd band of travelers sets off to bring back the rain to a barren land. The story includes call and response, song, dance, and live drumming and encourages the audience to fully experience this fantastic journey, told in the way many traditional African stories are told: sat under the "arbre à palabres," a big tree.

"Tales & Dances Around the Baobab is a series of tales that express my love for African folktales, myths and oral tradition," says Lua Shayenne, writer and performer, "A story is a world of possibilities where truth and justice always shine bright after having traversed the perils of greed and deception. Everyday, until the age of twelve, my mother read stories to me. My father lived to write. Writing is dreaming."

Tales & Dances Around the Baobab is written and performed by Lua Shayenne, under the direction and dramaturgy of Erika Batdorf. It is produced by Lua Shayenne and assistant producer Fabiola Dieuve, and features a set design by Katya Norton and Desiree Marshall, and costume design by Robyn MacDonald. Also featured are musicians Walter MacLean and Anna Melnikoff. Pip Bradford acts as production manager.

About Lua Shayenne

Lua Shayenne is a three-time K.M. Hunter Dance Award Nominee (2016-2018), a 2013 TELUS Newcomer Artist Award Nominee, and a WINNER of NAN 2013 BMO SEEDS FUND.

Lua's dance practice is rooted in her African ancestry. She has choreographed for Porch Dances (Kaeja D'dance), Dusk Dances, the Living Art centre School programming, and IFT theatre/Obsidian Theatre. Lua facilitates dance and theatre workshops for various organizations and schools and universities. Her company, Lua Shayenne Dance Company (LSDC) has presented five productions and was recently featured at Porch View Dances and Fall for Dance North.

Recent projects as an independent dancer include: Brendan Fernandes' (Us/Canada) In Touch, Lars Jan's (NYC/LA) Holoscenes (Toronto/Florida/Miami/London,UK/Abu Dhabi/NYC/Australia tours), Lemi Ponifasio's (New Zealand) Apocalypsis - Luminato Festival. For more information visit her website at: https://www.luashayenne.com/

About Arts in the Parks

Arts in the Parks is in its third consecutive year, and aims to fill Toronto's parks with theatre and music performances, visual arts workshops, movies, festivals and more, all for free. From June 16 to September 30, 2018, Arts in the Parks will bring over 300 free arts events to more than 40 parks in North York, Etobicoke-York, Scarborough, Downtown and the East End for residents and tourists to enjoy. Arts in the Parks is a new initiative of the Toronto Arts Foundation and the Toronto Arts Council, being presented in partnership with the City of Toronto and Park People. Supported by the Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council.

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