Dusk Dances is an outdoor dance festival that brings dance to public parks. As dusk descends, a theatrical host leads the audience to an array of unique dance pieces that unfold in different areas of the park.

Choreographers are invited to create ten-minute pieces inspired by the park’s natural environment. Audiences are invited on a pay-what-you-can basis to an innovative site-specific festival, which is not only an artistic event but a social and cultural one as well.

Dusk Dances 2024 is curated by Sofi Gudiño, with curatorial support by Sylvie Bouchard

2024 will mark Dusk Dances 30th Birthday Season, and the first season with the new leadership team of Festival Director Sofi Gudiño and General Manager Shivani Joshi.

Dusk Dances 2024

Hosted by Fly Lady Di (Diana Reyes).

Free Traditional Hoop Dance workshops every night led by River Christie-White.

 • ASTITVA •

CHOREOGRAPHED BY GOURI KUNDU AND ANITA PANDEY

Performers: Gouri Kundu and Anita Pandey

Costume Designers: Gouri Kundu and Anita Pandey

Music/Composer:

• "Remain the Sea," from Land of Gold, by Anoushka Shankar, featuring narration by Vanessa Redgrave, with poetry authored by Maza Dohta

• "Tarana in 15 Beats," from Ragas and Rhythms, by Bageshree Vaze

Outside Eye: Parul Gupta

“Astitva” is the Hindi word for “identity/existence.” This work is introspective and seeks to express the vast spectrum of emotions from confliction and pain, to eventual joy and euphoria experienced in the reclaiming of the self through the exploration of one’s identity. “Astitva” follows the dancers through their reflection of their authentic selves as diasporic artists practicing Kathak, an Indian classical dance form, in a foreign land usurped by spaces that cater predominantly to dance styles of Eurocentric origin. The work witnesses a navigation through the emotional dissonance of embracing elements of the western aesthetic, while remaining rooted to Kathak.

Gouri and Anita would like to extend their heartfelt thank yous to both their Gurus, Dr. Malabika Mitra and Urmila Sharma respectively. They are also deeply thankful to the entire Dusk Dances team for believing in their vision and supporting this dance work.

A Dusk Dances premiere.

 • PETUNIA •

CHOREOGRAPHED BY OLGA BARRIOS

Performer: Olga Barrios

Costume Designer: Ruth Gutiérrez

Music/Composer: Canimo al barrio- Willie Colón, Sonido Bestial- Richie Rey and Boby Cruz

This contemporary dance work seeks to explore salsa music and theatricality in movement within the context of gender. Petunia “is a widely cultivated genus of flowering plants of South American origin”.

... a woman, a woman being an object in the environment, object of vibration, object for society, object of thoughts, object for pleasure and pain, of eroticism, sensuality, object of criticism and of power, mystery object, object of desire, of rhythm, of her skin, her blood, her passion. An object woman, owner of life, object of herself.

Thanks to the constant support of Vanguardia Dance Projects.

First premiered at Art Gallery of Hamilton, Latin American Contemporary Dance Event 2008.

 • PATH •

CHOREOGRAPHED BY YEVGEN KARYAKIN

Performers: Yevgen Karyakin, Kateryna Khruzyna, Anna-Mariia Khruzyna, Stanislav Khruzyn, with community performers from Dance by Khruzyna

Music/Composer: By Pérotin - Mikk Üleoja, Tõnis Kaymann, Vox Clamantis & Jaan-Eik Tulve - Beata Viscera

In a first ever collaboration of its kind, Dusk Dances is partnering with Project Soniashnyk to bring this piece to life with community performers. Project Soniashnyk is a Ukrainian Canadian fund that brings summer trauma rehabilitation camps to children of Ukraine’s armed forces and fallen defenders. They are helping Dusk Dances present the work of Ukrainian artist, Yevgen Karykakin, his sister, and her three children, who will be performing a piece about their journey to Canada through the war, alongside community children performers from their studio.

“This is a philosophical reflection on the topic of human life as a unit, as part of a family and as part of society. We go through our own journey, we can literally change locations, as happened with our family due to the war. Or consider the journey metaphorically - as a person’s path through life and the path of humanity through history. We are all travellers and we all leave traces... on Earth, in digital space, in the memory of our descendants.” - Yevgen Karyakin

A Dusk Dances Premiere.

 • GIVE ME ONE •

CHOREOGRAPHED BY DANAH ROSALES

Performers: Matthew Cuff "Legendary Snoopy 007", Jocelyne Cardenas "Father Jaws Siriano", Kelly-Ann Johnson "Godmother Mystique Siriano"

Music / Composer: Fly Lady Di (Diana Reyes)

Dating back to the late 1960's, Ballroom culture is birthed and created by Black and Latinx Gay and Trans folx as an act of resistance to racism in the New York drag scene. Based on preparation practices of walking a ball, this adaptation of 'GIVE ME ONE' is an invitation to an inside peek into our world of playful approaches to different categories that include best dressed, vogue and runway. Ballroom energy is like no other and within these underground spaces, forms and nurtures familial bonds while at the same time creates high competitive tension, all while celebrating each other's queerness, unique identities, audacious performance personas, attitude, beauty, power, sharp wit and joy.

In the ballroom scene, "GIVE ME ONE" is a phrase that directly requests the judges' vote in order to determine the winner of the battle. The original production of 'GIVE ME ONE' was produced by TDT in association with Artistic Director Andrew Tay in Spring 2023 with original collaborators, Jocelyne ‘Jaws’ Cardenas, Matthew ‘Snoopy’ Cuff, Kelly-Ann 'Mystique' Johnson, Erin Poole, Devon Snell, Roberto Soria. Rehearsal direction by Rosemary James, styling and costume design by Diséiye, sound composition by DJ and producer Myst Milano, and lighting design by Noah Feaver.

“Beloved community is formed not by the eradication of difference but by its affirmation, by each of us claiming the identities and cultural legacies that shape who we are and how we live in the world.” - bell hooks

First premiered at Toronto Dance Theatre in 2023.

For more information, visit duskdances.ca.