Mainstage Mixed Program

Taan

Choreographer: Anjali Tanna

Dancers: Maithili Patel, Disha Panchal, Dhruv Naik, Anjali Tanna

Music: Arpan Mahida

Taan is a Garba-inspired dance rooted in Gujarati tradition, celebrating rhythm as both personal expression and shared cultural connection. Through circular patterns, dynamic footwork, and tipani (wooden sticks), it weaves traditional movement with contemporary storytelling, honoring heritage while embracing diasporic identity and collective emotion.

Heartfelt gratitude to TOES FOR DANCE for providing a platform to share and celebrate this form. I also thank my mentors, collaborators, and community whose guidance, support, and energy have shaped this work. This piece is a collective offering made possible through shared rhythm, light, and devotion.

All You Ever Do is Rain

Choreographer: Gisele Ardosa

Dancers: Natasja Jordan, Gisele Ardosa

Outside Eye Collaborators: Millina Fletcher, Demetri Apostolopoulos

Music: A Young Girls Complaint - Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru, Listen - Relly Coloma

A personal reckoning with frustration and misalignment, this contemporary dance piece confronts the quiet violence of being misunderstood. Through volatile movement and charged stillness, it explores fractured relationships and the tension between self-expression and unhearing power.

Thank you so much to the TOES FOR DANCE team for all their support, encouragement and providing an amazing space to explore and create during my emerging stages in this artform. Thank you to my collaborators Meredith, Demetri, Melina and Natasja for all their artistry during the creation/rehearsal process.

Korean Dance Studies Society of Canada

(Student Performance, Friday only)

Title: Fan Dance

Choreographer: Mi Young Kim

Dancers: HyangOk Kim, Dorothy Leung

The Fan Dance, or Buchaechum, is one of Korea’s most iconic traditional dances, celebrated for its elegance, grace, and breathtaking visual patterns. Originating in the early 20th century and inspired by the aesthetics of nature, the dance uses large, vibrant fans to evoke images of blooming flowers, fluttering butterflies, and flowing waves. It embodies harmony, beauty, and the deep connection between humans and the natural world—a recurring theme in Korean art.

(Student Performance, Saturday only)

Title:

Choreographer: Jazzmin James

Dancers: Jennavie Lewis, Rhea Manuntag, Jessica Denney, Taryn Leslie, Evelyn Farmer, Nyla-Rose Stanley

At the end of Fresh Dance Intensive 2025, a group of students were selected to participate in presenting a piece during the 5th Annual Common Ground Dance Festival. This special experience included a short creative process with Fresh Faculty Member Jazzmin James, and the opportunity to witness professional artists at work both in rehearsal and performance.

Sundara Mohana Murali Dhara: Krishna’s Captivating Melody

Concept & Choreography: Shivani Shivakumar

Performer: Shivani Shivakumar

Music: Sundara Mohana Muralidara

Tala: Adi tala

Raga: Keeravani Raga

Composer: Vidhwan G. Gurumurthy 

Guru: Dr. Sanjay Shantaram

Costumes: Shivani Shivakumar

Costumes stitched by: Vijay Costumes (Bangalore) 

This Bharatanatyam piece captures Lord Krishna’s playful beauty and divine strength through a ragamalika composition. From the mischief of peacock-feather play to the triumph over Kaliya and the wisdom of Geetopadesha, the performance spans Krishna’s full spiritual spectrum.

This is a short version of a varnam and the Trikala Jathi is a jathi performed in all three speeds (slow, medium and fast). This particular Trikala Jathi emphases on a playful character of krishna and the peacock feather which he uses to adorn his face.

Riaquita

Choreographer/Dancer: Carmen Romero

Percussionist: Miguel Medina

In Riaquita, Carmen Romero and percussionist Miguel Medina create a spontaneous, rhythmic dialogue through flamenco and improvisation. With castanets speaking in syllables and a playful exchange of instruments, the performance pulses with surprise, skill, and the vibrant spirit of collaboration.