CGDF 2025 is made possible with funding from the City of Toronto, Toronto Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, and the Government of Canada. We gratefully acknowledge additional support from Arts in the Parks/Toronto Arts Foundation, Willowdale Central Ratepayers Association/Willowdale Arts Collective, TO Live, North York Arts, Murray Paterson Marketing Group, as well as the Toronto Transit Commission, Yonge North York BIA, and our title sponsor Empress Orthodontics.
Common Ground Dance Festival 2025
THE AWAKENING
Program NOTES
Choreographer/Dancer: Beany John
Hoop dancing is a way for me to honour my ancestors and connect with my culture. Each movement, each step, each spin represents a story or a lesson passed down through generations. It's a way for me to pay tribute to those who came before me and to pass on traditions to those who will come after me. It's a way to connect with my roots, to heal myself and others, and to keep traditions alive for future generations. Dancing for the seven generations that have come before me and the seven generations that will come after me is a responsibility and an honour. It's a way to ensure that our culture and traditions continue to thrive and inspire for years to come.
Through this dance, I am able to express my creativity and showcase my individual style. I can interact with the audience, engage with them, and share the beauty and power of Indigenous culture. It's a form of storytelling that transcends language, speaking to the heart and soul of those who witness it.
Hoop dancing is not just a performance for me, it's a way of life. It's a way to connect with my roots, to heal myself and others, and to keep traditions alive for future generations. Dancing for the seven generations that have come before me and the seven generations that will come after me is a responsibility and an honour. It's a way to ensure that our culture and traditions continue to thrive and inspire for years to come.
THE AWAKENING, an ode to the Hoop Dancers and the healing that has been awakened throughout Turtle Island.
CGDF/TFD Staff team
Festival Director, Co-Host:
David Norsworthy
Festival Producer, Co-Host:
Tanveer Alam
Festival Coordinator, Co-Host:
Chantelle Good
Festival Coordinator:
Bri Clarke
Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator:
Keira Forde
Social Media and Digital Content Coordinator:
Shannon Widdis
Technical Director/Lighting Designer:
Gabriel Cropley
Technical/Production Coordinator Intern:
Visaree Bradshaw-Coore
Audio Technician:
Adam Achacon
TFD Board of DIRECTORS
Cory Boyd, Susan Colbert Wright, Miquelon Rodriguez, Ellis Martin-Wylie, Blessyl Buan, Carmelina Martin, Dianne Oliveira, Sindhu Nair, Anne Fullerton
Special Thanks
Toronto Arts Foundation / Arts In The Parks, Toronto Arts Council, City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation, Canada Summer Jobs Program, Canadian Heritage, Canada Council for the Arts, TO Live, and the Willowdale Central Ratepayers Association.