Oron’ónhta / Beings of Light

Santee is a multidisciplinary artist from the Kahnyen’kehàka Nation, Ohswé:ken/Six Nations of the Grand River. Her debut work Kaha:wi – a family creation story premiered in 2004 and one year later she founded Kaha:wi Dance Theatre which has grown into an internationally renowned company. Santee’s artistic work speaks about identity, Indigenous narratives, creative process, and representation. Conceiving and directing numerous productions, she also spearheads international Indigenous collaborative projects. She is the recipient of numerous awards and commissions and works as a guest curator/director. Her recent work includes Gardiner Museum’s Indigenous Public Art for Talking Earth, 2022-23, Homelands Harbourfront Centre premiere and remount at Celebration of Nations, FirstON Performing Arts, St. Catherines and the theatreical premiere of SKéN:NEN, May 2024, presented by TOLive at the Bluma Appel Theatre. Santee will resume touring The Mush Hole, her production based on the truths of Canada’s first Indian Residential School. Santee is a sought-after teacher and speaker on the performing arts and Indigenous performance and culture. She is a leader in Indigenous land-based and creative research through her “Inviting the Land to Shape Us” series. She is the 19th Chancellor of McMaster University.

Irma is a Tkaronto based dance artist, educator, choreographer, and first-generation daughter of refugees from Nahuat Territory Kuskatan, post-colonial El Salvador. Irma is the Program Director of Native Earth’s Animikiig Creators Lab and a Toronto Arts Foundation 2021 Emerging Artist Finalist. She is a co-founder of CinnaMoon Collective which premieres their first work Surrendered Spirits in 2024. She’s been part of works by Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, Jaberi Dance Theatre, Kaeja d’Dance, Victoria Mata, Aria Evans, Alejandro Ronceria, Diana Lopez and Michael Caldwell. Since 2017, she has led a journey nurturing her choreographic development through residencies with Dance Makers, TDT’s Emerging Voices, Kaeja D’dance KAIR and Aluna Theatre; currently developing two important works Xilopango and Siwat Piedra. Irma’s passion for social justice, historic memory and migrant stories is her driving force as a creator.

Katie is an Oji-Cree kwe dance artist from Nipissing First Nation, now based in Tkaronto. Katie has worked with companies and choreographers including Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, Human Body Expressions, Alejandro Ronceria, Christine Friday, Peggy Baker, and Jera Wolfe. She has performed at events including the FODAR Dance Festival (2023), Governor General’s Performance Awards (2023), APTN’s Indigenous Day Live (2022) and for film projects including The Nature of Things (2021), CBC Gem’s New Monuments (2021) and the Toronto Fringe Festival (2021). Katie is also a performer in Barbara Diabo’s touring production of Sky Dancers where she has performed across Quebec and at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. Next, Katie is excited to remount Kaha:wi Dance Theatre’s production Homelands for their 2023 fall tour which she received a Dora nomination for outstanding performance by an ensemble during its April 2023 premiere. Katie is an honours graduate of the Dance Performance program at George Brown College and received training at the Quinte Ballet School of Canada.

Nickeshia is a settler on the stolen land of Tkaronto and has performed on this land for over 25 years. They are unapologetically a Black, Queer Artist, who believes in the healing power of breath through raw emotion and movement. Nickeshia received their dance training at the Carousel Dance Centre (Kitchener), the NYIDE (New York Institution of Dance and Education), the National Ballet School of Canada (Tkaronto), Toronto Dance Theatre (Tkaronto), and Simon Fraser University (Vancouver). Nickeshia is a Dora Mavor Moore, winning and multi-nominated artist who holds a BFA in Dance from Simon Fraser University and is a Co-Founder of CinnaMoon Collective who is currently working on their premiere piece, Surrendered Spirits.