Just been to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre to watch the an amazing IABD Members Showcase Presentation which ended at 11.30pm. I step off a yellow school bus which was ferrying dance enthusiasts across Toronto city, in the name of dance, and I trot along the Sheraton hotel corridors, lifts and stairs to get to the basement hall for Midnight Bantaba, an African dance class led by the event's host, Baba Chuck Davis. I know I am on to something good especially since the chances of doing a midnight class anywhere else for me is zero. The personality of the facilitator and the fact that the class is a sell out is very telling! I didn’t know what to expect but I was ready for anything as I hurried on possessed by the drum beat beckoning.

The session was sensational, wild and vibrant with live drumming and professional dancers alongside students and new comers to the art form inspired by Ghana, Bukina Faso and Caribbean traditions. The workshop went on till the early hours of the morning but I managed a couple of hours of dance, sweat and laughter before I went back to my 33rd floor located room to replenish for the next day!

The Facts
For the early visitor arrivals to the city, there was a pre-conference evening soiree which kicked of with a photo exhibit at Band Gallery created by Dance Immersion in collaboration with a renowned photographer Michael Chambers. It captured a history that expresses culture, race and regions through movement that has been produced and presented in Canada. The main conference events were at the Sheraton Centre hotel in Toronto, with scheduled shuttle buses to ferry participants to the various venues across the city to attend workshops facilitated by a wealth of some 38 dance class instructors over the course of four days.

Auditions for institutions, dance festivals, scholarships and summer programmes ran at intervals throughout the days. There was a good youth representation from dance schools in Canada and USA.

The late night showcases each day took place at the Big and Bold Queen Elizabeth Theatre and included emerging artists as well as Canadian artists on the first night, IABD member artists on the second night, and the third night featured international artist presentations. Presented by State of Emergency, Desert Crossings by Gregory Maqoma was the only piece showcased from the UK.

The quality of the presentation was first class right from the student presentations to the established professionals. There was colour, vibrancy, style and substance. I couldn’t pick a favourite. However, the youth productions were very innovative and engaging with ballet, contemporary and traditional African moves. Ballet focused Les Jeunes Filles by Duke Ellington School of Performing Arts though a work in progress was fantastic. The Take Over by Dance Institute of Philadelpia was a classic with dancers taking the form of black and white swans. An all boys cast with A Soldier life/Bophelo Ba Lesole(Sotho) by Beyond Sound Empjah: featuring Yabo Dance Collective raised the bar with a mix of traditional, modern dance and talking drums.

The Canadian and IABD showcase was interesting with Ready by Germaul Barnes, Taking Flight by Azaguno, Tensile by Baltimore Dance Tech. IZM by Boyism was fantastic and brought their street dance philosophy to the stage underpinned by the motto, ‘Dance to express! Not to impress’! Urban Fissure by National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica and choreographed by Christopher Walker, was a very creative and eye catching piece. The urban contemporary moves were rendered with an attitude and body sculpting moments, a language I really enjoyed watching on stage. The evolution of a secured feminine by Alvin Ailey American Dance theatre was very interesting and fun. Australian based choreographer and dancer Bernadette Walong-Sene presented a unique piece dancing on top of drinking glasses laid in rows across the stage! Sorsorne/Drum talk by Chicago based Muntu Dance Theatre, sealed the events with a spectacular traditional essence to the finale and received a standing ovation!

Seminars involved panellists from individuals and key organisations including Brenda Dixon-Gottschild, Joan Myers Brown, Sean Cheesman, Ebun Adelona, Olabamidele Husbands, Lela Sewell Williams, Nicole Brooks, Dr Paschal Yao Younge and many more. The talks touched on topics such as business of dance, putting education back in dance, preserving our heritage, keeping and telling the dance legacy, diverse dance projects scenarios sharing, pitching sessions, films, concepts of cultural perspectives on dance, music and performance.


Messages
The Conference theme ‘connecting our Diasporas through Dance’ brought together dancers and dance professionals to share information and discuss issues relating to dance within the global dance ecology. The key note address given by Zab Maboungou of Compagnie Danse Nyata Nyata, stressed the importance of such gatherings.

By sharing our traditions with one another, we do more than merely celebrate our differences; we also learn how much we have in common.
To thrive as a people, we must immerse ourselves into our heritage. We should build relationships, present and connect with the abundance of talent being produced by Blacks in dance all over the world. IABD is a gathering to present the collective memory of our ancestral homeland, re-rooting on international soil, bringing together our separated communities of varied culture and traditions, yet sharing and maintaining the common language…Dance.

A tribute breakfast and luncheon with performance, film and speeches to celebrate work by key contributors, gave participants a space to network, be informed, be entertained and fed.

A fine touch to the gathering was the special performance of Pocomania to mark the 50th anniversary of the work of the late Professor Rex Nettleford and to celebrate his life and legacy (1933-2010). It was re-staged by Christopher Walker, Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and dancer/choreographer of the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica.

I witnessed the passion and the commonality through the many dance expressions and language within the diaspora that is forever evolving. I walked away empowered, inspired and ready to take on the work still ahead.

Although the conference served its purpose that of being a vehicle for communication, collaboration and continued productivity amongst artists of African descent, I would like to see and am determined to see more UK and Africa based talent grace platforms such as this and take part as contributors to the world of dance!

And so went the days during my short visit to Toronto. I was pleased to have been invited by Vivine Scarlett, member of IABD and Director of dance Immersion who hosted the event, to represent ADAD or indeed the UK since there were just two organisations from the British isles present.

The 25th anniversary with the theme ‘Celebrating our Legacy… Embracing our Future’, will be hosted in Washington DC next January 2013; followed by Las Vegas hosting the 26th. Next stop UK? Watch the space….