dance Immersion International Initiatives

International Initiatives

Part of realizing our vision to bring opportunity and inspiration to dancers of the African Diaspora includes building international connections. In so doing, dance Immersion links Canadian and international artists, nurturing networks for artistic and knowledge exchange. Our relationships extend to several countries in Africa and to the United States, United Kingdom, and the Caribbean.

In addition to direct relationship building with international artists and organizations, we organize and participate in conferences, forums, and symposia as an important way of receiving and sharing information among colleagues and like-minded individuals. We recognize the importance of coming together as artists to discuss, present, workshop and network.

In 2019, dance Immersion was a full partner in England’s Re:Generations: The Digital Space conference in England. Our Canadian contingent discussed, learned and presented in forums looking at digitization and futurism within international perspectives in dance of the African Diaspora. Our partners included One DanceUK, Irie! Dance Theatre, Middlesex University, and The Lowry Theatre. Our Canadian contingent included: Nova Dance, Zab Maboungou/Compagnie Danse Nyata Nyata, KasheDance, CPAMO, NAfro Dance, and Ballet Creole.

In 2016, with the support of Canada Council for the Arts, dance Immersion brought a Canadian Contingent to England for Re:Generations 4 Diasporic Dance: Legacies of Imagination Conference. Our contingent included: KasheDance, Jasmyn Fyffe Dance, Esie Mensah Creations, Roger Sinha, John Alleyne, & Company Virtu’O. UK partners included One Dance UK, MAC Birmingham, Irie! Dance Theatre, and DeMonfort University.

Founder Vivine Scarlett has been an active member of the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD) for over 20 years. dance Immersion not only participates in IABD conferences and events, but hosts the conference in Toronto periodically. Toronto was the first host city of this major international event outside of the United States. dance Immersion hosted the IABD International Conference and Festival of Blacks in Dance in 2007, 2012, and 2023.

The High Commissioner of Canada to Ghana, the Ontario Arts Council, and The Canada Council for the Arts supported dance Immersion bringing a Canadian contingent to PanaFest in Ghana 2019, marking the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans arriving in North America. The Honourable Jean Augustine, Ngoma Ensemble, Beyond Sound Empijah, and Esie Mensah Creations were part of the journey.

Stay tuned as dance Immersion continues its international collaborations with artists and organizations in multiple African Nations to provide more networking, education, and performance opportunities.

Serendipity is an internationally connected arts and heritage organisation that actively changes the UK artistic and cultural landscape with an innovative and inspiring high-quality programme. The organisation is connected with international partners as part of the steering committee for the International Association of Blacks in Dance. Recently Serendipity worked with dance Immersion for the conference and forthcoming publication, Creating Socially Engaged Art: Can Dance Change the World?

Serendipity fosters innovative new work from artists, both emerging and established, bringing diversity to the forefront of cultural experiences for all. The organisation highlights work coming out of the African and African Caribbean Diaspora, through their flagship projects Let’s Dance International Frontiers, annual dance festival, Black History Month and year-round projects. Serendipity also publishes books focusing on Black dance, arts, heritage and cultural politics.

International Initiatives

OFFICE HOURS

CONTACT

DONATE

POPULAR LINKS