June 29: Community Showcase

Slow Me Down by Young Company of NLDC – Photo by Park Spowart

Saturday June 29, 5 – 7 p.m.
FREE Community Showcase & Dance Mob performance 
Ivey Park, 331 Thames St

A little rain won’t stop us! Festival performances will happen rain or shine. We have rain plans in place, so come out no matter the weather – but do bring your umbrella just in case!

5:15pm Workshop: Learn the Dance Mob
6pm: Community Showcase Performance
Featuring: The Young Company of North London Dance Centre, Flamenco del Sur, Sound in Motion, La Compagnie, Belle Pointe Dance & Movement, The Dance Movement, and more! Spotlight performance by O.N.E. Contemporary Company

Learn the moves for our Dance Mob, then join us for an outdoor performance by a selection of local artists.

Spotlight performance: Lens by O.N.E. Contemporary Company

Photo by Jason Sunio – Dancers Alli Robb, Clara Gutauskas, Codie Primeau, Cynthia Nakeyar, Dana Hambly, Julie Mytka

Music: Dizzy – Pirouette; George Maple – Talk Talk; KAASI – Those Days.
Dancers: Alli Robb, Codie Primeau, Cynthia Nakeyar, Dana Hambly, Julie Mytka, Nicola Popp

How did you get here? Have life events lead you down an unexpected path? Is it possible that an “unfavourable” outcome protected you from a disaster that you didn’t see coming? Switch lenses with us and explore the “what-ifs” you never experienced.

O.N.E. Contemporary Company was founded in the beginning of 2019 and is affiliated with the O.N.E Dance Centre. The group specializes in contemporary and urban dance and have been selected to perform in the upcoming London Fringe Festival, which they are very excited about. It is lead by four co-directors: Codie Primeau, Cynthia Nakeyar, Dana Hambly and Nicola Popp. The company strives to enrich the London Art scene with dance that focuses on story telling and emotion. Their mission is to create a positive environment for dancers to grow, learn technique, theory, teamwork, and respect. Learn more about O.N.E. Contemporary Company.

I Won’t Give Up On You by Belle Pointe Dance & Movement

Dancers Mikiah Lawson, Leah Webb
Photo by Jennifer Hiltz

Choreographers & performers: Mikiah Lawson and Leah Webb.

Music: Say Something by Pentatonix 

The struggle of 2 young artists trying to overcome pressures of society.

Miki and Leah dedicated students, dancers and junior teacher assistants at Belle Pointe Dance & Movement Company. They study ballet, jazz and contemporary and together they love creating intricate lifts, movement patterns and art through dance. This piece is their choreographic debut.

Learn more about Miki & Leah at Belle Pointe Dance.


Ici by La Compagnie

Photo by Cynthia Nakeyar

Music: 360 – remix (Lydia Képinski) et Mélancolie (Patrick Watson ft Safia Nolin)
Choreographer: Cynthia Nakeyar.
Dancers: Avery Hall, Jasmine Loos, Alli Robb, and Makenzie Ross.

Ici, c’est un endroit où je suis seule. Les autres m’attendent mais aujourd’hui, je m’isole. Mon équilibre me cherche et moi, je cherche mon équilibre. Des 360 jours, celui-ci m’appartient. Thank you to Sound in Motion for providing studio space! We are here. A piece exploring unity and trust within the community. Our continued growth and search for our identity within our own neighborhood. We are here, sometimes connected other times not; sometimes in sync, other times not; sometimes proud, other times not; sometimes visible, other times not. Where are we – in this space? on this timeline? And where do we go from here?

Cynthia is a London based Francophone. She is a teacher, dance educator, dancer, artistic director and choreographer. She is a proud member of the Francophone community and has been an advocate for the arts, in particular dance, within her community and school system. She is the founder and artistic director of L’Académie de Danse ÉSMB and the founder and director of the dance competition Aimes-tu Danser?. She has made it her goal to have her students share their passion for dance at many community events including: la journée drapeau, le jour du souvenir, la cérémonie de clôture pour l’histoire des noirs, la cérémonie de clôture pour la semaine d’immigration, and many more. In addition, her academy participates in the London Santa Claus parade and runs 2-3 large scale shows yearly. She has trained in Ottawa with the directors of ODD and The School of Dance. She hopes to continue to grow the passion for the arts within her french community and to help the french community join our arts/dance family here in London. She is a member and choreographer at O.N.E Dance Centre, the co-director of O.N.E. Contemporary Company and a member of Breath in Movement. Je suis prête à créer le lien entre la communauté francophone et London Dance Festival!

Flamenco del Fuego by Flamenco del Sur

Photo by Scott Draper – Dancers: Patricia Vasconcellos, Alejandra, Larissa Medeiros

Music: El Vito (Joni Jensen); Viva Sevilla (Ernst Ludwig Leitner)
Choreographer: Patricia Vasconcellos.
Dancers: Patricia Vasconcellos, Alejandra, Larissa Medeiros

Flamenco dance is a phenomenon of dance which has an extensive historical background that parallels the cultural development of the south Spain. The role of the flamenco dancer is essentially to physically interpret the words with light, graceful arm movements that contrast the reverberating steps as feet drill into the floor with a bewildering intensity. You can even see the explosion of emotions in the dancer’s facial expressions thoughout the performance. Both flamenco music and flamenco dance involve a great deal of personal improvisation which takes its form through the spontanteous expression of the performer’s emotions at each moment of the performance. That way, flamenco enchants and passionate everyone inviting spectators to taste feelings through an explosion of movements and harmony.

Patricia began studying Classic Ballet at three years old. Studied at Danca Rio Center, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, until age 16. At 17 years old, she fell in love to Spanish Dance watching the presentation of the Company Al Andaluz and stated to study Spanish Dance with the coordinator, bailaora and choreograph of these flamenco company, Mrs. Suzane Travassos. Some years later, she joined Espaco Darma, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and became to have classes with the bailaora Mrs. Izabel Moratti. In 2009, Patricia moved to Brasilia, Federal District, and continued the practice of Flamenco Dance in the Studio de Danca Capricho Espanhol, from the famous bailaora Mrs. Patricia Weingrill. In 2010, she joined the advanced group at Capricho Espanhol and started studying tap flamenco technique, castanets and Bata de Cola with choreographer and bailaor Mr. Danny Souza. Participating in shows, events, workshops by Danca Flamenca she joined the Centre of Dance and Arts Claude Debussy to practice and teach. In 2016, she participated at Show produced by ballet dancer and choreographer Lorena Guerra in her School of Ballet in Brasilia, DF. In 2017, Patricia moved to London, Ontario, Canada, and joined some Academies where currently teaches Danca Flamenca, Castanholas, Flamenco Taps Technique and Bata de Cola, for adults and children. Flamenco is designed for entertainment, physical and mental health, development of self-esteem and body awareness and development of group awareness. Patricia guarantees that flamenco dance gives to student skills to express feelings, control fine movements and exercises the mind while working the ability to decorate the sequence of body movements! All this happens in a relaxed atmosphere through classes, events, presentations and Workshops. Patricia offers the strong and striking dance to the “Londoners” and invites them to feel involved experiencing the warm flavor of the flamenco rhythm. Learn more about Flamenco del Sur.

Kaleidoscope by Belle Pointe Dance & Movement

Dancers Mikiah Lawson, Copper Sinai, Pascal ElRayes, Leah Webb. Photo by Jennifer Hiltz

Choreographer: Kendra Ferguson.
Dancers: Mikiah Lawson, Copper Sinai, Pascal ElRayes, Leah Webb.

Music: Kaleidoscope Heart by A Cub Bella

This piece represents the beautiful imagery we long for in such a fragmented and divided world. Looking through a colorful, ever-changing lens to open our hearts in search of patterns and combinations of endless opportunity; a pure reflection of beauty and unity.

Kendra is currently a PhD Candidate in Sport Psychology at Western University. She danced competitively in ballet, pointe, jazz, contemporary, tap, and musical theatre, winning numerous overalls and scholarships. Her professional training began at the tender age of nine where she attended the National Ballet School of Canada. At age 11, Kendra was offered a full scholarship to the internationally renowned Ballet Academic Program at Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. She danced in the professional division for six years, which focused on ballet, pointe, character, modern, pas de deux, and variations. Through her training, she had the opportunity to experience the demands of performance and touring first-hand. She has also spent her time guest teaching at various studios in both Winnipeg and Ontario.
Learn more about Kendra.

Dreams by The Young Company of North London Dance Centre

Photo by Kristyn Photography

Choreographer: Megan Alfano
Dancers: Hermione Bassnett-Martin, Alexia Doris, Mia Gardiner, MacKenzie Mercer, Ainsley Morgan, Emalee Murphy, Kaitlyn Pianosi, Kaitlyn Rowe, Isabella Russell.

Megan started her dance training at the age of 4 and has been tapping, twirling, and teaching ever since! She holds her Canadian Dance Teacher’s Association Stage Division Full Member – Ontario Division (Jazz and Tap).

In Saskatchewan she spent over 12 years as the Assistant to the Choreographer, Choreographer, and Assistant to the Artistic Director of the touring Performance Company, Saskatchewan Express, gaining teaching expertise in jazz, tap, ballet, musical theatre, hip hop, and lyrical. She was also the Director of the Regina Musical Theatre Studio, running both the recreational and competitive dance and musical theatre programs. Megan was also the Director and choreographer for a youth performance company called the Exprites, the Mini Express and The Expressions.

She has been the choreographer for many high schools and arts organizations for shows with highlights including Honk!, Cinderella, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Titanic, How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, Carousel, Suessical, High School Musical, Oliver!, Candide, Grease!, Nine, Guys and Dolls, Cats, The Shipbuilder, Pride and Prejudice, Into the Woods and Sweeney Todd. Most recently Megan has had the opportunity to work as a choreographer at The Grand Theatre here in London (Legally Blonde, Ring of Fire, Addams Family) as well as choreograph for Original Kids Theatre Company.

She is a well-respected dance festival adjudicator and in 2012 had the opportunity to choreograph for the CBC’s Canadian Country Music Awards. Currently Megan is on faculty at Fanshawe College teaching the movement program, as well as a choreographer and dance instructor at St. Mary’s Choir and Orchestra School .

Megan adores teaching the young and the young at heart, and knows firsthand what a difference the arts can make in their lives. She is excited to share her love of dance with the students in London!

Drove Through Ghosts to Get Here by The Young Company of North London Dance Centre

Choreographer: Dana Hambly
Dancers: Hermione Bassnett-Martin, Alexia Doris, Mia Gardiner, MacKenzie Mercer, Ainsley Morgan, Emalee Murphy, Kaitlyn Pianosi, Kaitlyn Rowe, Isabella Russell.
Music: Drove Through Ghosts to Get Here by 65DaysOfStatic.

Born and raised in London, ON, Dana started dancing at age 10 at a local studio. She originally trained in ballet, tap, jazz, pointe and lyrical, but reluctantly left those styles behind when she moved away to pursue a Bachelor’s degree of Science at the University of Waterloo.

During her first year at UW, she discovered hip hop through the UW Hip Hop Club. She fell in love fast, and spent her undergraduate training and teaching drop-in classes as a member of the club. She has represented UW in several competitions including BYOB Post-Secondary and The Academy as a member of FemiNINE and DNC respectively.

Since graduating from UW and moving back to London, Dana has been training to pursue a career in dance. She is a hip hop and contemporary instructor at O.N.E. Dance Centre, and has taught workshops at several schools and studios around London. She is thrilled to return to NLDC for another season!

Beautiful Creatures by Sound in Motion

Sound in Motion by Mark Spowart

Music: Beautiful Creatures by Illenium (feat. MAX)
Choreographer: Julie Mytka.
Dancers: Brea Benns, Maya Callender, Amber Graham, Madason Hale, Mikayla Hardie, Jenna Hills, Aya Holzberg, Zoe Kantzas, Jack Kelly, Madelyn Kelly, Maryn Kelly, Eva Langlois, Noelle Macdonald, Ana Martinez, Lexi McFadden, Paisley McNorgan, Grace Milne, Chloe Smith Carrier, Lily Wainman.

We have so many creatures inside of us, sometimes we need the courage of a lion, or to howl at the moon, or fly away! Our dancers are learning that all their inner creatures are beautiful because it makes them who they are.

Julie Mytka’s take on dance and choreography blends the beauty of classical technique with the freedom of expression from contemporary dance and theatre. Julie is the Owner & Director of Sound in Motion, Music & Dance Studio (London, ON), a graduate of Ryerson University’s Dance Performance Program and has her Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies from the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD.) She teaches students of all ages and mentors emerging choreographers. Learn more about Sound in Motion.

Grey Room by The Dance Movement

Music: Grey Room- Damien Rice, You Might Find Yours- Tom Rosenthal
Choreographer: Alli Robb
Dancers: Alli Robb, Lilly Bartlam, Lauren Butters, Jaiden Lehman, Mina Mesanovic, Lisa Wall, Reina Li, Lauren Glanville, Helena Kruzel.

Sometimes we may become stuck in a rut; trapped inside a dark head-space. This can leave one feeling isolated and alone. Together, we can help each other escape this grey room and find a source of light. There is always a reason to smile.

Alli Robb has been dancing since she was two years old! She danced competitively at The Dance Movement for 11 years. She is versed in jazz, ballet, tap, acro, lyrical, contemporary, and musical theatre. Alli trains in hip hop, urban, jazz funk, and contemporary at O.N.E. Dance Centre. She is a member of the O.N.E. Contemporary Company, who she recently performed with in the London Fringe Festival show “Lens”. She also trains under the direction of top industry choreographers through the Creative Rebels Collective program. Alli has always been in love with dance, but has also found a new passion for teaching/choreography. She teaches at TDM, O.N.E., and was the Choreographer for the Original Kids Theatre production of the Rainbow Fish Musical in March. This is Alli’s first time in the London Dance Festival, and she cannot wait to partake in this amazing experience! Learn more about The Dance Movement.

So Close by Glee London (AK Arts Academy)

Photo by Andrew Clark

Music: So close (Ft Georgia Ku) by NOTD, Felix Jaehn and Captain Cuts.
Choreographer: Alexandra Kane.
Dancers: Declan Holden, Jillian Coysh, Olivia Siroen, Evelyn Nabalema, Salena Sun

Live vocals with dancing. Glee London is a performance troupe for kids who sing and dance to top 40 songs.